The “Star Wars” animated collection, “Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord,” concluded its first season with a significant shock for followers: Darth Maul dealing with off in opposition to his outdated grasp’s new apprentice — Darth Vader. The collection follows Maul after the occasions of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” as the previous Sith Lord struggles to outlive and rebuild his legal empire throughout the rise of the Galactic Empire.
It was a battle followers have waited a very long time to see on display, pitting essentially the most formidable Sith Lord of the prequel trilogy in opposition to the franchise’s unique icon of evil. It additionally marked the newest main TV look for Darth Vader, who has performed key roles throughout each animated and stay motion “Star Wars” collection since Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012. With Darth Vader now showing throughout a number of “Star Wars” TV collection, these are the 5 biggest small-screen episodes that includes the cyborg Sith Lord.
5. Half III (Obi-Wan Kenobi)
2022’s “Obi-Wan Kenobi” marks the long-awaited return of Ewan McGregor’s titular Jedi Grasp to the galaxy far, far-off. Set 10 years after the occasions of “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith,” the collection follows Obi-Wan throughout his years in exile, the place a mission to rescue a younger Princess Leia brings him face-to-face along with his former apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, now reborn as Darth Vader.
The third episode of “Obi-Wan Kenobi” options Obi-Wan’s first encounter with the cybernetic Vader, after studying the Sith Lord survived their duel on Mustafar. The previous grasp and apprentice reunite on the mining planet of Mapuzo, the place Obi-Wan watches in horror as Vader slaughters harmless civilians in an effort to attract him out. Their bitter lightsaber duel rapidly makes clear that the out-of-practice Obi-Wan isn’t any match for Darth Vader.
Obi-Wan’s life is simply saved by the well timed intervention of Imperial defector Tala Durith. Vader’s ruthless assault on each his outdated grasp and the inhabitants of Mapuzo reveals simply how terrifying the Sith had turn out to be a decade after his fall to the darkish facet.
4. Shadow Warrior (Ahsoka)
Ahsoka Tano is first launched within the animated collection “The Clone Wars” in 2008 because the Padawan of Anakin Skywalker. Her story later continues in “Star Wars Rebels” earlier than she makes her live-action debut in Season 2 of “The Mandalorian.” By the occasions of her solo collection, “Ahsoka,” she remains to be scuffling with the legacy of her former grasp’s fall to the darkish facet.
“Shadow Warrior,” the fifth episode of the primary season of “Ahsoka,” begins after Ahsoka is defeated in a lightsaber duel by the fallen Jedi Baylan Skoll. She awakens within the mysterious World Between Worlds — a wierd, timeless dimension tied to the Power — the place she comes face-to-face along with her outdated grasp, Anakin, as soon as once more.
By means of Clone Wars-era flashbacks and a duel along with his former apprentice, Anakin makes an attempt to show Ahsoka that she should select life over the darkness that after consumed him. In the course of the confrontation, Ahsoka catches fleeting glimpses of Anakin’s armored kind as Darth Vader, whereas viewers get a uncommon take a look at a formidable non-cybernetic model of the Sith Lord. By means of this, Ahsoka is lastly in a position to transfer past the worry of following her grasp’s path.
3. The Darkish Lord (Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord)
The beautiful finale to the primary season of “Maul — Shadow Lord” shocked viewers with the sudden look of Darth Vader. Whereas the ultimate season of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” options Maul foreseeing Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the darkish facet, this marks the primary time the previous Sith straight confronts Darth Vader. Maul, like Vader, has at all times been a formidable opponent for any Power wielder. Nonetheless, from the second the 2 lastly cross lightsabers, it turns into clear that Maul isn’t any match for Sidious’ final apprentice.
All through his look on “Maul — Shadow Lord,” Darth Vader stays fully silent other than his iconic mechanical respiration, a alternative that solely makes him extra terrifying. As Lucasfilm President and CCO Dave Filoni defined throughout a Q&A for the finale, “The secret is to not truly give him a personality. He is devoid of it as a result of he would not care.” This model of Vader can’t be reasoned with and feels extra like a monolith of terror than a standard villain. He strikes by means of the episode like a power of nature, decided to chop down each Maul and the Jedi allied with him.
In the long run, Maul solely narrowly escaped by forcing Jedi Grasp Eeko-Dio Daki to face Vader alone whereas he makes his escape. This, predictably, leads to Daki’s loss of life and reinforces simply how overwhelming Vader has turn out to be as Sidious’ apprentice.
2. Half VI (Obi-Wan Kenobi)
Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi reunite for yet another showdown within the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” finale. Believing it might be a duel to the loss of life, Obi-Wan travels to a barren moon to face his former apprentice as soon as once more. The 2 interact in a brutal lightsaber battle that showcases the complete energy of each Vader and his former Jedi grasp, with Vader burying Obi-Wan alive earlier than Obi-Wan breaks free and brings a barrage of boulders crashing down on his outdated Padawan.
On the emotional climax of the battle, Obi-Wan slices Vader’s helmet open and lowers his blade as he finds himself staring into the face of Anakin Skywalker. In a heartbreaking second, Obi-Wan apologizes to his outdated apprentice for his failures. Vader responds by stating that Obi-Wan didn’t kill Anakin Skywalker — Vader did. Whether or not Vader was genuinely attempting to ease Obi-Wan’s guilt or was merely refusing to view himself because the product of a Jedi’s failures is left open to interpretation. No matter his intentions, it’s this second that permits Obi-Wan to just accept that Anakin is useless, his outdated self misplaced beneath the shadow of Darth Vader.
1. Twilight of the Apprentice: Half 2 (Star Wars Rebels)
The Season 2 finale of “Star Wars Rebels” sees Ahsoka Tano lastly uncover the true destiny of her former Jedi grasp, Anakin Skywalker. All through “Rebels,” Ahsoka takes on a key function within the fledgling Rise up whereas crossing paths with Darth Vader. Of their early encounters, Ahsoka senses the reality about Vader’s identification however struggles to just accept that her former grasp may have fallen to the darkish facet.
In “Twilight of the Apprentice,” Ahsoka, Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger journey to the planet of Malachor in quest of a technique to destroy the Sith as soon as and for all. There, they encounter Inquisitors, a stranded Maul, and ultimately Vader himself, who arrives to say the planet’s Sith holocron. Vader rapidly destroys Ezra’s lightsaber in fight and would have killed the younger Jedi if not for Ahsoka’s sudden intervention.
The previous grasp and apprentice face off in an epic lightsaber duel, throughout which Ahsoka makes use of her agility and twin blades to strike Vader’s masks. By means of the shattered helmet, she is horrified to see Anakin Skywalker staring again at her. For a short second, her outdated grasp appears to acknowledge her earlier than as soon as once more giving himself over to Vader’s fury. The 2 proceed preventing as Malachor’s Sith temple collapses round them, with Ahsoka unable to desert her grasp once more.
