Warning: Stop here if you're avoiding Solo: A Star Wars Story spoilers!
It's pretty easy to see the appeal of
Solo: A Star Wars Story to big fans of the franchise. Revisiting beloved characters like
Han and Chewbacca sounds like a great time, right? If you've seen
all of the films, then you were in for a bonus treat when an unexpected cameo appeared onscreen. But if you're not familiar with
Darth Maul or just need a refresher, here are all the films he's appeared in thus far.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
The Phantom Menace is Darth Maul's first film appearance. In the context of the movie, it's a particularly big deal because the Jedi are under the impression
That the evil Sith have been extinct for the past millennium. Not so! Maul is the apprentice of Darth Sidious, a Sith Lord posing as a senator from the planet Naboo. As part of his nefarious plan to become Galactic Emperor, Sidious orders Maul to capture Naboo's queen, Padmé Amidala. He's instead thwarted by Qui-Gon Jinn.
Later, they have another lightsaber battle, with Qui-Gon assisted by his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Maul tragically kills Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan responds with revenge. To put it bluntly, he slices Maul in half and the pieces fall down a reactor shaft.
That seems like it should've been the last we see of the villain, but
Star Wars always has a twist up its sleeve.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Darth Maul also makes a quick, shocking appearance in the Han
Solo spinoff. Qi'ra, Han's childhood love interest, becomes a lieutenant for the crime organization the Crimson Dawn. When she and Han reunite, they get sent to steal a rare substance called coaxium for Dryden Vos, the presumed crime head. Things don't go quite as planned when Han wants to hand
Over the coaxium to Rebel marauders. This ultimately results in a showdown between Han and Vos, and Qi'ra kills her boss.
Han believes
That they'll finally be together, but she instead holo-calls a mysterious figure and says
That Vos was killed by another integral part of the heist, Tobias Beckett.
That mysterious figure removes his hood and - surprise! - it's Darth Maul. He's even higher up the Crimson Dawn chain and tells Qi'ra
That they'll be working closer together from then on.
In addition to
These movies, Maul also appears in the animated series
Star Wars: The Clone Wars and
Star Wars Rebels, both of which are considered canon in the
Star Wars universe.
The Clone Wars in particular explains
how he's still alive to even appear in
Solo. While they're not required viewing if you're more of a casual fan, they're worth watching if you want to be thorough. After all, Darth Maul may just pop up again in the future.
أكثر...