Star Wars Just Announced the Animated Series We’ve Been Begging For

Let’s be real – ever since The Bad Batch wrapped up, Star Wars fans have been starving for something fresh. Well, buckle up, because Lucasfilm just dropped the mic at Star Wars Celebration Japan. Coming in 2026: Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord. And yes, it’s exactly as awesome as it sounds.

Remember when Obi-Wan chopped Maul in half back in The Phantom Menace? Classic moment. But this is Star Wars – nobody stays dead if they’re cool enough. The Clone Wars brought him back with robot legs and a serious grudge, Rebels gave him that epic final duel with Kenobi, and Solo teased his criminal empire reign. But we’ve been robbed of seeing Maul truly unleashed… until now.

Here’s the scoop: Set after The Clone Wars finale, Shadow Lord follows Maul as he rebuilds his underworld empire on some backwater planet the Empire hasn’t crushed yet. Think Scarface meets John Wick in a galaxy far, far away. The brief synopsis hints at Maul manipulating crime syndicates, and rumor has it we might finally see his brutal childhood training and the debut of Darth Talon (that red-skinned Sith from the comics we’ve all been waiting for).

The best part? Sam Witwer’s back voicing Maul. This guy is Maul at this point – that growling, unhinged performance in Clone Wars and Rebels was perfection. Sorry, Peter Serafinowicz, but Witwer owns this role now.

Attendees at Celebration got an exclusive sizzle reel showing off a new animation style, but of course Disney’s keeping it under wraps for now. Typical. Would this be mind-blowing in live-action? Absolutely. But after Tales of the Jedi proved how good Star Wars animation can be, we’re not complaining.

Mark your calendars for 2026. Between Maul’s criminal empire rising and The Acolyte diving into Sith lore, it’s a great time to be a Dark Side fan. Just don’t expect Maul to be any less stab-happy. Some things never change.