The new Star Wars series, Maul – Shadow Lord, is proving to be more successful than Obi-Wan Kenobi in many ways. Despite a lot of pre-release excitement, Obi-Wan Kenobi is often seen as one of the weaker Star Wars TV shows.
The lukewarm response to Obi-Wan Kenobi is probably the main reason why a second season isn’t planned. However, a continuation of Maul – Shadow Lord is definitely happening. Episodes 5 and 6 of Maul – Shadow Lord are available on Disney+ now, with four more episodes coming out before May 4th – Star Wars Day.
Marrok, a powerful Inquisitor from the Empire, has emerged as a major danger to Maul and the other characters. The show has effectively built on elements from both Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Maul – Shadow Lord episode 4, particularly by introducing the Empire and developing Marrok as a significant threat.
As a big Star Wars fan, I remember when Obi-Wan Kenobi came out – some things worked really well, but the music by Natalie Holt and how the Inquisitors were used got a lot of criticism. Now, with Maul – Shadow Lord arriving four years later, it’s clear how things should have been done. This new series nails the music, blending familiar Star Wars themes with fresh scores, and it actually makes the Inquisitors feel like a real threat – something Obi-Wan Kenobi struggled with.
Maul – Shadow Lord Proves How Star Wars Music Should Be Approached
The music for Maul – Shadow Lord was created by Kevin Kiner, a long-time composer for Star Wars. Kiner, along with his children Sean and Deana, has contributed to the music of almost every Star Wars animated series, except Star Wars: Resistance and Star Wars: Visions. Ahsoka is currently his only live-action Star Wars project.
Let’s talk about the music in this film. Scoring Star Wars is a real tightrope walk, honestly. The best movie scores are the ones you don’t notice – they just seamlessly support the action. But with Star Wars, it’s different. We want those iconic John Williams themes we all know and love woven in there, so it’s about finding that balance between being subtle and paying homage to the legacy. It’s a tricky job, getting it just right.
When scoring a new Star Wars project, it’s a delicate balance. Straying too far from the established sound can draw attention for the wrong reasons, but relying too heavily on familiar themes feels unoriginal and like simple fan service. The composers need to strike a perfect balance between innovation and tradition. Natalie Holt didn’t quite achieve this in Obi-Wan Kenobi, but Kevin Kiner consistently succeeds, as demonstrated in his work on Maul – Shadow Lord and other projects.
Kiner’s score effectively highlights the new elements, particularly the gritty atmosphere of Janix and the more intense tone of Shadow Lord, using powerful drones. Throughout both action and conversational scenes, the music remains understated, blending into the background. While Holt achieved this subtlety in Obi-Wan Kenobi, the score didn’t fully leverage familiar Star Wars themes.
The music in Maul – Shadow Lord is particularly well done. This was clear from the start, with the famous “Duel of the Fates” playing dramatically when Maul first turned on his lightsaber. Later, in the fourth episode, the Empire’s arrival on Janix was underscored by a haunting blend of John Williams’ “Imperial March” with Kiner’s original score. Importantly, Kiner doesn’t simply copy the themes from The Phantom Menace or The Empire Strikes Back; he puts his own creative and modern spin on them.
Frankly, the music in Obi-Wan Kenobi didn’t utilize the iconic Star Wars themes nearly enough. While some scenes featured John Williams’ original music, it wasn’t prominent enough, especially considering the story’s connection to the Skywalker family. The show’s score was adequate, but easily forgotten. This is in stark contrast to the work of composer John Kiner, whose Star Wars scores – including his latest, Maul – Shadow Lord – consistently stand out due to his skillful blend of familiar and new musical ideas.
Maul – Shadow Lord Is Using Inquisitors Perfectly
Regarding the Inquisitors in Star Wars, Maul – Shadow Lord utilizes them more effectively than Obi-Wan Kenobi did. Reva, an Inquisitor featured in Obi-Wan Kenobi, was a promising character, though the negative reaction she received sometimes overshadowed her potential. The show could have benefited from a longer run to fully develop her. Overall, Obi-Wan Kenobi didn’t make great use of established Inquisitor characters.
