Star Wars confirmed its next major Disney+ villain following Darth Maul's recent spotlight, and a masked antagonist set to be introduced in the upcoming Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi is a clear standout. Maul was front and center in Maul: Shadow Lord, chronicling his journey after the end of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, as he retreats to Janix to try to rebuild his criminal empire from the shadows. Throughout his journey, Maul navigates his hatred for Emperor Palpatine, the loss of his brother, Savage Opress, and the new reality of a galaxy stripped of the magic of the old Jedi-Sith era. While Maul: Shadow Lord Season 1 ended on a bittersweet note for (former) Darth Maul after losing many of his remaining allies and being on Darth Vader's radar, he still managed to find a new apprentice in Devon Izara and a foothold toward greater criminal power.
With Darth Maul's early Imperial-era story now told in such depth on Maul: Shadow Lord on Disney+, attention now turns to the next major villainous force emerging in the Star Wars animated slate. Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi is set to introduce three major villains, who are positioned as key new threats after Maul's recent dominance on the dark side spotlight.
The official guide for Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi highlights several key antagonists, with particular emphasis on the Sith Warrior Gennoh, the overarching power General Nawaam, and the Jedi Hunter Bee-Toh. Much like Darth Maul, the fierce Zabrak Sith whose dual-bladed lightsaber and thirst for power defined eras, these villains embody dark-side intensity, cunning, and a drive for dominion.
Gennoh is positioned as a major new Sith antagonist in The Ninth Jedi. His face is obscured by a metal mask, and he is described as an arrogant warrior with formidable dark side abilities. Gennoh pursues Jedi on the orders of General Nawaam, commanding a ship that dwarfs any vessels opposing him.
His cunning intelligence, combined with his expertise in the Dark Side of the Force, makes Gennoh the standout pure Sith presence in a story where earlier antagonists often operated in shadows or disguise. In the Visions universe, previous Sith figures sometimes masqueraded as Jedi, so an openly active, Force-powered hunter like Gennoh is a major upgrade in the villain department.
The comparisons to Darth Maul are striking. Maul was defined by his unshakeable arrogance and absolute faith in the Dark Side, whether surviving being cut in half through sheer hatred or building criminal empires and challenging Jedi with acrobatic, rage-fueled combat. Gennoh shares that same confidence and single-minded pursuit of the Jedi.
While Maul operates with personal vendettas and a hunger for revenge, Gennoh channels that same intensity into hunting on behalf of a larger cause, all while commanding a massive warship that projects overwhelming power. Gennoh's current position is reminiscent of Maul's ambitions to control territories and the underworld, with the ultimate goal of defeating the Empire in his own twisted way.
Gennoh's metal mask also adds a layer of mystery and intimidation, echoing Maul's hooded, shadowed portrayal in his early appearances.
Another major villain set to be featured in The Ninth Jedi is General Nawaam, the main big bad in this current saga. As the overarching villain, General Nawaam is amassing a fleet to impose his vision of order on a chaotic galaxy.
What's interesting about Nawaam's portrayal in The Ninth Jedi is that his lightsaber burns bright blue, like a Jedi's blade, rather than the traditional red of a Sith. This is an important revelation as The Ninth Jedi officially introduced a lightsaber change in its marketing, confirming that the color of a lightsaber blade made by sabersmith Lah Zhima changes according to the wielder's alignment with and strength in the Force. The shift happens instantly and reflects the user's "heart" in the moment.
The blue saber suggests that, whatever Nawaam's ruthless methods, his connection to the Force is not purely dark, or at least not in the conventional Sith sense. It could hint that Nawaam is a fallen or disillusioned Jedi who still believes he is acting for the greater good, occupying a morally gray space where the ends justify extreme means.
Comparisons to Darth Maul work on the level of ambition and leadership, with both serving as dark leaders who believe their strength justifies dominating the galaxy and viewing the Jedi as obstacles.
Both Maul and Nawaam are survivors and organizers who operate beyond simple lightsaber duels. The black armor and helmet gave Nawaam a more Darth Vader-adjacent silhouette, yet the blue blade introduces moral ambiguity and complexity that Maul somehow showcased in Maul: Shadow Lord when he aligned with Devon and Eeko Dio-Daki against the Empire.
As an efficient Jedi hunter, Bee-Toh is part of a group relentless in capturing and eliminating Jedi across the galaxy. It's worth noting that Bee-Toh is the one who captured Lah Zhima, Kara's father (voiced by Marvel's Simu Liu), on Nawaam's order, setting the stage for the story of The Ninth Jedi.
The Hunters use tools like electrostaffs that can parry lightsabers, making them practical, non-Force threats that complement the Sith. In the world of Visions, Bee-Toh functions more as a specialized enforcer than a central Force user.
Darth Maul himself was a precision hunter in his early missions for Darth Sidious, striking with calculated ferocity. Bee-Toh represents that same targeted efficiency in service of a larger dark agenda, proving that not every threat needs to be a full Sith Lord to be dangerous. All in all, Bee-Toch executes the dirty work that enables bigger villains like Nawaam and Gennoh.
Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi premieres on Disney+ on Wednesday, August 5.
Why These Villains Matter After Maul's Dominance in Maul: Shadow Lord
Darth Maul's recent Disney+ focus serves as a reminder to audiences why pure, charismatic Dark-Side warriors resonate so strongly: the combination of combat mystery, psychological intensity, and larger ambitions. It is a perfect set-up for the larger-than-life villains who will be showcased in The Ninth Jedi.
The Ninth Jedi actually builds on that energy in an alternate timeline. Gennoh, in particular, emerges as the most Maul-like figure, a confident Sith hunter with massive resources and unshakable dark-side pride, while Nawaam provides the strategic scale and Bee-Toh acts as the ground-level threat.
By combining these three threats, they create a compelling group of antagonists for Kara, Margrave Juro, Ethan, and many others as they attempt to restore the Order.
