Things grow increasingly dire for the characters in Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord Chapters 7 and 8 as the Empire tightens its grip.
In Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord Chapters 7 and 8, the characters go on the run with Imperial forces closing in, while a new threat emerges to complicate their escape.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers about the episode. Read at your own risk.
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord Chapters 7 and 8: “Call to Oblivion” and “The Creeping Fear”
After battling the Inquisitor, Maul, Devon, and Rylee are still in incognito. Maul offers to come with them, as he has a ship to get them off-world. Additionally, Devon shows interest, and Rylee questions her about whether they should trust Maul. To which Devon reassures Rylee they will not trust the former Sith lord. Lastly, Maul’s patience grows thin with Devon as they waste no time in leaving the planet.
Meanwhile, Lawson and Daki are still on the lookout for Devon and Rylee. Daki is confident in his padawan’s skill and connection to him, as he believes they will find a way to reunite.
Another Inquisitor arrives
As if one were not a threat enough. The Inquisitor calls back-up from one of his own. Furthermore, this just proves how serious of a threat Maul is to the Empire. But, not just for Maul, this also complicates things for the two Jedi, Daki and Devon. The Inquisitors are specifically tasked with hunting down force-wielders.
Lastly, the Inquisitors are just another example in Star Wars media, where a cool-looking, mysterious character arrives just to cause trouble. This trend dates way back with Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back. To be honest, the two Inquisitors do appear quite impressive while aura-farming in the episodes.
Maul v Inquisitors
As Maul and his group go to their ship, the Empire awaits them. A battle ensues, and things are not going well for team Maul. Additionally, one of Rook Kast’s hires betrays them and attempts to escape using their ship, to which they fail. The Empire’s firepower and reinforcements are just too much.
Meanwhile, Maul, still having trouble with his cybernetic legs, battles the two Inquisitors. His Nightbrother allies assist him, but one of them falls victim to the Inquisitor’s stab. Overwhelmed, Maul yields, but the Inquisitor assures him that there is no surrender; the Emperor wants him dead. Lastly, attempting to escape, Maul uses the Force and throws countless rocks and boulders above the Inquisitors to create separation.
“You did this to me!”
After escaping, Maul struggles to walk thanks to his leg still malfunctioning. While finding his way back to his group, Maul reflects on what the Inquisitor mentioned earlier. This scene could potentially be one of the most intriguing moments in the entire show. We see Maul’s psyche, how he thinks and feels. Additionally, we witness flashes of a young Maul’s recruitment by Palpatine. His late brother, Savage Opress, appears in the flashbacks as he attempts to stop Maul from leaving. Glimpses of Palpatine training and punishing Maul as his Sith apprentice.
Additionally, we witness his suffering following Obi-Wan Kenobi’s severing him in half and the resulting consequences.
We are already aware that Maul is one of the most tragic characters in the whole franchise. But seeing him self-reflect on his pain and what his life has become is a fresh thing to witness. Lastly, after struggling to find his way and reassuring himself who he is. Maul returns to his group, pissed off and ready to face the Empire once again.
Compromised
Meanwhile, Devon, Rylee, Lawson, and Daki reunite. But they must still find a way to escape from the Empire. Lawson contacts his associate, Rheena Sul. She informs them that she has a ship that can get them off-world but must hurry.
When they’re getting closer to meeting Rheena, Devon senses a disturbance and makes an argument not to meet her. Lawson contacts Rheena, and he gets the clue that she is indeed compromised. The Empire holds Rheena hostage at the ship port. As the elevator opens up, the Empire discovers that they are aware of the trap and escape. In a final attempt, Rheena assaults the stormtroopers, resulting in an explosion.
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord Chapters 7 and 8 thoughts
Again, another great pair of chapters this week as we near the season finale of the show. The second Inquisitor arriving adds another threat to our characters, and he makes his presence known for sure with that cool-looking mask. What could be the highlight of the chapters is seeing glimpses of Maul’s psyche and his self-reflection. We are excited to see what the final set of chapters are going to show us next week!
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord Chapters 7 and 8 are now available to stream on Disney+.
