Darth Maul story History of Darth Maul History Sith Title: Darth Maul

He may have been bisected by Obi-Wan Kenobi's emerald blade on the big screen two years ago, but that hasn't stopped the nefarious Darth Maul from spreading evil across the cosmos! Star Wars: Darth Maul - Shadow Hunter, Lucas Books' latest addition to the ever expanding Star Wars Universe, continues the exploits of the evil Sith Apprentice.

The Star Wars movies, strictly speaking, are the only “true” canon in the Star Wars universe. In this case, Episode I: The Phantom Menace, as originally distributed, is the only source of strictly canon information on Darth Maul. Following is a short synopsis of what is known of Darth Maul from the movie:

Darth Maul made his first appearance in TPM as a ghostly and menacing hologram standing behind Lord Sidious as the discussion turned to tracking down Queen Amidala. He said nothing. Simply glared in contempt at the Neimoidian officials. Maul’s next appearance was on a balcony on Coruscant discussing details of his upcoming mission with his Master, Darth Sidious. It is here of course that he spoke all but one line of dialogue. As the two walk along the balcony, Maul started, “Tatooine is sparsely populated. If the trace was correct, I will find them quickly Master” “Move against the Jedi first. You will then have no difficulty in taking the Queen to Naboo to sign the treaty” Sidious replied. “At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we will have revenge” Maul then sped off to Tatooine, making a remote night landing on a high ridge in the barren desert. Upon viewing the surroundings, he dispatched three Sith Probe droids to locate the Jedi and therefore the Queen. And he waited. The probe droids do their job, locating the Jedi and alerting Maul to their location. Using his Sith Speeder, Darth Maul raced off to capture the Queen and hopefully destroy a Jedi or two. He surprised them, but was unable to kill the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn or capture the Queen. Darth Maul is then dispatched to Naboo by Sidious to ensure that Amidala is unable to reclaim the throne from the Neimoidian Viceroy. Conferring with Sidious, he is advised to be mindful and to let the Jedi make the first move. He replied with a slight bow of the head and “Yes, my Master” The Trade Federation, unable to stop Queen Amidala and the Jedi from infiltrating Theed once again, forced Darth Maul to confront the two Jedi once and for all. In that final battle, the Duel of the Fates, Maul fights brilliantly against both Jedi, eventually separating the two and killing Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. Unfortunately, when facing the younger Jedi Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, he gloated over his presumed victory a bit too much, and was unable to deflect the killing blow Obi-Wan inflicted using Qui-Gon’s lightsabre. Cut in half, Maul’s body tumbled down the melting pit of the Theed generator.

Actually, "continues" is not entirely accurate, since this adventure takes place before events in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Although the book does stand on its own, it's actually part two of a loose trilogy, following in the wake of Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars: Darth Maul (written by former Green Lantern scribe Ron Marz with art by Jan Duursema) and concluding in Star Wars: Cloak of Deception by James Luceno, to be published in May 2001.

For Shadow Hunter, well established SF writer Michael Reaves takes us on an adventure through the seamy underworld of the Star Wars Galaxy. No stranger to genre writing, the Emmy Award Winning, New York Times bestselling novelist boasts credits from such SF series as Star Trek: The Next Generation, Twilight Zone, Sliders, and The Flash as well as Batman: The Animated Series. Reaves also wrote episodes of the Ewoks and Droids cartoons from the mid-80s. 

History of Darth Maul History

Sith Title: Darth Maul

Full Complete Sith Title: Lord Maul the Infiltrator

Real Name: Khameir Sarin

Species Race: Dathomirian Zabrak

Planet Origins Home World: Dathomir

Name of Sith Master: Darth Sidious

Facts About Destruction of the Sith Master: There is no information suggesting Darth Maul ever considered turning on Darth Sidious. It's tradition for the Sith apprentice to kill his Sith Master in order to obtain the rank of Sith Master. However, Darth Maul perished at a young age at the conclusion of the mesmerizing and stunning Star Wars Episode 1 i One The Phantom Menace, which to this day remains the most financially successful and heavily critically praised Star Wars movie episode.

During The Phantom Menace, Darth Maul confronted Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Jedi padawan learner named Obi-Wan Kenobi. Darth Maul managed to kill Qui-Gon, but the will of the Force prevented Darth Maul from defeating Obi-Wan, the luckiest Jedi in the history of the Star Wars galaxy. The icy cold hand of death was reaching out for Obi-Wan near the end of The Phantom Menace, but Darth Maul would not have victory.

