Biography
Maul carried out many tasks for his teacher, killing politicians, crime bosses, merchants and military leaders. Maul's appearance struck fear into the hearts of the Sith's enemies and their allies. The list of his victims includes the Neimoidian Khat Mochar, the leader of the Black Sun Aleksi Garin, the Nightsister Migella. Darth Maul is responsible for the deaths of several Jedi: Barko Trellius, Roro Fergus, G-Dis Flar, as well as Padawan Darshu Assante and her teacher Annon Bondara.
Darth Maul fights Qui-Gon Jinn on Tatooine
During the events of Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Maul was sent to capture Queen Amidala and destroy two Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, sent by the Galactic Republic to resolve the conflict and protect the queen. Maul failed to complete his task on Tatooine, as Qui-Gon avoided a duel with him and left the planet.
Darth Maul battles Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan on Naboo
Upon arrival on Naboo, the Sith warrior, full of hatred and thirst for revenge, immediately went to fight the two Jedi, ignoring the queen and allowing her to escape. In a brutal duel during the Battle of Naboo, Maul was able to quite successfully fight two opponents with his double-bladed lightsaber. After Master and Padawan separated, Maul killed Jinn. However, the overconfidence common among the Zabrak led to Maul's defeat in a duel with Obi-Wan. The young Padawan, full of desire to avenge the death of his teacher, cut Maul in half with a furious blow, and the dissected body of the Zabrak fell into the shaft.
Real and Sith name
Darth Maul's real name is unknown. Some Internet resources claim that Maul was given the name Hameir Sarin at birth. This name apparently came from foreign translations of the novelization of the first episode. It wasn't in the original version of the book.
The source of his Sith name is also unknown, although it may be derived from the Portuguese words "mau" (evil) and "mal" (evil). His name could also come from the English "maul" (Mace or terrible power the blow she dealt. But that's all outdated values. Nowadays the word "maul" is used to describe a heavy mallet, a heavy wooden hammer or sledgehammer).
Non-canonical resurrection
Although Darth Maul officially died on Naboo at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi, there are two non-canonical Dark Horse comics in which Maul, cut in half, managed to survive even after falling into the abyss.
In 2003 in the comic Star Wars Tales#17 the story "Phantom Menaces" was published ( Hidden Threats) by Joy Casey and Francisco Paronzini, in which Jedi Master Luke Skywalker (set after the sixth episode) visits Maul's home planet of Iridonia as an ambassador. At the house he is provided with, he is attacked by the ghostly but still tangible Darth Maul, who disappears after a short battle.
Luke was later told that this was the ghost of a notorious Iridonian who had turned to the Dark Side. But Luke did not believe this explanation, mainly due to the tangibility of the "ghost" and due to "disturbances in the Force", so he went in search of this spirit. After some time, another fight occurred between Luke and Maul. This was just before Luke got on the trail of a secret laboratory where the mad Iridonian scientist Drell Kahmph kept a living brain under heavy guard. Kahmph admitted that he considered Maul the greatest Iridonian, and after his death in the Theed Palace, he somehow removed the brain from the Sith’s body, revived it and placed it in a device in his laboratory that created a “solid hologram” of the former container of this brain. Luke declared that "keeping him alive in this manner would cause extreme disturbance in the Force" and shut down the machine.
According to another version, Darth Maul survived by replacing his lower torso with prosthetics.
Aaron McBride's story "Old Wounds" begins during the third year of the Emperor's reign. At the very beginning, Owen Lars is described as trying to teach new words to very young Luke. And then they see a strange silhouette on the horizon, running straight towards them. Owen asks Beru to take the child into the house and bring him a rifle. The hooded figure playfully dodges the warning shots and disarms Owen with the Force. At this moment, Obi-Wan appears straight out of the sand, and a dark figure throws off his hood.
