Darth Maul’s New Apprentice in STAR WARS: MAUL - SHADOW LORD Feels Like George Lucas’ Lost Sequel Trilogy Idea Reborn
The story of Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord doesn’t just bring back one of the franchise’s most dangerous villains, it introduces a new character who feels like she stepped straight out of one of George Lucas’ abandoned sequel trilogy concepts.
In the opening two episodes, we meet Devon Izara, a Twi’lek Jedi Padawan on the run from the Empire, voiced by Gideon Adlon. She’s quickly singled out by Maul, played once again by Sam Witwer, who sees something powerful in her.
Their dynamic immediately raises some red flags, especially as the show visually frames Devon in ominous red tones that hint at where her path might lead.
What makes Devon stand out isn’t just her story in the show, it’s how closely she mirrors an idea Lucas had years ago for the sequel trilogy. While speaking with Paul Duncan for The Star Wars Archives: 1999-2005, Lucas revealed that Maul was originally planned to be the central villain of the sequels.
Not only that, he would’ve had an apprentice named Darth Talon, a character pulled from the old Expanded Universe comics, now known as Star Wars Legends.
Lucas explained: "They want to be stormtroopers forever, so they go to a far corner of the galaxy, start their own country, and their own rebellion. Gangsters like the Hutts are taking advantage of the situation and there's chaos.
“The key person is Maul, who'd been resurrected in the Clone Wars cartoons, he brings all the gangs together. Maul trained a girl, Darth Talon, who was in the comics, as his apprentice.
“She was the new Darth Vader, and most of the action was with her. So, these were the two main villains of the trilogy. Maul eventually becomes the godfather of crime in the universe because, as the Empire falls, he takes over."
That idea never made it to the big screen, but watching Shadow Lord, it’s hard not to see echoes of it everywhere. Devon isn’t Talon, but the setup feels very familiar. A powerful young Force user, vulnerable and conflicted, pulled toward Maul’s influence. It all lines up almost too well.
Lucas also shared how his sequel trilogy would’ve shifted focus across generations, saying: "I had planned for the first trilogy to be about the father, the second trilogy to be about the son, and the third trilogy to be about the daughter and the grandchildren.”
It’s interesting how much of Lucas’ unused material seems to keep resurfacing under Dave Filoni’s watch. Filoni has a knack for pulling from deep cuts and reworking them into something that fits modern canon. Shadow Lord feels like a streamlined version of Lucas’ original sequel ideas, just placed in a timeline where Maul can thrive without breaking continuity.
You can even spot parallels beyond Devon. The idea of scattered Imperial remnants evolving into something new sounds a lot like what eventually became the First Order.
Then there’s Devon’s relationship with her Jedi mentor, Eeko-Dio-Daki, played by Dennis Haysbert, which adds another layer. He’s rigid, unwilling to adapt, which mirrors the kind of guidance that once pushed Anakin Skywalker in the wrong direction.
Meanwhile, trailers show Maul and Devon fighting side-by-side, and it’s clear she’s walking a dangerous line. The show leans into that tension, teasing a fall that might be inevitable.
Devon Izara may not carry the name Darth Talon, but the DNA is there, and if this story follows through on that trajectory, Maul might be building something the galaxy really isn’t ready for.
The first two episodes of Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord are now streaming on Disney+, with new episodes dropping weekly through May 4.