Summary
While there are still frustrations about Disney’sStar Warscontinuity purge in 2012 and turning so many Expanded Universe tales into non-canon Legends, it did end up correcting a major mistake withDarth Maul’sorigins and status as a Sith Lord.The Phantom Menacedebuted Darth Maul as the Sith apprenticeto Darth Sidious aka Palpatine. However, oneStar WarsLegends novel featured a major twist that very much mitigated Maul’s role among those who also wielded the dark side of the Force.
One of the last books published before the continuity purge, James Luceno’sDarth Plagueisrevealed the history of Palaptine’s Sith master and the origins of Darth Sidious himself. However, Darth Maul is also featured in the novel, having been given to Palpatine as a baby to escape the grip of theNightsisters' Mother Talzin. That said,new twists regarding the events of the Skywalker saga’s very first episode arguably made a pretty big mistake regarding Maul and his official role in the dark side, one that’s since been fixed withDarth Plagueisbecoming a non-canon Legend.
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Star Wars Legends Implied Maul Was Just An Acolyte In TPM
Serving Sidious While Palpatine Himself Was Still Plagueis' Apprentice
In theDarth Palgueisnovel, it’s revealed thatPalpatine didn’t actually kill Darth Plagueis until after he was elected as the Republic’s new Supreme Chancellor, something that occurs well into the events ofThe Phantom Menace. To that end, it’s revealed that Plaguies was still quite active and in charge, having secretly orchestrated the creation of the future clone army with Palpatine’s help, and also securing the Trade Federation as allies in their dark schemes unfolding in the shadows. As a result,Palpatine was still the Sith apprentice, following the will of his master before eventually killing him.
It’s also revealed that Palgueis was also the one who ordered the deaths of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan Kenobi, having sensedAnakin Skywalker’s power in the Force and his unique conception, a direct response from the Force due to Plagueis and Palpatine’s dark midi-chlorian manipulations. Naturally, Palpatine’s “assassin” was ordered to hunt down the Jedi,the implication being that Maul was instead serving Palpatine as an acolyte, rather than being the official Sith apprentice per the Rule of Two, as Plagueis was still alive. However, the novel does confirm that Palpatine gave Maul his “Darth” title behind his master’s back.
Star Wars Canon Has Corrected This Mistake
Maul Deserves His Full Sith Apprentice (Whom Palpatine Rejects)
In Legends, Darth Maul was defeated by Obi-Wan Kenobi before Plagueis was murdered.This means that Maul was never a legitimate Sith apprentice to Palpatine, even in his survival and return during the Clone Wars, having become a rival to Sidious who rejected his former pupil. As such, the novel becoming non-canon fixes this error.
Darth Maul simply being an acolyte and never being a true Sith apprentice feels like a great disservice to his character.While the possibility that more of Darth Plagueis' story comes back to the canon following his appearance inThe Acolyte, here’s hoping this element of his legacy is left in Legends (for Maul’s sake). He deserves to have his official “Darth” title as Sidious' Sith apprentice, at least before it’s all taken away, and he’s ultimately rejected in the aftermath ofThe Phantom Menace.
Darth Maul
Palpatine’s apprentice, Darth Maul was nothing more than a tool to winnow down the ranks of the Jedi ahead of Darth Sidious' true plans. Discarded after he was defeated by Obi-Wan Kenobi on Naboo, Darth Maul swore revenge against all those he blamed for his past struggles - Jedi and Sith alike. Maul tended to operate within the shadows, running various syndicates, and even established himself as a true rival for Palpatine on at least one occasion. He was eventually killed by Obi-Wan in a duel on Tatooine.
