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Total Film
Total Film
Entertainment
Molly Edwards

The Shadow Lord finale might answer some burning Maul questions from Star Wars Rebels

Sam Witwer as Maul in Maul – Shadow Lord.

The Maul – Shadow Lord season 1 finale was certainly huge, featuring an epic showdown with Darth Vader and the tragic death of Devon Izara's Master, Eeko-Dio Daki.

But, amid all the big moments, some answers to major questions about Maul raised by Star Wars Rebels can be found.

When we see Maul for the first time in Rebels, he walks with a cane, and his double-bladed red lightsaber appears to be a modified version of an Inquisitor blade.

In the Shadow Lord ending, Maul gives half of his lightsaber to Devon so she can fight the Eleventh Brother after losing her own, while Maul's mechanical legs – which had already sustained damage earlier in the season – are repeatedly attacked by Vader.

"Finally seeing why Maul walks with a cane, why one half of his lightsaber is taken from an Inquisitor's blade, and why he knew he couldn't take Vader on alone in Rebels is just so great! A really great way to fill in the blanks!" says one fan on Twitter.

While Maul's Rebels lightsaber does appear to be a full Inquisitor blade, and not half of one, Shadow Lord still makes a clear connection between Maul and the Inquisitorious by having the ex-Sith go up against Marrok and the Eleventh Brother. Establishing what is likely to be an ongoing rivalry might explain how Maul ends up with an Inquisitor's blade, even if it can't be Marrok's or the Eleventh Brother's (Marrok has his lightsaber in Ahsoka and the Eleventh Brother is later killed by Ahsoka Tano, as seen in Tales of the Jedi).

Maul also has the lightsaber in his brief cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story, which is set around a decade after Shadow Lord and roughly six years before Maul's Rebels appearance on the Star Wars timeline. So, Maul will likely obtain his new lightsaber soon – perhaps in Shadow Lord season 2, and perhaps because he gives both halves of his other lightsaber (the original from The Phantom Menace) to Devon.

As for the cane, Maul does appear to be pretending to need it to gain Ezra Bridger's trust, but it also could be a legitimate need. While he would have plenty of time to get his legs fixed in the next decades, Vader might have caused lasting damage, or made them more prone to breaking again.

And, Maul's belief in Rebels that he can't take on Vader alone is likely based on his duel in Shadow Lord… though the duo could meet again in the years before Rebels takes place. It all remains to be seen.

You can stream all episodes of Maul – Shadow Lord on Disney Plus now. For more on the show, check out our Maul – Shadow Lord review, or our guide on how to watch The Clone Wars in order to catch up on Maul's story.

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