The Grand Inquisitor and The Fifth Brother, characters first seen in the animated series Star Wars Rebels, also appeared in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. However, many fans felt that their portrayal in Obi-Wan Kenobi was a significant misstep, both in terms of story and how they looked. The transition from animation to live-action dramatically changed their appearance, and not for the better.
The casting choices for some characters didn’t quite work. Sung Kang, who played the Fifth Brother, had a very small role, and Rupert Friend’s portrayal of the Grand Inquisitor felt different from Jason Isaacs’ version in Star Wars Rebels. Friend lacked the intimidating power and skill that Isaacs brought to the character, and this was due to a combination of the casting, writing, and directing choices in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Conversely, Maul – Shadow Lord, uses Inquisitors perfectly.
Even if Inquisitors don’t have incredibly detailed backstories, a Star Wars project should at least make them seem scary and dangerous as the main hunters of Jedi. The Maul – Shadow Lord comic does this well, avoiding the problems the Obi-Wan Kenobi series had with portraying these dark side Force users. Marrok is a great example, and the introduction of the Eleventh Brother in future issues will likely reinforce this success.
Marrok and the Eleventh Brother stand out as two of the most visually impressive Inquisitors, with intimidating armor and chilling voices that instantly establish them as threatening villains. In contrast, the designs for the Fifth Brother and the Grand Inquisitor in Obi-Wan Kenobi felt underwhelming and lacked the same impact.
The Grand Inquisitor and Fifth Brother weren’t featured enough in Obi-Wan Kenobi, lacking substantial screen time and action. In contrast, Marrok played a central role in Maul – Shadow Lord as the lead investigator, and that version of the character included both intimidating interrogations and thrilling fights with Maul and Devon. The trailer for Maul – Shadow Lord suggests the Eleventh Brother will have a similar, more prominent role.
Unlike the Fifth Brother and Grand Inquisitor in Obi-Wan Kenobi, who weren’t given enough opportunity to demonstrate their power and were kept on the sidelines, Maul – Shadow Lord will give Marrok and the Eleventh Brother a significant and compelling role. This new series is taking a different approach, actively highlighting their abilities and integrating them into the central plot.
Star Wars’ Animated Shows Have Always Nailed Music & Wider Characters
The series Maul – Shadow Lord demonstrates that Star Wars animated shows consistently deliver excellent music and well-developed characters. Composer John Kiner has created the scores for most of these shows, and the others further highlight his talent. Only Star Wars: Visions and Star Wars: Resistance didn’t feature Kiner’s music; Visions used different composers for each episode, depending on the animation studio involved.
It’s possible this is just a random occurrence, since many factors determine which Star Wars animated series is considered the best. However, Star Wars: Visions and Star Wars: Resistance currently have the lowest ratings on IMDb among the franchise’s main animated shows. Composer Michael Kiner consistently enhances Star Wars projects when Dave Filoni is involved as a creator, writer, or director, always striking the right balance to make the shows even better.
| Star Wars Animated TV Show | IMDb Rating |
|---|---|
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars | 8.5/10 |
| Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord | 8.5/10 |
| Star Wars Rebels | 8.1/10 |
| Star Wars: The Bad Batch | 7.8/10 |
| Star Wars: Tales… | 7.4/10 |
| Star Wars: Visions | 7/10 |
| Star Wars: Resistance | 5.3/10 |
The animated Star Wars shows consistently handle established characters well. Examples include Asaaj Ventress in The Bad Batch, the Inquisitors in Maul – Shadow Lord, and Darth Vader in Rebels. These shows understand how to effectively utilize these characters, something the Obi-Wan Kenobi series didn’t achieve with figures like the Grand Inquisitor and the Fifth Brother.
The series Maul – Shadow Lord is demonstrating a strong understanding of what makes Star Wars during the Imperial era work, arguably even better than Obi-Wan Kenobi. Specifically, Maul skillfully incorporates two important elements of that period, while Obi-Wan Kenobi struggled to do so effectively.
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2026-04-21 06:41