Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord is finally here, dropping fans back into the purview of one of the franchise’s toughest foes. As one of the only characters to cheat death in the Star Wars canon, it comes as no surprise that the fallen Sith apprentice has returned to the spotlight once more.
There’s a lot to unpack with Maul — Shadow Lord, and the early confirmation of a Season 2 renewal means this is only the beginning. Or, more accurately, a new beginning. Maul’s legacy in Star Wars is anything but straightforward. The character has appeared in live action film, books, animation, and comics, making it especially daunting to nail down where his new story fits in the timeline — even for a Star Wars superfan like me. And the show doesn’t exactly hold your hand in explaining the broader context of what’s happening when the story begins.
Fortunately, I’ve seen more than enough Star Wars to clear things up. Here’s a breakdown of exactly when Maul — Shadow Lord takes place.
When does Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord take place?
The Star Wars canon is vast, but if we narrow our gaze to Maul’s own saga, things are much easier to follow. Set in 18 BBY (or 18 years before the Battle of Yavin that occurs in Episode IV: A New Hope), Maul — Shadow Lord gives us an intimate look into one of Star Wars’ most interesting periods, and arguably one of the least-fleshed out parts of the timeline. The story begins shortly after the events of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, which takes place a year earlier in 19 BBY.
Considered the “early dark times” of the Empire’s reign, it’s here where Maul fights to regain his footing in the criminal underworld. The former Sith Apprentice spent several years as ruler of Mandalore, sitting at the height of his power during the events of The Clone Wars animated series. But his reign was cut short thanks to the intervention of fallen Jedi Ahsoka Tano and Bo-Katan Kryze, sister of the late Duchess Satine Kryze, the former ruler of Mandalore.
Despite being captured on Mandalore, Maul inevitably escaped amidst the chaos of Order 66. This would be his last on-screen appearance in the timeline, up until the events of Maul — Shadow Lord. Before diving into the new show, I highly recommend watching season 7 of The Clone Wars, as it serves as the perfect lead-in with several events expertly synced to Revenge of the Sith and Order 66.
What else should you watch to understand Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord?
Maul — Shadow Lord is one of the very few Star Wars shows to give us a small peek into the early growth of the Empire, albeit from an arm’s reach. This is a sort of gray spot in Star Wars lore. In fact, one of the only other series to take place around this time is The Bad Batch, which kicks off right as Order 66 is enacted — though, Maul’s show likely fits in a smidge later in the timeline.
One show that does offer a near-perfect parallel to Shadow Lord is Tales of the Jedi, specifically its final episode. Titled Resolve, this episode serves to fill in the gaps left in Ahsoka’s story following the Siege of Mandalore and her run-in with Maul, depicting a secret visit to Padmé Amidala’s funeral and her (extremely short) fight with a Jedi Inquisitor known only as “The Crow.”
Although Maul — Shadow Lord focuses more on Maul’s regaining of power, which leads to his post-credits cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story, I’m hoping we get some interesting nods to how the galaxy is subjugated under the Empire’s leadership into what we see in Andor and beyond. This period in Star Wars remains relatively untouched, yet the nailbiting crunch under the weight of the Empire’s rule could be home to some fascinating and terrifying narratives if done right.
If you want an even better perspective of what this time period was like, check out EA’s Star Wars: Jedi games, particularly Jedi Survivor. The game takes place in 14 BBY, just four years after the events of Shadow Lord, and follows Cal Kestis on a quest to unlock the secrets of the Jedi order. What’s more, you even get to visit Dathomir, Maul’s birthplace, making Jedi Survivor ripe for fans to walk in the footsteps of one of Star Wars’ most notorious villains.
Maul’s insatiable thirst for power may never be quenched, but at least your curiosity was with a more thorough perspective on this part of the canon. With Season 2 already in the cards, I can only hope we get more fascinating lore drops in episodes to come. And, who knows? Maybe a Thrawn cameo if I’m lucky.
Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord is streaming now on Disney Plus.