Obi-Wan made one of the most legendary tactical maneuvers in the history of the Jedi Knights in order to destroy Darth Maul by slicing Darth Maul in half at the mid section of Darth Maul's body with Obi-Wan's light saber. Most Jedi have a difficult time accepting the final results of the Darth Maul vs. Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi light saber duel because no Jedi had ever confronted a real Sith Lord and lived to tell about it.

Mastermind genius creator George Lucas has wisely decided to resurrect Darth Maul for the Star Wars The Clone Wars TV series television show during season 4.

Name of Sith Apprentice: None because Darth Maul was a Sith apprentice himself, which means Darth Maul didn't train his own Sith apprentice.

Sith Apprentice Betrayal: There was no Sith apprentice to betray Darth Maul.

A life history - of necessity, quite short, since little is known of Maul. He became the first Sith to be revealed to the Jedi for a thousand years.

The DMEB-2 considers information from the movie and novelization of Episode One as well as the “Databank” information of Darth Maul as given on the official Star Wars website to be “canon.”

Canon Maul is “limited” to say the least. He only appears for a few short minutes in The Phantom Menace, and speaks but a few lines of dialogue, though he was heavily promoted in the trailers, in the media and in the print campaign. One could not look at any kind of Star Wars merchandise or promotion without seeing his eyes glaring back.

In addition to 14 published novels he's also written for sci-fi magazines and, oddly, dialogue for a Megadeth rock video.

Set mere days before Episode I, the book begins when a rouge Neimodian decides to get rich by selling information on the Trade Federation's impending blockade of Naboo. He travels to Coruscant, centre of the Galactic Republic, but the evil Darth Sidious sends apprentice Darth Maul to eliminate the traitor and anyone else he's interacted with. This turns out to be Lorn Pavan, a rogue information broker with a grudge against Jedi along with his sarcastic partner, a 'droid named I-Five. Along the way, young Jedi Padawan Darsha Assant, out on her first mission (which she manages to botch horribly), gets caught up protecting the two from the deadly Sith Apprentice. Can the trio evade the dark warrior and reach the Jedi Temple to warn the Council in time to prevent the blockade? Well, if you've seen the film, then you realize the answer is "no."

The Official Site of StarWars.com gives little more in background on Darth Maul than the other sources. It was on the website that Lucas officially announced that Maul was a Zabrak and that he was born on Iridonia, prior to that, it had been fan speculation. The official view of Maul's character is questionable in our view. “Darth Maul was a weapon forged by the hateful energies of the dark side to ensure the victory of the Sith over the Jedi order. A creature of pure evil, Maul had no personality beyond his ultimate devotion to his master, Darth Sidious. His goal was singular - to exact vengeance upon the Jedi for the decimation of the Sith ranks” While the DMEB-2 does not argue with Darth Maul being a weapon, his devotion to his Master, or with his singular goal of the destruction of the Jedi. We strongly disagree with the statement that Darth Maul had no personality. (See our FAQ Page for more views on this.) The official entry for Darth Maul on the Star Wars website around the time of the release of Episode I was, a bit more charitable toward our favourite Sith Lord. “Completely embracing the dark side of the Force, Darth Maul is a fearsome Sith apprentice. His constant training, both in combat techniques and in the dark powers of the Force, makes him a formidable figure and a power to be reckoned with. His horned head, face tattoos and gleaming yellow eyes strike terror in the heart of all but the most focused opponents. Since his master has great confidence in the pupil's abilities, Darth Maul is often entrusted with delicate missions. In return, Maul is absolutely loyal to his master, and devotes his utmost efforts to achieving the objectives laid out by his mentor. Although he closely follows traditions and protocols, Darth Maul is never one to blend in: he has built a double-bladed lightsaber, and trained himself to wield the unusual weapon with deadly accuracy. Only through his complete dedication to the way of the Sith was Maul able to bring the dark side of the Force to his aid in mastering such a dangerous combat skill”

The arc of the story does feel like a Shakespearean or Greek tragedy. From watchingEpisode I we know the Jedi are unaware of the Sith, so it's an easily drawn conclusion that our heroes fail. However, Reaves puts enough spins and twists into the story to make it an exciting trip. When Lucas Books (an imprint of Del Rey) acquired the rights to publish Star Wars novels two years ago, they gave writers more of a free hand in dealing with established characters (even going as far as to kill off Chewbacca in last year's Star Wars: Vector Prime) and, since these stories are designed to fill in the gaps between what happens on screen, Reaves takes a "no-holds barred" approach with his created heroes.

