Maul

This article details a subject that falls under the Legends brand.The subject of this article appeared in the Rebellion era.The subject of this article appeared in the New Republic era.The subject of this article appeared in the New Jedi Order era.

Maul
Biographical information
Homeworld	Dathomir
Born	10:31:1 BBY, Dathomir
Physical description
Species	Zabrak
Gender	Male
Height	5'9" (1.76 m)
Hair Color	Dark
Eye Color	Yellow
Skin Color	Light (covered in red and black tribal paint)
Family information
Family	Bane (ancestor) Rain Zannah (ancestor) Mellichae (alleged father) Talzin (mother) Savage (half-brother) Feral (brother) Sumaehs (cousin)
Political information
Known Masters	Talzin Count Dooku
Known Apprentices	Savage Asajj Ventress Talon'Kai
Affiliation	Nightsisters Nightbrothers Confederacy of Independent Systems Dark Acolytes Trade Federation Crimson Dawn

[Source]

"You may think I am evil. I am not. I am efficient."

―Maul

Maul, also known as Maul Opress, Ror, and Raghnall Oddmund, was a male Dathomirian Zabrak Dark Jedi and assassin who served the Nightbrothers as well as the Nightsisters.

Biography

Early life

Maul was born on Dathomir to Mother Talzin, a Nightsister from a coven descending from the bloodline of Dessel Bane and Rain Zannah, and either Mellichae or Viscus in 1 BBY. By birth, Maul was a Nightbrother, a clan of male Zabraks who served as warriors and slaves of the dominant Nightsisters. Like the rest of his kin, Maul was subjected by Talzin, shortly after birth, to an initiation ritual during which he was immersed in a "magic" oily bath. Agonizing subdermal horns were applied on his head personally by his mother during another ritual. When Maul was a child, Mother Talzin became an ally of Inquisitor Dooku and the two exchanged wisdom and power. The brother to Feral and Savage, Maul met the Nightsister Asajj Ventress during his childhood; the two would later share an intimate relationship.

Life was hard for young Maul. Any show of hesitation or a mistake was severely punished, and any hint of defiance rewarded with cruelty. One day, after some agility exercises and a torturous session with a computer console on a number of questions, Maul had gone over to the ring, where TD-D9 wielded a wooden staff and instructed him to dodge his blows in another exercise. Maul was hit in the first two strikes, but managed to evade the next two; then, Deenine spun and threw the staff at Maul, hitting him in the face. Before Deenine could retrieve the staff, an enraged Maul unconsciously Force Pulled the weapon into his hands. Surprised, Deenine reported this discovery to Talzin. When asked by how he felt during the exercise, Maul responded that he was angry.

Training

Maul was taken to the Great Desert of Dathomir, a wasteland eighty kilometers long, where Talzin first taught him the ways of magick; to test him, the Nightsister telekinetically hurled many rocks at the boy, hurting him before he was goaded into throwing them back at the former with his anger.

In the Nightbrother village, Talzin instructed Viscus to have Maul chained upside down to a winch, which he would attempt to escape from as he was being lowered into a vat of acid. The Clan Mother explained to her son everything there was on the history between the Jedi and their clan, which descended from the bloodline of the Dark Lord Dessel Bane and his apprentice Rain Zannah. Moreover, she said that if Maul would have been found by the Jedi on Dathomir then he would have been turned into a "mindless, obedient servant for the New Republic." Maul's hatred for the Jedi had begun, in which he denounced them as weak. Talzin advised the boy not to underestimate the Jedi.

In 17 ABY, by the time Maul was seventeen, his mother had already forged him into a living weapon. He had a sense of honor, however, respecting those he deemed to be worthy opponents and granting them quick deaths. Despite a traumatic childhood, Maul had filial feelings toward his mother, and despite the sometimes abusive treatment by her, he never once contemplated killing her. He proceeded to create a double-bladed lightsaber inspired by the Bane's Heart design, the weapon that belonged to Rain Zannah, and based upon schematics which he had originally received from Talzin.

Final test

"You have chosen the path of darkness, the path of power. From this day forward, you are my instrument."
"Yes, Master."
"Your rage. You enjoyed it? You enjoyed wanting to kill me?"
"Yes."
"You will do well, Lord Maul."

―Maul is decreed an apprentice by Dooku, his new Master.

