'Star Wars' Confirms This Sith Apprentice Was Not Going To Be In 'Obi-Wan Kenobi'
The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many cameos, some considered to be unnatural. However, it may not be that way in Maul’s case, at least according to Director Deborah Chow in her interview with Total Film:
"As long as I’ve been involved, we’ve never had Darth Maul in any of it. Dave [Filoni] did a beautiful job of telling that story already."
It would seem that Darth Maul was never meant to be in Obi-Wan Kenobi in the first place. This debunked The Hollywood Reporter’s article from a while back, which said that Maul was originally meant in the series only to be replaced by Vader.
Darth Maul has been a part of Kenobi’s story since The Phantom Menace. The two would continue to cross paths in The Clone Wars animated series. However, the makers of Obi-Wan Kenobi do not seem to be interested in making Maul part of the Kenobi story. Instead, they are focusing on topics related to the prequel trilogy like the fall of the Jedi Order, Anakin, and Kenobi’s watch over Luke.
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Kenobi and Maul’s story ended in Rebels with their final duel. An aged Kenobi had risen above much strife and tribulation while the former Sith Lord was still living in the past. Maul got his one last battle, and finally gained one last moment of happiness and satisfaction after a life full of agony and pain. Thus, it would not make much sense for him to return to the live-action Obi-Wan Kenobi series. His story is completed. There is no reason for him to come back lest one retreads old ideas.
As a character, Maul is also not essential at this point in Kenobi’s story. For the most part, the Jedi’s thoughts are focused on Luke, what had happened to Anakin, as well as learning to communicate with the dead like the ghost of Qui-Gon Jinn. Where would Maul fit in with all of this going in Kenobi’s world? A story can only handle so much before it becomes overstuffed, and Maul would just be one addition too many. Furthermore, what would be the point of Kenobi and Maul’s final duel if the two were to meet prior to the events of Rebels.
At the end of the day, animation, live-action, books, and comics all weave a single tapestry of Star Wars. Having Maul and Kenobi meet and fight again just because it is in live-action is not a good enough reason. Animated series like The Clone Wars and Rebels are just as valid as storytelling media as live-action works, if not more so. Thus, all media should be held to the same level of importance.
There is still a story to tell of Maul, but it will not be in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Deborah Chow and others know and understand this. This is why they never planned on putting him in the series in the first place.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is close upon us and soon we will see what happened to the Jedi Master in the time between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. This Episode 3.5 will very much be a key part of the Skywalker saga in many ways.
Star Wars continues to expand its universe and enrich the galaxy far, far away.
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Source(s): GamesRadar+