The newest trailer for Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord has arrived, and it’s already shaping up to be one of the most intense animated Star Wars shows ever. Featuring a brand-new art style, impressive lightsaber combat, and ruthless Force powers, the new trailer makes it clear this series is not pulling punches.
Beyond the major hype, there’s something else that’s worth pointing out as a potential fun Star Wars nod. Whether intentional or not, one moment in the new Maul – Shadow Lord trailer absolutely brings The Force Unleashed franchise to mind, the Legends video games starring Darth Vader’s secret apprentice (and the first Star Wars character Maul actor Sam Witwer ever voiced).
The New Darth Maul Trailer Features Incredibly Intense Dark Side Action
If it wasn’t obvious before, the new Shadow Lord trailer makes it perfectly clear that Maul is an absolute menace in the Star Wars galaxy. Every sequence feels showcase his intimidating precision and raw fury. Likewise, the new watercolor/paint-on-glass animation style very much emphasizes the relentless momentum that defines Maul’s combat style with his signature doubled-bladed lightsaber.
Beyond Maul carving through waves of armored police officers and squads of stormtroopers on the new world known as Janix, we also see him taking on both the Eleventh and First Brother aka Marrok, major Imperial Inquisitors (who were both ultimately defeated by Ahsoka Tano).
Not only that, but the trailer also confirms that Maul will be seeking to forge an alliance with two Jedi survivors, particularly the young Twi’lek Padawan named Devon who could very well become a canonical version of Legends’ Darth Talon (Maul’s apprentice in the previous canon and was part of George Lucas’ original vision for the sequels).
While nothing is confirmed thus far, the possibility of Devon becoming Maul’s new apprentice in the current canon definitely adds another exciting layer to the series.
That said, the action in this new trailer culminates with a sequence that very much brings to mind The Force Unleashed games and Galen Marek’s Starkiller, the first Star Wars character Sam Witwer voiced before serving as the voice of Darth Maul.
Maul: Shadow Lord Has An Epic Force Unleashed Nod (Was It On Purpose?)
In the last shot of the new Maul – Shadow Lord trailer, Maul is shown bringing down a first-generation AT-ST walker. Using his double-bladed lightsaber to cut through its legs before splitting the top in half with a well-placed saber throw, Maul walks off before the walker even falls to the ground.
It’s undeniably the coolest moment in the new Star Wars trailer, though it also feels all too familiar. After all, The Force Unleashed games helped redefine what Force users can do, famously letting players rip apart environments with the Force and dismantle Imperial forces with overwhelming feats while playing as Sam Witwer’s Starkiller.
Case in point, one of Starkiller’s signature moves involved similarly tearing through AT-ST walkers using the Force and lightsabers. It’s why Maul’s walker takedown feels so reminiscent. Is it just a coincidence? Possibly. Over time, Force-powered vehicle takedowns have become a staple of Star Wars gaming, like we’ve seen with EA’s Jedi games. Still, the parallel is fun to point out all the same.
Regardless of the potential parallels, we know that Maul – Shadow Lord will have at least one connection to The Force Unleashed: David W. Collins (who voiced Starkiller’s droid Proxy in The Force Unleashed franchise) is confirmed to appear in Shadow Lord as a new character named Spybot, reuniting with Witwer in the Star Wars galaxy for the first time in over a decade.
Whether intentional or simply a case of shared cinematic awesomeness, the new Maul moment works brilliantly. It taps into a similar kind of epic power fantasy, reinforcing Maul’s reputation as one of the Star Wars franchise’s most dangerous dark side characters. One thing’s certain: Maul has never looked more powerful, as Star Wars is finally ready to give him the sinister spotlight he’s always deserved.
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is set to premiere April 6th on Disney Plus.