The ultimate test came when Maul was forced to survive being hunted by hordes of fellow Nightbrothers in the Selection, a three-ritual series of brutal trials. Success in the trials resulted in "a second beginning" by being assigned to one of three ranks or specializations—categories of mercenary skill offered to offworld clients: those of shadow killer', hunter and warrior. Talzin's old friend Count Dooku, now the head of state of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, was interested in hiring the winner of the latest Selection process and attended the event personally.

After outlasting and defeating the other participants and passing all three trials, Maul was challenged by Dooku to an impromptu lightsaber duel, one which the weak, wounded and famished Maul quickly lost. Dooku then tossed Maul's lightsaber aside and told Maul that he had failed, and declared to Talzin that he was no longer interested in using the young man. Rage and hatred overwhelmed Maul and, in one final act of defiance, he lunged forward and sunk his teeth into Dooku's hand. As he spat the blood back into the Count's face in contempt, Maul realized he was no match for the Dark Lord, and when Maul's emotions were finally spent, he prepared himself for death. Dooku struck his lightsaber down on Maul, but without killing him since it had only been in low power mode.

The Count then laughed and revealed to him the truth: that it was one last test. Dooku proclaimed that Maul was now his new apprentice and personal assassin. He was taken to his new home in Carannia on Serenno, where a medical droid tended to him.

Serving Dooku/Shadow Hunter

Facing Siolo'urmanka

Maul originally went on countless missions of terror for his new master, killing politicians, crime bosses, merchants, and warlords. Maul's very appearance had been carefully conceived to inject fear into the heart of the Confederacy's enemies and even their unwitting allies. Despite his untold successes, Maul longed for victory over Jedi.

One of Maul's earliest missions was the assassination of Siolo'urmanka. One of the greatest living Jedi warriors, Manka had since gone into seclusion, renouncing the lightsaber to concentrate on what he felt was a "purer" technique. He now lived on a jungle world in the Jentares system. Maul arrived on the world and cautiously approached the Jedi Master, brandishing his lightsaber. Thinking that he could easily kill the meditating Manka, he was caught off guard by the Jedi Master's sudden attack.

Wielding a wooden staff, Manka displayed incredible speed, batting Maul across the face with his simple weapon. Maul quickly countered with a quick overhand slash, but Manka managed to dodge. As the Jedi Master pivoted to face him, Maul extended his lightsaber out. However, his stance only opened himself up, and Manka batted his lightsaber out of his hand. Disarmed and injured, Maul was at Manka's mercy. Manka allowed Maul to flee. Rather than accept death, the punishment for failure, Maul resolved to best Manka. Knowing that Manka was much faster than himself, Maul determined to outsmart the Jedi Master, get in close and attack.

Confronting Manka again, Maul kept his second blade hidden. Evading the Jedi Master's opening attack, Maul countered, with exactly the same attack he used before. Allowing himself to be disarmed, Maul caught his weapon with his other hand. However, before he could regain his composure, Manka rushed inside Maul's guard, with his staff to the Nightbrother's throat and the "pommel" of Maul's lightsaber pinned against his own back. Maul triggered the second blade of his lightsaber and ignited it through Manka's back, finishing the Jedi off.

Chryya

Around 23 ABY, Maul was sent to Chryya to force the merchants of the planet's spice business into signing an agreement with the Trade Federation. In the beginning, he was successful; but then, one merchant organized a protest, which started into a rebellion. The entire population destroyed the spice on account of "principle."

Seeing himself unable to fight every single citizen on Chryya, Maul was forced to report his failure to Dooku. The Dark Lord, furious, held his apprentice by the throat via the Force until he nearly passed out. It was one punishment Maul would never forget.

Sabotage on Dorvalla

Patch Bruit: "You recorded my conversations. Then you altered the recordings to trick the saboteurs you had identified in the cantina. You probably arranged us to find this place. Can I at least know why before you kill me?"

Maul: "It is something that had to be done—for a larger purpose. [...] You needn't dwell on it."

―Patch Bruit marvels at how Maul managed to manipulate the events on Dorvalla before being killed

Debriefing

Overtime, Dooku told Maul about Lommite Limited and InterGalactic Ore, two companies operating on Dorvalla. Lommite ore was an important component of transparisteel, a durable metal alloy used in many construction projects. Lieutenant Themion of Eriadu and the Seswenna sector, a secret ally to Dooku and the Alliance of Twelve, issued a challenge to the two rival companies for a major contract. In order for the Trade Federation to control all shipping of the ore, the trade routes, and motion Dorvalla into the Senate, the companies would have to be pushed into destroying each other. With Dorvalla secured, Viceroy Nute Gunray would get a position in the Trade Federation Directorate.

