Maul - Shadow Lord Finale Gives Star Wars Fans The Dark Side Fight They've Been Waiting For

This article contains spoilers for "Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord" Episodes 9 and 10, "Strange Allies" and "The Dark Lord."

When George Lucas made the prequels, one common criticism was that he made everything too connected, that the universe now felt too small. C-3PO was now built by Darth Vader, who also owned R2-D2; Yoda was somehow friends with Chewbacca; Anakin was even friends with Greedo. And yet, because the reveal that Anakin was actually Darth Vader was a surprise to audiences back in 1980, Vader's true identity had to be a secret in-universe, too.

This key element to Vader's characterization and to Palpatine's rise to power has resulted in some of the best moments in "Star Wars" history. Palpatine somehow fooled the entire galaxy into thinking the Jedi were evil, while concealing the fact that he himself was a Sith and that Vader was once a Jedi. Very few people knew the identity of the man known as the Emperor's Fist. Thrawn, for instance, figured out Anakin Skywalker was actually Darth Vader after a while. Tarkin also figured it out. In "Star Wars Rebels," it isn't until they meet in person on Malachor that Ahsoka fully realizes what her former master had become, leading to in a fight scene so incredible, Lucasfilm just did it again in "Obi-Wan Kenobi."

This is to say, when characters who were around for The Clone Wars meet Vader for the first time, it's usually a moment worth paying attention to. "Maul — Shadow Lord" is no exception, as the much-anticipated meeting between Maul and Vader resulted in a phenomenal fight as well as some interesting questions about "Star Wars" lore.

If there's one constant in the life of Maul, it's that the former Sith apprentice will suffer. He lost his legs when fighting Obi-Wan Kenobi, he lost his brother (Savage Opress) when fighting Darth Sidious, and he lost his entire home when Grievous committed genocide on Dathomir. In "Maul — Shadow Lord," the former Sith Lord is in a position we've never seen him in before: afraid and in pain.

This is Maul at his most vulnerable. His robot legs are failing him, and even his once-formidable physical prowess is a shadow of what it once was. His obsession with turning former Jedi Devon Izara into his apprentice made Maul sloppy, exposing his identity to the Empire and bringing a whole army (and even Inquisitors) down on him. But when the Inquisitors aren't enough to capture Maul, Devon, and her master Eeko-Dio Daki, the Empire sends Lord Vader himself.

This development results in one of the most visually stunning pieces of "Star Wars" media in years. The entire final episode sees Vader at his most terrifying, doing his best slasher movie villain impersonation by being nearly invincible, disappearing at will, then appearing with a jump scare. Sure, he's facing a rather injured Maul, but Vader is still frighteningly powerful. Even when fighting both Maul, Devon, and Daki, he barely breaks a sweat, fighting with only one hand and without much care.

Even though we already saw Maul afraid to die in last week's double episode release, this time, he's truly scared of an individual more powerful than him. When he first clashes with Vader, Maul shouts "What are you!?" while in awe of Vader's power.

This is important, because it's clear this is the first time Maul encounters Vader after his fall to the dark side, and the experience scars Maul.

It seems that during the fight in the season finale of "Shadow Lord," Maul figured out Vader's identity. Though he first seems confused and surprised by Vader's appearance, he later tells Devon and her master that Vader knows all about the ways of the Jedi and how they fight. We also know from the finale of "The Clone Wars" that Maul correctly deduced that Anakin Skywalker had been marked by Sidious to be his new apprentice. It stands to reason, then, that Maul would connect the dots and realize Vader is Anakin Skywalker.

Still, not even the knowledge of Vader's true identity can help in a fight against the Sith Lord. This might be the first time Maul faced Vader, but we know it was impactful enough to deeply affect Maul for years to come.

We know this because when Maul returns in "Star Wars Rebels," his mind has been broken. We find him in an abandoned Sith temple on Malachor desperately trying to reach the holocron at the top of the temple to find a way to defeat the Sith. He babbles, his mind wandering off mid-sentence. But one thing is clear: He is afraid of Vader.

When Ezra and Kanan find Maul on Malachor, the former Sith explicitly tells them he won't face Vader, because he knows there is no beating him. It seems that obsession and fear began here.

Maul's only hope, at least in his mind, is to get an apprentice that can help him fight back against the Sith. He's found that apprentice in Devon Izara, a character through whom "Maul — Shadow Lord" shows an unseen side of the Jedi experience, before ultimately falling to the dark side in the finale. Whatever fate awaits Devon, Vader is likely involved.