When George Lucas kicked off the Star Wars prequel trilogy with The Phantom Menace, the movie proved to be wildly controversial among the fanbase. From the family-friendly comic relief provided by Jar Jar Binks to the adorable nine-year-old boy we’re promised is the future Darth Vader, The Phantom Menace had a lot of elements that polarized fans.
One thing that almost all fans could agree on, though, is that Episode I’s new villain, Darth Maul, is awesome. He might not have made as much of an impression on moviegoers as Vader, but that might not even be possible — Maul is still an unforgettable baddie.
Maul Is A Great Villain: He’s A Terrifying Presence
What made Darth Vader so instantly iconic in the original Star Wars trilogy is that from the moment he marched onto Tantive IV and strangled a Rebel officer to death, he was a truly terrifying presence.
Darth Maul doesn’t have David Prowse’s towering stature, but thanks to his frightful demonic appearance and martial arts prowess, he’s a similarly intimidating presence.
Not As Great As Vader: Vader Is The Faceless Embodiment Of Evil
While the man underneath the mask was later fleshed out as a Hamlet-esque tragic hero, Darth Vader was initially designed and introduced as the faceless embodiment of evil.
His iconographic visage quickly became a universally known symbol of malevolence. His suit does a lot of the legwork, with his mask’s big, vacant eyes creating a haunting emotional distance between the character and the audience.
Maul Is A Great Villain: His Double-Bladed Lightsaber Makes Him Unique
Every lightsaber-wielding character in the Star Wars universe had a single-bladed weapon until Darth Maul came along with his badass double-edged saber in The Phantom Menace.
While the fact that Maul carries a double-bladed lightsaber is common knowledge now, the movie itself nailed the revelation of the second blade. He uses just one blade until the final duel. As John Williams’ “Duel of the Fates” kicks in, Maul ignites his second lightsaber blade, ready to effortlessly take on Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan at the same time.
Not As Great As Vader: David Prowse’s Physique And James Earl Jones’ Voice Combined To Create A Cinematic Icon
The character of Darth Vader has so much gravitas and theatricality that it took two performers to bring him to life. Bodybuilder David Prowse took care of the physicality, towering over Vader’s enemies and turning heads whenever he walked into a room, while James Earl Jones took care of the Sith Lord’s rich, booming voice.
The combination of Prowse’s intimidating physique and Jones’ commanding voice made Vader an instant cinematic icon.
Maul Is A Great Villain: He Looks Like The Devil
There are a ton of overt religious allusions in The Phantom Menace, primarily positioning Anakin Skywalker as a kind of space Jesus. Much like Jesus, Anakin was born from a virgin birth. He’s the special “Chosen One” who’s prophesized to bring peace to the world and the desert landscapes of his homeworld Tatooine recall those of Nazareth.
Darth Maul’s appearance ties into these allusions. From his red skin to the horns on his head, he was pretty obviously designed to resemble Satan.
Not As Great As Vader: “I Am Your Father” Is The Greatest Plot Twist In Movie History
The “I am your father” twist in The Empire Strikes Back — in which the faceless symbol of evil that is Darth Vader is revealed to be a human being who fathered Luke Skywalker — is arguably the greatest plot twist in movie history. It’s not quite as terrifying as the ending of Psycho, but it has just as much shock factor.
Darth Maul never had a moment on this level. To be fair to him, no movie character has, because Vader is the most iconic villain ever created and every subsequent plot twist in a blockbuster sequel has been a pale imitation of Empire’s game-changing reveal.
Maul Is A Great Villain: He Was Fleshed Out By Later Media
Just like the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker in the prequel trilogy has made Darth Vader more interesting in the original trilogy, Maul’s story arcs on The Clone Wars and Rebels have made him much more interesting in The Phantom Menace.
Much like Vader, the movies introduced Maul as an intimidating presence, then later Star Wars media was used to flesh out his personality and backstory. The animated shows characterized Maul as a crime lord who drops his “Darth” title and turns his back on the Sith.
Not As Great As Vader: Anakin Is A Tragic Hero
While Maul was later deepened and somewhat humanized by The Clone Wars and Rebels, he remained an evil villain the whole time. Anakin Skywalker was framed as a tragic hero in the prequels.
Darth Vader leaves the dark side behind at the end of Return of the Jedi and exacts revenge against the puppet-master who manipulated his strongest emotions and exploited his darkest impulses.
Maul Is A Great Villain: The Duel Of The Fates Is The Most Crucial Moment In The Star Wars Saga
In the final act of The Phantom Menace, as the battle for Naboo’s future is underway, Padmé’s party is confronted by Darth Maul. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan tell the others to take an alternate route into the palace and promise to take care of the ruthless Sith Lord.
What follows is one of the most spectacular lightsaber duels of all time. And since it determines Anakin’s fate, it’s arguably the most crucial moment in the entire saga.
Not As Great As Vader: He Was Killed Off (Seemingly) In The First Movie
Although he was later retroactively confirmed to have survived his bisection, Darth Maul was killed off in the first movie of the prequel trilogy and replaced by other side villains in Episodes II and III. Darth Vader, on the other hand, enjoyed a three-movie arc that culminated in his redemption. If Maul had survived the Duel of the Fates (technically he did, but not in the context of the movies) and been Palpatine’s sole apprentice throughout the trilogy, it could’ve had a lot more impact.
Maul could’ve been the assassin sent after Padmé in Episode II. Obi-Wan’s showdown with General Grievous in Episode III is visually stunning and generated its fair share of memes, but it would’ve been a lot more emotionally charged if it were Kenobi’s rematch with Qui-Gon’s killer. Imagine if he said, “Hello there,” to Darth Maul.