Dooku could feel Maul's puzzlement on why the Dark Lord would be interested in the Neimoidians. Knowing that he could not hide his feelings from his master, Maul confessed that he viewed the Neimodians as "greedy, weak-willed, and unworthy"; worst of all, to which Dooku pointed out, they were "duplicitous and sniveling." Nonetheless, the Alliance of Twelve had no choice but to bring these contemptible businessmen into their plan for control of the galaxy. Maul asked how Dooku would help deliver Dorvalla to the Trade Federation. The elder statesman answered that his apprentice would be the one to accomplish that task.

Then, after praising Maul's skill with a lightsaber, Dooku snatched the Nightbrother's lightsaber with the Force, held in midair, and activated each blade for inspection. The Dark Lord asked his pupil why he preferred this over the standard single-bladed lightsaber most sentients fashioned. Maul answered that this lightsaber would give him more options in offense and defense. Dooku approved, but warned Maul: "A sword master knows that when he furnishes his blade, he reveals his intent." He gave Maul back the lightsaber and provided him with a datacard regarding his targets and other information.

Before he sent Maul to Dorvalla, Dooku told him that the very planet was a "much different landscape than Sereeno" and would expect the Nightbrother would take delight in experiencing it. The Dark Lord would be waiting for him here to return, expecting a report on the success.

Agent of deception

As Maul arrived on Dorvalla, he found that Dooku had been right to warn him about this planet: there were far worse living conditions than those on Coruscant; there was less gravity, causing Maul to be more graceful; there were more forests, mountains, and deserts than the frontier-like towns; the air was extremely humid; the common folk lacked ambition; and disputes were settled without intervention by the law or the Jedi. Both intrigued and disappointed by what he found, Maul studied a fist-sized, six-legged fire flitter he caught before setting it free.

Stopping at a cantina, Maul used a mind trick on the bartender to bring him pure water and give him some privacy. He checked his surroundings through a mirror and he heard the word "sabotage" coming from his right and then eavesdropped on a conversation between three of Lommite Limited's security personnel about a sabotaged ore shuttle: Patch Bruit, LL's chief of field operations, had a list of suspects and executive officer Jurnel Arrant was looking for retribution for the sabotage. While listening in, Maul then noticed a listening device disguised as a flitter on the wall over the men's booth. He followed the device's muted beeping to a Rodian he recognized from the data card provided by Sidious and two Twi'leks, all three likely to be spies from InterGalactic Ore. There was a strong possibility that they were the saboteurs responsible for that shuttle crash.

Maul followed the LL employees, under cover of darkness, to Patch Bruit's elevated cube. Hiding himself in the front room's floor joists, the assassin placed a recorder on a floorboard's underside and heard what Bruit had to say: since Jurnel Arrant didn't want to hear more than Bruit had in mind, he would be in the clear; petitioning the Senate for help would take months to settle the issue, so LL was going to take matters into their own hands; Bruit was going to hire a band of mercenaries and pirates called the Toom clan to sabotage InterGal transport set for Eriadu on Rimma 13 (scheduled at 1400, Eriadu standard time), leaving the former company to win the race for who would sell the ore; and after that, LL would prepare for a counterattack from InterGal. Of course, Bruit sometimes wished that LL and InterGal could be eliminated and "someone with real foresight could build a better organization from the dregs." Hearing enough, Maul removed the recorder and contemplated on what he and Sidious had discussed about using both ends of his lightsaber to finish the job.

As the moon went low in the night sky, Maul traveled to LL's headquarters and spent an hour to study its defenses, intent on slicing into the company's central computer. He telekinetically threw rocks over the five-meter-high stun field to see whether the sentries and their leashed beasts would hear them strike specific spots on the lawn; they didn't, so they just continued on their usual patrol. Maul jumped over the fence and landed right where the some of the stones rested to avoid detection. He sped toward one of the primary building's outer walls, making him a blur to whatever hovercams were in the area. After discovering that every single door and window were locked, the Zabrak checked the roof for motion and pressure sensors before going up. He prepared to slice a skylight with his lightsaber, when he discovered monofilament chains in the transparisteel; one cut and the alarm would be raised. Maul contemplated that Patch Bruit would have remote access to the central computer.

Maul returned to Bruit's dwelling, which had no security whatsoever. He checked every windowsill and found Bruit sleeping in his bed, completely drunk. Further sickened by this sort of incompetence, he easily slipped inside the front room, which was just as messy as Bruit himself, and located the small computer in the man's bedroom. But as he activated the machine, Maul discovered it genetically locked to Bruit. He had to put Bruit's fingertips on the display screen to unlock the computer. Successful, he left the house and ran through the files on the Eriadu delivery.

