SSSW - Maul: Shadow Lord - Chapter 3 & 4

SSSW - Maul: Shadow Lord - Chapter 3 & 4

From Tower of Babble by Julian Meush and Jeremy Kozier

April 15, 2026 · 2h 23m

About this episode

The episode discusses the improved pacing and character focus in the latest chapters of 'Maul: Shadow Lord'.

Now that the premiere is out of the way, the team at Lucasfilm Animation can focus on driving the story forward with authority. The pacing is much improved this week as time feel more evenly dispersed across the characters. There's a greater concentration on characters who can wield a lightsaber and it's appreciated. No shade to the crime syndicate storyline, but we've kind of seen all that already (it was quite literally a 'Clone Wars' arc). The action remains strong while taking another step forward with lightsaber duels joining the mix. Plus, the fast cutting from last week seems to have been dialed back, which is appreciated as it provides more clarity in action scenes. For example, Devon's engagements with Maul are gripping, and with the additional time provided to Master Daki, the stakes feel ratcheted up. Kevin Kinner's music remains a highlight, the illusions to the Anakin vs Obi-Wan Mustafar theme was a particular highlight. In general, there is still room for more character growth, especially with characters not named Maul, who really can't/won't change - but happy to proven wrong! This show feels like it's in full swing already, which is good because next week things…

People in this episode

Hosts: Julian Meush, Jeremy Kozier

Topics covered

  • Star Wars
  • animation
  • character development
  • lightsaber duels
  • story pacing

Keywords

  • Maul
  • Shadow Lord
  • lightsaber
  • animation
  • character growth
  • Kevin Kinner
  • Clone Wars

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Clone Wars, Anakin vs Obi-Wan Mustafar theme, Maul: Shadow Lord

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