Last Updated: July 15, 2020
Solo: A Star Wars Story is a surprising movie for a lot of reasons, but it's the unexpected cameo appearance of Darth Maul that has people talking most. And for good reason, seeing as the last time most movie-goers saw Darth Maul he was cut in half and sent plummeting down a reactor shaft, leaving audiences to assume he died (he didn't).
For fans of Star Wars animation, Maul surviving his bisection at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi is old news, and in both Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, Maul reemerges from the shadows, seeking revenge. In fact, Maul's role in those series (as well as the comics) is where the bulk of his character's journey is explored, finally giving fans the look at the villain they've been wanting ever since he first shrugged off that cloak and ignited his double-bladed lightsaber.
With his cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story, a new chapter is added to Darth Maul's story, but some viewers may still be unclear about when this cameo appearance falls in his personal timeline. For that, we've outlined Maul's history, explaining when this cameo falls and what it might mean for the character's film future.
Well before he was a Darth, he was simply Maul. Born on Dathomir to Mother Talzin - leader of the Force-wielding witches, the Nightsisters - Maul and his brothers, Savage Opress and Feral, were trained from an early age to be warriors. Talzin was a close ally of Darth Sidious, and often the Sith Lord would come to Dathomir to learn new and dark Force powers from the witch. She had hopes of one day becoming his apprentice, but when Sidious noted the great potential in her son, he chose Maul instead.
Maul quickly became deeply entrenched in his Sith training, even visiting Malachor - home to an ancient Sith temple - where Sidious made him inhale the ashes of Sith warriors slain by the Jedi so he could experience their anguish and pain. From that moment on, Maul carried a deep hatred for the Jedi that was so powerful, Sidious needed to repeatedly reign him in lest he reveal the existence of the Sith too soon. To satisfy his bloodlust, Sidious sent Maul on a mission to kill pirates who were attacking Trade Federation ships, but Maul soon learned of a captured Jedi padawan and jumped at the opportunity. Hiring a group of bounty hunters (among them Cad Bane and Aurra Sing), Maul was successful in locating and killing the padawan in combat, satiating his revenge for at least a moment.
Come Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Sidious - or rather, Senator Palpatine of Naboo as he was known publicly - began putting his plan to bring down the Republic into motion. He secretly conspired with the Trade Federation to establish a blockade of Naboo, forcing then-Queen Amidala to seek assistance from the Senate. Palpatine manipulated Amidala into calling for a vote of no confidence in the Chancellor, enabling himself to then be voted in as the new leader, consolidating his power within the Republic.
While this political scheming was taking place, Sidious dispatched Darth Maul to eliminate the Jedi - Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi - who had been sent to accompany and safe-guard Amidala. Maul tracked the Jedi to Tatooine, where they had stopped to repair their ship (and coincidentally pick up a young slave boy and potential Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker), briefly fighting with Qui-Gon before they could escape.
Later, during the climactic showdown between the Trade Federation's droid army and the combined forces of Naboo, Maul got his chance to duel the Jedi in The Phantom Menace's now iconic "Duel of the Fates" sequence. It's during this duel that Maul kills Qui-Gon, but in retaliation, Obi-Wan gets the upper hand on Maul, slicing him in half and kicking him into the seemingly bottomless pit of Naboo's reactor shaft.
And, for years, the image of Maul's bisected body plummeting down that shaft was the last anyone saw of him - until Lucasfilm Animation found a way to bring him back.
Simply saying that Maul survived his injuries and fall wouldn't be enough. If fans were going to believe that Maul lived, there would need to be consequences from his failed duel with Kenobi. And there were, with Maul's subsequent exile bringing him to his absolute lowest.
Channeling his hatred for Kenobi, Maul was able to use the Force to escape the reactor shaft, landing in a trash container and eventually winding up on the junkyard planet, Lotho Minor. Giving his mind over to the dark side, his powers not only healed him, but forged his new lower spider-like body, but the pain, hatred, and years of exile took a toll on his mind. For years, Maul lived in the bowels of Lotho Minor, turning more wild and feral until one day, his brother, Savage Opress, came to find him.
Savage Opress brought his brother home to Dathomir, where Mother Talzin used Nightsister Magik to heal Maul's body and mind, forging him new legs from the scraps of battle droids. Together, Maul and Savage became a new master and apprentice, a new Sith, and they set their sights on destroying the Jedi - especially, Obi-Wan Kenobi.
To lure out Kenobi, they began wreaking havoc across the galaxy. Maul would cross lightsaber blades with Kenobi on multiple occasions during the Clone Wars, but he was never able to finish what he started. Maul eventually forms an alliance with Pre Vizla and the Mandalorian terrorist group known as Death Watch. Alongside the group, they built a coalition of crime syndicates - the Shadow Collective - and used them to conquer Mandalore. This led to him confronting Obi-Wan but also drew the attention of Palpatine.
