Who is Rook Kast and the Shadow Collective in Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord?

Dave Filoni’s new animated Star Wars series Maul – Shadow Lord follows the former Sith lord (Sam Witwer) as he seeks vengeance against his former crime syndicate allies and looks for a new apprentice. The Mandalorian Rook Kast (Vanessa Marshall) serves as Maul’s right hand, helping him set up operations on Janix, an urban world on the edge of the new Galactic Empire’s control. Filoni introduced Rook and Maul’s criminal ties in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, so here’s everything you need to know going into Shadow Lord if you haven’t watched that show. This can also be a good refresher if you’ve forgotten some details since the seventh and final season of The Clone Wars was released in 2020.

Maul had a really bad time after getting bisected by Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Phantom Menace, going mad with rage and building himself spider legs. He was rescued by his brother, the ridiculously named Savage Opress. The two worked together to get vengeance against Obi-Wan, teaming up with Death Watch, a splinter group of Mandalorians fed up with the planet’s pacifist leader, Duchess Satine.

Knowing he’d need more muscle to take Mandalore, Maul started recruiting from criminal organizations including the Black Sun, Pyke Syndicate, and the Hutt Clan. He united those gangs and the Nightbrothers, other Zabrak from Maul’s home planet of Dathomir, under the name the Shadow Collective. As Maul’s reach grew, so did his ambition. Maul saw taking control of Mandalore as a first step in setting up a power base that could rival that of his former master Darth Sidious aka Chancellor Palpatine.

Death Watch’s leader Pre Vizsla turned on Maul and declared himself ruler of Mandalore, but Maul killed him in a duel and took the throne for himself. While some Mandalorians didn’t accept an outsider as their leader, Rook was one of the first to pledge her loyalty and paint her Beskar armor with Maul’s colors.

Maul’s holdings were repeatedly attacked by both the Jedi and Sith, with Sidious getting directly involved to kill Savage. Maul was ultimately defeated on Mandalore by the former Jedi Ahsoka Tano and her Clone Troopers. While Maul was being taken into Republic custody, Sidious executed his master plan and forced the clones to turn on the Jedi through Order 66. Ahsoka set Maul free so he would create a distraction she could use to escape.

Maul – Shadow Lord picks up soon after the events of The Clone Wars season 7 and Revenge of the Sith. Palpatine has become emperor and killed most of the Jedi. The new Galactic Empire is looking to establish a new regime across the galaxy. Rook is still serving Maul, who has come to Janix along with a small group of Mandalorians and Zabrak to start rebuilding his empire and get revenge on the criminals he feels betrayed him in his hour of need. He also feels destiny is guiding him to find a new apprentice to follow the Sith Rule of Two and once again challenge his former master’s power.

The 10-episode premiere season of Maul — Shadow Lord debuts on Disney Plus on April 6, with a two-episode initial drop. Episodes will release two at a time on Mondays through Star Wars Day, May 4.