The former Sith apprentice and underworld power player is making his animated return.
Get ready for animated series Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord! The new series has officially been announced during the 20th Anniversary of Lucasfilm Animation panel at Star Wars Celebration Japan. It’s also been announced that actor and voice artist Sam Witwer will reprise his acclaimed role as Darth Maul. The show is currently in production and is set to premiere on Disney+ in 2026.
Witwer, who first voiced the character in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, made a surprise appearance at the panel in Tokyo to announce his return. “We learn some different things about this character,” Witwer said on stage. “He’s got some different traits that you wouldn’t necessarily think he has that make perfect sense from what he’s been through.”
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A new chapter for Maul
Set approximately one year after the events of The Clone Wars, Shadow Lord will follow Maul as he recovers from his defeat at the hands of Ahsoka and plots to rebuild his criminal empire. Witwer put it simply: “He’s dusting himself off a bit.”
Lucasfilm CCO Dave Filoni and VP of Animation Athena Portillo were also in attendance, revealing an in-room-only sneak peek at the series. A sizzle reel celebrating 20 years of Lucasfilm Animation concluded with what appeared to be footage from Shadow Lord, sending the Celebration crowd into a frenzy. The brief glimpse reportedly showed Maul training a Twi’lek apprentice — a future Darth in the making.
Speaking on a post-announcement panel, Portillo teased the creative process behind the scenes. “Unfortunately I can’t tell you too much, but what I can say is Sam Witwer’s involvement in the show has been pristine,” she said. “I’m very excited about him being able to review the scripts and provide input in all of that as well. Dave Filoni and Sam created the character for animation, and so it’s very important to hear his thoughts as well for the character depth.”
A legacy continued
The series marks another step in the expanding animated legacy of Star Wars, with Shadow Lord continuing Maul’s arc beyond his appearances in the films and animated series. First introduced in The Phantom Menace back in 1999, the horned Sith warrior has grown to become one of the franchise’s most compelling antagonists through projects like The Clone Wars, Rebels, and his brief return in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
With Maul – Shadow Lord, fans can expect to dive deeper into the underworld and psyche of one of Star Wars’ most enduring villains — and with Sam Witwer once again behind the voice, it’s clear the series is in very familiar hands.
Here’s a look at an almost 20-minute chat at Star Wars Celebration with Witwer and Portillo:
