Star Wars has been defined by its villains since the beginning, and one of the fans' favorites is Darth Maul. Maul was introduced to much ado in Episode I and was also unceremoniously killed in the same movie, but not before getting a big-name kill in Qui-Gon Jinn. Maul was a mysterious character that fans wanted to know more about, and they got that chance when he was brought back in The Clone Wars.

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Lucasfilm has learned a lot of lessons from the prequels and did a lot with the character, but not everyone knew about his return until Solo. At this point, a lot of people had questions about the character, ones that need answers.

10 After surviving the battle with Obi-Wan, Maul ended up on the junkyard world of Lotho Minor, where he fashioned new legs on his own

Darth Maul Robot Legs

To begin with, everyone was surprised to see Maul with legs. This wasn't his first pair, though. After surviving the battle with Obi-Wan, Maul ended up on the junkyard world of Lotho Minor, where he fashioned new legs on his own. These legs had an arachnid appearance and made him even more fearsome-looking.

He would get more conventional legs after his rescue by his brother, Savage Opress, and then another pair after a battle with Obi-Wan. These cybernetic legs would serve him well in battle against his foes.

9 How He Survived: Maul was able to survive the grievous injury thanks to his unique physiology & Force powers

Darth Maul cut in two falls down shaft on Naboo

While his legs were a big deal, many people who hadn't ever watched any of the Star Wars' cartoons were surprised to see him alive at all. Usually, someone getting cut in half is a hundred percent fatal, but Maul proved otherwise. He was able to survive the grievous injury thanks to his unique physiology and Force powers.

Using the Force, he pushed himself into trash chutes, escaping detection and eventually being shipped to Lotho Minor where he would make new legs. The Clone Wars did a lot to flesh out characters and right the wrongs of the prequels and this was one example, bringing back a fan-favorite like Maul.

8 He Wasn't Palpatine's First Choice As Apprentice

Mother-Talzin

Another interesting wrinkle The Clone Wars would add to Maul's origin had to do with his status as a Sith Lord. Palpatine, while searching for an apprentice, went to the planet Dathomir and investigated the Nightsisters, settling on making their leader, Mother Talzin, his apprentice. Talzin had other ideas and instead offered up her son, Maul, in her place.

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Palpatine accepted him and the rest is history. It definitely changed the way fans looked at Maul and also showed how nonchalant about his apprentices Palpatine was; he was perfectly willing to settle for another one if he needed to.

7 He Had A Brother, Savage Opress, who would lose his life in battle against Palpatine

Brown voices Savage with an ominous tone.

The Clone Wars debuted many characters and one of them was Darth Maul's brother, Savage Opress. Opress would be transformed by the Nightsister magicks of their mother, Talzin, and sent to retrieve Maul. Maul and Opress would team up, as the younger brother set out to help his brother get revenge against the Jedi who had hurt him.

Maul and Opress made a great team but that all ended when Palpatine decided that Maul running around needed to come to an end. Opress would lose his life in the battle against Palpatine as the master proved why his old apprentice was never a match for him.

6 He Got Involved In Crime Syndicates

The Shadow Collective in The Clone Wars

Maul's appearance in Solo brought up a lot of questions for people who weren't in the know on a lot of non-movie Star Wars material and one of those questions was why he was working with criminals? The last time moviegoers had encountered him, he was a part of Sidious' scheme to destroy the Jedi and take over the galaxy, so this was a definite step down for him.

During his time with his brother, Maul used his amazing Force powers, intimidating presence, and martial skills to take over several crime syndicates, dubbing them the Shadow Collective. While the Syndicate and their allies would be defeated, Maul most definitely had connections and used those and his prior experience to start over again.

5 His Hatred Of Obi-Wan Helped Him Get New Allies, the Death Watch

Pre Vizsla

Maul and Opress ended up going after Obi-Wan and in battle were able to kill Jedi Master Adi Gallia. However, both of them were hurt and went to get medical attention. They were confronted by members of the Mandalorian Death Watch and after questioning, Death Watch leader Pre Vizsla learned he and Maul shared a hatred of Kenobi.

This netted Maul with the help of the Death Watch. These powerful Mandalorians would help him build the Shadow Collective and they would work together to take over the planet of Mandalore, deposing and killing Duchess Satine Kryze, a move that would hurt Obi-Wan, an old friend of the Duchess.

4 He Escaped Imprisonment & helped rule over Mandalore

Darth Maul in Star Wars: The Clone Wars

After battling and losing to Palpatine, Maul was given to Dooku and brought to the Separatist prison, the Spire. There, Maul would be tortured by both Palpatine and Dooku, who wanted info on the Shadow Collective. However, the Death Watch had other plans for their leader and attacked the Spire, freeing Maul.

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Maul would be brought back to Mandalore and help rule over the planet again. Mandalore would stay neutral in the war, having enemies on both sides, but having Maul in charge wasn't something that anyone wanted.

3 He Lost Mandalore after Ahsoka Tano defeated Maul & took him prisoner

Star Wars Ahsoka Tano Darth Maul Siege of Mandalore

The situation on Mandalore became untenable and former Death Watch member Bo-Katan asked ex-Jedi Ahsoka Tano for help. Ahsoka used her connections with the Jedi to get the 501st Clone Legion for help and joined with Katan's forces. Together they were able to beat Maul's forces before Tano and Maul met in combat.

After a fierce lightsaber duel between the former Jedi and former Sith, Tano defeated Maul and took him prisoner. Mandalore was finally free to pursue its own destiny but a new force was rising in the galaxy: the Empire.

2 He Once Saved A Jedi's Life

Star Wars Clone Wars Darth Maul final season

After the Siege of Mandalore, Maul was taken away on a Venator-class Star Destroyer to be imprisoned when Order 66 was enacted. The clones onboard the ship went after Tano because of the order, all but Commander Rex, who was able to overcome the bio-chip in his head. Tano and Rex would come up with a plan, one that involved freeing Maul.

Maul would grudgingly help a Jedi, something that he had never imagined would happen. However, his life was just as much on the line as Tano's, so he helped, giving her a chance to escape. Maul himself would also escape, eventually founding the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate.

1 Obi-Wan killed Maul in one of the best lightsaber battles in the Saga & Maul Died In Obi-Wan's Arms

Star-Wars-Rebels-Darth-Maul-Death

Crimson Dawn would eventually lose its power and Maul would try to bring Jedi trainee Ezra Bridger to the dark side. This would fail but Maul would learn something important —where his arch-nemesis Obi-Wan Kenobi was. Maul would travel to Tatooine and confront his foe. The battle would be quick and Obi-Wan would kill Maul in one of the best lightsaber battles in the Saga.

Maul would die in the arms of his greatest foe, which was something neither of them would have ever guessed all those years ago when they first saw each other on Naboo.

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