WhileDarth Maulis finally getting his own animated series next year,Star Warsfans who just can’t wait should absolutely read his iconic solo comic series. Having survived his first defeat at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi inThe Phantom Menace, Maul returned as a major threat during the Clone Wars, eventually leading to the former Sith lord ruling his own crime syndicate during the reign of the Empire. WhileMaul: Shadow Lordis expected to take place a year after The Clone Wars, he still has some hidden stories that were never shown on screen.
One of the most notable Maul stories, which has largely been overlooked, is 2014’sSon of Dathomir. Published by Dark Horse Comics, this four-part miniseries was based on unreleased episodes ofThe Clone Warsmeant for the show’s seventh season, explaining how Maul escaped his old Sith master’s clutches after his brother Savage Opress was killed and Maul himself was captured by Palpatine inClone Warsseason 5.However, this lesser-knownStar Warsseries is also one of Maul’s greatest tales as he then seeks revenge against Palpatine and his agents, a perfect story to hold fans over untilShadow Lord.
Son of Dathomir Is Based Off An Epic Unfinished Clone Wars Arc
Maul and Mother Talzin vs Darth Sidious, Dooku, and General Grievous
At the beginning ofSon of Dathomir, an imprisoned Maul is rescued by his Mandalorian Death Watch warriors Gar Saxon and Rook Kast (who do also appear inShadow Lord’sexclusive footage release at Star Wars Celebration 2025). It’s also revealed Maul was imprisoned in the first place by Sidious as he wanted to use his former apprentice to lure out the Nightsisters' Mother Talzin, whom he saw as a key rival to his plans.Following his escape, Maul reorganizes his Shadow Collective of various syndicates, who help him in his quest for revenge against his old master.
As the four-part miniseries progresses, Maul ends up fighting General Grievous and Count Dooku, ultimately capturing both of Palpatine’s key agents during the Clone Wars. Likewise, Mother Talzin does indeed come to Maul’s aid, and the Jedi Order also gets involved, seeing an opportunity to end the Clone Wars if they can bring Maul, Dooku, and Grievous to justice. Not only does this series culminate with the Jedi questioning if Dooku is the Sith master they’ve been searching for with Maul as the apprentice,but Palpatine himself has an epic reckoning with Talzin, a major battle of immense dark side power (with Maul at the center of it all).
Shadow Lord Is Coming In 2026
Maul: Shadow Lordis going to expand on a key missing chapter of theStar Warsvillain’s life between the events ofThe Clone WarsandStar Wars Rebels. In a similar vein, this is exactly whatSon of Dathomirwas able to do with the missing gap between Maul’s capture by Sidious inClone Wars season 5 andseason 7’s culminating Siege of Mandalore.Without this story, Maul is captured by his old master, and then he’s next seen inexplicably ruling Mandalore in the shadows beforeRevenge of the Sith.
ManyStar Warsfans are likely starting to brush up on their Maul knowledge and history ahead of the new show coming next year. With that in mind, the hope would be thatSon of Dathomiris at the top of their content list, one of the bestClone Warsarcs forDarth Maulthat never came to be on-screen.
