A brand-new Star Wars movies and TV shows. Although he initially seemed to have died in The Phantom Menace, Maul returned in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Despite his frequent appearances across Star Wars' most powerful Sith, but one Star Wars book may change that. In Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy, written by Dan Brooks, Megan Crouse, Amy Richau, Amy Ratcliffe, Brandon Wainerdi, Dan Zehr, and Kelly Knox, it explains:
"One of the deadliest, most efficiently trained Sith in the Order's history, Darth Maul's tattooed face is as symbolic of his utter devotion to the dark side, as it is marking his hatred of the Jedi."
The notion that Darth Maul was one of the deadliest and most efficient Sith in Star Wars is certainly new, and it has interesting implications not only for his own story but also for Obi-Wan's.
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What Darth Maul's Power & Skill Means For Star Wars
This New Insight Into Darth Maul Completely Rewrites The Phantom Menace
Obi-Wan's defeat of Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace was truly remarkable, as it meant that Obi-Wan defeated a Sith Lord long before he ever became a Jedi Master. This is a feat few Jedi can say they accomplished, and even in light of Darth Maul surviving in the end, Obi-Wan clearly won in this fight. Star Wars Encyclopedia's description of Darth Maul calls this into question to a certain extent, though.
In The Phantom Menace, it seemed Obi-Wan won based on his superior intelligence and skill, and while Obi-Wan certainly is one of Star Wars' most powerful Jedi, it isn't entirely the case that Obi-Wan outmatched Darth Maul. The insight that Darth Maul was one of the deadliest Sith in Star Wars suggests that this fight between Obi-Wan and Maul also came down to luck, at least partially. This would also explain why Obi-Wan became so obsessed with the battle in the years that followed; he knew that he was lucky to have walked away from that encounter with his life.
When Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul had their final battle in Star Wars Rebels, Obi-Wan revealed how far he had come, anticipating the move Maul had used to defeat Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace and finally (truly) killing Darth Maul.
Our Take On Darth Maul's Power & Skill
This Book Truly Sheds A New Light On Darth Maul
Although Star Wars Encyclopedia's description of Darth Maul is brief, it does make a major difference. Darth Maul has always been a brilliant Star Wars character, and he was a particularly exciting addition in The Phantom Menace because, prior to that movie, only Darth Sidious and Darth Vader had been Sith on the Star Wars screen. Even so, he never really felt like one of the most dangerous Sith. To know that, canonically, Maul is one of the deadliest Sith in the franchise really does rewrite his character.
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It's unclear to what extent this new perspective on Darth Maul will be explored in Star Wars moving forward. Given Maul's death in Star Wars Rebels, it's possible his final appearance on the Star Wars screen has already ed. Nevertheless, the notion that Darth Maul was one of Star Wars' deadliest Sith is a massive update to his character and to Obi-Wan Kenobi's impressive victory.
Source: Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy
