What to watch before Maul – Shadow Lord: 16 essential Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels episodes

Looking for what to watch before Maul – Shadow Lord? Then look no further, young Padawan, because we have you covered.

The animated side of Star Wars is a sprawling epic at this point, and, with seven seasons of The Clone Wars and four seasons of Star Wars Rebels to sift through, you might be a tad confused about where to begin if you want to catch up on Darth Maul's story ahead of Maul – Shadow Lord. In The Clone Wars, Maul made his grand re-entrance after seemingly being killed in The Phantom Menace, while Rebels picks up after Shadow Lord, meaning you don't have to watch any of that show if you want to avoid spoilers, though they'll give you a deeper insight into Maul's overall story.

Below, we've rounded up 16 essential episodes of The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels to help you find what to watch before Maul – Shadow Lord, and we've even included a couple of optional extras, too, along with a brief rundown on which Star Wars movies are relevant. So, whether you're brand new to Star Wars or you've binge-watched every single release, you can find what you need to know to get ready right here. For even more, check out our guides on how to watch The Clone Wars in order.

Which Star Wars movies should you watch before Maul – Shadow Lord?

The Phantom Menace

If you're a youngling new to Star Wars or you just haven't refreshed your memory for a while, begin your Maul – Shadow Lord journey with The Phantom Menace. This is the film that introduces Maul to Star Wars, and, while he has relatively little screen time, he makes a huge impact. You won't forget those dual blades in a hurry…

Maul also makes a brief cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story (which is also set after Maul – Shadow Lord, so could be considered a spoiler), though, since his role is absolutely tiny, you can safely skip that movie if you're short on time. As for the other Star Wars movies, Maul doesn't feature in any of them, though, if you want a full overview on the galaxy far, far away, you should of course watch them (assuming you haven't seen them already).

Which Clone Wars episodes should you watch before Maul – Shadow Lord?

Maul appears in 11 episodes of The Clone Wars, and each one is pretty important to understanding his story, so we've included them all on our list.

The Clone Wars season 4, episodes 21-22: 'Brothers' and 'Revenge'

In these episodes Maul's brother, the sinisterly named Savage Oppress, completes his search for Maul – who is alive after his showdown with Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Phantom Menace, but incredibly worse for wear. Unsurprisingly, Maul is furious… and seeking revenge. Maul heals from his wounds (mental and physical), and he and Savage directly challenge Obi-Wan to a fight.

These two episodes both explain how Maul survived being cut in half (quite the feat, after all) and establish his burning hatred for Obi-Wan and the Jedi, as well as his anger at missing out on a great destiny. Savage is also a significant character in Maul's story, but he's never made it into live action. If you're really keen to know your stuff, you can watch the previous two episodes, 'Massacre' and 'Bounty,' which don't feature Maul but help to set up his return.

The Clone Wars season 5, episode 1: 'Revival'

In this episode, Maul and his brother Savage Oppress continue their quest to battle Obi-Wan Kenobi – though they clash over the Sith Rule of Two, since Maul views their dynamic as the traditional Sith Master and apprentice, while Savage was expecting a more equal relationship. 'Revival' sees the duo tangle with the pirate Hondo Ohnaka, and they even get their rematch with Obi-Wan.

'Revival' gives a greater insight into Maul's mindset, and it also further develops his rivalry with Obi-Wan.

The Clone Wars season 5, episodes 14-16: 'Eminence,' 'Shades of Reason,' and 'The Lawless'

This is an absolutely essential arc for Shadow Lord, since these three episodes establish Maul's stint as a crime lord and his connection to Mandalore and the Death Watch. In these episodes, Maul and his brother Savage Oppress garner the support of the galaxy's crime syndicates – brutally, of course – to help the Death Watch (including Bo-Katan Kryze) retake Mandalore, uniting the syndicates into the Shadow Collective. Maul himself takes possession of the Darksaber and ends up the planet's ruler – and, naturally, he finds time for another showdown with Obi-Wan Kenobi, too. Plus, Maul is also forced to face his old Master, Darth Sidious.

Since Shadow Lord looks to heavily feature Maul's criminal ties, these three episodes are probably the most important on the list. And, you might remember that Maul's surprise cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story saw him as leader of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate – these episodes are crucial backstory for his criminal ties.

The Clone Wars season 7, episodes 8-12: The Siege of Mandalore arc

The Siege of Mandalore is a major event in the galaxy far, far away's history – and it features our favorite spiky Sith Lord heavily. In this arc, Bo-Katan and Ahsoka Tano return to Mandalore to face down Maul. Maul had hoped to lure Anakin Skywalker to Mandalore to battle him instead of Ahsoka, since Maul has foreseen the end of the Republic and the Jedi at the hands of Emperor Palpatine and his soon-to-be apprentice, Darth Vader. Maul and Ahsoka duel in an epic lightsaber battle, and Maul even later helps Ahsoka escape Order 66, in his own way…

These episodes are the end of Maul's storyline in The Clone Wars, wrapping up his time as ruler of Mandalore, and they also intersect with Revenge of the Sith, meaning they're deeply important to the Sith Lord's story.

Which Star Wars Rebels episodes should you watch before Maul – Shadow Lord?

This is a bit of a strange one, since Rebels actually takes place after Maul – Shadow Lord on the Star Wars timeline. That means that, technically, you don't need to watch any of the following episodes. But, if you want to know what happens next for Maul after Shadow Lord – which may help you better understand the new show if these events are foreshadowed – then these are the episodes to check out.

Star Wars Rebels season 2, episodes 21-22: 'Twilight of the Apprentice'

Maul returns! After disappearing at the end of The Clone Wars, Maul reappears in this episode of Rebels, mysteriously underneath a Sith temple. How he got there is unknown for now, but it might be a question Shadow Lord answers.

In this episode, Maul also meets Ezra Bridger, and he even tries to make the young Jedi his apprentice. Plus, 'Twilight of the Apprentice' features an intense, emotional showdown between Ahsoka Tano and her old Master Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, so it's an excellent two episodes of Star Wars TV.

Star Wars Rebels season 3, episode 20: 'Twin Suns'

Chronologically, this is the last episode of Maul's story. This episode sees the former Sith Lord travel all the way to Tatooine to face his old foe, Obi-Wan Kenobi, after discovering the Jedi is alive and hiding out on the twin-sunned planet.

The result is a surprisingly touching, poetic chapter in Maul's tale, and one you should only watch if you want to see how it all ends. And, there's even a huge Star Wars cameo to look out for, too.

Optional extras

Maul features in two more Rebels episodes, which revolve around his attempts to both track down Obi-Wan Kenobi and make Ezra Bridger his apprentice. Since they're mostly set up for 'Twin Suns,' you can feel free to skip these. Similarly, Maul has a very brief cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story, which you can also easily skip. But, for the completionists among you, we've included these titles anyway as optional extras.

• Solo: A Star Wars Story – Maul is revealed to be leader of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate.
• Star Wars Rebels season 3, episode 3: 'The Holocrons of Fate' – Maul clashes with the crew of the Ghost again, and he uses Ezra Bridger to open a pair of holocrons that reveal to Maul that Obi-Wan Kenobi lives (yes, he still wants revenge).
• Star Wars Rebels season 3, episode 11: 'Visions and Voices' – Ezra Bridger is plagued by visions of Maul, which leads to the young Jedi heading to Dathomir with the Sith so that Maul can perform a Nightsister spell that reveals to him the location of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Maul once again tries to recruit Ezra as his apprentice, but is rebuffed.

And with that, your education is complete. You can fill out your watchlist with our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows coming soon to the galaxy far, far away.