Darth Maul has had a long life after his first appearance in 1999’s “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.” While it seemed that Obi-Wan Kenobi killed him in an attempt to avenge his master, the fans adored the tattooed character, and he was brought back for the “Star Wars” television shows: “Clone Wars” and “Rebels.” This week’s episode of “Rebels” will have a rematch between Obi-Wan and Maul but the Sith’s storyline had a swifter end.
“Originally, Maul perished in the season two finale where he returned. It was a one-off appearance,” executive producer Dave Filoni explained to io9. “So originally in that episode, you were gonna get Vader fighting Maul, Vader would have killed Maul, and then fought Ahsoka.”
Sporting a few cybernetic legs and an attitude, Maul has a character arc on “Rebels” and proves to be an integral part of this plot. After uncovering the important “Star Wars” lore with Ezra, he supplied links between Sabine and Darksaber. While a Darth Vader vs. Darth Maul showdown may cause excitement to fans, Filoni and the crew has decided it was just too much to jam in.
“It just became unwieldy,” he said. “It’s more of a fan fiction fun thought that they fought. The emotional drama was really between Vader and Ahsoka. So we decided to let Maul live.”
So why to have Maul face off with a Jedi who bested him before, rather than the fact that audiences cannot get enough of the double-blade-wielding bad guy?
“You always felt Obi-Wan had this great track record of taking out a Sith Lord in the past,” Filoni said. “We wondered, [by bringing back Maul], did we rob him of what he was able to accomplish?”
Fans who cannot get enough Maul in Star Wars can have a look at his standalone comic book series that has hit shelves. Darth Maul’s next “Star Wars” appearance will be this Saturday, when the “Rebels” finale airs at 8:30PM ET on Disney XD.
