Sam Witwer Explains Why Maul is Fixated on Palpatine Instead of Obi-Wan in STAR WARS: MAUL - SHADOW LORD
If you’ve followed Darth Maul’s journey across Star Wars, you know the guy has a serious list of enemies. But while Obi-Wan Kenobi has long been at the center of that rage, things have shifted in Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord.
According to Sam Witwer, the character’s focus has taken a darker, more personal turn, and it’s not who you might expect.
The new Disney+ series drops Maul into a brutal chapter of his life, set just one year after the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire. With the galaxy reshaped and his criminal empire in ruins, Maul is trying to rebuild. But mentally, he’s somewhere else entirely.
During a conversation with Witwer and Gideon Adlon, who voices Order 66 survivor Devon Izara, the actor opened up about which rivalry matters most to Maul right now. And surprisingly, it isn’t Obi-Wan.
“Well, that's difficult. Right now, the one that I'm obsessing over is the Palpatine one because in this series, he doesn't think that Obi-Wan's around. Order 66 happened, how could Obi-Wan have possibly survived that?
“So he’s been forced to confront the idea that the true source of his suffering is Palpatine, and that's made complicated by the fact that that's essentially his father. That's the guy that raised him. So that's where his head's at right now, and therefore that's where my head's at.
“So if you had asked me when I was sparring with James Arnold Taylor, I might have said Obi-Wan, but right now, I think the Palpatine thing has my full attention.”
As far as he knows, Obi-Wan is gone, wiped out during Order 66. That removes the immediate target of his long-standing vendetta. What’s left is something far messier.
Palpatine isn’t just an enemy. He’s the architect of Maul’s entire existence.
The Sith Master, also known as Darth Sidious, didn’t just train Maul, he broke him down and rebuilt him into a weapon. Years of manipulation and cruelty left scars that run deeper than any lightsaber wound.
When Maul resurfaced during The Clone Wars, Sidious didn’t hesitate to remind him exactly where he stood, defeating him with ease and killing his brother Savage Oppress in the process.
So in Shadow Lord, Maul’s anger isn’t just about revenge. It’s tangled up in something more personal, almost familial. Witwer’s take highlights that internal conflict, showing a character forced to face the truth that the person he hates most is also the one who shaped him.
Of course, longtime fans know that Obi-Wan isn’t gone for good. Their story will eventually collide again in Star Wars Rebels, where Maul meets his end. But at this point in the timeline, that chapter hasn’t reopened yet.
For now, Maul’s attention is locked on the Empire and the man pulling its strings. At the same time, the series isn’t just about revenge. Maul is rebuilding the Shadow Collective and forging new connections, including his encounter with Devon Izara on the planet Janix. That dynamic could end up being just as important as anything tied to his past.
With Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord already renewed for another season, there’s plenty of room to explore where this obsession leads.
New episodes of Shadow Lord are rolling out weekly on Disney+ through May 4, perfectly timed for Star Wars Day.
Source: CinemaBlend