Born to the Dathomirian Witch Mother Talzin, and raised as apprentice to the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, Darth Maul has, time and again, proven himself to be more than a linear character, whose plot is derived entirely from the actions of others. During the stretch of time that has been the movies, the Clone Wars TV Show, and now Star Wars Rebels, Maul has grown into his own; he has been built into a character that, in my opinion, is physically approaching a Jedi Master level of proficiency, and has mentally matured enough to know exactly what he wants and how he intends to get it.
Maul is an escape artist, a connoisseur of resilience. Despite the fact that, over the span of his lifetime, he has been cut in half, sent plummeting down a reactor shaft, forced to watch as his family are killed one by one, and ruined by none other than his own former master, Maul has persevered. The very fact that he has not gone insane, and that his mind was still-structured enough after the fall to be pieced together once more, serves as a testimony to his willpower and determination.
There is no doubt that Maul has not led an easy life, trials and tribulations of both mind and body having plagued him from the day he had set foot from Dathomir. But, in the end, I believe that this adversity has shaped him into the being that we, the viewers, were able to see in Rebels Season 2: his Sith teachings and ruthless efficiency still intact. It is obvious that Maul’s ultimate goal is to destroy all his enemies and take revenge for the wrongs they have done him. But, as we know, his plans never come into fruition: having been stopped for one reason or another, we may not know until the end of next season.
So, this begs the question: What is his endgame?
From what we know, it is likely that Season 3 will be focused primarily Maul, and his interactions with Ezra. Although the two did go their separate ways at the end of the Season 2 Finale, it is entirely likely that, after studying the Sith Holocron and finding interest in the Dark Side of the Force, Ezra will seek out Maul to receive the kind of teaching that Kanan couldn’t, or wouldn’t, give. At least, not of his own accord. Ezra’s fall to the Dark side has been speculated for quite a while now, and I believe that Season 3 will be the closest he will be to doing so, if he does not entirely.
In terms of the Force, Ezra is in an extremely precarious position. The light side and the dark side threaten to tear him in two as the two manifestations of the Force in his life, being Kanan and Maul, feud over the nature of his tutelage. It is obvious that Ezra is tempted, and that the seeds of darkness had already been sown, far before his meeting with Maul on Malachor.
But enough of Ezra. Perhaps I will make a full video on this topic later.
A few months ago, Dave Filoni expressed a desire to see a fight between and Maul and Vader, and many fans are taking this to mean that Vader will, ultimately, kill Maul. If you think about it, it’s only fitting. Maul being one of the last pieces of Anakin Skywalker’s past, including, of course, Ahsoka, it seems logical to think that Vader would feel compelled to destroy him, just as he states he has destroyed the Anakin Skywalker within him. But personally, I just don’t think this will happen. While Vader might have a significant connection to Maul’s character, it is a significance that is not reciprocated by Maul.
Maul has gotten the “survival” aspect of Star Wars down to an art form, and it would be disgraceful, disrespectful even to condemn him to a death not fitting of the icon that he is. However, this does confirm one thing: Maul must die in Season 3.
Whether it be by Ezra’s hands, after he turns to the dark side and fulfills the Banite tenet of old (being of course, the Rule of Two), or by Ahsoka’s, or Kanan’s, or even by Vader’s, only time will tell.