Darth Maul was one of the most iconic villains in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. With his demonic red and black face paint, double-bladed lightsaber, and imposing physical presence, Maul left an indelible mark on audiences in his brief appearances. However, one of the most intriguing aspects of Darth Maul is his backstory and history prior to his emergence in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. In particular, the identity of Darth Maul’s first Sith master has been a subject of much interest and speculation among Star Wars fans over the years. The quick answer is that Darth Maul’s first master was Darth Sidious, also known as Palpatine or Emperor Palpatine. However, the full story behind their relationship and Maul’s origins is more complex.
Maul’s Beginnings on Dathomir
Darth Maul was born on the planet Dathomir, home to the witch-like Force-sensitive Nightsister clans. As an infant, Maul was given by Mother Talzin of the Nightsisters to Darth Sidious, who had solicited their help in providing him with a potential Sith apprentice. Sidious spirited the young Zabrak infant away to a secret Sith training ground where he could mold him into a weapon of the dark side.
Early Training Under Sidious
From a very early age, the Zabrak who would become Darth Maul was trained in the ways of the Force and the dark side by Darth Sidious. Sidious subjected him to rigorous martial, Force, and lightsaber training, forging him into a deadly living weapon. Maul’s training was entirely based around assassin skills and commando tactics, eschewing many of the Sith philosophies and traditions. His primary purpose was to serve as an assassin and warrior who could help Sidious execute his plan to take over the galaxy.
The Rule of Two
Importantly, Darth Sidious considered Darth Maul his true Sith apprentice, despite the Rule of Two that mandated there be only two Sith at any given time – a master and an apprentice. At the time, Sidious already had an apprentice in Darth Tyranus, formerly Jedi Master Count Dooku. However, Tyranus was unaware of Maul’s existence, as Sidious was keeping Maul as an off-the-books secret apprentice. This demonstrates Sidious’ scheming nature and disregard for the ancient Rule of Two when it suited his purposes.
Maul’s Abilities and Attributes
Darth Maul was immensely skilled in lightsaber combat, utilizing a double-bladed lightsaber style that allowed him to overwhelm single opponents. His fighting style was very kinetic, agile, and aggressive, optimized for leaping, spinning, and utilizing his extreme stamina and endurance. Maul also possessed advanced hand-to-hand combat skills, making him as dangerous unarmed as with his lightsaber.
Maul’s Training
In addition to combat training, Sidious also put Maul through specialized stealth, tracking, and assassination training. This allowed Maul to blend into the shadows and hunt down difficult targets. Through intense conditioning, Maul became an expert at surviving in extreme conditions for extended periods. Sidious also encouraged Maul’s sadistic tendencies, shaping him into a cruel instrument of terror of the Sith.
Maul’s Cybernetic Legs
After losing the lower half of his body in a duel against Obi-Wan Kenobi on Naboo, Maul managed to survive through his rage. He eventually received advanced cybernetic leg replacements, which allowed him to walk and even gave him some extra abilities. However, he needed to adapt his fighting style to account for the limits and benefits of his new cybernetic lower body. This further expanded his combat adaptability.
Notable Early Missions Under Sidious
Before emerging in The Phantom Menace, Darth Maul carried out several important early missions for Darth Sidious:
Assassination of Hath Monchar
One of Maul’s first missions was the assassination of Hath Monchar, a Neimoidian deputy viceroy of the Trade Federation who had grown corrupt and unreliable. Maul slew him with ease, showcasing his lethal skills.
Black Sun Leadership
Maul carried out several covert assassinations of leaders in the Black Sun criminal syndicate’s upper echelon. This allowed Sidious to mold the Black Sun into a more controllable organization for his eventual plans.
Mandalorian Saboteur
On Sidious’ orders, Maul sabotaged a Mandalorian saboteur’s efforts to destroy Outland Transit Station. Maul made the sabotage look accidental, showcasing his early cunning and precision.
Hyperspace Trail
Maul erased evidence of Sidious’ hyperspace trail after clandestine meetings between the two. This protected Sidious’ identity as he secretly manipulated events from behind the scenes.
