Star Wars’ New Sith Lightsaber Twist Continues the Sequel Trilogy’s Best Change

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As a longtime Star Wars fan, I have to say the sequel trilogy definitely took some risks with the lightsabers. Remember the shock when we first saw Kylo Ren’s unique, crossguard lightsaber in the The Force Awakens trailer? It was a clear sign things were evolving. And that evolution continued! We saw lightsabers break and be repaired, a cool double-bladed saber that folded out, and even a yellow blade appear – a lot of that happening in The Rise of Skywalker. While not all the changes landed perfectly, it was interesting to see them experiment with such an iconic weapon.

Many of these ideas weren’t fully explored, particularly the more recent ones. However, some were quite interesting, and the concept of a lightsaber choosing its wielder was arguably the strongest – we first saw this with Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber and Rey in The Force Awakens. Because lightsabers contain kyber crystals that are deeply connected to the Force, they almost seem to have a life of their own. This allowed the saber to sense Rey and guide her toward her future. Now, the new Maul – Shadow Lord series cleverly expands on this idea even further.

Maul’s Lightsaber “Speaking” To Devon Is A Great Twist For Star Wars

During the lightsaber duel between Maul and Devon in the final moments of Maul – Shadow Lord Season 1, Episode 3, a mysterious language is heard. The episode’s subtitles identify this as the voice of Maul’s lightsaber, described as “an alien language.” This seems to be how Maul discovers Devon’s name, a key event that could lead to her becoming his new apprentice.

We’ve noticed strange, chanting sounds associated with Darth Maul since Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, particularly during the Duel of the Fates. However, this is the first time those sounds have been so clearly connected to his lightsaber itself. According to Brad Rau, speaking with io9, the intention wasn’t for the blade to actually speak, but to continue those unsettling “Sith-like whispers.” Even so, it suggests the lightsaber – or more specifically, the red kyber crystal inside – is showing a kind of awareness. This is how Maul discovers Devon’s name.

It’s interesting how the show lets the audience feel the connection Devon has with the kyber crystal. Subtle sounds like this happen whenever she touches the blade, though this instance is the most noticeable. It’s similar to what happened with Rey and Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber, but in reverse: instead of sensing her potential for good, the crystal is responding to Devon’s fear and anger, and the dark path those feelings could lead her down – not necessarily to becoming a Sith, given Maul’s current status, but definitely towards the dark side.

It’s a fascinating way to showcase the dark side or Sith whisperings that Maul himself has experienced, and how someone else is now feeling that same pull. It seems clear that Devon has bonded with the weapon to some degree, and like with Rey, that implies it senses her future. It also adds to the importance of Maul’s saber: like the Skywalker blade or even the Darksaber, it is now a driver of destiny in some way.

Now the key question is whether she can resist his influence, or if Maul will succeed in turning her into his apprentice as the story continues. This fight between Maul and Devon is, essentially, a battle to determine their destinies, and Maul discovering her name could be the turning point.

New episodes of Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord release on Mondays on Disney+.

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2026-04-19 19:42