Standing before them was none other than Darth Maul. His lower torso and legs were completely mechanical, the small horns on his head had grown noticeably and now looked like a bone crown. There was more hatred in him than ever, and it was clear that he had completely removed his former teacher. Now he had only one goal - to destroy the one who killed him. After a lengthy battle, a defeated Maul, missing an arm and several horns, lies in front of Obi-Wan. The hilt of the deactivated sword is pressed to the forehead of the defeated enemy and Obi-Wan is already holding his finger over the button to activate the blade. But he still hesitates in his decision. Owen decides to help Obi-Wan. He simply shoots the cyborg in the head with his rifle. Obi-Wan says he will burn the body in the Dune Sea and asks if Luke is okay. Owen replies: “I told you I would take care of him. And I will keep my promise. I will protect it, including from you. Don’t come here again, understand?” Obi-Wan leaves with Maul's body in his arms. He tells Luke through the Force, “Don’t worry, I will always be here with you. You just won’t be able to see me.”
Darth Maul - dark disciple of Darth Sidious.
Race: Zabrak.
Date of birth:54 BBY
Height:175 cm
Darth Maul was the first known student of Darth Sidious. Mol is a Zabrak born in 54 BBY on Iridonia, but he remembers nothing about his homeland and family, since he was kidnapped by Sidious in early childhood.
Darth Sidious longed to get the child gifted with the Force until the Jedi found out about him. Sidious secretly taught the future Sith the ways of the Dark Side of the Force. Sidious turned out to be a cruel teacher, so Maul had virtually no childhood: he spent every minute training to become even stronger, even more cunning, even more agile, even more stubborn. Physical training exhausted him, and his psychological education could instill horror in anyone.
Since his youth, Maul has not experienced any feelings other than bloodlust and anger. He killed living beings without any mercy.
From Sidious' secret stronghold on Coruscant and on desert training ground planets throughout the galaxy, Maul trained in martial arts, marksmanship, and the use of melee weapons. Maul trained in Juyo's seventh form of lightsaber combat, which harnessed emotions and the Dark Side of the Force. Unlike the traditional dueling techniques of most Jedi, Maul combined his swordsmanship with martial arts, often using his legs and arms in lightsaber combat. the resulting combination made the sieve a machine of destruction and destruction.
However, Maul devoted himself to studying only the physical side of combat, resulting in him remaining calm and unperturbed during the battle itself. This psychological factor played into the hands of the Sith, whose actions were similar to the faceless future clones of stormtroopers clad in armor. Maul desired pure physical victory, not the "higher" Sith tradition of Dun Moch, which allowed him to dominate his opponent's spirit through taunts that exposed his inner doubts and weaknesses. Maul also mastered the arts of Teras-kasi and Jar'Kai.
To combat multiple opponents, Maul would engage the second blade of his dual-blade lightsaber, transforming it into a light rod, thereby "doubling" its lethality.
Many Sith of the past, from Naga Sadow to Exar Kun, adorned themselves with Sith tattoos on their foreheads, but Maul surpassed them all, for he covered his entire body in intricate black and red designs. Despite such a monstrous childhood, if it can be called childhood, and the young Sith's lack of any emotion, Maul nevertheless had special feelings for his teacher, and did not think about killing him until his final test.
"Fear is my ally"
As a final test, Sidious left Maul on an isolated Outer Worlds planet and unleashed a number of assassin droids on him. A month later, the teacher returned and fought his student, easily defeating the weakened Maul. After this, Sidious said that the Zabrak had failed the test, and the teacher was secretly preparing a replacement for him. Rage and hatred overwhelmed Maul, and, attacking Sidious again, he almost defeated him. When his emotions calmed down, he prepared to die, but the teacher laughed. The desire to kill his teacher was the purpose of the test. Sidious proclaimed him Darth Maul, Dark Lord of the Sith, and took him with him to Coruscant.
Maul never sought to take the place of his teacher, but he understood that only after the death of the teacher would he be able to have his own student. Sidious treated Maul more like an assassin than an apprentice.
Maul also had the ability to combine the use of the Force with mechanics. The teacher gave him all the necessary funds and allocated a secret workshop on Coruscant, where Maul created the unique Blood Fin speeder and the Dark Eye reconnaissance droids. For space travel, he used a unique ship called the Scimitar, which had camouflage means. This vehicle created by Wright Sienar, who developed the TIE Fighters for the Empire.
Maul carried out many tasks for his teacher, killing politicians, crime bosses, merchants and military leaders. Maul's appearance struck fear into the hearts of the Sith's enemies and their allies. The list of his victims includes the Neimoidian Has Monchar, the leader of the Black Sun Aleksi Garin, the Nightsister Migella. Darth Maul has several Jedi under his belt: Barko Trellius, Roro Fergus, G-Dis Flar, as well as Padawan Darshu Assante and her teacher Annon Bondara.
Maul thoroughly enjoyed all these tasks, but his main goal was to destroy the Jedi Order as such and burn the Jedi Temple to the ground.
In 32 BBY. During the Trade Federation's invasion of Naboo, Maul was sent to capture Queen Amidala and kill two Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, sent by the Galactic Republic to resolve the conflict and protect the queen. Maul failed to complete his task on Tatooine, as Qui-Gon avoided a duel with him and left the planet.
Upon arriving on Naboo, the Sith warrior, filled with hatred and thirst for revenge, immediately went to fight the two Jedi, ignoring the queen and allowing her to escape.
In a brutal duel during the Battle of Naboo, Maul was quite successful in fighting two opponents with his double-bladed lightsaber. After Master and Padawan separated, Maul killed Jinn.
However, the overconfidence common among the Zabrak led to Maul's defeat in a duel with Obi-Wan. The young Padawan, full of desire to avenge the death of his teacher, cut Maul in half with a furious blow, and the severed body of the Sith fell into the shaft.
In 21 BBY, ten years after Maul's defeat from Obi-Wan Kenobi, at the height of the Clone Wars, Maul's brother was found on the planet Dathomir - a certain Zabrak named Savage Opress. The head of the witches of Dathomir, Mother Talzin, who knew that Maul was alive and in exile, told him about his brother, and, giving him an amulet saturated with the energy of power, sent him to search for his brother.
In 20 BBY, Opress finds his brother on the planet Lotto Minor, a junkyard. Sith survived thanks to cybernetic lower body prosthetics that resembled a spider.
During his long stay in seclusion, Maul lost his mind. He survived by relying on Morley, an anaconda snake, who would lead unsuspecting victims to his cave, and Maul would kill and eat them. Morley was wrong about Savage - not only did he survive the fight with Maul, but he also awakened lost memories of the Jedi who took Maul's legs. Savage brought Maul to Dathomir and brought him to Talzin.
The witch made Sita new prosthetics and healed her damaged mind. Darth Maul became even more dangerous than he was. He was burning with a thirst for revenge - to kill the Jedi - Obi-Wan Kenobi. Teaming up with Savage, Maul ravaged a village of innocents on the planet Rhydonia. He forced Kenobi to fly in and captured him.
Asajj Ventress, a former student of Count Dooku, devoted to him and who became a bounty hunter, sneaked onto the ship and tried to save Obi-Wan, but her brothers noticed her. After a lengthy battle, Kenobi and Ventress escaped.
In 16 BBY, after the formation of the Empire and the entry into force of Order 66, which stated that all Jedi were to be destroyed, wanting to arrange a revenge, Maul goes to Tatooine, where his longtime enemy is hiding.
Owen Lars tried to teach very young Luke Skywalker new words. At this time, they saw a strange silhouette on the horizon that was running straight towards them. Owen asked Beru to take the child into the house and in return bring him a rifle. However, the hooded figure playfully dodged the warning shots and disarmed Owen using the Force. But at that moment, Obi-Wan Kenobi appeared as if straight from the sand, and the dark figure threw off his hood.
