Though he was only in a few minutes ofStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace,Darth Maulhas actually had more screen time in total than Darth Vader, the most iconic villain in the entire franchise.Star Warshas a somewhat bad reputation for creating cool-looking and interesting villains only to kill them off within a few minutes. It happened first with Boba Fett in the original trilogy ofStar Warsmovies, Darth Maul in the prequels, and again with Captain Phasma in the sequels. Sometimes, as was the case with both Boba Fett and Maul, those villains get a second chance years later.
While both Boba Fett and Maul have popped back up years after their apparent deaths intheStar Warstimeline- inThe Book of Boba FettandStar Wars: The Clone Warsrespectively - Maul’s resurrection is more surprising in a number of ways. Boba Fett’s expanded role in modernStar Warsmakes a lot of sense now that Mandalorians are so popular, but Maul actually overtook the franchise’s most well-known villain in one of the firstStar Warsshows. Now, 25 years after he died, Maul has more screen time than even Darth Vader.
Darth Maul Returned In The Clone Wars & Rebels
The Clone Wars Resurrected Maul & Featured Him Much More Frequently Than Vader
The main reason Maul has more total screen time than Darth Vader isn’t because of theStar Warsmovies, but because ofStar Wars: The Clone WarsandStar WarsRebels.The Clone Warsresurrected Maul after he was bifurcated by Obi-Wan Kenobi at the end ofThe Phantom Menace. Maul then became a major antagonist for the later seasons ofThe Clone Wars, and he also cropped up in a few episodes ofRebelsyears later.Thanks to the two long-running animated shows, Maul appears in about 142 minutes ofStar Wars, while Darth Vader only has about 76 minutes of screen time.
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In total, Maul has over an hour more time on screen than Darth Vader does, despite appearing in only one movie and only existing for 25 years. The caveat to that fact is thatDisney has used Vader much more than George Lucasever did, and he has much more time on screen in live-action.Vader appeared in about an hour through the original trilogy,Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, andObi-Wan Kenobi, while Maul appeared in just over seven minutes ofThe Phantom MenaceandSolo: A Star Wars Story. While Maul may have the crown for total screen time, Lord Vader still dominates the box office.
Darth Maul Has Become A Truly Iconic Star Wars Character
Maul’s Legacy Has Only Grown Since The Phantom Menace
The sheer volume of screen time that Maul has been given since 1999 is a sign of how important he is toStar Wars: that is to say, he’s become an icon of the franchise.Prequel fans love him fromThe Phantom Menace, but an entire new generation came to adore him throughThe Clone WarsandRebels. He’s probably the best example of a non-Sith dark side user, and easily one of the most recognizable villains in the entire franchise. EvenGeorge Lucas' sequel trilogy plansincluded Maul being resurrected to tyrannize the galaxy again. It’s no wonder he’s only gotten more popular with time.
Darth Maul’s 10 Best Moments (So Far)
Though Darth Maul has only had one significant live-action appearance, his legacy in Star Wars is no less impressive. These are his best moments.
Though Darth Vader doesn’t have as much screen time, Maul’s comparatively huge amount of appearances highlights something about the originalStar Warsvillain. In just a fragment ofStar Wars' total runtime, Vader has managed to become by far its most iconic villain. No matter how much attention Maul draws, Vader will always be the face of the dark side, and he only needed a fraction of the time to accomplish it. While it is a good thing thatDarth Maulhas gotten a chance to shine on his own, he’ll never dethrone Darth Vader.
Darth Maul
Palpatine’s apprentice, Darth Maul was nothing more than a tool to winnow down the ranks of the Jedi ahead of Darth Sidious' true plans. Discarded after he was defeated by Obi-Wan Kenobi on Naboo, Darth Maul swore revenge against all those he blamed for his past struggles - Jedi and Sith alike. Maul tended to operate within the shadows, running various syndicates, and even established himself as a true rival for Palpatine on at least one occasion. He was eventually killed by Obi-Wan in a duel on Tatooine.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Conceived by the will of the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker was the prophesied Chosen One, destined to bring the Force into balance. Anakin struggled to balance competing attachments to the Jedi Order and his wife Padmé Amidala, and ultimately fell to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader. For years he served as Palpatine’s right hand man, but he was ultimately redeemed by the faith of his son, Luke Skywalker. Now a Force Ghost, Anakin continues to act as an agent of balance.
