Star Wars' Sam Witwer Is Teasing Maul

Summary

Sam Witwer shares details on Maul in the upcoming Star Wars animated series, Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord.
The series explores Maul's evolution into a tragic anti-villain, questioning the Empire's injustice.
The show is expected to challenge black-and-white morality, with Maul as a symbol of resistance.

Star Wars will be releasing another animated TV series next year. One of the Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord voice actors shared exciting details about the anticipated project.

Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is an animated TV series focusing on Maul, formerly known as Darth Maul. He is one of the most iconic and complex characters in the Star Wars universe. He was initially introduced as the silent and deadly apprentice of Darth Sidious (Emperor Palpatine). Maul made his debut in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999). The character was physically portrayed by Ray Park and voiced by Peter Serafinowicz. The fan-favorite character is returning to Disney Plus' upcoming animated series, and the lead primary voice actor shared more details about the show's plot.

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By Catherine Armecin Martin

Sam Witwer is the primary voice actor for Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord. He has voiced the Maul since Star Wars: The Clone Wars in 2011. He took over the role from Serafinowicz and gave the character a more psychologically complex voice, emphasizing pain, obsession, and cunning. He reprised the role in Star Wars Rebels (2016 - 2017) and made a cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018. Aside from that, Witwer voiced the character in numerous other projects, including LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Disney Infinity 3.0, Star Wars Battlefront II, and Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi. Witwer recently appeared on Katee Sackhoff's podcast and spoke about the show's plot. According to him, the series will be "about bad guys vs worse guys." He also shared what fans can expect from Maul in the show. He said:

This isn't going to be a show where you find out Maul is a real teddy bear, man … We're not doing that. But is he as bad as Sidious or Vader? Actually no. From the Sith perspective, this guy has flaws... [There's] humanity that seeps in at various points because of things that have happened to him.

Maul will reportedly question whether the creation of the Empire was a reasonable move. He added that Maul wonders what Sidious has in his mind and will start to weigh things, whether they are right or wrong, and this is not a good sign for the Empire. "This is a little scary," Witwer continued. He explained Maul's background and how sorcery and magic played a part in his life. However, the Galactic Empire under Emperor Palpatine's regime suppressed swordsmanship, magic, sorcery, and other non-Sith traditions. So, at this point, Maul is reportedly unsure why they are building the universe as they do.

It Makes Sense To Have Maul Continue To Doubt His Former Master In Shadow Lord

Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord is expected to explore the story of Maul. However, fans know that Maul is not a hero. Based on Witwer's commentary, Maul is evolving from a one-note villain into a tragic anti-villain, which makes the character more compelling. Maul is now positioned against a system — the Empire — that is more brutal and dehumanizing than he is. Since he used to be a villain who is now aware of the Empire's injustice, Witwer's statement about "bad guys vs worse guys" makes sense.

Maul questioning the Empire is a great character development because it shows his depth and complexity. By stepping out of the Sith ideology, he becomes more reflective, echoing the themes of betrayal, identity, and free will. Maul's personal code and the Empire's tyranny come into play in the show to challenge black-and-white morality. His skepticism of the Empire makes him even more dear to fans who enjoy nuanced redemption and philosophical conflict. It is still unclear if Maul will have full redemption, but there is no doubt that he will become a symbol of resistance.