Darth Maul (Sam Witwer) is set to make his return to the spotlight with Maul: Shadow Lord, a brand-new animated series from Lucasfilm Animation coming to Disney Plus on April 6. We already know that Maul is focused on rebuilding his criminal empire on a new planet, Janix, but as the latest trailer reveals, there seems to be plenty more mystery for eagle-eyed Star Wars fans to explore.
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Devon Izara and The Rule of Two
In the new trailer, Maul laments that the Empire turned on him. It’s a betrayal that calls for a consequence — specifically, a weapon to fight back against the Imperials. The camera lingers on Devon Izara, a young Twi’lek Jedi who, like every other Jedi after Order 66, is hiding from the Empire.
“Together we can destroy the Empire,” Maul says.
The trailer then cuts to Devon speaking to her reptile-like companion (also a Jedi) about Maul wanting them to fight together as allies, to which her companion reiterates that while the Empire is their common enemy, Maul will “never” be their ally.
We’ve speculated before whether Devon may be Disney’s answer to Darth Talon, a character who’s only appeared so far in the decanonized Star Wars Extended Universe, where she serves as Maul’s apprentice. If that’s the case, however, then she won’t be in the picture by the time a much more beaten and bedraggled Maul appears to Ezra Bridger years later in Star Wars: Rebels and tries to groom him as his new apprentice.
However, the big question here is: If Maul really is gunning for Devon to be his apprentice, could this mean a sticky end for Devon’s reptilian friend? Maul may hate the Empire, but he still follows Sith teachings, and the Rule of Two means there can be only a master and an apprentice. We hope not, because while we still don’t have a name, a reptilian Jedi is too cool a concept to go out with a whimper.
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Eleventh Brother and Marrok
Fans were first introduced to the Eleventh Brother in the Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi episode “Resolve,” where the crow-like Inquisitor fell at the hands of Ahsoka Tano. As fitting of the Star Wars franchise, the Eleventh Brother’s death wasn’t the end of his story. He has since appeared in Star Wars: Tales of the Empire.
The Eleventh Brother isn’t the only one who made a brief cameo in the latest trailer. He’s joined by Marrok, who looks like he’ll be coming into conflict with Captain Brander Lawson, a disgruntled cop on Janix who seeks to apprehend Maul. Like the Eleventh Brother, Marrok is an Inquisitor who promptly met a terrible end at the hands of Ahsoka Tano. Unlike the Eleventh Brother, Marrok survived past the fall of the Empire, meaning he’ll live to be a nasty thorn in the side of Maul and company throughout this animated adventure.
The true identities of the Eleventh Brother and Marrok have yet to be revealed, but considering that Maul: Shadow Lord comes so shortly after Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and both the Eleventh Brother and Marrok are thought to be former members of the Jedi Order, maybe Maul: Shadow Lord will reveal some key details.
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Nightbrothers Reunion
Maul isn’t just uniting criminals; it seems he’ll also be reconnecting with other Zabrak warriors. In the trailer, we see a group of Zabrak fighters armed with rocket launchers and blasters, aiming and firing at Imperial forces. While this could simply be the criminal Zabrak that Maul has associated with during his visit to Janix, there’s also the chance that these forces are actually composed of Nightbrothers — male Zabrak warriors who lived under the rule of the Nightsister clans.
Having grown up as a Nightbrother under Mother Talzin, Maul understands better than most how poorly Nightbrothers are treated. With the Nightsisters nearly wiped out, only a few Nightbrothers and Nightsisters remain. We know that Maul will eventually visit Dathomir during the Imperial era, but the exact time is unknown. If Maul visits Dathomir between his time on Janix, his Nightbrothers could become the forces he needs to help build his criminal empire.
Maul: Shadow Lord will stream on Disney Plus on April 6.