Apprenticeship Under Sidious
Darth Maul spent decades training under Darth Sidious before his emergence in The Phantom Menace. Sidious used fear, anger and hatred to forge Maul into a Sith killer utterly devoted to his master. Notably, Sidious did not emphasize Sith philosophy or history to Maul, but purely cultivated his lethal skills.
Absolute Loyalty
Sidious demanded absolute, unquestioning loyalty from Maul. As an assassin rather than a true apprentice, Maul had very little understanding of the Sith’s larger goals and ideology. Sidious kept him in the dark intentionally, using him as a weapon.
Harsh Training
Darth Sidious was an extremely harsh master, putting Darth Maul through intense training that often bordered on torture. This conditioned Maul to pain and hardened his endurance. He also learned to channel his pain and anguish into dark side rage, fueling his power.
Sith Assassin
Unlike with his apprentices Darth Tyranus and later Darth Vader, Sidious did not train Maul to be a well-rounded Sith Lord, but specifically molded him to be a Sith assassin and warrior. Maul’s sole purpose was to operate in the shadows, destroying Sidious’ enemies.
Emergence in The Phantom Menace
In Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Darth Sidious finally unleashed Darth Maul to reveal the return of the Sith. Maul’s actions were critical in allowing Sidious to set his grander plans into motion:
Naboo Blockade
Maul commanded the Trade Federation’s invasion of Naboo, ensuring events unfolded as Sidious engineered. The crisis enabled Palpatine’s election as Chancellor.
Slaying of Qui-Gon Jinn
Maul dueled and slayed Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn on Naboo. This removed an impediment to Sidious’ plans, while also revealing the Sith to the Jedi.
Duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi
Maul’s fateful duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi marked the emergence of the Sith after centuries of hiding. Despite his defeat, Maul had set Sidious’ grand plan irrevocably into motion.
Conclusion
Darth Maul’s origins lie in his initiation into the dark side as an infant by Darth Sidious, who proceeded to train him in absolute secrecy into a weaponized instrument of the Sith. Sidious was without a doubt Darth Maul’s first and only true master. Their powerful bond in the dark side proved catastrophic for the galaxy, as Maul helped Sidious set into motion the fall of the Jedi and Republic. However, Darth Maul ultimately proved unable to realize Sidious’ vision, and instead found his own violent destiny in the dark side through sheer unrelenting hatred.
Key Points
– Darth Maul was given to Darth Sidious as an infant by Mother Talzin.
– Sidious trained Maul in secrecy as an assassin and living weapon.
– Maul carried out covert missions for Sidious prior to The Phantom Menace.
– Sidious was a harsh, demanding master who encouraged Maul’s hatred.
– In The Phantom Menace, Maul enabled Sidious’ master plan against the Jedi and Republic.
Maul References
| Source | Quote on Maul’s Origins |
|---|---|
| The Phantom Menace | “He was trained in the ways of the Force by my master Darth Sidious.” – Maul |
| Darth Plagueis | “Its true name, recalled from the ancient records, from the lore of the Sith, was Darth Maul.” |
| The Wrath of Darth Maul | “My master is Darth Sidious, the Sith Lord who commands me.” |
Darth Maul Timeline
| 54 BBY | Born on Dathomir |
|---|---|
| 33 BBY | Emerges in The Phantom Menace |
| 32 BBY | Cut in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi |
| 22 BBY | Returns with cybernetic legs |
| 19 BBY | Forms Shadow Collective |
| 2 BBY | Dies on Tatooine |
Darth Maul’s Abilities
| Lightsaber Combat | Master swordsman, invented double-bladed fighting style |
|---|---|
| Force Powers | Gifted in Force stealth, telekinesis, mind probes |
| Martial Arts | Skilled unarmed fighter, utilizes Teräs Käsi |
| Other Abilities | Infiltration, assassination, high pain tolerance, survival skills |
Other Sith Apprentices
| Apprentice | Master |
|---|---|
| Darth Vader | Darth Sidious |
| Darth Tyranus | Darth Sidious |
| Darth Plagueis | Darth Tenebrous |
| Darth Bane | Darth Zannah |