"No. There is no Palpatine, no Empire, no Jedi. There is no light, no darkness...just you and me. Here. Now!" (Mole - Kenobi)
Standing before them was none other than Darth Maul. His lower torso and legs were completely mechanical, the small horns on his head had grown noticeably and now looked like a bone crown. There was more hatred in him than ever. Now he had only one goal - to destroy the one who killed him. But after a long battle, the defeated Maul, without an arm and several horns, was already lying in front of Obi-Wan, the hilt of his deactivated sword pressed to the forehead of the defeated enemy.
Even as he held his finger over the blade's activation button, Obi-Wan still hesitated in his decision. Owen, deciding to help him, simply shot the cyborg in the head with his rifle. Obi-Wan promised to burn the body in the Dune Sea.
Maul's fighting style was included in the training module of the Proxy holotroid, the purpose of which was to kill Darth Vader's apprentice. Even though he was no longer a student of Darth Sidious, Darth Maul remained a symbol of fear and power of the Sith.
...As often happens, one event leads to another. When I published the news the other day about the return - albeit somewhat metaphorical - of Darth Maul in " star Wars“, I wanted to find some interview with Ray Park, the actor who played Darth Sidious’s apprentice in Episode 1. From several interviews, I chose the most voluminous and meaningful. You can read it below; it is dated 1999.
Being the bad guy isn't healthy: unless the Jedi chop you in half, you'll have to sit and sign autographs for hours - until you're so tired you can't move.
We are at the annual Wizard World Chicago Con. After a well-deserved half-hour of rest, actor Ray Park, who played Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, returned to his autograph table. The process is accompanied by a queue reminiscent of the one that lined up outside cinemas during the premiere of The Phantom Menace. The crowd of fans perked up as they saw Park sit back down at his desk and prepare to begin another signature marathon; however, their joy turned out to be premature - the speaker reminded Park that he had another interview on his schedule. The groans and hisses of frustrated fans get to the speaker as Park moves to a nearby gazebo for the interview.
“I’m terribly tired,” the actor admits wearily, and when you hear his soft, noble voice with a British accent, you understand why he was dubbed by another actor in “Menace.” “I actually love meeting fans, but it takes away from me a lot of strength. However, I'm not going to complain because people actually treat me very well. Each of them considers me a star, although I am not a star; I am just me."
For fans of The Phantom Menace, "just" isn't the right word to describe Park, a Scottish-born, British-raised martial artist with a lifelong dream of a film career. Partly because his father idolized Bruce Lee, partly because he saw it as his ticket into the world of filmmaking, Park began studying wushu, a Chinese style of martial arts similar to that demonstrated by Jackie Chan, at the age of seven.
“I always wanted to be one of those guys who does 10 million somersaults in the air in action movies,” says Park. “However, I never, in any way, thought that my training would lead me to Star Wars.”
After his participation in the film Mortal Combat: Annihilation as a stunt double, Park attracted the attention of Star Wars creator George Lucas. The Phantom Menace's stunt coordinator, Nick Gillard, asked Park to go through a test line with him that would be used in an intense lightsaber battle. (During the filming of such scenes, a line is marked on the floor or wall of the pavilion along which the actors should move. - Nexu). This episode turned out to be something of an audition for Park. Having secured this role, Park instantly became a major star in this most anticipated film of the year. His success in The Phantom Menace allowed him to land roles in films such as Sleepy Hollow (where he was a stunt double for the Headless Horseman) and X-Men (where he played the evil Toad; perhaps the name I got it wrong because I haven’t seen the film - Nexu) “Amazing things began to happen to me,” says Park with genuine modesty. “It seemed like my dreams were really becoming a reality.”
In between signing autographs, Wizard correspondent Scott Brick sat next to Ray Park and, trying to shout over hundreds of Darth Maul fans, asked him about what it was like to fight Obi-Wan Kenobi, and what would happen in his life after Star Wars. wars."
Wizard: How does it feel to suddenly become a superstar?
Park: The feeling is truly supernatural. I'm over it now, but I remember the first time I saw a toy store. It said: “Darth Maul, the new face of the Devil.” I remember that I behaved like big child. I bought a couple of my own copies and took them to show my family. I thought it was just great; but now I'm used to such things. But I am sure that when I get older and have children, I will be able to relive these exciting moments. The children will say: Dad, dad, it’s you!” It will be absolutely amazing.
W: And all this attention - after just one film. Are you disappointed that your character died?
Park: When I got this role, I knew that my character would be killed off; I knew this from the very beginning. So no, the ending didn't disappoint me.
W: There are rumors that you may appear again in the next films - as a clone. This is true?
Park: To be honest, I don't know. You're hinting that George might eventually change his mind - perhaps influenced by the response he's received from fans. However, I don't really know anything about this. IN this moment I just mentally tell myself: “That’s it, this is over.” But if George invites me, that would be really cool.
W: Rumor has it that you were able to get the job because you managed to impress George Lucas.
Park [Putting on a devilish smile]: “I used a Sith mental trick on George Lucas. [Moves hand from left to right at eye level]. I came and said: “I have to get this role.” He said, “Okay, but...” and I said [makes hand motion again], “I have to get this part.” [Chuckles] And he agreed."
W: In the credits of the film you are also listed as a fight choreographer. How many fights have you staged?
Park: I directed everything that involved Darth Maul. Nick Gillard also worked on them, but he didn't tell me how to fight. When it comes to martial arts, I know better than him. But he is indispensable in coordinating actions, so I worked with him. I also had to help Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson, who starred with me. But everything that Darth Maul does is me, my ideas, my style. I don't want to sound boastful, but I'm very proud of it.
W: We heard that McGregor and Neeson used stunt doubles for the climactic fight.
Park: I know where these rumors come from. In all scenes close-up The ones you see, Ewan and Liam, are real. Ewan admits he didn't commit any acrobatic stunt, however, he himself participated in all the fights - as did Liam. In some other scenes they had stunt doubles, but in the fight scenes they wanted to do their best - and they did it well.
W: They say Ewan McGregor took lightsaber fights very seriously and tried to beat you? Is it true?
Park: Yeah. [A big smile spreads across his face] So let's say he tried, but that's all he could do - try. The lightsaber fight took about three weeks to shoot, from where we go through the door to the end. Sometimes we got so angry that we almost killed each other. At the same time, we treated it with humor and imitated the sounds that lightsabers make. We'd stand up, ready to fight, and Liam and Ewan would make a sound like, "Zzzz!" [Laughs] I would throw my head up and say, “Oh, right? Dzzz-zzz!” In my opinion, George could not have added special sound effects - we did everything ourselves. [Smiles] I still continue to do that."
W: Who came up with the idea of the dual lightsaber?
Park: When I got into the film, the concept of a double-edged sword had already been mostly worked out. The only difference was that the hilt was going to be the same size as a standard lightsaber, so I asked George if it could be made larger. It would be quite difficult to rotate something so small around your body and still manage to keep it balanced - I had to hold it like this [brings wrists together], and in that position it was almost impossible to use. In fact, this was my entire involvement in the development of the light blade. Thanks to this, I was able to rotate it around my head and write different curls with it.
W: Did they give it to you as a souvenir?
Park: No, but that would be great.
W: Was it hard to wear all that makeup?
Park: As soon as I got it, I stopped thinking about it - except maybe around lunchtime when I was trying to take a little nap. It is impossible to sleep with horns on your head without risking damage to your couch or bed. It took about two hours to apply the makeup - and about 45 minutes to remove everything. It could have been longer, but I often went home with leftover makeup.
W: Do you like how the film turned out?
Park: I've seen this movie six times, so I can't help but love it. I wouldn't sit in the cinema so many times if I didn't like it. It gives me pleasure because every time I find something new there.
W: Were you a fan of the classic trilogy?
