Darth Vader, who is already likely the most overpowered character in Star Wars canon, was granted a completely unfair advantage against Maul, Devon Izara, and Jedi Master Eeko-Dio Daki in the Maul - Shadow Lord finale. Darth Vader has been one of cinema's most iconic and well-recognized villains since he debuted in 1977's A New Hope. A lot of Star Wars fans are critical of the way Disney has handled the franchise since it acquired Lucasfilm from George Lucas, but one aspect most can agree on is that Vader has become even more terrifying and ruthless.
Fans were excited and shocked to see Darth Vader show up in the finale of Disney+'s Maul - Shadow Lord, and the episode itself didn't disappoint, as it featured a massive lightsaber battle with the dark lord right at the center. Specifically, Darth Vader, Marrok, and the Crow (the latter two are both Inquisitors, for reference) faced off against Maul, Devon Izara, and Jedi Master Eeko-Dio Daki. Fans were most excited to see Maul and Vader finally lock blades, as that had never happened before in Star Wars canon, and it only occurred once, 25 years ago, in Legends.
Because Maul's leg was extremely injured, Devon was still a Jedi Padawan, and Eeko-Dio Daki wasn't an extremely notable lightsaber duelist, Vader already had the upper hand in a major way. Not to mention, Vader also had the two Inquisitors on his side, giving him even more of an advantage.
However, Disney and Lucasfilm included an easy-to-miss detail about Darth Vader in the Maul - Shadow Lord finale that gave him even more of an advantage — an advantage most would agree is completely unfair.
When Darth Vader appeared in the finale and began fighting with his lightsaber, Lucasfilm included some freeze frames where Vader's lightsaber crossed with someone else's. In every instance, no matter if Vader's saber was locked up with Maul's, Devon's, or Master Daki's, Vader's lightsaber had a noticeably thicker blade. The Dark Lord of the Sith has always had a quite thick lightsaber handle, but this time, the actual blade was thicker than the rest of them.
For example, when Vader and Maul had their blades crossed in one specific shot, Vader's is clearly much thicker than Maul's. It can be best seen when looking at the blades closer to the handles.
Lightsabers haven't really been fully explained when it comes to physics, but George Lucas himself always described them as being like real swords. If that is the case, Vader's lightsaber would be heavier than Maul's, Devon's, and Daki's, making it more like a greatsword or a claymore. Because of Vader's incredible power level and sheer strength (thanks to his cybernetic suit), Vader swinging around a lightsaber that has the weight and feel of a claymore, while the other characters have more of a rapier or a katana.
This absolutely gave Vader an unfair advantage in the fight. As mentioned, he is already considerably more powerful than any of the characters he was fighting, and the bigger sword made him even more formidable. If his lightsaber had been a little thinner and more along the lines of the other fighters' sabers, the fight may have been a bit more even. Vader still would have won without a doubt, but Maul, Daki, and Devon would have at least had a better chance, and the fight would have been more even. Perhaps Daki would have actually made it out alive.
Making Vader's lightsaber blade thicker than everyone else's was obviously intentional, because it is visible in multiple shots. If it was a mistake, it would only show up in one or two shots, but considering it remains thicker than the rest of the sabers throughout the entire episode, it is clear Lucasfilm wanted it to be that way.
Even though this definitely gave Vader a huge advantage in the Season 1 finale (Season 2 has already been confirmed), it actually makes complete sense and directly goes alongside Vader's lightsaber combat form that he uses while fighting.
Darth Vader's Lightsaber Combat Form Explained
In Star Wars canon, there are seven official forms of lightsaber combat, with each form having its own style, pros, and cons. Different forms are used by different people within the Star Wars universe, and Darth Vader is specifically known for using Form V.
Now, there are two different variants of Form V: Shien and Djem So. Darth Vader is best known for using the Djem So variant of Form V. The fundamentals of Djem So essentially entail the lightsaber wielder using parries and strong blocks on defense, and then immediately countering with extremely powerful, overwhelming attacks. The parries and blocks would bring down the stamina of their opponent, and then the powerful attacks would break their opponent's guard, leaving them vulnerable.
Vader's Djem So fighting style can be clearly seen in essentially all of his lightsaber duels. It especially showed itself in Maul - Shadow Lord (which is not only available on Disney+ anymore) after Jedi Master Eeko-Dio Daki struck Vader on the shoulder, and Vader responded with a barrage of heavy blows. Before Daki hit Vader with his saber, Vader was more or less just toying with Daki, Maul, and Devon. However, after Daki landed that blow, Vader's rage took over, and he understood that it was time to end the fight.
As seen in the episode, Vader brought his saber down on Daki time after time while also forcing Daki to take steps back. As mentioned, this was a direct representation of Djem So, as Vader eventually hit Daki's saber so many times that he broke Daki's guard, and Daki didn't even have the stamina to raise his blade back up.
The fact that Vader's lightsaber blade was thicker than everyone else's directly contributes to his fighting style and the fact that he uses Djem So as his fighting form. Because Vader uses a form that centers around powerful blows and parries, it would make perfect sense for his blade to be thicker, and it would make his life even easier when using Djem So.
Lightsaber combat forms aren't heavily focused on or explored in Star Wars canon, especially in on-screen projects, but Star Wars clearly made Vader's lightsaber blade thicker on purpose, and it very well could have been because he uses Djem So.
Even without a thicker blade, Vader would have still used Djem So while fighting Maul, Daki, and Devon, and, most likely, the same result would have been achieved. Him hacing a thicker blade only gave him more of an advantage and made him even more unstoppable.
