The upcoming “Star Wars” series titled “Maul: Shadow Lord” marks the return of a character who originally filled the role of the Sith Lord before Kylo Ren emerged in the sequel trilogy. In 2015’s “The Force Awakens”, viewers were first introduced to Kylo Ren, the dark apprentice of Supreme Leader Snoke and the troubled offspring of Han Solo and Leia Organa. However, it wasn’t always planned for Ben Solo to be the main antagonist in the sequel trilogy.
The Star Wars Celebration is in full swing in Japan, with ScreenRant present to bring you all the latest news and revelations from a galaxy far, far away. One exciting development is that Darth Maul is set to star in his own animated series in 2026, titled “Maul: Shadow Lord.” During Lucasfilm’s 20th Anniversary panel, an exclusive trailer for the series was unveiled, revealing a major character from Star Wars Legends is making the transition to the canon. This character, Darth Talon, almost became one of the primary antagonists in the sequel trilogy.
Darth Talon Was Originally Created By Star Wars Legends
A Major Villain Alongside Darth Krayt In Star Wars: Legacy
In the mid-2000s, Darth Talon first appeared in Dark Horse Comics’ Star Wars: Legacy. During the New Republic Era, a century beyond the original trilogy in the expanded universe (now known as Legends), she was part of Darth Krayt’s One Sith. This group, also recognized as the New Sith Order, disregarded the traditional Sith ways established by Darth Bane’s Rule of Two. Interestingly, Darth Talon was a Twi’lek and one of Darth Krayt’s top lieutenants. She bore red skin and black Sith tattoos earned through combat, echoing the appearance of another infamous Sith, Darth Maul.
In the Star Wars: Legacy series, Darth Talon was assigned by Darth Krayt to corrupt Cade Skywalker, a relative from the Skywalker bloodline who abandoned his Jedi ways to pursue bounty hunting. For a while, Talon succeeded and turned Cade to the dark side, making him her apprentice. However, Cade eventually reverted back to the light. Despite this, Darth Talon remained faithful to Darth Krayt until his demise during the Battle of Coruscant, an event that forced the One Sith to go into hiding 138 years after the Battle of Yavin. Nevertheless, George Lucas had more extensive plans for the character of Darth Talon.
George Lucas Wanted Maul & Darth Talon As The Villains In His Sequel Trilogy
Talon Was Eventually Replaced By Kylo Ren
Although Darth Talon and her story were set a century after the original Star Wars trilogy, George Lucas admired her character and appearance so much that he planned to use her in his initial drafts for the sequel saga. He envisioned a fresh backstory for Talon as the apprentice of an older Darth Maul, with the pair slated to be the main antagonists of Lucas’ sequels. Essentially, Talon would have taken on the role similar to that of Darth Vader, while Maul would have been like Emperor Palpatine in these early concepts. However, this was prior to George Lucas selling Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012.
It’s worth noting that Darth Talon was initially conceived as a character for ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’, even after J.J Abrams joined the project. He was envisioned as a Jedi killer who would corrupt Han Solo and Leia Organa’s son. However, the creators ultimately decided to make Ben Solo the Jedi killer, already corrupted and yielding to the dark side under Supreme Leader Snoke’s command. Nonetheless, you can find concept art of Talon wielding dual red lightsabers, sketched by Iain McCaig, in ‘The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens’.
George Lucas’ Plans Are Finally Becoming A Reality
A Canonical Talon Will Become Maul’s Apprentice In Shadow Lord
In the unique trailer for “Maul: Shadow Lord” shown at Star Wars Celebration, Maul meets a young Twi’lek girl with Force sensitivity during the Imperial Era. Given that she’s poised to become his new apprentice as Maul governs the underworld through Crimson Dawn, it seems more than coincidental. This girl may well be the long-awaited Darth Talon, albeit in a different era of Star Wars history. It promises to be intriguing to unravel the story of this new Talon within the established Star Wars timeline.
Maul: Shadow Lord is set to release sometime in 2026, streaming on Disney+.
Check out more of our Star Wars Celebration coverage:
- Star Wars Celebration: All Panels & Times
- Star Wars Celebration Live Blog Day 2 – Ahsoka & Andor Panel Updates
- Star Wars Celebration:Live Blog Day 1 – The Mandalorian & Grogu and Lucasfilm Animation Updates
- All 8 Things We Just Learned About The Next Star Wars Movie, The Mandalorian & Grogu
- Star Wars Starfighter Announced: Next Star Wars Movie Releases In 2027, Five Years After Rise Of Skywalker & Stars Ryan Gosling
- Darth Maul Returns In First Look At Maul: Shadow Lord, New TV Show That Fulfils George Lucas’ Sequel Trilogy Plans
| Upcoming Star Wars Movies | Release Date |
|---|---|
| The Mandalorian & Grogu | May 22, 2026 |
| Star Wars: Starfighter | May 28, 2027 |
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2025-04-20 04:31