Has the quality of animated Star Wars titles surpassed that of live-action ones? It’s a discussion worth having, especially with “The Mandalorian and Grogu” headed to theaters in a few weeks. Early reviews haven’t been released yet, but fans of the franchise are certainly anxious for the film.

The latest animated release from the Star Wars universe is “Maul - Shadow Lord,” a streaming-only series on Disney+. While it cannot avoid the accusations of fan service that have dogged many Star Wars titles since Disney took over the franchise, the season finale of “Maul - Shadow Lord” was more than enough to put those concerns to rest.

I’ve always been a little lukewarm on Darth Maul as a character, if truth be told. To be sure, the concept of a double-bladed lightsaber was as mindblowing to me as it was to any 10-year-old when “Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace” was first released. But in my opinion, one of the flaws of that film is that the Maul character — the main antagonist of the film — has just three lines of dialogue. He’s never developed in any way, and that makes his presence in the movie feel like nothing more than a pretense to sell toys.

When “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” brought Maul back in its fourth season, I was long past caring about the character and felt that the cartoon’s efforts to revive him were too little, too late. But despite my best efforts to remain disinterested, I found myself compelled by aspects of Maul’s new storyline, in particular his quest for vengeance against a master who cast him aside. Star Wars tales are replete with characters aligned with the dark side of the Force switching to the light, but Maul’s attempts to fight darkness without abandoning darkness compelled me.

“Maul - Shadow Lord” picks up with the former Sith lord a few years after the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire. Maul wants to revive his criminal syndicate far from Imperial eyes. As he attempts to unify local criminals under his banner, he crosses paths with two Jedi in hiding. A quick note about the art of the series before diving back into the story — “Maul: Shadow Lord” is absolutely stunning to look at. It uses an art style similar to that of “Clone Wars,” but many shots feel as if the viewer is looking at a painting, not a TV episode.

As Maul tries to convince Padawan Devon Izara to turn away from her Jedi training, his activities attract the attention of the Empire. When two Inquisitors aren’t enough to put an end to Maul and his felonious actions, the Emperor sends his new apprentice to deal with Maul once and for all.

There are two aspects of the “Maul - Shadow Lord” season finale that truly stood out to me. The first was how deftly the episode executed its Darth Vader cameo. The Sith Lord plays a big role in the episode, but never says a word. He silently hammers away at any character who crosses him, without remorse, and with one goal in mind: to kill his enemies. This is the Vader from that infamous hallway scene in the film “Rogue One,” and the show was wise to hold him back until the season finale.

The second was how well the writers seemed to understand the character they’re working with. Maul is no hero — he’ll willingly sacrifice a tenuous ally in order to save himself, and he’s not ashamed to save his own skin by running away. He does both in the Season 1 finale of “Shadow Lord,” reminding the viewer that he’s still an antihero in the end.

“Maul - Shadow Lord“‘s attempts to create connective tissue with “Solo: A Star Wars Story” may bring up unpleasant reminders of that movie for some. But the show’s first season is mostly quite interesting, and its season finale offers a payoff episode that all Star Wars fans will enjoy. Stream all episodes of “Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord” Season 1 on Disney+ now.

Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord

April 6, 2026

After the Clone Wars, Maul plots to rebuild his criminal syndicate on a planet untouched by the Empire.