Critic Reviews

Outside of “Andor” and, yes, “Star Wars Rebels,” this is easily some of the best work “Star Wars” has done in ages.

While it doesn’t quite reach the towering heights of Andor, it comes closer than anything else in the modern Star Wars slate, embracing a more grounded tone that feels refreshingly bold.

Though not quite essential, Maul: Shadow Lord is a compelling and at times thrilling chapter in the villain’s ever-evolving story. 

Fortunately, the first eight episodes of Season 1 are able to weave together an exciting narrative that places as much importance on the new supporting cast as it does Maul himself.

Each episode runs less than 25 minutes and is instantly bingeable. It’s a well-made entry, better than some of the live-action films.

“Shadow Lord” can capably move the “Clone Wars” story forward, but it’s not yet ready to serve as a “Star Wars” standard-bearer on its own. It’s a good time for the theatrical release schedule to finally get going again.

Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is certainly one of the darker entries in the franchise, especially among the animated series. But there is a lot of potential to dig into the personality of one of the franchise’s most notorious villains, which is always something we look forward to seeing.

This show doesn’t have that same insight [as Andor], and while it delivers what some hardcore fans want (more light saber fights, say), it abandons a galaxy of possibilities in the process.

Maul - Shadow Lord did not give me enough, well, Maul. Despite being the titular, lead character, Maul - Shadow Lord introduces several other new players [of] the Star Wars universe and places a big focus on them.

Across the eight episodes out of the ten provided for review, it takes a long while for “Maul” to get interesting. The series is clearly made for Clone Wars die-hards. .... However, Maul suffers from a major problem: it provides no interesting depth for the titular character.