One of Star Wars' greatest villains is back. That's right, Darth Maul returns to screens in the highly-anticipated animated series Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, the newest adventure from the Disney Plus catalog of this legendary Lucasfilm franchise. And considering that it has been some time since we've had a new installment from the Star Wars franchise on the small screen, excitement is at a high for this one!
Disney is investing in it too. Ahead of the season 1 premiere, the studio has revealed that the show has already been renewed for a second season, meaning that the upcoming six episodes we're about to dive into over the next few weeks is only the beginning for Maul's new chapter. And with that, here's when exactly you can tune into the first two.
When Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord comes out on Disney Plus where you live
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord premieres on Disney Plus in the US on Monday, April 6, at 12:00 a.m. PT, 3:00 a.m. ET, 1:00 a.m. MT, and 2:00 a.m. CT. The first two episodes, "The Dark Revenge" and "Sinister Schemes", will premiere together before the show then reverts to a weekly release format for the next four weeks, releasing two episodes at a time. There will be 10 episodes in the first season.
Like previous Star Wars shows, Maul – Shadow Lord will also be available to stream around the world at the exact same time. Taking all of that into account, here are the global release times for Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord episodes 1 and 2, including areas like the UK, Australia, and India.
- Hawaii: 9:00 p.m. HST on Sunday, April 5
- Alaska: 11:00 p.m. AKDT on Sunday, April 5
- West Coast of the US: 12:00 a.m. PT on Monday, April 6
- Mountain time: 1:00 a.m. MT on Monday, April 6
- Midwest of the US: 2:00 a.m. CT on Monday, April 6
- East Coast of the US: 3:00 a.m. ET on Monday, April 6
- Brazil: 4:00 a.m. BRT on Monday, April 6
- UK: 8:00 am BST on Monday, April 6
- France: 9:00 a.m. CEST on Monday, April 6
- Germany: 9:00 a.m. CEST on Monday, April 6
- India: 1:30 p.m. IST on Monday, April 6
- Italy: 9:00 a.m. CEST on Monday, April 6
- Spain: 9:00 a.m. CEST on Monday, April 6
- South Korea: 4:00 p.m. KST on Monday, April 6
- Japan: 4:00 p.m. KST on Monday, April 6
- Sydney, Australia: 5:00 p.m. AEST on Monday, April 6
While Disney Plus has been releasing a multitude of live-action programs - including previous Star Wars shows - during primetime in the US, it tends to opt for the "wee hours of the morning" for animation. Maul has adopted this method just like Star Wars: Visions and Marvel Studios' X-Men '97, Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man, Marvel Zombies, Eyes of Wakanda and more.
What to expect from Maul – Shadow Lord
It goes without saying that Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is a high-profile release. That's the case for multiple reasons. For a start, Darth Maul is a significant player in the Star Wars franchise, who many fans felt wasn't given a fair go as a main villain. Although he was one of the main antagonists in The Phantom Menace, that was reportedly set to lead to a much larger role in the franchise going forward. Unfortunately, due to changed plans, it served as the villain's final live-action appearance for years.
That brings us to the second reason why Shadow Lord is extremely important to the Star Wars lore. See, Maul would have something of a renaissance due to his role in animated series The Clone Wars, where it was revealed that he actually survived his apparent death in the live-action film. He would subsequently return in sequel series Star Wars Rebels. In both cases, he was voiced by Sam Witwer, who has become the definitive voice of the character. With that in mind, you'll be happy to know that he reprises his role in the upcoming spinoff.
Maul – Shadow Lord is set between the events of both projects, acting as a bridge and showcasing how the Maul we meet in the former ultimately becomes the more formidable version in Rebels. Set during the early Imperial Era, the new series will see him travel to the underworld planet known as Janix in a bid to build himself a crime syndicate as he is hunted by the Empire. But, as Star Wars fans know, nobody hunts quite like Maul.
He will also cross paths with a young Jedi Padawan known as Devon Izara. A Force-sensitive Twi'lek, she will form an unlikely bond with the villain, potentially becoming his apprentice as he looks to rebuild both his empire and his reputation.
Maul is out for revenge - and it won't be pretty!
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