Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord Season 1 (2026) Review

It is May 4th, meaning it is International Star Wars day which means we have to get some new Star Wars Content. Today sees the final 2 episodes of the new show Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord and I have watched both of them this morning and here is my review for the whole season. The premise of the season sees Maul trying to rebuild his Crime Syndicate when he comes across Jedi, The Local Police and The Empire. 

Main Character

Sam Witwer reprises his role as Maul and he is fantastic here. He has always been super menacing as the character and it is nice that it continues the calculating nature of Maul that was shown in both Clone Wars & Rebels. This show also adds way more depth to Maul and makes you really understand why he does what he does. 

Supporting Characters

This show has a big supporting cast and they all do a great job. Wagner Moura plays Brander Lawson and he is such a cool new character to the Star Wars franchise. He is a disgruntled police captain and I really like how his character is affected by events that take place over the show and Moura does a great job. 

The Jedi Master Daki and Devon are really well handled and add a bit of a different dynamic then would be expected. Daki definitely leans more towards a traditional Jedi way but Devon is frustrated after The Purge and wanting to do more. It is handled really well and takes something that could have been quite dull and makes it one of the more interesting parts of the show. 

British Comedian Richard Ayoade voices the droid Two Boots and he is a real highlight of the show. He has quick comedic timing but the character has some development and seeing the relationship between Lawson and Two Boots is a nice part of the show. 

Story

The story is good. It does a good job of developing Maul and his ambition following The Clone Wars. But actually I think the show does a better job with the supporting cast and mainly the relationships between them, whether that be Daki & Devon or Lawson and his son. I think that holds the show back a little bit, I think around the middle of it, the show focuses less on Maul and on the rest of the cast and I just wish there had been a little bit more Maul here. Though the finale was fantastic and worthy of any show. 

Script

The show is really well written, these animated shows are not kid shows and Shadow Lord encapsulates it. There is drama and confrontation between the characters but also some sprinkling of humour that is actually well done and doesn't feel out of place. 

Style

The first time we saw this type of animation was in 2008 for the start of The Clone Wars and this is easily the best it has ever looked. It looks incredible and adds so much to the show, these are the best animated action scenes that I have seen and the show looks beautiful and really stands out. 

Overall

Overall, Maul Shadow Lord Season 1 is a fantastic show that absolutely nails its characters and aesthetics. This is one of the best Star Wars projects in recent memory and I am really looking forward to seeing how these characters progress and develop in future seasons. 

Rating - 9/10