Park: Oh yeah. My favorite hero was Han Solo because, in my opinion, Harrison Ford is... great actor. I might want to be Luke Skywalker, who has a lightsaber and uses the Force, but Han manages to kiss Princess Leia. [Smiles] I still keep watching those movies; even if I've seen them a hundred times, I don't get tired of it. I don't know if the new films will be like them. I don't know if they will be the same.
W: Obviously you are much more good guy than Darth Maul. Was it difficult to get into character to play such a villain?
Park: To tell you the truth, I have a little bit of the dark side in me. My moody, dark side comes out - especially when I'm hungry. Ask my friend or my family and they will tell you. I remember that when I was younger, people used to put me down because they didn't feel confident in me; I brought some of that into my character. And also arrogance, because in wushu, when you fight with someone, you have to have both arrogance and ardor at the same time. And I tried to combine all this in Darth Maul.
W: How would you compare Strength and martial arts?
Park: As for the Force, there is something in it that martial arts does not have. Chinese martial arts are based on spirituality. They believe in the ghosts of their Masters; once, when I was in the temple of my Teacher - this will sound somewhat implausible, but I actually saw some of the monks who preceded me. As I learned later, the spirit came to me to make a remark: he told me to buck up because I was a little lazy during one of my contractions. After that, I began to believe more in the spiritual side of phenomena.
W: Could you compare your style to Jackie Chan's martial arts?
Park: They are similar because he trained in Peking Opera, and in wushu we also use the Peking Opera style. Jet Li also practices wushu. It features a lot of acrobatics and is more like gymnastics, where you throw high kicks and perform other mind-blowing feats.
W: Do you hope to work with Jackie Chan someday? Would you like to be on his team or act against him?
Park: Good question. [Tilts head up and thinks for a moment] I would rather fight against Jackie Chan because he is very good and I think he would bring out the best in me. He does a lot of tricks and I would like to master them too. I would also like to be on the same team as Jet Li. Perhaps in order to beat up Jean-Claude Van Damme.
W: You haven't given too many interviews since the film's release. Why?
Park: I've done a lot of interviews in England, but in America I've only done a few. I myself don't want to do too many interviews because after a while it gets tiresome. Besides, some things should belong only to me - I would like to keep them secret.
W: Okay, who would win in a fight: Darth Vader or Darth Maul?
Park [Without a moment's hesitation]: I. Darth Vader may be all-powerful and all because he is the Chosen One, but when it comes to battle... Darth Maul. [Laughs] Or, perhaps, myself. I would put them both down.
Ray Park, theWizard Q&A
Article from the November issue of Wizard.
Maul's lightsaber
Darth Maul is the first character in the Star Wars film saga to use a double-bladed sword. Maul's hilt was originally the same length as other lightsabers. But Ray Park asked to lengthen it: “...at first they gave me a sword with a regular handle, so I had to ask George to make it larger. Otherwise, it would be very difficult to perform all sorts of tricks with the second blade activated, I had to hold it like this [ shows how close your hands were to the handle]. That's why I was unhappy with my lightsaber. After fixing the handle, I was able to do some very impressive acrobatic moves.”
Biography
Mol comprehended the mysteries dark side since childhood and stopped experiencing any emotions except rage and bloodlust. During his training, any manifestations of fear were strictly punished by Sidious, and the teacher responded to any manifestation of pity with cruelty. As a teenager, Maul was already a weapon of pure hatred created by his teacher. His entire muscular body was covered in Sith tattoos, a test of endurance in itself, and these markings marked Maul's becoming a true warrior of the dark side. Despite his kidnapping story and his damaged childhood, Maul revered his master, never once thinking about killing him until his final test.
