The latest episodes of Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord arrived on April 20, 2026, bringing major changes to the Disney+ animated series. The Empire finally lands on Janix, and with them comes a dangerous Jedi-hunting Inquisitor named Marrok. The two new episodes, titled “Inquisition” and “Night of the Hunted,” shift focus away from Maul for much of the runtime, instead following Jedi Master Eeko-Dio Daki and his Padawan Devon Izara as they try to escape the planet. The arrival of the Empire forces everyone on Janix to pick sides, and not everyone makes it out clean.
The Empire Takes Over Janix City
Episode 5 opens with an Imperial Star Destroyer hovering over Janix City. TK Troopers (early stormtroopers) march through the streets as an Imperial officer named Lieutenant Blake announces that all off-world travel is stopped. At the Janix City police headquarters, Chief Klyce and Brander Lawson watch as the Empire takes control. Blake brings Klyce in for questioning, and Lawson learns that his boss has been “permanently transferred” – which likely means something much worse.
Lawson gets pulled into an interrogation room next. He sees scratch marks on the table, signs of what happened to the people before him. Then a figure in black armor appears from the shadows. Marrok, the Inquisitor, questions Lawson about how he survived the attack at Maul’s hideout when his whole team died. Marrok does not believe Lawson’s story.
Meanwhile, Jedi Master Daki tells his Padawan Devon they should leave the city and let the Empire handle Maul. Devon disagrees. She thinks hiding is a waste of their abilities. Daki warns her that she is starting to sound like Maul.
The Jedi Hunt Begins
Devon and Daki try to leave Janix City through the underground train station. Daki uses a Jedi mind trick on a stormtrooper, but another trooper notices. A chase follows on the train tracks, with the Jedi barely escaping. Their injuries from the earlier fight with Maul make everything harder.
At the police station, Lawson gets released and told to go home. His son Rylee shows up looking for him but gets turned away by Lieutenant Blake. Rylee’s mother calls and tells the boy to cooperate with the Empire. She works for them now.
Marrok visits Maul’s destroyed hideout. He uses the Force to examine the crime scene, looking for clues. The marks from lightsabers tell him everything he needs to know. Maul is not alone. There are other Force users on Janix.
Lawson Makes A Dangerous Choice
Lawson returns to his apartment and finds his son hiding two Jedi. Master Daki asks for help escaping the city. He explains the Jedi Purge that followed Order 66. Lawson wants to say no. He knows helping Jedi will put his son in danger.
But before Lawson can give an answer, Marrok arrives. The Inquisitor cuts through the front door with his lightsaber. A brutal fight breaks out in the apartment. Daki and Devon clash with Marrok as the building catches fire. The family escapes through a window and onto the rooftop.
Devon jumps and steals an Imperial dropship hovering above. The group escapes as the apartment burns behind them. But the Empire tracks the ship. More dropships follow. Lawson has now been marked as a traitor. There is no going back.
Hiding At The Casino
Lawson takes the group to Rheena Sul’s casino. Sul used to be a bounty hunter, and she owes Lawson her life. She agrees to hide them in the back rooms. But the Empire finds them again. Stormtroopers storm the casino looking for the fugitives.
Daki tells Devon to take Rylee and escape through the lift while he and Lawson fight the troopers. The separation feels forced to some viewers, but it sets up what comes next. Devon and Rylee end up in the underground parking garage. Marrok is already waiting for them.
The Train Fight And Maul’s Return
Devon fights Marrok on a moving train tram. The Inquisitor has her cornered when Maul finally shows up. This three-way fight is the best action sequence of the series so far. Maul and Marrok both extend their lightsabers into double-bladed mode. Devon teams up with Maul against their common enemy.
Devon separates the train cars, leaving Marrok behind. She lifts her lightsaber to strike Maul but stops. “Now you have seen the face of your true enemy,” Maul tells her. But neither Devon nor the audience actually saw Marrok’s face under that mask.
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The Mystery Hologram
At the end of Episode 6, Marrok kneels before a holographic figure. “My lord,” he says. “Maul lives. He is working with two Jedi. More dangerous than we suspected.” The episode does not show who Marrok is talking to.
Fans have strong opinions about the mystery figure. The leading theory is Darth Vader. Vader leads the Inquisitors, so it makes sense that Marrok reports to him. A Vader and Maul meeting would be a major moment for Star Wars fans. These two characters have never shared the screen in a proper fight. Some also think it could be Emperor Palpatine, but Vader is the more likely choice.
Maul took a backseat in both episodes. He only appears briefly at the start of Episode 5 and shows up for the train fight in Episode 6. The supporting characters carried most of the story. Some critics note this as a weakness, but others find the side characters interesting enough to hold attention.
The voice cast includes Sam Witwer as Maul, Dennis Haysbert as Master Daki, Gideon Adlon as Devon, Wagner Moura as Lawson, and A.J. LoCascio as Marrok. Richard Ayoade voices the droid Two-Boots, a character who may turn against the Empire as he sees its true nature.
Episodes 7 and 8 arrive on April 27, 2026, followed by the final two episodes on May 4. The series has 10 episodes total. All episodes are available exclusively on Disney+.
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