Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord has delivered an enthralling, pulpy Star Wars crime thriller that’s kept me on my toes with every episode. However, Maul’s goal of rebuilding his criminal empire has hit a snag. With the Empire’s grip closing around the seedy planet of Janix and the threat of the Inquisitors bearing down on him, the ex-Sith Lord is stuck between a kyber crystal and a hard place. In episode 8, “The Creeping Fear,” one name was dropped that may just prove to be Maul’s salvation: Dryden Vos.
Unless you’ve been paying attention — or are as brainrotted as I am when it comes to a certain Han Solo Star Wars “story” — you might not have realized the significance of Vos’ name being dropped at the end of the episode. Who is Dryden Vos, and what role will he have to play in Darth Maul’s journey? I am so glad you asked.
This article will contain spoilers for Solo (2018).
Who is Dryden Vos?
Star Wars fans were first introduced to Dryden Vos in Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018. Cruel and vindictive, Vos (played by Paul Bettany) is presented to Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) as the leader of Crimson Dawn. We later learn that isn’t the case when Vos’ second-in-command, Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) dispatches Vos at the end of the movie. Shortly after killing Vos, a call comes in from the real leader of Crimson Dawn: Darth Maul.
It was a reveal that left us with plenty of questions: When and how did Vos and Maul first meet? What was their relationship like? What drove Vos to work for Maul?
Lucasfilm answered some of these questions before Solo even hit theaters, in lore-deepening episodes of the animated series The Clone Wars. Seeking to amass his own power and build a Sith empire to rival his former master, Palpatine, Maul allied with several criminal groups, including the Pyke Syndicate, Death Watch, the Hutts, Crimson Dawn, and Black Sun, all under the Shadow Collective label. Under Maul’s leadership, the organization’s aim was to eventually defeat both the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems.
Vos, who was the leader of Crimson Dawn at the time, was also part of this collective and made his first animated appearance in season 7, episode 10 of The Clone Wars, “The Phantom Apprentice” where Maul told him and other criminal leaders of the Shadow Collective to go into hiding.
Outside of that brief appearance, however, the relationship between Maul and Vos hasn’t been expanded on.
Who is the leader of Crimson Dawn?
At the time of Maul – Shadow Lord, set a year after Revenge of the Sith, Dryden Vos is established as the leader of Crimson Dawn. However, as hinted by the end of “The Creeping Fear” and the reveal in Solo, it’s likely that Maul and Vos meeting up in the next few episodes will drastically change that leadership — behind the scenes, anyhow.
When he isn’t attempting to manipulate Order 66 survivor Devon Izara to become his new apprentice, Maul has spent most of his time on Janix turning his previous allies against one another after they abandoned him to throw their lot in with the Empire. Vos, however, remains relatively unscathed. The reason why has yet to be revealed, but it appears that Maul still has some use for the Crimson Dawn leader.
Will Qi’ra appear in Maul – Shadow Lord?
With Maul – Shadow Lord set only a few years after the fall of the Galactic Republic, it is highly unlikely that Qi’ra will appear. Qi’ra is only recruited by Vos after she’s sold into slavery, and that takes place a few years before 10 BBY, whereas Maul – Shadow Lord takes place around 18 BBY. Sorry Qi’ra fans, we’d like to see her, too, but the timeline doesn’t fit.
Before Maul – Shadow Lord debuted, we had hoped that there would be a Dryden Vos cameo. While Vos served his purpose in Solo, there was still a lot about him that we didn’t know anything of. The beauty of Star Wars is that even its most minor characters often get a new lease of life years after their debut. It looks like this time around, that’s going to be Vos.
The first eight episodes of Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord are available now on Disney Plus. New episodes will be released weekly on Mondays through May 4.