‘Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord’ Season 1 Episodes 1 And 2 Review
Image Source: Star Wars.com
“I prefer to keep my presence a shadow. For now…”
It’s been 2 years since Lucasfilm Animation has provided us with a new mainline animated series. As the adventures of the Bad Batch have come to an end, a familiar face has now become the face of the animation side of the Star Wars saga. And this face is red. Very, very red. Darth Maul’s tenure in the Star Wars universe has been an interesting one. Played by Ray Park and voiced by Peter Serafinowicz in The Phantom Menace, Maul was essentially the Boba Fett of the prequels; A character known more for his design than his actual character. Sure, he’s scary looking and has a sick-ass lightsaber, but Maul’s limited screentime and dialogue were a thorn in the side of many fans. While the decision to resurrect him in The Clone Wars was divisive at the time, Maul’s time in Star Wars animation has helped him become one of the franchise’s most compelling villains. Sam Witwer’s vocal performance as the character in The Clone Wars and Rebels has helped him become the definitive version of the character. Witwer would even dub over Peter Serafinowicz’s lines in Solo for the character’s brief, but memorable, cameo. Due to said cameo, the idea of Maul leading his own animated series has existed since 2020. Reliable or not, “A Maul show is in the works!” was a favorite amongst scoopers and leakers. And last year, Maul - Shadow Lord was officially confirmed. And after months of heavy marketing, marketing that surpasses any campaign for an animated Star Wars project since Rebels season 1, the so-called “Age of Maul” has finally arrived. And the end result is nothing short of spectacular.
The first two episodes overcome a hurdle that every mainline Star Wars animated show has faced. Usually, either the first episode is vastly superior to the second or vice versa. Here, both episodes start things off with a massive bang. Maul - Shadow Lord takes things into darker territory. Not that darker tones are new to Star Wars, as projects in the Kathleen Kathleen Kennedy era of the franchise have sported more serious tones, such as Andor, The Acolyte, and the later seasons of The Bad Batch. The premiere episodes aren’t lacking in humor and action, but they do imply that this isn’t exactly going to be the kiddos’ new gateway to that galaxy far, far away, like The Clone Wars and Rebels were when they started. Chapter 1: The Dark Revenge (directed by Steward Lee, Saul Ruiz & Nathaniel Villanueva and written by Matt Michnovetz) and Chapter 2: Sinister Scheme (directed by Ruiz and also written by Michnovetz) are not only amazing debut episodes for the season, but also set the stage for what could potentially be the best season of Star Wars animation, yes.
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Image Source: ScreenRant
The progression of animation quality for Star Wars cartoons has been amazing to behold. Ever since Disney+ launched, every canon animated series has had no-notch animation, whether ot be the final season of The Clone Wars, all three seasons of The Bad Batch, or every episode of Tales. Maul - Shadow Lord is incredibly stunning to look at, whether it be with action sequences, character designs, or locations. The planet Janix is the perfect location for the grimy criminal underworld that I’ve longed to see explored more in this franchise. Also, here bringing the world of Maul - Shadow Lord to life is the musical score from Star Wars veterans Kevin, Sean, and Deana Kiner. While the full score won’t be released until the finale airs, the music in the first two episodes is absolutely beautiful. Whether it’s Maul’s new theme or the themes for Devon Izara or Brander Lawson, the Kiners really outdid themselves here with a score that captures the feel of their previous work while also leaning into the John Williams influences in a way they haven’t done in the animated realm since Rebels.
Of course, beautiful animation and a great score aren’t all the elements needed to make a great Star Wars show. Our main cast of characters is already a compelling bunch. Our titular Maul (voiced once again by Sam Witwer) is just as angry and badass as he’s ever been. Devon Inzara (voiced by Gideon Adlon) is quickly becoming another winner in Lucasfilm Animation’s growing collection of amazing heroines. Brander Lawson (voiced by Academy Award nominee Wagner Moura) already seems to be more than just an antagonist without powers. Even droid characters like Two-Boots (voiced by Richard Ayoade) and Spybot (voiced by David W. Collins) are welcome additions. Vanessa Marshall and Dennis Haybert also do good work as Rook Kast and Eeko-Dio-Daki, respectively. Surely there will be more to say about this cast in the coming weeks, but so far, I am very impressed. I am very impressed with the show this early. As mentioned above, if the entire season manages to keep the compelling characters, remarkable score, and beautiful animation while also upping the narrative stakes, we could be looking at the best season of Star Wars animation to date.
As the red guy once said, “What fun!”
The Dark Revenge" Rating: 9/10
"Sinister Schemes" Rating: 8/10
The first and second episodes of Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord are now streaming on Disney+! New episodes air every Monday until May 4th on Disney+!
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