Darth Maul’s New Show Is The Key To An Unresolved Ahsoka Mystery

A returning character in Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord can answer an unresolved mystery from Ahsoka. The new animated Star Wars show follows Maul (Sam Witwer) a year after the Clone Wars as the former Sith Lord attempts to rebuild his criminal empire on Janix, a planet that has not yet been taken over by the Empire.

Among the reveals in the Maul — Shadow Lord trailer is that he has become a fugitive being pursued by Janix's police detective, Captain Brander Lawson (Wagner Moura), and by the Empire itself. The Imperial TK stormtroopers are no match for Maul, with his red lightsaber seen slicing through scores of them. However, there is a dangerous foe hunting Maul who connects to Ahsoka, despite the live-action series taking place much later in the canon timeline.

Ahsoka's Mysterious Inquisitor, Marrok, Is In Maul — Shadow Lord

The Maul — Shadow Lord trailer shows that Marrok (A.J. LoCascio) has been dispatched to find and kill the titular character. First introduced in Ahsoka season 1, Marrok is one of the Imperial Inquisitors who hunts Force-sensitive individuals. In the trailer, he can be seen wielding a spinning red lightsaber, dueling Maul, and telling him that "The Emperor wants you dead."

By the time of Ahsoka, the Inquisitorius is no more, and Marrok has instead become a mercenary working for Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto). This is not the only significant transformation that he has undergone, as when Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) defeats him in battle and cuts open his armor, he howls and erupts into a cloud of green mist. This indicates that he was killed previously and was reanimated by Nightsister magick, but there are still many questions about his past.

Maul — Shadow Lord Can Reveal Marrok’s Backstory & First Death

Maul — Shadow Lord has the opportunity to answer how Marrok died in the first place, what led him to being revived by the Nightsisters, and more about his time as an Inquisitor. His only other previous appearance in Star Wars canon is in a Tales of the Empire episode, where he is seen kneeling before Darth Vader at the beginning of the Empire's reign. This leaves plenty of room for his story to be fleshed out now, including details about who he was before embracing the dark side.

As for Marrok's original death, it may come at the hands of Maul. The trailer ends with them dueling, and it almost looks like Maul kills him, although this may just be clever editing. Maul's connection to the Nightsisters could even lead to Marrok's body ending up in their possession, setting up his eventual reanimation and working for Elsbeth years later.

Since Maul does not die until Star Wars Rebels, he is confirmed to survive his new series. Killing Marrok would not only further cement Maul as a formidable character, but could also be the key to bringing in the Inquisitor's boss. A Maul vs. Darth Vader duel is expected, though not confirmed to be happening in the show, with the Sith Lord needing to step in after his Inquisitors fail their mission.

From the characters left on Peridea to Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) preparing to wage war against the New Republic, Ahsoka season 2 will have moved far beyond Marrok. Instead of getting any answers about him there, the lingering mysteries surrounding him can be addressed in Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord.

Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord's two-episode premiere is on April 6, only on Disney+.