Darth Vader is perhaps the most iconic Sith lord of all-time, debuting in the original trilogy and becoming an instant classic in the Valhalla of film villains. He's a menacing presence, challenged by few. Yet, he wasn't Sidious's first apprentice, nor would he truly be his last.
Maul was taken under Sidious's wing and the Sith prodigy was a true candidate to become his heir and right-hand man during Palpatine's Empire. His master described Count Dooku as nothing more than a "proton torpedo" but Maul's death was a real loss. With that in mind, here are ten things you may not have known about Sidious's apprentice, Darth Maul.
10 Maul's Mother Was Sidious's Original Apprentice
In Star Wars, Darth Bane set in motion the Sith rule of two, in which there would only ever be one apprentice and one master. In the case of Maul, he was the apprentice to Sidious's master, but that nearly wasn't the case. The original candidate was Talzin, Maul's mother.
Palpatine promised that she would be taken under his wing and trained in the dark arts of the force but when he laid eyes on the young boy Maul, her son, he felt unbridled power. With new ambitions, he took her son and trained him instead, causing a bitter rivalry between Talzin and Sheev.
9 Zabrak's Have Two Hearts
Whilst this fact isn't specifically tailored towards Darth Maul, it is about the species that he hails from and so, by association, it applies to him. Like the Time Lords of Doctor Who, the Zabraks have two hearts. This is part of their physiology that they develop as they mature, along with their horns that sprout from their heads.
Most of the male Zabraks live on Iridonia but some live on Dathomir, like Savage Opress and his brother, Maul, under the Nightsisters. As such, these inhabitants of Dathomir were often dubbed 'Nightbrothers' and given the name 'Dathomirian.'
8 Ray Park Took Gymnastics And Ballet Lessons To Prepare
Ray Park brought Darth Maul to life in The Phantom Menace and he contributed a lot to the character, from the extension of his hilt to make it a more efficient weapon to embracing his martial artist side by bringing in Wushu, Shaolin, and kickboxing techniques.
However, what many fans don't know is that Ray Park also took classes in gymnastics and ballet to better prepare himself for the role of the nefarious Sith lord. He was incredibly dedicated to bringing Darth Maul to life on the big screen and it truly shines through.
7 Benicio Del Toro Was Supposed To Play Darth Maul
Whilst Ray Park did bring Darth Maul to life elegantly, helping to make him the icon that he is today, there was almost another actor behind the horn-headed Sith lord that was sliced in half by a padawan Jedi filled with incredible rage.
Benecio Del Toro, who eventually made his appearance in Star Wars in The Last Jedi, was originally slated to play Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace, but he backed out due to the role being too small. Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise as Park has become iconic for his time as the Zabrak Sith.
6 Maul Eventually Died in Ben Kenobi's Arms In Rebels
Darth Maul technically died in The Phantom Menace when Obi-Wan Kenobi cut him in half following the death of his master, Qui-Gon Jinn. However, he was retconned into surviving this encounter in The Clone Wars where he went on to take a new apprentice, fight Obi-Wan again and kill Kenobi's lover.
The two had a happier ending than might've been anticipated, nonetheless. In Star Wars: Rebels, an older Ben Kenobi clashes with the Sith lord once more and the two have a short and brief fight that leaves Maul dying in Kenobi's arms. It is revealed that he has put stock in the Chosen One prophecy and he goes out with a glimmer of hope.
5 Leia Saw A Vision Of Maul
Maul killed Qui-Gon on Naboo in The Phantom Menace and thirty-three years later, Leia traveled to her mother's homeworld in the comic-book Shattered Empire III. Here, she arrived at the place where the two clashed and she sensed a great evil, she felt Darth Maul's presence.
This not only ties the original and prequel trilogies together in an incredibly simple but effective manner, but it teases Leia's force abilities and her natural gift with brilliant subtly. It's a panel chock full of fan-service done in a great way, and it brings Maul back into the original trilogy following Rebels.
4 Darth Maul Was Originally A Woman
The original concept of Darth Maul wasn't a male Zabrak in a hood, kicking ass and taking names with Ray Park's face. Before even Benecio Del Toro was getting ready to suit up for a role that he would drop, George Lucas planned for an evil witch with long hair in black robes to be the one that brought the name 'Maul' to life.
However, this concept was scrapped as the character was deemed too intense. That's a little bit confusing because Darth Maul is a very intimidating and threatening character with unbelievable presence, but we got Ray Park out of the decision and so who can complain?
3 Sidious Used Maul As An Assassin Before The Phantom Menace
The Sith couldn't reveal themselves too early without foiling Sidious's plans, and it wasn't until The Phantom Menace that Maul's presence was unveiled to the galaxy, albeit it was cut short by Obi-Wan Kenobi in a fit of rage. Nonetheless, Maul was a secret, as was Sidious, prior to the first prequel film.
How did they stay in the shadows and what did they do? Well, Sidious went about putting all of the pieces in place, ready for his takeover of the Senate that would allow for the Empire to form. Meanwhile, Maul was used as an assassin to kill various politicians that would get in his way.
2 Darth Maul Was Trained Since He Was A Child
When Sidious plucked Maul from Mother Talzin, opting to take him under his wing over her, he did so when the to-be Sith lord was only a child. He was trained from an incredibly young age and was taken to various historical locations so that he would feel the pain the Sith did, allowing for the hatred of the Jedi to build within him.
Sidious brainwashed him from a very young age into hating the order and into loving the Sith. He molded him into a weapon, not too dissimilar to how he manipulated Anakin from his youth, albeit far less subtly.
1 Maul Founded The Shadow Collective
It was revealed in Solo that Darth Maul was the man behind the Crimson Dawn, a criminal syndicate in its prime during the time of the Empire. However, before this organization was in play, Maul oversaw and formed the Shadow Collective for a brief time.
They were, at the height of the Clone Wars, an alliance of various criminal factions and a rival to Palpatine's own Sith duo. Oppress and Maul were members, along with the iconic Mandalorian terrorist group, Death Watch. Its aim was to destroy the Galactic Republic and take down the Confederacy.