Sidious fought with the duo, eventually killing Savage but spaces Maul as part of a plot to lead him to Mother Talzin, hoping to kill the witch once and for all. Talzin is eventually killed, leading to a battle that sees Maul fight against Sidious, Count Dooku, and General Grievous before retreating.
At the same time, what remains of the Shadow Collective was in ruins, but Maul manages to escape with just enough loyal forces and return to Mandalore. There, he resumed control of the planet, if only for a short while. In the final days of the Clone Wars, Maul is ousted by Republic forces led by Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex. Ahsoka and Maul duel briefly during the battle, before Maul escapes into exile once again.
A new chapter in Darth Maul's history was added during 2020's seventh and final season of The Clone Wars. Set during the events of Revenge of the Sith, Maul - now played by Ray Park via motion capture - assumes the throne of Mandalore. Ashoka and Bo-Katan's Mandalorian forces stage a siege of Mandalore, leading to a large battle between the two sides. However, Maul reveals that he purposefully caused the conflict in an effort to try and draw out Anakin Skywalker, who he understands to be Darth Sidious' new protege. Maul is captured, but while being transported to trial, Sidious/Palpatine activates Order 66. Ashoka is able to escape an attack attempt and save Maul from execution, but refuses an alliance, and instead uses him to make her own escape. Maul survives, escaping the Star Destroyer he's been traveling on after damaging it, before it ultimately crashes.
Maul's appearance in Solo: A Star Wars Story (played by Ray Park and voiced by Sam Witwer) is the newest piece of information we have about him. Very little is actually revealed in the scene, but it does suggest that Maul has been very busy in the years after he was overthrown on Mandalore.
In the film, after Qi'ra kills Dryden Vos and assumes his position of leadership within Crimson Dawn, she contacts the real leader of their criminal operation via hologram - Maul. He listens as Qi'ra relays to him what has transpired, placing the blame for Vos' death on Becket and Han. They then make plans to continue their work, signaling that either in future Solo movies or another Star Wars spinoff (possibly Boba Fett), Qi'ra and Maul are high up on the list as potential antagonists
Whether or not Crimson Dawn is the second coming of the Shadow Collective - which included such gangs as Pyke Syndicate, Black Sun, and the Hutt Clan - also remains unclear, but it's obvious Maul is continuing to ally himself with whomever he believes can help him achieve his goal: killing Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Maul was previously last seen in Star Wars Rebels, set a few years before A New Hope. He met the crew of the Ghost, a small Rebel cell, on the planet Malachor while they were searching for a weapon they believed capable of destroying the Sith. Maul had crashlanded on the planet years before, and immediately set about manipulating them; he befriended Jedi-in-training Ezra Bridger, who helped him find the Sith Holocron. Sensing a strong connection to the dark side within the boy, Maul planned to make the boy his apprentice, but his turn on the Ghost crew didn't go well: it was only when Darth Vader turned up that he's able to make his escape.
Later on, Maul visits the crew of the Ghost once again, wanting to combine the Sith and Jedi Holocrons and reveal their secrets. He manages to trick Ezra into doing just that and the pair of them experience visions: Ezra's reveals to him the key to defeating the Sith, showing him an image of twin suns, while Maul's vision reveals to him that Obi-Wan Kenobi still lives. Combining the Holocrons also left a mental link between Maul and Ezra, which the former Sith uses to manipulate the young Jedi into joining him on Dathomir. There, Maul employs the magic of the Nightsisters to give their visions some clarity, learning that Kenobi not only lives but he's on Tatooine.
Maul leaves to hunt is former nemesis, but is unsuccessful in locating Kenobi, so he again tricks Ezra, planning to use the boy as bait to lure out the old Jedi Master. It works, and sensing that Ezra is in danger of being attacked by Tusken Raiders, Obi-Wan reveals himself. Maul then confronts Kenobi and the two duel - though this is not the flashy, acrobatic fighting of their youth, but a very quick and measure fight of only a few strikes. In the end, Kenobi slashes Maul across the chest, delivering a fatal wound. Before he dies, Maul wonders why Kenobi has hidden on such a remote, barren world, asking him if the young farmboy he's watching over from far is the true Chosen One. Kenobi responds, "He is", and Maul dies, uttering with his last breath, "He will avenge us."
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Though we now know how Maul truly dies, his cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story makes it abundantly clear Lucasfilm isn't through with the character yet. After this appearance, there's an opportunity for Maul to reappear in a Solo sequel, a new spinoff, or possibly even his own movie. No matter what, it seems safe to assume that this cameo is not the last we've seen of him.
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