Maul spent the morning altering the recorded conversation in Bruit's dwelling to make it as if a member of the Toom Clan was speaking. The message said that Jurnel Arrant planned to move against InterGal without Senate approval, making him more guilty than he already was. Furthermore, the Tooms had learned that LL freighters were set to arrive on Rimma 18 at 1300 hours, Eriadu local time; they were willing to sabotage it for InterGal, provided the company had some payment.

At lunchtime, Maul had returned to the cantina he entered yesterday. Two of the LL personal were at their usual booth. After seeing the same three InterGal agents and a Human female in the same employment, the Dark Jedi sent the flitter-disguised recording device via the Force to their table. The agents didn't recognize their own device until after one of the Twi'leks almost squash it. Then, Maul played the altered message into the agents' earpieces. He was pleased to hear that they were going to take this news to their employer.

Later, Maul learned that both companies looked to the Toom clan to sabotage the other, just as he had planned. This led to the loss of the majority of each company's ore transportation ships. Instead of going to Eriadu and watch the collision, Maul tracked down the Tooms from their hideout in Dorvalla's northern wastes to a secret base on Riome, a planet in the same system. He then went to Patch Bruit's dwelling, where he heard the man viewing the recording with Caba'Zan, the Falleenian in charge of InterGal security. Upon realizing that they had been double-crossed, Bruit and Cabazan teamed up to put an end to the Tooms. Maul had the entire conversation recorded. Now was the time to give Bruit the information regarding the Tooms' whereabouts anonymously, by planting evidence in the pirates' previous base.

Maul waited for a whole day in the cold atmosphere of Dorvalla's unpopulated northern wastes before Bruit and Caba'Zan's combined forces of twenty people arrived, along with the InterGal agents he had tricked. They searched for clues in the Toom clan's deserted base and Maul was tempted to show them the evidence himself, how incompetent they were. But there was no need for that: the evidence was found. The small army boarded to their shuttle and set off for Riome. Maul, excited for the upcoming battle, beat his quarry aboard the smaller and quicker starship he piloted to the ice planet ahead.

The final phase

So far, the Toom clan had most likely hidden their Interdictor ship in Riome's asteroid belt coreward. Maul parked his ship a kilometer from the Tooms' base without being picked up by a radar detector. He watched as the small, outnumbered mining force took the Tooms by surprise.

Knowing that the Tooms' base modified with blast doors and the grassy apron was full of mines and other traps, which Bruit and Caba'Zan were unaware of, Maul had to reveal himself out in the middle of the snowy fray. The miners figured him to be one of the Toom clan and fired on him. Bruit had his team split up, half of which were ordered to pursue Maul for another route into the base. The Nightbrother dodged every blaster shot without drawing his lightsaber, guiding them toward the base's undefended entrance before hiding himself via the Force in a snowdrift. Once they were all inside, he followed them to watch the battle. Even if Dooku would have preferred letting the Tooms and miners slaughter each other, Maul may have to finish off the victors.

Maul had a feeling that Bruit's forces would win the day. He observed both sides of the ongoing struggle on the central bunker's wall, predicting with accuracy on who would fall next. As the blast doors blew open, he began to respect Bruit for his courage, wishing to see him survive the battle. Before long, the miners had destroyed the Tooms. All that remained of them were Bruit, Caba'Zan, and five others.

For a while, Maul had wondered whether he should let the miners live and go back to Dorvalla. But there was a problem: Bruit would want to find out who had manipulated the tampered recording, which could lead him right to a description of Maul's features. Knowing that Dooku would not like to see his apprentices' face on the most-wanted list, the Dark Jedi saw that he had no other choice.

The snap-hiss of Maul's lightsaber brought the miners' attention to him. The Rodian from the cantina fired on the dark assassin, only to have his shot deflected right back to him. Caba'Zan mistook Maul for a Jedi and attempted to reason with him on how this matter didn't "concern Coruscant." Insulted, Maul advanced, killing Caba'Zan and the four remaining security personnel with a combination of blaster deflection, telekinesis, and physical force. Bruit was left for last. He correctly deduced that Maul was responsible for what had happened and wanted to know why. All the Dark Jedi could answer was that it had been all for a "larger purpose." He prepared to kill Bruit with his lightsaber, but then thought better about, instead Force choking the man to death. Personally, he felt that the miners deserved slow, painful deaths for their sloppiness.