Darth Maul is best summed up with the line, "He can't be bought off, scared off, or thrown off the trail, and he'll stop at nothing to get it." Reaves shows exceptional skill at capturing the essence of what makes Darth Maul so popular. He delivers this "completely unstoppable" attitude and plays with the character's blind, unquestioning obedience to the Dark Side of the Force. He instills Maul with a strong sense of "honour," which adds an extra level depth to the character who came off a little two-dimensional in the film. However, Reaves showcases Maul's over-confidence which eventually led to his own downfall in Episode I's climactic duel. We're also given a glimpse of Maul's origins, as well as a flashback to the day he created his now famous double-bladed lightsaber, which should definitely pique most fans' interest.

Having read virtually all previously published Star Wars novels (what can I say, I'm addicted to this stuff), I noticed distinct similarities to Alan Dean Foster's classic 1978 book Star Wars: Splinter of the Mind's Eye. Darsha and Lorn's journey through the dark, seemingly endless underground caverns of the Crimson Corridor almost parallels Luke and Leia's journey through the swamp caves of Mimban, most likely an homage to Star Wars past.

Special mention must be made of I-Five, Lorn Pavan's incredibly acerbic yet likeable 'droid. The two have a unique relationship, operating as partners rather than owner and property. This gives a much needed new element to the 'droids of the Star Wars world, who are sometimes poorly utilized and not given enough opportunity to grow. Using his superb dialogue skills, Reaves creates some clever and truly funny banter between I-Five and Lorn on par with any classic Hollywood buddy-movie.

The novel does suffer from some slow chapters, especially near the end. And, for a book that's supposed to be about Darth Maul, there's really not enough of the guy. In fact, sometimes three to five chapters will go by without his appearance. But these are minor complaints and don't detract from the overall enjoyment of the story.

The novel climaxes with an exciting lightsaber battle (I can almost picture Ray Park in all his acrobatic glory) as well as the creative use of carbon-freezing, making for a heart-stopping ending -- an excellent prelude to the film. All in all, Star Wars: Darth Maul - Shadow Hunter introduces some good characters and mixes high-spirited adventure with humour. While not as grand in scope as any of the feature films, it is a rousing adventure that fits well into the Star Wars mythology.

Being the written word rather than being based on visuals, the novel by Terry Brooks, offers only slightly more information than the movie. Mostly in regards to the inner thoughts of Maul, as well as some additional scenes that were not in the final movie. Though not canon in the strictest sense, most fans regard the Star Wars movie novels to be close enough, as the writers work closely with George Lucas himself in drafting the novels - and they are based on the working screenplay. The following includes summary information from the novel of the Phantom Menace, as well as some quotes from the book. These are used without permission of LucasBooks or of DelRay the publisher. They are simply presented as a way to compare the movie version of Darth Maul with that which was given in the novel.

