Maul: Shadow Lord
08/05/2026
Worth the buildup. Lovely Animation.
Photo by Lucasfilm Ltd./Lucasfilm Ltd. - © 2026 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Though over the last decade, Star Wars has had quite a rough ride in terms of live-action projects, the animated part of the franchise has never really faltered. In fact, since the 2020 Final Clone Wars Season 7, it has been steadily growing once again in terms of quality and releases, with some great projects where you can feel the respectful treatment of legacy characters. Dave Filoni has kept Star Wars alive in the animated medium since The Clone Wars (2008), and thanks to him, expanded the universe with great storytelling over the years. The recent resurgence in animated projects within the galaxy far far away is a continuation of the amazing foundation that he laid out years ago, and it is delivering.
Ray Park deserves all the original credit for bringing the Sith Lord to life in The Phantom Menace. Yet what Sam Witwer and Dave Filoni have done with the character since the audience last saw him seemingly fatally wounded in 1999 is they have turned him into a well-written three-dimensional character. Sam Witwer's voice performance really shines through with the love that the actor has for the franchise and specifically this role that he has been so attached to for around 16 years. What was once a plain antagonist is now a more nuanced character, one whom you might even feel sorry for. Maul Shadow Lord follows up on the titular villain's story set during the time of the Empire. Maul and his crew journey through the underworld of the galaxy's crime organizations until they spontaneously come across a Jedi Master and Padawan in hiding, and their stories are intertwined. It is a well-executed structure of episodes that certainly hit the correct beats story-wise, especially the lightsaber dueling moments, which are fabulous to watch. Though the plot of Maul trying to turn the Padawan over to the Dark side was predictable, I must say it was done at a good pace, and the end result was certainly worth the wait. The end of episode 9 will certainly bring out the stamp of approval from any fan of the franchise, and what follows, seeing Vader fight Maul and the two Jedi, is just an amazing spectacle that reminds us why we became fans in the first place.
Photo by Lucasfilm Ltd./Lucasfilm Ltd. - © 2026 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Besides the solid narrative, what amazed me the most were the visuals of the show. The animation truly is spectacular and feels like a big leap in the stylized look that has been established since 2008. The pastel crayon-like illustration textures on characters, combined with neo noir lighting and cinematic contrast, have never looked so good before. The spectacular extreme wide shots reminded me a lot of how some of the scenes in the original Star Wars trilogy were shot, using matte painting backdrops, which, given 1977's technological constraints, brought George Lucas's vision to life through a little something called "film magic". That same magic I felt as I watched some shots in the show that could be framed as paintings.
Overall, it is a very pleasing and rewarding watch for longtime fans of the franchise in terms of audience catering. A stylized format brought to new heights within animation, borderline on the level of artistic detail at times, as a show like Arcane (2021). Another good aIt feels as though lately, Star Wars is more and more back to its core identity. Catering well-made stories to loyal and new fans that explore new and familiar characters and their adventures within the timeline, that are told with a purpose and passion, and that adhere to the identity of the universe that George Lucas created, which has captivated the minds of millions, if not billions of people. Maul Shadow Lord Delivers. Already eagerly awaiting more.