Maul returns! New Star Wars series to explore Sith lord’s criminal empire

Lucasfilm is taking fans deeper into the galaxy’s criminal underworld with two new animated Star Wars projects—Tales of the Underworld, now streaming on Disney Plus, and the newly announced Maul – Shadow Lord. Both shows spotlight morally complex characters like Asajj Ventress, Cad Bane, and Darth Maul, signaling a shift toward exploring the franchise’s darker corners.

Released on May 4, Tales of the Underworld is a six-part animated anthology featuring separate arcs for bounty hunter Cad Bane and fallen Jedi Asajj Ventress. Their stories dive into heists, betrayals, and uneasy alliances, shedding light on what lies beyond the Jedi-Sith binary. Nika Futterman returns to voice Ventress, while Corey Burton reprises Cad Bane, both earning praise for adding emotional weight to their characters. Critics have noted that while the animation is visually rich, the storytelling sometimes feels rushed.

In a surprise announcement at Star Wars Celebration Japan, Lucasfilm also unveiled Maul – Shadow Lord, an upcoming animated series that will pick up Maul’s story after the Clone Wars finale. The new series is set to chart Maul’s rise as a criminal kingpin after his escape during Order 66, a moment that left Ahsoka Tano torn between saving her friend Captain Rex and stopping the former Sith. Sam Witwer will reprise his role as Maul, continuing a fan-favorite portrayal.


While Maul’s death was already shown in Rebels, Shadow Lord aims to fill the unexplored chapter between The Clone Wars and Rebels, detailing how Maul built the Crimson Dawn syndicate.

These two projects reflect a growing appetite for complex antiheroes in the Star Wars universe—characters who operate in the grey and often shape galactic events from the shadows.