Darth Maul is once again introduced as a holographic image to the Neimoidian delegation. “Something shimmered in the background of the hologram, and a figure emerged from the darkness behind Darth Sidious. Nute Gunray froze. It was a second Sith Lord. But whereas Darth Sidious was a vague and shadowy presence, this new Sith was truly terrifying to look upon. His face was a mask of jagged red and black patterns, the design etched into his skin, and his skull was hairless and studded with a crown of short, hooked horns. Gleaming yellow eyes fixed on the Neimoidians, breaking past their defenses stripping them bare and dismissing them as insignificant and foolish” “Viceroy” Darth Sidious spoke softly in the sudden silence, “this is my apprentice, Lord Maul. He will find your lost ship” Maul next appears as a hologram on the balcony with Lord Sidious, overlooking the cityscape of Coruscant. Here, Darth Maul shifted his weight from foot to foot with impatience, waiting to speak with his Master. These two short scenes sum up how Darth Maul was portrayed in the novelization of The Phantom Menace: Arrogant, strong, impatient and with the look of a beast. Any positive attributes such as strength or agility are dismissed as being secondary to his evil nature, and in fact are a by product of the evil that he was. We here at the DMEB-2 of course believe Darth Maul to be more than what was presented to us in the movie or the novel - though we don’t agree on the specifics. There is little variation from the novel to the movie regarding Darth Maul’s character or abilities until near the end. The following includes lines that ended up on the cutting room floor! In the Theed palace throne room, Darth Sidious loomed in hologram form before Darth Maul, Battle Droid Commander OOM-9, and the Neimoidians. Smooth and silky, his voice oozed through the shadowy ether. “Our young Queen surprises me” he whispered thoughtfully, hidden within his dark robes. “She is more foolish than I thought” “We are sending all available troops to meet this army of hers” Nute Gunray offered quickly. “It appears to be assembling at the edge of the swamp. Primitives, my lord - nothing better. We do not expect much resistance” “I am increasing security at all Naboo detention camps” OOM-9 intoned. Darth Maul glared at nothing, then shook his horned head. “I feel there is more to this than what we know, my Master. The two Jedi may be using the Queen for their own purposes” “The Jedi cannot become involved” Darth Sidious soothed, hands spreading in a placating motion. “They can only protect the Queen. Even Qui-Gon Jinn cannot break that covenant. This will work to our advantage” Darth Maul snorted, anxious to get on with it. “I have your approval to proceed, then my lord?“ Nute Gunray asked hesitantly, avoiding the younger Sith’s mad eyes. “Proceed” Darth Sidious ordered softly. “Wipe them out, Viceroy. All of them” Interestingly - the scene was shot more or less as presented here as can be seen on the DVD - disc 2. Ray Park speaks the lines above, while walking with the Neimoidians. Once the Battle for Naboo was underway, it was Maul alone who realized the seriousness of the situation. The following scene lasts but seconds in the movie version, yet the novelization is much more telling of the characters. In the relative seclusion of the Theed palace throne room, in a place they had believed safely removed from any real danger, Nute Gunray and Rune Haako stared at a giant viewscreen and its rapidly changing images of the battle taking place in the main hangar. The Jedi Knights were inside the complex, accompanied by Naboo soldiers and pilots, their lightsabers wreaking havoc on the battle droids who tried to stop them. “How did they get into the city?“ Rune Haako whispered in dismay. Nute Gunray shook his head. “I don’t know. I thought the battle was going to take place far from here” His eyes were wide and staring. “This is too close” They turned as one when Darth Maul stalked into the room, bearing a long-handled lightsaber. Yellow eyes gleamed out of the Sith’s red and black tattooed face, and his dark cloak billowed out behind him. Nute Gunray and Rune Haako backed away instinctively, neither of them wanting to get in the way. “Lord Maul” Gunray greeted, inclining his head briefly. Darth Maul glanced at him disdainfully. “I told you there was more to this than was apparent” His eyes had a wild, manic look to them. “The Jedi have come to Theed for a reason, Viceroy. They have a plan of their own for defeating us” “A plan?“ the Neimoidian asked worriedly. “One that will fail, I assure you” The striped face glinted wickedly in the light. “I have waited a long time for this. I have trained for it endlessly. The Jedi will regret their decision to return here” There was an edge to his rough voice that was frightening. The Sith was anxious for this confrontation, his body coiled and ready, his hands flexing about his weapon. The Neimoidians did not envy those he sought. “Wait here until I return” he ordered abruptly, and swept past them. “Where are you going?“ Nute Gunray demanded frantically as the Sith Lord crossed toward the speeder docks. “Where do you think I’m going, Viceroy?