Maul – Shadow Lord is giving a twist on one of the more notable Star Wars phrases.
In Rogue One, Chirrut Îmwe repeatedly says, “I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me.” Since the saying was introduced, it has appeared in many Star Wars stories, including The Clone Wars, the High Republic material, books, comics, and more. The saying has become a mantra that Jedi have uttered for over a century, expressing their devotion to the Force.
But Maul is no Jedi.
A new teaser for the upcoming animated series Maul – Shadow Lord has a similar-sounding – but very different – mantra being uttered repeatedly by Maul: “I master the Force, and the Force serves me.” The way he says this makes it very obvious it is meant to be a twist on the Jedi ideal.
And this is brilliant, I think. Because of course the Sith would learn a different mantra, since the Sith approach the Force so differently. The Jedi view the Force as something they submit to; the Sith view the Force as something they master. The Jedi view the Force as something they service; the Sith view the Force as something that serves them. The Jedi view the Force as something they are a part of; the Sith view the Force as something they are in control of. So of course Maul feels like he must master the Force. That feels like such a natural way for him to view things, based off of years in training as a Sith apprentice.
Over the years Lucasfilm Animation has produced some of the finest Star Wars stories ever told, from The Clone Wars to Rebels to The Bad Batch and more, and one of the many reasons why is that these animated shows have delved much deeper into the workings of the Force than the films do. This teaser has me hopeful that Maul – Shadow Lord will do the same. We’ll get to see the Force from a different – and twisted – perspective that could make for some very thought-provoking dialogue.
Like, for instance, the fact that Maul learned a very twisted version of a well-known Jedi mantra.
Star Wars Thoughts 