Darth Maul facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Darth Maul |
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| Star Wars character | |
Ray Park as Maul in Solo (2018)
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| First appearance | The Phantom Menace (1999) |
| Created by | George Lucas |
| Portrayed by | Ray Park |
| Voiced by |
Other:
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| Information | |
| Species | Dathomirian Zabrak |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation |
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| Affiliation |
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| Family |
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| Master | Darth Sidious |
| Apprentice |
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| Homeworld | Dathomir |
Darth Maul, also known simply as Maul, is a famous character from the Star Wars universe. He first appeared in the 1999 movie Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. In this film, he was a powerful Sith Lord and the first student of Darth Sidious. Actor Ray Park played him, and Peter Serafinowicz did his voice.
Even though he seemed to be defeated by Obi-Wan Kenobi in that movie, Darth Maul returned! He came back in the 2008 animated TV show Star Wars: The Clone Wars, with Sam Witwer as his new voice. The creator of Star Wars, George Lucas, had big plans for Maul to be a main villain in later movies. However, these plans changed when Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012. Still, Maul appeared again in the 2014 animated series Star Wars Rebels and the 2018 movie Solo: A Star Wars Story. In these, Sam Witwer voiced him, and Ray Park played him again in Solo. After his first defeat, Maul became a powerful criminal leader. He remained Obi-Wan's main enemy throughout his story.
Contents
About Darth Maul
His Story
Darth Maul is a Zabrak from the planet Dathomir. When he was a child, Darth Sidious took him and trained him in the dark side of the Force. Maul became a skilled warrior.
During the Battle of Naboo, Maul fought and defeated Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. But then, Qui-Gon's student, Obi-Wan Kenobi, cut Maul in half. Most people thought he was gone forever.
However, Maul's strong hatred kept him alive. He spent over ten years alone, becoming very angry and confused. His brother, Savage Opress, found him during the Clone Wars. Maul's mind and body were fixed using magick and robot parts by the Nightsister Mother Talzin. After this, Maul became obsessed with getting revenge on Obi-Wan.
He brought together different crime groups and became their leader. He also took control of the planet Mandalore. He caused harm to Obi-Wan's friend, Duchess Satine Kryze. Darth Sidious captured Maul because he became too powerful. But Maul escaped before the Republic turned into the Galactic Empire. He stopped calling himself "Darth" and rebuilt his criminal group. He tricked Ezra Bridger into helping him find Obi-Wan on Tatooine. There, the two old rivals had one last fight, and Maul was finally defeated.
Beyond the Movies
Besides the movies and TV shows, Darth Maul has appeared in many other Star Wars stories. These include books, comic books, and video games. Even though he was only in The Phantom Menace for a short time, Darth Maul became a very popular character. He is known as a famous villain in popular culture. People recognize him for his scary look and his unique double-bladed lightsaber. His return and deeper story in The Clone Wars made him even more popular among Star Wars fans. He gained a special group of followers who really liked his character.
How He Was Created
Designing Maul
When artists were designing Darth Maul for Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, they tried many ideas. Concept artist Iain McCaig was working on a drawing that director George Lucas didn't like. McCaig started covering the drawing with tape, and both he and Lucas liked the new look. It looked like a "Rorschach pattern", which is where you drop ink on paper and fold it. Maul's face tattoos were inspired by the patterns of native people in Brazil. When his design was finished, Maul looked like something from a nightmare.
Maul's head was first planned to have feathers, like prayer totems. But the special effects team thought they looked like horns. So, they changed his features to look more like popular pictures of the devil.
His clothes also changed. They were first a tight suit with muscles. Then, they became a Sith robe, like samurai clothes. This was because the lightsaber fights had a lot of jumping, spinning, and rolling. Another idea was for Maul to wear a mask, like Darth Vader. But later, they decided to put the painted and tattooed face on Maul instead of other characters.
Bringing Him Back
George Lucas decided to bring Darth Maul back for The Clone Wars after creating the character Savage Opress. The show's co-creator, Dave Filoni, was surprised. He thought, "It's over. He's cut in half. How does that work?" Filoni said Lucas just told him, "I don't know. Figure it out."
Who Played Him
Darth Maul was played by actor and martial artist Ray Park in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and Solo: A Star Wars Story. Peter Serafinowicz was his voice in The Phantom Menace. When Maul returned in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Sam Witwer took over as his voice. Witwer continued to voice Maul in many other projects, like Star Wars Rebels and Solo. Other actors like Gregg Berger, Clint Bajakian, Jess Harnell, Stephen Stanton, and Lee Tockar also voiced him in smaller roles.
His Lightsaber
Darth Maul is famous for using a special dual-bladed lightsaber. He uses it like a staff, spinning it around. In Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, the prop for his lightsaber was made of resin. It was cast over a metal rod, and the two blades were attached to it.
See also
In Spanish: Darth Maul para niños
