Spoilers Maul: Shadow Lord [spoilers]

[Morrus]

Anyone watching this? Just started, the latest Star Wars cartoon.

I’m not up on all the cartoons, so I’ve no idea why Maul is alive and has legs and stuff. He was at the end of that Solo movie, though. So I assume this is set after that?

 

[Rabulias]

Anyone watching this? Just started, the latest Star Wars cartoon.

I’m not up on all the cartoons, so I’ve no idea why Maul is alive and has legs and stuff. He was at the end of that Solo movie, though. So I assume this is set after that?

You would have to watch the Clone Wars series for the full back story, but I know you are on record as not wishing to watch all of that. In short, the Force/sheer will/hate/anger kept Maul alive after being bisected in The Phantom Menace. He was then scooped up with trash and sent to a garbage planet, where he used scrap to make himself a spider-like set of legs. Drider-Maul was pretty feral and insane, but was eventually taken to Dathomir (his homeworld) where his mother, a powerful Nightsister Force witch, used the Force to restore his mind and outfitted him with a pair of humanoid cybernetic legs. After that, Maul took over various crime syndicates around the galaxy, and ultimately threw in with the Death Watch faction of Mandalorians and took over Mandalore. In one of the last battles of the Clone Wars, the Republic helped Mandalorians take back their planet. Ahsoka captured Maul, but he escaped in the chaos of Order 66. I believe this series takes place about a year after Revenge of the Sith and Maul has reconnected with remnants of the Death Watch Mandalorians and is rebuilding his power base with the underworld.

I also roll my eyes at Maul's survival, but he has turned out to be such a great character in Clone Wars and Rebels that I give them a pass on it.

 

[Morrus]

You would have to watch the Clone Wars series for the full back story, but I know you are on record as not wishing to watch all of that. In short, the Force/sheer will/hate/anger kept Maul alive after being bisected in The Phantom Menace. He was then scooped up with trash and sent to a garbage planet, where he used scrap to make himself a spider-like set of legs. Drider-Maul was pretty feral and insane, but was eventually taken to Dathomir (his homeworld) where his mother, a powerful Nightsister Force witch, used the Force to restore his mind and outfitted him with a pair of humanoid cybernetic legs.

Wow. That’s… a lot.

 

[Rabulias]

Wow. That’s… a lot.

Yeah. Contrived as it is though, it beats saying "Somehow Maul returned."

 

[jian]

Yes, we discussed this a lot in the other thread.

J

Post in thread 'Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord'

Feb 5, 2026

Filoni frantically taking notes.

Good lord that's somehow far less plausible than I anticipated! Even by Star Wars standards that is kind of a reach!

I always assumed the retcon was someone got to him pretty quickly and shoved him in a bacta tank or similar. But no. He fell through a reactor, to the trash (which reactors are well known for being connected to ?!?!), got taken into space, flown to another whole-ass planet, dumped, stayed alive literally with with no lower half (which I dunno, I feel probably has important organs in it, even in a Dathomiri) for like, however many days...

• jian

• 

The explanation makes no effing sense but post-bisection Maul is actually a pretty great character.

 

[TheSword]

Yes, we discussed this a lot in the other thread.

J

Post in thread 'Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord'

Feb 5, 2026

Filoni frantically taking notes.

Good lord that's somehow far less plausible than I anticipated! Even by Star Wars standards that is kind of a reach!

I always assumed the retcon was someone got to him pretty quickly and shoved him in a bacta tank or similar. But no. He fell through a reactor, to the trash (which reactors are well known for being connected to ?!?!), got taken into space, flown to another whole-ass planet, dumped, stayed alive literally with with no lower half (which I dunno, I feel probably has important organs in it, even in a Dathomiri) for like, however many days...

• jian

• 

The explanation makes no effing sense but post-bisection Maul is actually a pretty great character.

Well let’s be honest the only sticking point is how he survives having no lower half. Frankly sith are pretty survivable. Once you suspend disbelief on that one regard then the rest is pretty easy.

 

[Rabulias]

I think George Lucas saw Maul surviving in some form after The Phantom Menace as early as production on Revenge of the Sith. They considered making General Grievous be Maul's remains. The animatics for some deleted scenes show Maul's face behind Grievous's mask.

I am glad they did not go that route, as the current Maul has really been fun to watch.

Well let’s be honest the only sticking point is how he survives having no lower half. Frankly sith are pretty survivable. Once you suspend disbelief on that one regard then the rest is pretty easy.

Yeah, if Maul was still conscious on the way down, he could have used the Force to slow his fall and land intact. That part of his survival has never been the problem to me.