Summary
- Fans suggest using anime style for Maul: Shadow Lord to bring fresh storytelling to Star Wars.
- Classic 2D animation could capture the Star Wars storybook essence, enhancing Maul's character.
- Using the same old animation style from Clone Wars is problematic.
Disney recently dropped a huge bombshell about a new animated series in the Star Wars franchise called Maul: Shadow Lord, and, while it's still a while away from release, it looks like the House of Mouse is about to make a huge mistake right out of the gate. The new series was announced during a Star Wars Celebration panel in Tokyo on Friday, as the company celebrated two decades of Lucasfilm animation.
The title character, legendary Sith Lord Darth Maul, who, despite only having a relatively small part in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, has become a favorite among fans of the franchise, will be voiced by actor Sam Witwer. It's not the first time Witwer has voiced the demon-faced Maul, having brought the character to life in several other animated series over the years, as well as in Solo: A Star Wars Story. The events of the show will take place about a year after Disney's other hit animated project, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. While it's exciting to see some new content focused on one of the most menacing Sith Lords to emerge in the Star Wars universe, there's a huge problem: the animation style.
Disney is going to make the show using the same computer-generated 3D animation they used for Clone Wars. While it worked well with that series, at the time it came out, it's overdone in the current era. Besides, why continue to rehash the same kind of content, stylistically, over and over, when there are so many other kinds of animation that could make a series like Maul: Shadow Lord feel fresh and new?
Why Not Use An Anime-Inspired Style Reminiscent Of Some Episodes Of Star Wars: Visions?
Disney has already produced some Star Wars content in an anime style, so fans and producers know it works with the kind of high-space fantasy set in a galaxy far, far away. So why not put it to use in a more mainstream series like Maul: Shadow Lord?
Star Wars: Visions was an anthology series that was cooked up in several Japanese and international studios. The episodes were short reimaginings of stories in the franchise, but told from a variety of different perspectives. The first volume was released in 2021 and featured a total of nine shorts from seven studios. Volume two was produced by various studios located all around the world. And the third volume is supposed to premiere sometime in 2025.
Anime is not simply an aesthetic, but is a complete system of storytelling. It's an animation style perfectly suited for epic tales with high stakes, which could have consequences that change the universe. Classic anime like Attack on Titan and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood illustrate the power of this medium perfectly, as they feature a balanced recipe of personal journeys and galactic-scale battles.
It's a perfect fit for a series about Darth Maul, allowing his character to be fleshed out -- anime is also known for its ability to craft multidimensional characters -- while also making the events that unfold in the show impact other parts of the Star Wars universe.
A Classic 2D Animation Style Could Also Take The Series Back To More Of Its Classic Roots
Classic 2D animation is making a bit of a comeback thanks to shows like Nickelodeon's Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the upcoming Wylde Pak, and many others. Not to mention, Star Wars previously put out a 2D animated Clone Wars microseries, which critic Phil Pirrello called the best television series the franchise ever produced. That's some high praise, given The Mandalorian and Andor exist.
Star Wars is a fairytale that happens to be set in space. It's heavy on mythos and contains many classic fantasy tropes, such as the "chosen one," "evil empires," and "ancient mysticism." Using 2D animation would capture the storybook quality of the franchise, making Maul: Shadow Lord feel fresh.
Lastly, 2D animation would allow animators to create some truly sick lightsaber duels, which is what an animated show about Darth Maul needs. With this style, animators can exaggerate motion and energy in a way other media can't. Darth Maul's double-bladed lightsaber in 2D animation would result in mind-blowing techniques and attacks.
Imagine If Lucasfilm Actually Got Super Brave And Went The Stop Motion Route Instead...
If the creative team behind Maul: Shadow Lord wanted to get wild, they might consider doing the show in stop-motion. Back in the day, this probably wouldn't have worked. Not for an entire series. But thanks to modern technology, stop-motion has not only made a comeback, it's better -- and more fluid -- than ever.
This is the most controversial idea out of the suggestions in this piece, and the style, as cool as it is, does come with some hefty limitations. Stop-motion takes forever and a day to produce. Each movement has to be photographed, even incredibly small, seemingly insignificant ones. Doing a lightsaber duel this way would be a monumental task, to say the least. On top of that, movement is limited, so lightsaber duels could end up being less exciting.
Then again, if anyone can find a way to push the boundaries of what's possible with stop-motion, it's Lucasfilm, backed with the mountains of cash Disney has to throw at projects like this one.
There are a ton of other styles of animation out there that could help elevate Maul: Shadow Lord to a whole new level, providing it with the potential to become one of the greatest series ever produced for the franchise, but that's not likely to happen if they use the same, tired 3D "Pixar" animation that every other production studio out there is using. Taking a fresh visual direction with a character like Maul could help draw in more viewers by making the series stand out from the pack. Disney, especially Star Wars, could use a big hit like that right now.
