In a dramatic twist, Maul’s aspirations to restore his criminal rule hit a major roadblock when the Empire descended on Janix, complicating his strategies and spurring a reluctant alliance with his rival Lawson. Meanwhile, Moll is still scouting for potential talent and sets his sights on Devon, though her loyalty to Ducky poses a challenge.
Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers and major details from the “Star Wars: Maul-Shadow Lord” series. Reader discretion is advised if you haven’t watched it yet.Star Wars: Maul-Shadow Lord continues to deliver drama, action and more with Episodes 3 and 4.
These episodes picked up immediately after the events of the first two episodes.
Maul has yet to assert his dominance as a crime boss, and these episodes advance that project in meaningful measures. However, at the conclusion of Episode 4, the stakes have changed radically as a new threat emerges that further complicates everyone’s situation at Janix.
Maul’s primary focus remains rebuilding his criminal empire.
His journey takes him to the Pykes, who kill their leader, bringing him one step closer to his overall goal. Besides, he continues his attempts to win over Devon, a new survivor of Order 66 from Star Wars, as a potential apprentice.Meanwhile, Lawson remained steadfast in his mission to bring Moll to justice, as did Devon’s master, Ducky. This set the stage for a major confrontation in the final moments of Episode 4, as Janix’s law enforcement forces clashed with Maul’s forces.
Despite Maul’s attempts to resolve matters somewhat peacefully, Lawson found himself unable to strike a deal with the former Sith. What followed was a massive shootout, a lightsaber battle between Maul, Ducky, and Devon, Two-Bots’ betrayal, and the arrival of the show’s true villain: the Empire.
The arrival of the empire and what it means
Two-Boots’ betrayal of Lawson sees the robot follow his inherent protocol and launch into the Empire, something Lawson desperately wanted to avoid.
Episode 4 ends with the Imperial Empire thriving as the Star Destroyer enters Janix’s atmosphere.Crucially, the Empire’s existence is as bad for Maul as it is for Lawson. Maul wants to avoid Imperial jurisdiction over Janix so that his plans can continue unhindered. He is not yet ready to challenge the Empire and wishes to remain silent until he is. Lawson, on the other hand, has no love for the Empire and wants to bring Maul in without Imperial interference tying up his planet.
This shared enemy effectively gives Maul and Lawson common ground, making the Imperials the true main villain of the show.
Is Devon closer to joining Mall?
Episodes 3 and 4 continued Maul’s efforts to recruit Devon as his new apprentice. He believes she can help him defeat Darth Sidious in Endgame. In Episode 3, he somewhat storms her, forcing Devon to tap into her anger to defeat him in combat. Maul could have killed Devon several times during their clashes, but he chose not to, stating that he still had plans for her.Episode 4 ended with Devon reuniting with Ducky, saving his life, and leaving with her master once again. However, Maul tries to convince Devon that he is not the outright villain that the Jedi thought he was, and his attempts to recruit her are far from over.
How can Maul defeat the Empire?
With the Empire now in place and Maul still without an apprentice, the question turns to how he can loosen the Imperial grip on Janix. The show’s trailers have already teased confrontations between Maul and several Star Wars investigators. The most likely path forward involves taking down the investigators, perhaps with the help of Devon and Ducky, while continuing to build his criminal empire in the background.
