Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord - Season 1

I have rather strong opinions about this phase of Star Wars and how, despite having a full galaxy and collection of time periods to explore, it feels trapped and almost choked by a desire to focus solely on the space between Episodes III and IV for its 'spin-off' adventures. It's because of this reason that I actually find many of the recent options fall a tad flat, as it simply doesn't feel like Star Wars is going anywhere. And yet there's Maul - Shadow Lord...

This show is hampered by the exact same issues other recent Star Wars projects have encountered, namely that it doesn't really have much of a purpose. It expands on Maul's lore and fills in some gaps you didn't ask to be filled, and for many reasons you could say that Maul, like The Bad Batch for example, has no reason to exist. But boy does this show pack a punch.

For one, as we noted in our review of the first couple of episodes, Maul - Shadow Lord doesn't play around. This is a hard-hitting and gritty series, which while resembling The Clone Wars in its appearance, has a much darker tone and appeal. Yes, it's still a story about how heroes and Jedi continue to stand firm against the Empire, but it's also a crime odyssey, an exploration into the unsultry underbelly of a galaxy far, far away and how one individual uses his rage and hatred to twist it to his whim.

But anyway, there's a core story at the heart of this show that is interesting to follow but what really sees Maul - Shadow Lord stand out is its action, as this series is pure animated chaos at its best. Every episode has a gunfight or a lightsaber battle, and more often than not, they're visual spectacles. In fact, the reason why I've come to adore Maul - Shadow Lord as much as I have is down to how this series continues to one-up itself. What started as Maul slaughtering local police spirals into a hectic fight for freedom where Maul and a few allies fight to survive Sith Inquisitors, and for the purpose of the last two episodes, arguably Star Wars' most famous character of all-time, a veritable force of nature that resonates as the embodiment of fear. The last two episodes in particular are absolute triumphs that you won't want to look away from, they are simply Star Wars at its best.

I will continue to be critical of Star Wars in the future because shows like Maul - Shadow Lord prove just how remarkable Star Wars can be when done correctly. The entire season is strong in its own right, but what makes this project so fantastic is how it ramps up and gets better on an episode-by-episode basis, with the final two episodes that landed fittingly on Star Wars Day being some of the best pieces of Star Wars media I have seen, going toe-to-toe with Andor. It's must-watch television and I fear for the expectation that this animated series has put on Star Wars in the immediate future, with The Mandalorian and Grogu perhaps being a lamb in the process of being led to the slaughter.

Regardless of what happens for that movie, you absolutely should watch Maul - Shadow Lord if you enjoy Star Wars even a teeny bit. It's hugely entertaining, constantly action-packed, and isn't burdened by childish tendencies as some of the other recent projects have ended up being.