The animated series Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord Episodes 7-8 dropped on April 27, 2026, on Disney+. Chapters 7 and 8, titled “Call to the Oblivion” and “The Creeping Fear,” show the former Sith lord in a very tough spot. He is hunted by the Empire, loses patience with his new allies, and gets stabbed in the back by his own people.
These episodes finally explain why Maul keeps getting betrayed. The answer lies in his past trauma and his single-minded obsession with revenge against Emperor Palpatine.
Episode 7 ‘Call to the Oblivion’: A Failing Operation
By Episode 7, Maul’s plan to hide from the Empire on the planet Janix is falling apart. He teams up with Jedi Padawan Devon Izara and a local marshal’s family, but no one trusts him. The Empire sends two powerful Inquisitors—Marrok and The Eleventh Brother (The Crow)—to kill everyone.
The main betrayal happens when the Mandalorian mercenaries working for Maul try to run away. They want more money, and they don’t believe in Maul’s personal war against the Emperor. During a big firefight, they try to steal a ship to escape Janix. But their betrayal fails immediately. An Imperial ship shoots them down, killing them all. This shows that Maul’s current crew has no real loyalty to him.
At the same time, a grieving Maul loses one of his own Nightbrothers (Icarus) in the battle. He faces both Inquisitors alone. His mechanical legs are damaged from a past fight, making it hard to stand. When the Inquisitors refuse to take him alive, Maul uses the Force to bring the ceiling of a cave down on everyone.
Episode 8 ‘The Creeping Fear’: Inside Maul’s Broken Mind
Episode 8 is different from the action-heavy earlier episodes. It focuses entirely on why Maul acts the way he does. After the cave collapses, Maul is alone, badly hurt, and crawling through darkness. He starts having strong visions of his past.
He sees Emperor Palpatine (then just Senator Sidious) taking him away from his home planet Dathomir as a young child. He hears his brother Savage Opress begging him not to go. He also sees Palpatine torturing him with Sith lightning as “training”.
“I hate you,” Maul angrily says to a reflection of his own child self.
Later, after reliving the pain of losing Savage and the horror of being a spider-like creature (after Obi-Wan cut him in half), Maul makes a promise. Looking at his younger self again, he swears: “I won’t let him do this to anyone else.”
This is the core reason for his actions. It is not just about revenge anymore. Maul wants to destroy Palpatine to stop him from stealing and breaking other children.
Also Read:
The Setup for More Betrayal
The episode ends with Maul reuniting with his loyal second-in-command, Rook Kast. He sets up a new base in a crime lord’s old office. His associate, Looti Vario, tells him that Dryden Vos, the leader of Crimson Dawn, wants a meeting.
Fans of ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ know that Maul eventually takes over Crimson Dawn. However, in the current timeline of the show, Dryden Vos is a rival. Given Maul’s history, it is very likely this meeting will involve another trick or betrayal as Maul tries to grab power.
Also Read: Why Jonah Hill Left Los Angeles for a Quiet Life in San Diego with His Family