As a final test, Sidious left Maul on an isolated planet. Outer Worlds and set a lot of killer droids on him. A month later, the teacher returned and fought his student, easily defeating the weakened Maul. After this, Sidious said that the Zabrak had failed the test, and the teacher was secretly preparing a replacement for him. Rage and hatred overwhelmed Maul, and, attacking Sidious again, he almost defeated him. When his emotions calmed down, he prepared to die, but the teacher laughed. The desire to kill his teacher was the purpose of the test. Sidious proclaimed him Darth Maul, Dark Lord of the Sith, and took him with him to Coruscant. Unlike his successors, Tyranus and Vader, Maul never sought to take the place of his teacher, but he understood that only after the death of his teacher would he be able to have his own student.
Maul carried out many tasks for his teacher, killing politicians, crime bosses, merchants and military leaders. Maul's appearance struck fear into the hearts of the Sith's enemies and their allies. The list of his victims includes the Neimoidian Khat Mochar, the leader of the Black Sun Aleksi Garin, the Nightsister Migella. Darth Maul is responsible for the deaths of several Jedi: Barko Trellius, Roro Fergus, G-Dis Flar, as well as Padawan Darshu Assante and her teacher Annon Bondara, as well as Qui-Gon Jinn.
During the events of Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Maul was sent to capture Queen Amidala and destroy two Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, sent by the Galactic Republic to resolve the conflict and protect the queen. Maul failed to complete his task on Tatooine, as Qui-Gon avoided a duel with him and left the planet.
Real and Sith name
James Luceno's novel Darth Plagueis states that Maul (without "Darth") is the Zabrak's true name. It may be derived from the Portuguese words "mau" (Rus. wicked) and “mal” (evil). His name could also come from the English "maul". A mace or a terrible blow delivered by it. Nowadays the word "maul" is used to describe a heavy mallet, a heavy wooden hammer or sledgehammer). Perhaps this name also reflects the style of combat: Darth Maul strikes quickly and under different angles. It is also likely that Darth Sidious gave his student the symbolic name of a “sledgehammer” that would break the existing order of things. However, there is another translation option for the word “maul” - to brutally beat, maim, torment. This meaning is close to the Sith name of Count Dooku - Darth Tyranus, and to the name of one of the Dark Lords of the past - Darth Bane.
Echoes in the Force
Bequeathing his skills and his power to the dark side, Maul appeared to Jedi Anakin Skywalker in a crystal cave on Eelam several years after his death. Anakin had to enter a cave similar to the one Luke Skywalker entered on Dagobah. As Anakin entered a sort of trance state, Darth Maul appeared and Anakin immediately attacked him. After a fierce battle, Anakin was victorious, but Maul, as real as himself, was this time a creation of the dark side of the Force.
Non-canonical resurrection
Although Darth Maul officially died on Naboo at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi, there are two non-canonical Dark Horse comics in which Maul, cut in half, managed to survive even after falling into the abyss.
Criticism and reviews
Darth Maul, played by Ray Park, was nominated for MTV Movie Awards for Best Villain and Best Fight.
Parodies
Darth Maul, as well as his lightsaber, have often been the subject of parody.
- In several episodes of the animated series "
Throughout his time working in cinema, Scottish actor Ray Park has had the opportunity to participate in more than twenty projects. Because of his not very artistic appearance and his mediocre acting Park was not nominated for leading roles anywhere. But his talent in martial arts was in demand more than once.
The highlight of his career was the role of Darth Maul. The actor played the dark lord of the Sith in the first part of the saga “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” (1999).
Darth Maul's personality
Darth Maul was kidnapped by Darth Sidious when he was a very young child. Having become his pupil, Dart studied them in the strictest secrecy. For years, Sidious burned all emotions out of him except hatred, anger and rage. Thus, having already reached adolescence, Darth Maul was a real instrument of death.
He was the only known Jedi to masterfully wield a double-edged sword. When the enemy was alone, Dart easily dealt with him with a simple sword. If there were several of them, he released a second light blade, thereby turning his own with a wide grip into something like a staff - a real weapon of death.
How skillfully he operates with it can be seen in the following short film by German filmmakers, where Darth Maul was played by actor and martial artist Ben Shamma.
