Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Darth Maul: Black, White & Red #4
Summary
It’s a dark miracle the Sith Lords stayed hidden beforeThe Phantom Menacedue toDarth Maul’sbiggest weakness in theStar Warscanon. A lethal instrument of death wielded in secret by Palpatine aka Darth Sidious, Darth Maul was a merciless warrior who relished the opportunity to kill in the name of the Sith. However, Maul was often too eager and took risks in his zeal, something his master sought to temper given the need for the Sith to remain in the shadows.
In the new and canonicalDarth Maul: Black, White & Red #4by Greg Pak, Luca Pizzari, and Will Sliney, Palpatine’s titular apprentice was tasked with the assassination of a governor. However, Maul chose to continue killing beyond his intended target. As such,this motivated Sidious to send Maul to learn a critical lessonthat was crucial for the Sith:
Stressing the need for strategy and stealth beyond pure brute strength,Sidious sends Maul to a Sith temple to achieve “stillness and quiet”. However, it certainly seems as though Maul misses the underlying point of the lesson by the issue’s end.
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Darth Maul’s Meditation Was Plagued With Distractions
(Distractions He Murdered)
In this new issue, Maul begins his meditations at the Sith temple as instructed. However, Maul is repeatedly plagued by distractions from a nearby settlement and an initial dispute between its mayor and residents. Killing the mayor, Maul then has to contend with a pirate prince and his hunting party, only to face his pirate king father who comes looking for his son shortly after Maul kills him.
In his pursuit of “stillness and quiet”, Maul leaves quite a bit of chaos and noise in his wake. Only wanting to be left with the quiet to fulfill the lessons given by his master,Maul ends up relying more on his doubled-bladed lightsaberand brute strength to get what he wants. It’s a clear result of his vast impatience and intense rage that is barely contained.
Darth Maul’s Rage Made Plenty of Noise
Thankfully, The Galaxy’s A Big Place
By the issue’s end, Palpatine arrives to find his apprentice still and quiet. However, the entire settlement is shown up in flames and filled with bodies.As such, it’s remarkable that Maul’s rage didn’t alert the Jedi to the Sith’s presence. That said, the galaxy is quite a big place. The Jedi Order couldn’t be everywhere, even with their impressive numbers over the Sith Lords during this era. Regardless,Darth Maul’srage presented the most likely weakness for the Sith with the most potential to jeopardize his master’s carefully laid plans in theStar Warscanon.
Darth Maul: Black, White & Red #4is on sale now from Marvel Comics.
Darth Maul
Palpatine’s apprentice, Darth Maul was nothing more than a tool to winnow down the ranks of the Jedi ahead of Darth Sidious' true plans. Discarded after he was defeated by Obi-Wan Kenobi on Naboo, Darth Maul swore revenge against all those he blamed for his past struggles - Jedi and Sith alike. Maul tended to operate within the shadows, running various syndicates, and even established himself as a true rival for Palpatine on at least one occasion. He was eventually killed by Obi-Wan in a duel on Tatooine.
