Darth Maul has a new weapon in his solo Disney+ series Maul - Shadow Lord. The Sith Lord was first introduced in Episode I: The Phantom Menace as Darth Sidious' apprentice, who was cut down at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi. That wasn't the end of Maul's journey, however, as the Sith Lord managed to pull himself together (literally) and return for revenge in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels.
Maul's new series is set between these two animated series, exploring what happens to the Emperor's former apprentice as he tries to rebuild his crime syndicate and get revenge on the institution that betrayed him. The latest trailer for Maul - Shadow Lord confirmed the Sith Lord's mission is to bring consequences to the Empire for leaving him for dead, but to do that, Maul "requires a weapon:"
"The Empire tried to kill me. Their betrayal demands consequence, and that consequence requires a weapon..."
At the same time that Maul utters these words in the trailer, his intended weapon is seemingly revealed to be the Twi'lek Jedi, Devon Izara. Like Maul, Izara is on the run from the Empire, forced to live in hiding after the execution of Order 66 that put all her fellow Jedi to death. Maul is seen cornering Izala in the trailer, while he says, "Together we can destroy the Empire."
Izara is shown later in the trailer, confiding in her Master about her apprehensions about joining forces with Maul. "He wants to fight as allies," Izala says. "The Empire may be our common enemy, but Maul will never be our ally," Master Eeko-Dio-Daki warns her.
Devon Izara's temptation to turn to the Dark Side appears to be a big part of her character in the arc in Maul - Shadow Lord. The official character description for Izala from Star Wars confirms she is "conflicted" and "must adapt and accept a future far different than the one she expected."
This can only be hinting at Izara's journey from Jedi to Sith, as Maul invites her to become his apprentice, intending to use their combined power to take on the Empire.
Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord takes place in Janix, a futuristic urban cityscape where Maul must operate in the shadows to avoid capture by police detective Brander Lawson. The series features the return of Sam Witwer as the voice of Maul, along with Wagner Moura, Gideon Adlon, Richard Ayoade, and Dennis Haysbert. The series will premiere on Disney+ beginning April 6.
Why Devon Izara Is So Important to Maul
When Maul - Shadow Lord picks up with the Sith Lord, it's to find him operating as a lone wolf. In The Clone Wars, Maul lost his brother and ally, Savage Opress, to his former Master, Darth Sidious. If Maul wants to take on the Empire and rebuild his crime syndicate, he won't be able to do it alone, and that's where the potential of a new apprentice comes in.
Devon Izara makes a good choice as the Jedi is already in such a precarious place emotionally, having been forced into hiding following the Jedi's eradication. The desire for revenge against the Empire for wiping out the Jedi is closely intertwined with emotions like anger, fear, and hate, which are all paths to the Dark Side that Maul can use to influence Izara to his side.
Adding to this theory is the fact that in Star Wars Legends lore, Maul was intended to have a Twi'lek apprentice named Darth Talon, who would essentially have been a "new Darth Vader." While this never eventuated in the sequel trilogy as was once intended, Maul - Shadow Lord now has the chance to adapt this storyline and make it canon.
It's not completely confirmed whether Devon Izara will transition into Darth Talon, but everything seems to suggest this is the way things are heading for the young Jedi. The Sith, like the Jedi, operate on a structure of Masters and Apprentices, and having Darth Maul and Talon, versus Sidious and Vader, would make for an undeniably epic showdown in the Disney+ show.
