Star Wars has officially arrived on the 2026 TV schedule, though Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord may slide under the radar for a mainstream audience. While there are no doubt tons of fans of the sci-fi franchise worldwide, some may be waiting on The Mandalorian and Grogu rather than the latest animated series. I'll be honest, I felt that way at first, right up until I saw it broke the franchise's record for the highest Rotten Tomatoes score.
With the first two episodes available to stream with a Disney+ subscription, reviews are rolling out about Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord. Its current Rotten Tomatoes score sits at a franchise-high 100% Fresh. While that score may fall a bit while reviews continue to flood in, it's clear enough from Polygon's Aimee Hart that this animated series shouldn't be missed:
Not only is Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord a stunning and compelling homage to the pulpy neo-noir genre set in a galaxy far, far away, but it also reaffirms what attracted fans to Darth Maul years ago: his relentless refusal to surrender in a galaxy where he’s destined to fail again and again.
Set one year after the gruesome Jedi culling known as Order 66, Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord chronicles the iconic villain from The Phantom Menace and his rise to prominence in the criminal underworld. If all that sounds foreign to the reader, they might need to do a bit of homework on the events of Star Wars: The Clone Wars to get the answers behind why the character is alive.
Article continues belowMaking a character as dark as Darth Maul a protagonist was admittedly a challenge according to the show's creators, but it's one that paid off according to IGN's Jesse Schedeen. The writer teased that the fight scenes are top-notch, though fans of the animated shows may expect that already:
Seeing Maul unleash his fury on his enemies never gets old, especially when the fight scenes are this well done. The Clone Wars fans will know that much of the franchise’s best lightsaber choreography can be found in the animated realm rather than live-action, and Shadow Lord continues that proud trend.
I'm not surprised to read this, especially given it's a show about Darth Maul. In Star Wars canon, he's considered to be one of the best lightsaber duelists in the galaxy. The action scenes had to deliver to be true to the character, so I'm happy to hear that for many, they did.
Empire's Amon Warmann had great things to say as well, but not just for the fight scenes or the overall tone of the story. Special praise was given to the voice cast, including longtime voice actor for Darth Maul, Sam Witwer:
But primarily, this is Sam Witwer’s show. From calm seduction to venomous menace and even some surprising vulnerability, it’s another great showcase of why his vocals for the titular Maul are so definitive. And with Season 2 already green-lit, we’ll thankfully be getting more of him — and the show — sooner rather than later.
Witwer's performance helps move Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord along, and gives the vibe of iconic movies that influenced it, like Heat. It's a good thing Season 2 is already confirmed, because it looks like Lucasfilm may have another major animated Star Wars hit on its hands.
If there is anything negative to say about the latest series, it would be Variety's Alison Herman knocking Maul - Shadow Lord for not being the most accessible series for the casual Star Wars fan. As previously mentioned, fans coming in will need some background knowledge of events that occurred in The Clone Wars, which isn't ideal:
Like the former Sith Lord’s cybernetic legs or his origin story alluded to in flashbacks, Maul’s current vocation is explained by “Clone Wars,” but may be confusing to newcomers who mostly remember the character for his double-sided red lightsaber. The reliance on outside knowledge to give certain climactic moments their impact can undercut their intended effect.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that a vast majority of Star Wars fans haven't consumed every relevant piece of information needed for Maul - Shadow Lord. That said, I don't think readers need to experience the entire timeline of events to appreciate this show. Reading up on Maul's life after The Clone Wars would be helpful, but don't get into the Rebels stuff unless you want spoilers.
ScreenRant's Lewis Glazebrook also agreed that some bits are uneven, but ultimately loved that Star Wars has further tweaked its iconic animation style. This series is some of the best animation Lucasfilm has ever done, and it seems influenced by another popular animated feature:
However, it is how this has been blended with 2D animation reminiscent of Star Wars: Visions or even Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse that makes Maul - Shadow Lord the most visually stunning animation in the franchise yet. Backdrops are seemingly hand-painted, enhancing the bleak tone of the show and emulating the likes of Blade Runner.
The Rotten Tomatoes score may ultimately fall from the 100% mark, though I can't imagine it will by much. Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord looks to be must-watch television, and as someone who watched the first two episodes, I can attest to that. I'm already hooked, and can't wait to see what's next for the villain.
Catch new episodes of Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord on Mondays, leading all the way up to the franchise's holday, May 4th. I can't wait to see what all is planned for that big day, and what else we'll have to look forward to.
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