With the slaughter complete, Maul further altered the recording between Bruit and Caba'Zan to frame them for the sabotage and left it in the base. It would soon make its way to Jurnel Arrant's office.

Personality and traits

Maul Opress

"This Maul appears to be nothing more than an animal. A skilled animal, but a beast nonetheless."

―Jard Dooku's thoughts on Maul

On the surface, Maul was little more than a being of pure hatred and evil, thanks to his harsh, severe training under Talzin. However, he was not totally heartless, granting those he felt worthy of his respect quick and painless deaths. He was capable of an emotional connection with others, feeling respect, admiration, perhaps even a level of attachment towards his followers Asajj Ventress and Talon'Kai.

As Talzin observed, Maul was obsessed with achieving absolute victory in anything and at any cost. Talzin regarded Maul as a terrifying being capable of withstanding pain in order to succeed against all odds. He was brave, yet prideful as well. Though still an apprentice, Maul was convinced that he could defeat the entire New Jedi Order in their own Temple. Maul's hatred of the Jedi notwithstanding, he was cautioned to guard against his pride. According to Talzin, Maul was a formidable warrior, but not a "one-being army." Maul was heavily prone to acts of gloating, despite his Talzin's disapproval. His overconfidence was such that he revealed his true identity, his master, and the survival of the Nightsisters to his target Alexi Garyn.

He understood that the New Jedi Order, rather than the New Republic, was their true enemy. Despite his loyalty and obedience, Maul could not help but wonder about the extent of his role in Talzin's grand plan.

Maul

In battle, Maul was a ruthless and implacable enemy, possessed with an arrogant urge for self improvement, to be the best. His skill level left him overconfident, and he would lower his guard when he felt an opponent was no longer a threat. His arrogance almost got him killed when he opened himself up during his first battle against Owan Kenobi, an opponent he believed defeated.

After his near-death experience, Maul struggled to remain alive through his all-consuming hatred for the Jedi who defeated him, and therefore lost his sanity in the process. After being healed by Mother Talzin in both mind and body, Maul became a scheming mastermind and uncompromising killer, he was no longer a silent opponent who focused primarily on achieving victory through martial prowess any longer. Years of living in agony and exile also caused Maul to develop a new-found sense of patience, something that he never previously had truly learned under Talzin's tutelage.

Powers and abilities

Lightsaber training

"There's a certain amount of finesse involved if you want to be a great sword-fighter."

―Maul

Maul was a highly skilled lightsaber duelist, drawing heavily on volatile emotions and the dark side. However, Maul only devoted himself to Form VII's physical focus, desiring pure physical victory, rather than Dun Möch, known for it's ability to dominate the opponents spirit and exposing his inner doubts through taunts and psychological warfare. In addition to this, Maul had training in dual-saber techniques, as well as mastery of the fighting style of Teräs Käsi. Maul chose to wield a red-bladed saberstaff in combat.

When fighting multiple opponents, Maul extended the second blade of his lightsaber to form a saberstaff, doubling his lethality as Jedi rarely faced such a weapon, or a skilled practitioner in its use. Maul often used this to catch opponents by surprise. Maul had constructed the weapon himself, using ancient plans stored within a Dark holocron. He had based his lightsaber design upon that of Rain Zannah's weapon, which in turn had been a development on Exar Kun's original design.

Unlike the traditional dueling techniques of most Jedi, Maul combined his swordsmanship with martial arts and hand-to-hand combat skills a combination which made him a nearly unstoppable dervish of destruction. And whenever Maul encountered a foe he could not best through his martial prowess, he would fall back on his tactical know-how, outmaneuvering such enemies.

Force abilities

Angry Maul

Maul displayed a reasonable amount of competence in telekinesis, utilizing Force Grip and Force Choke while interrogating Hath Monchar, and being able to activate a set of door controls behind him with a flung piece of wreckage. While dueling Owan Kenobi, Maul used both telekinesis and red electricity against the Jedi.

Maul also demonstrated a resistance to Force lightning, shrugging off a barrage unleashed by the Nightsister Mighella while hunting for Alexi Garyn.

Darth Maul was skilled in combining Force talents with mechanics. Talzin gave Maul the funds and schematics he needed, and provided him with a secret facility on Coruscant in which to work. There Maul constructed his signature speeder bike Bloodfin and the Dark Eye seeker droids. Using the Force mechanical skill mechu-deru, Maul modified the protocol droid C-3PX into an assassin droid to guard his ship.