The secret identity of the actor
In a single episode of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, the director used a special guest martial artist from Scotland whose personality last moment remained a mystery. The pre-premiere trailers released by the film company aroused a storm of conflicting emotions among fans of the Star Wars universe and aroused great curiosity.
From the posters released for the film, the face of the dark lord, holding a double lightsaber, looked out at fans. But under the makeup and peculiar coloring it was in no way possible to determine which of the now famous actors had the honor of playing the student and right hand Darth Sidious. This secret was maintained artificially in order to attract as many people as possible to watch the film. more people.
Ray Park as Darth Maul
For the actor who played Darth Maul, this was only his second film job. And this was the first time he had the opportunity to actually perform a role assigned specifically for him, especially such a responsible one. Previously, he only participated in the filming of the second part of Mortal Kombat, where, by and large, he was just a backup for the roles of Liu Ken (actor Robin Shu) and Raiden (actor James Remar). He also starred in the role of a heavily made-up Baraka and participated in mass battles and simple extras.
Here everything was completely different - the responsibility was enormous. The project was enormous - the return to the screens of the great saga after a 20-year break. Darth Maul was the predecessor of Darth Vader, the first student of Sidious, and therefore it was necessary to keep the mark. If we don’t outshine Darth Vader himself, into whom the young Anaken Skywalker later turned, then at least meet the bar he raised.
As it turned out, the success of Ray Park, the actor who played Darth Maul, was a foregone conclusion. The non-standard weapon in his hands, coupled with the sophistication of fight scenes and the skill of the actor himself (already at the age of 16 he was the British champion in martial arts) brought him enormous fame. He was awarded two nominations for the MTV Movie Award, namely “best movie villain of the year” and “best fight in a movie.” And despite the fact that the actor playing Darth Maul utters only one phrase throughout the entire film: “Yes, Lord Sidious,” when he receives a task from the dark lord, screen time was allotted to his hero great amount.
Further activities
Among the films with the participation of Ray Park there were both high-profile projects and mediocre ones. He played Darth Maul in the role of the disgusting, but agile and sophisticated Toad in fights in the first “X-Men”.
Then there were several more expensive Hollywood projects with his participation. He played A.G. Ross in the film Ballistics: Ax vs. Siver (2002), and took part in the 2009 film Throw of Cobra, playing the role of Snake Ice.
A particular success was his invitation to the filming of the legendary and highly rated series about the life of Bruce Lee, “The Legend of Bruce Lee” (2008), where he was assigned the role of the unsurpassed martial arts master Chuck Norris in his youth.
You can also note his participation in such projects as the TV series “Heroes” (2006-2010), the film “Throw of Cobra-2” (2013), the comedy “Fans” (2009), and the TV series “Nikita” (2010-2013).
Interestingly, one of the first frames shot for the film “Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace” was precisely the footage where the dark lord Sidious gives the order to his apprentice to go to Naboo to deal with the Jedi sent there. These shots were used in the very first trailer for the film, which was released long before the premiere and before the start of full-scale filming. Here is a photo of the actor Darth Maul, whose identity in makeup could not be determined.
During the entire film, Parks' character Darth Maul blinked only a couple of times, as it was difficult for the actor to blink while wearing contact lenses. The result is a villain who never blinks at all, because he doesn’t need to due to the biological features of his eyes.
The battle scene in which Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon try to defeat Darth Maul took a whole month to film. Previously, in battles, the Jedi fought only against one Sith. Now everything has become more complicated. There were three people swinging at the same time, and the actor playing Darth Maul was wielding a non-standard weapon.
Conclusion
The fact that Obi-Wan cut the body of the dark Sith Lord in half does not mean (as it turned out later) that Darth Maul died. He survived, only instead of a pair of cybernetic legs he now had eight, and he himself suffered from some kind of split personality. Subsequently, his personality was corrected, and his legs turned into two peculiar claws. He further appears in some episodes of the TV series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels.