Darth Maul’s death in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace was George Lucas’ biggest mistake with the prequels, and he was personally responsible for putting it right. It’s hard for modern Star Wars viewers to imagine the excitement ahead of The Phantom Menace‘s release back in 1999. I well remember watching the first trailer, which teased the introduction of a new Dark Lord of the Sith – Darth Maul. We knew so little about the Sith back then, but Maul’s fearsome visage and ominous presence suggested he would play a major role in the prequels.

In reality, Darth Maul only appeared for just over six minutes in The Phantom Menace – including a stunning lightsaber duel that ended in his death. As exciting as the character may have been, his potential was seemingly wasted. And yet, somehow, Maul returned – and is even set to star in an upcoming Star Wars TV show, Maul: Shadow Lord. Surprisingly, his resurrection was George Lucas’ own idea, and it’s turned Maul into a major part of his legacy.

George Lucas Decided To Bring Darth Maul Back In The Clone Wars

George Lucas seems to have always sensed he made a mistake killing Darth Maul off. According to Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels writer Henry Gilroy, Lucas originally planned a prequel villain twist in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, because he considered bringing back as a cyborg. In fact, Lucas toyed with the idea of revealing the Separatist leader General Grievous was secretly Maul all along. As Gilroy explained:

“George was considering that Grievous was Maul behind the armor plate. It made sense. He’s cut in half, and he’s in this robot body or whatever. I’m glad that Grievous is his own thing anyway, but I thought it was interesting that the concept guys almost talked George into that.”

Lucas decided that Maul should stay ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, though, and apparently insisted on this for quite some time. Gilroy – who had left Lucasfilm at the time – was contacted by showrunner Dave Filoni, with a message that amused him. “[Filoni] is like, ‘Yeah, so yeah, George [Lucas] wants to bring back [Darth] Maul.’ I’m like, ‘I knew he was going to do that. I knew it. I knew it.’ Because, the reason why is, George likes to see the things that he created. And his ideas are awesome, so you can’t argue with it,” Gilroy told SlashFilm.

But How Did Darth Maul Return For The Clone Wars?

Amusingly, Maul’s resurrection is barely explained in The Clone Wars itself. Gilroy was asked to help out by writing a tie-in comic, published by Dark Horse Comics back in 2012; The Sith Hunters. Gilroy worked with Steven Melching and Vicenç Villagrasa to reveal the truth behind Maul’s return, explaining that the Sith Lord’s body had fallen into toxic waste and his hatred had kept him alive.

“There was this toxic waste he’s kind of soaking in, and it cauterized his wounds because it’s … burning.And then he gets put in a garbage compactor and taken to the garbage planet. And George liked it. He’s like, ‘Oh, that’s good.’ So I’m like, ‘Oh, all right.'”

Resurrections have become a dime a dozen in Star Wars, but this one was surprisingly uncontroversial; viewers knew Maul’s potential had been wasted, and were simply thrilled to see more of the Sith Lord in action. Maul became a third party during the Clone Wars, adding a fantastic layer of complexity to the show and to the galactic war. His story continued in Star Wars Rebels, which ultimately brought an end to his story in a dramatic confrontation with Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Darth Maul Has Become A Mᴀssive Part Of George Lucas’ Legacy

Maul’s story will continue next year, in an exciting new animated Star Wars TV show called Maul: Shadow Lord. This is set during the Dark Times of the Empire’s reign, and will focus on his efforts to establish a criminal empire in an attempt to overthrow Palpatine. It’s another spinoff from The Clone Wars season 7, and it will be fascinating to see whether it is concurrent with Star Wars: The Bad Batch.

Notice that Maul isn’t referred to with the “Darth” honoric. He’s a former apprentice by this point in time, abandoned by the Sith and focused on destroying them as part of his revenge on those he believed had wronged him. He is not a Sith Lord now, he is a Shadow Lord, operating in the galactic underworld and striving to triumph against the Empire. The Phantom Menace‘s failed villain is about to shine as the star of his very own spinoff, giving George Lucas a new legacy even he didn’t imagine 26 years ago when Maul was supposedly killed off.