With the release of "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 3D," there's no doubt the villain on everyone's minds right now is the red- and black-tattooed Darth Maul. The Sith warrior became a fan favorite when his image was plastered on virtually every piece of promotional material released for the movie in 1999. Many of those fans were highly upset when the character was killed off after what seemed like 10 or 15 minutes of screentime. He fell to his death when cut in half at the waist by Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Now the "Star Wars" universe is all abuzz over the announcement that Darth Maul is alive and well. The Sith warrior will be making his comeback in March on Cartoon Network and Lucasfilm's "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." A press release issued by Lucasfilm read, "Maul survived, kept alive by shear [sic] hatred and the power of the Force. And he will return to once more plague our Jedi heroes."
The real question on everyone's minds is, "How are they going to bring him back? We saw him fall down a shaft with his body split in two." Well, it looks like the answer to the question might have been hidden right in front of us all along.
Dark Horse Comics, the officially licensed publisher of "Star Wars" comic books, released a collection of 11 stories titled "Visionaries" in 2005 written and drawn by concept artists who worked on "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith." In one story, "Old Wounds," Maul shows up on Tatooine and coaxes Obi-Wan Kenobi out of hiding by threatening the toddler-aged Luke Skywalker. The Sith warrior has replaced the lower part of his severed body with a pair of large cybernetic legs and abdomen. The horns on his head have grown to three times their original length, forming a sort of crown. While in fierce battle with Kenobi, Maul is shot and killed by Owen Lars.
Could this half-mechanized Darth Maul be the one we'll see in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," or will it be another? The story on the Cartoon Network program obviously takes place before the one in "Visionaries." The Sith warrior could possibly still be legless, or in the process of getting the limbs put on. We'll have to wait until March to find out for sure!
In the meantime, you might want to see if you can get your hands on one of the rare "Darth Maul with Mechanized Legs" Premium Format Figures from Sideshow Collectibles. The items can be bought on eBay for anywhere between $310.00 to $650.00. Production was limited to 500 and are out of stock through Sideshow Collectibles. Thanks to eBay user samstoys2011 for the tip-off on the figures.
For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:
The Force Is With 'Star Wars: Episode I 3D'
'The Clone Wars' Voice Actress Reflects on 'Episode I' Legacy
Rare 'Star Wars: Episode I Blu-Ray Pack' Action Figures a Must -- Again
Eric Shirey is the founder and former editor of Rondo Award nominated movie news websites MovieGeekFeed.com and TheSpectralRealm.com. His work has been featured on Yahoo!, DC Comics, StarWars.com, and other entertainment websites. Eric has interviewed and worked with actors like Harrison Ford, Brooke Shields, Gerard Butler, Brendan Fraser, Selena Gomez, and many more.
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