Warning! Spoilers for Star Wars: Crimson Reign #1
As Star Wars comics expand upon the events of Solo: A Star Wars Story, there is an opportunity for the upcoming limited series Crimson Reign to complete Darth Maul’s story. The former Sith turned crime lord is one of the most mysterious villains in the galaxy, and there’s now a chance that his years leading Crimson Dawn could finally be explored.
When the recently concluded War of the Bounty Hunters crossover event reintroduced Lady Qi’ra from Solo, Star Wars comics made it clear her story was only beginning. As the head of the crime syndicate Crimson Dawn, she is an intimidating presence in the galaxy. Learning firsthand from Dryden Vos and Maul, Qi’ra has proven she can take on Darth Vader. From the moment that Maul appeared in a hologram transmission in Solo, audiences knew she would go onto great things. However, the scene created a new mystery surrounding the former Sith, who had seemingly met his demise in the animated series Rebels.
Since the upcoming limited series Star Wars: Crimson Reign promises to further develop Qi’ra’s story, it’s the perfect opportunity for Maul’s time as a crime lord to be explored as well. Before he is eventually left for dead in a cave on Malachor, Maul was an intimidating presence in the underworld. This story might finally shed light on how he got into such a desperate position. In a preview for Crimson Reign #1, Lady Qi’ra speaks about Maul with a sense of distance, as if they never got as close with one another as alluded to in Solo. The upcoming comic is written by Charles Soule with art by Steven Cummings.
With the large gap of time between Maul’s final appearance in The Clone Wars and his abandonment on Malachor, there is a lot of ground to cover. As Qi’ra reveals that he presumably taught her about the history of the Sith in these panels, fans evidently missed out on their dynamic. While she explains the way of the Sith, she references how they have been known to discard or eliminate each other once they have gotten what they want. It’s possible that she is alluding to her relationship with Maul, insinuating that she took over Crimson Dawn by force.
In the saga timeline, there are few characters whose stories haven’t been completely told. In the grand scope of the franchise, the era of time in which Maul occupies is slim. The limited series set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi could easily include additional scenes before A New Hope, while Maul was still an active crime boss. Qi’ra might only reveal new details about her past through flashbacks, but fans will gladly take what they can get. Star Wars: Crimson Reign #1 releases on December 1.