Darth Maul
Darth Maul (c. 57–32 BBY) is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He was portrayed in the film Episode I: The Phantom Menace by martial arts specialist Ray Park, and voiced by British actor Peter Serafinowicz.
Biography
Born circa 57 BBY, Darth Maul was an apprentice to Darth Sidious. A Zabrak originally from Iridonia, Maul had no memories of his homeworld or family, having been kidnapped as an infant by Sidious.
Indoctrinated in the ways of the dark side of the Force from youth, Maul had no emotion aside from bloodlust and rage. During his training, any show of fear was severely punished by Sidious, any hint of mercy rewarded with cruelty. By the time Maul was an adolescent, his master had already forged him into a weapon of pure hatred.
The ultimate test came when Maul was abandoned by his master on an isolated Outer Rim world, forced to survive alone while being hunted by hordes of assassin droids. After a month's time, Sidious returned and challenged his apprentice to a duel, one which Maul lost. Sidious then told Maul that he had been secretly training another apprentice to replace him. Rage and hatred overwhelmed Maul, and in one final act of defiance he nearly killed his master. When Maul's emotions were finally spent, he prepared himself for death, yet Sidious laughed instead. By wanting to kill his own master, Maul had in fact passed the final test. Sidious proclaimed him Darth Maul and took him to a new home on Coruscant.
Maul was skilled with the lightsaber, trained by Sidious to be a master of Form VII, which draws on emotions and the dark side. Unlike the traditional dueling techniques of most Jedi, Maul combined his swordsmanship with incredible acrobatic and martial arts and hand-to-hand combat skills, making him a nearly unstoppable dervish of destruction. When fighting multiple opponents, Maul extended the second blade of his double-bladed lightsaber to form a saberstaff, doubling his lethality. Maul often used this to catch opponents by surprise, as few were prepared for the extra blade. Maul has based his lightsaber design upon Exar Kun's. Maul was a master of the fighting style teräs käsi, and was also skilled in the Jar'Kai style of wielding a lightsaber in each hand.
Darth Maul was also skilled with combining Force talents with mechanics. Sidious gave Maul the funds and schematics he needed, and provided Maul with a secret facility on Coruscant in which to work. There Maul constructed his signature speeder bike Bloodfin and the Dark Eye seeker droids. Sidious also gave Maul a powerful transport - a Sith Infiltrator called Scimitar - which hosted a cloaking shield generator. This vehicle vas developed by Raith Sinear, the man whose company would later develop the TIE fighter for the Empire.
Maul originally went on countless missions of terror for his master, killing politicians, crime bosses, merchants, and warlords. Maul's very appearance had been carefully conceived to put fear into the heart of the Sith's enemies and unwitting allies. Yet despite his untold successes, Maul longed for victory over Jedi.
During the events of Episode I: the Phantom Menace, Maul was sent to capture Queen Amidala, and eliminate the Jedi who had been dispatched by the Republic to settle the conflict. Maul barely failed in this task on Tatooine, and he thirsted for revenge. Fighting Sand People and Togorian pirates put a drain on him by the time he left Tatooine. In a vicious duel during the Battle of Naboo, Maul succeeded in slaying Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, one of the best swordfighters in the galaxy. However, overconfidence -- a common personality trait among the Zabrak race -- with a bit of pure bad luck led to Maul's immediate downfall when he was sliced in half by Jinn's apprentice, the young Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Expanded Universe
Template:Spoiler Darth Maul first appeared in the film The Phantom Menace, but to the disapointment of many fans, his character was quickly killed by the end of the film. Maul's striking visual design, in addition to his limited role on film, have left many fans wanting to know more about his character.
According to IMDB, “. . .Though curious Star Wars fanatics clamored to rumors that Ray Park would return as Darth Maul in Attack of the Clones (2002), their many speculations were shot down by George Lucas himself with the announcement that although that specific character would not return for the sequel, Park would indeed play a role in Episode II. . . .”
Maul's earlier escapades are documented in the following works: Jedi Council: Acts of War (comic book miniseries), Darth Maul: Saboteur (ebook), Darth Maul (comic book miniseries), Episode I Adventures: The Fury of Darth Maul (novella), Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter (novel), and Episode I Journal: Darth Maul (novella).
Maul was kidnapped as an infant by Sidious. Unlike his later apprentices, Tyranus and Vader, Maul had no ambition to strike down his master. He did realize, however, that Sith tradition required the death of his master before he could acquire an apprentice of his own.
Trivia
Darth Maul blinks only once in Episode I.
Quotes
- "At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we will have revenge."
-Darth Maul, Episode I: The Phantom Menace
- "Fear. Fear attracts the fearful. The strong. The weak. The innocent. The corrupt. Fear. Fear is my ally."
-Darth Maul, TV spot for Episode I: The Phantom Menace