“ the other sneered. “I’m going to the main hangar to rid you of the Jedi once and for all” Darth Maul’s abilities are discussed in the novel, compared to the Jedi, especially to Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, who he battled in the final duel. Given from Qui-Gon’s point of view, it is an interesting look at what the Jedi Master saw in front of him as he battled for his life. Darth Maul was a warrior in his prime, never to be any better, his powers at their apex. In addition, he was driven by his messianic hatred for and disdain of the Jedi Knights, the enemies of the Sith for millennia. He had worked and trained all his life for this moment, for a chance to meet a Jedi Knight in combat. It was an added bonus that he was able to engage two. He had no fear for himself, no doubt that he would win. He was focused in a way that Qui-Gon recognized at once - a Jedi’s focus, mindful of the present, locked in on what was needed in the here and now. Qui-Gon saw it in his mad eyes and in the set of his red and black tattooed features. The Sith Lord was a living example of what the Jedi Master was always telling Obi-Wan about how best to hear the will of the Force. This is probably the most generous description of Darth Maul to be found anywhere in the canon or expanded universe literature. We are given little insight into why Darth Maul lost the duel to Obi-Wan, except that George Lucas wanted Maul to lose. In the final pages of the novel, Darth Sidious stood out on his balcony, running over the loss of his apprentice in his mind. That night Darth Sidious stood alone on a balcony overlooking the city, a shadowy figure amid the multitude of twinkling lights, his visage dark and angry as he contemplated the loss of his apprentice. Years of training had gone into the preparation of Darth Maul as a Sith Lord. He had been more than the equal of the Jedi Knights he had faced and should have been able to defeat them easily. It was bad luck and chance that had led to his death, a combination that even the power of the dark side could not always overcome. Not in the short run, at least. His brow furrowed. It would be necessary to replace Darth Maul. He would need to train another apprentice. Such a one would not be easy to find. Of course there are many more entries in the novel by Terry Brooks that include information on Darth Maul. Few of them give much more insight than what is stated above, into Maul’s character though. He was meant to be mysterious or enigmatic, that much is sure. Darth Maul and his Lightsaber Or, What's scarier than a Sith Lord with a single-bladed Lightsaber? He's the baddest of the siths. Jedi-killer. Demon warrior. The Terminator of the Star Wars underworld. He can lay you out with a sidekick while drinking his morning coffee and scratching at his groin. Rile him up and he might even come at you with his demonic double-bladed lightsaber. Then your really in for it. Darth Maul is arguably the coolest character in the Star Wars universe. He took the "Coolest Bad-ass" title from Boba Fett and never looked back until his upper and lower torso started tumbling away from one another. What a waste of a great villain. Regardless, there is little known about Darth Maul. He was, of course, apprentice to Darth Sidious, who eventually became (spoiler alert, ha ha) the evil Emperor. What you might not have known is that Sidious actually kidnapped Maul from his home planet of Iridonia and raised him as dog-fighters tend to raise pit bulls. Sidious was strict and sometimes brutal to his apprentice, training him in the Dark arts of the Force and preparing him to go out unto the world and kill lots of Jedi. Maul was skilled at everything there is to be skilled at, except possibly dining room ettique. He was a master martial artist (teräs käsi), a wizard with the Force, an ingenious mechanic, and an unparelleled saber fighter, specializing in two-lightsaber combat (Jar'Kai). He used his knack for mechanics to build many things, including his ship, the Sith Infiltrator (which was called the Scimitar). He also built robotic spy probes, and a kick-ass hover-scooter called the Bloodfin. But one of his most masterful creations was his double-bladed lightsaber. Darth Maul's Lightsaber was actually inspired by an earlier Jedi named Exar Kun. Exar Kun was a powerful Jedi that delved too deeply in the knowledge of the sith arts and turned to the dark side (sound familiar?). Exar was the first person to ever carry a double-bladed lightsaber. Maul may have seen a little of himself in the arogant, powerful Exar Kun, and possibly took up the double-bladed lightsaber in tribute. There is much speculation as to Darth Maul's real name, but common consensus seems to hold that his birth name was either Khameir Sarin or Manuel Gonzalez. Most sources lean toward the former. Lastly, a final bit of trivia from Wikipedia: Darth Maul apparently blinks only once inthe entire movie The Phantom Menace. That blink occurs just after Obi Wan Kenobi cuts him in half. Now that's a tough bastard. Lightsabers in General Lightsabers are probably the oldest of the known sword types. Yes, that's right, oldest. They were, after all, created a long time ago, in a gala... ahem. Well, you get the point (please excuse that last sentence and what was, perhaps, the worst pun ever jotted down onto this website). As far as the history goes, if you don't know, then I fear it's hopeless. Go rent some movies. Oh alright, I'll try. Lightsabers are the chosen weapon of the Jedi, a powerful order of knights in the six Star Wars movies created by George Lucas. The lightsaber consisted of a sturdy hilt with no crossguards and a short beam of laser energy that could cut through almost anything it struck. The beams were created using a focused blast of powerful energy. This energy was focused by a crystal embedded in the hilt of the weapon. The color of this crystal determined the color of the lightsaber's beam (and, occasionally, the sexual orientation of the weilder. Most notably, the pink lightsaber of Russell the Gentle, the slightly gay yet powerful Jedi of Gantoris. Russell the Gentle, in addition to his pink lightsaber, was known for designing most of the outfits for the Jedi and convincing Yoda that "a nice taupe color scheme would be delicious in the council chambers. Oh, and more plants, Yoda baby, more plants.") The colors of the lightsaber said much about a jedi. Each color had its own symbolism. Anakin Skywalker started his career with a blue lightsaber. When he turned to the Dark Side, he switched to the red blade that only Siths use. Jedis are supposed to build their own lightsabers when they come of age, and use this lightsaber for the rest of their days, or until someone cut their hand off and the lightsaber was lost, which seemed inevitable for most Jedis at one time or another.  Darth Maul FX Lightsaber.