Star Wars: Han Solo – Is Darth Maul alive in Solo? Why is Darth Maul in Solo?

Warning: this article contains spoilers for Solo: A Star Wars Movie.

When Darth Maul, or Maul as he’s now known, appeared in hologram form at the end of Solo: A Star Wars Story, audience members were left gasping.

The last time Star Wars fans saw Darth Maul in film-form (played by Ray Park, voiced by Peter Serafinowicz) was in The Phantom Menace, and he wasn’t in the best shape then due to the whole being sawn in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor).

Elsewhere in the Star Wars universe (the Lucasfilm animated series The Clone Wars and Rebels) Darth Maul, now just Maul, survived not only the dismemberment but also the endless fall to his supposed death during the Battle of Naboo.

How is Darth Maul alive?

For all the gory details, you’ll have to check out the animated series, but a bit of research has shown that in the years after Menace and before Solo Maul became a psychotic, cybernetically-altered rat eating exile.

Maul’s resurrection came with the help of his brother, Savage Oppress, who discovered him and sorted him out – restoring both his mental health (arguably. After all he was still a vengeance-seeking crime lord).

Maul was given proper bionic limbs as well, which eagle-eyed viewers would have spotted when Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) pulls up his hologram at the end of Solo: A Star Wars story (played once again by Ray Park, though voiced by Samuel Witwer).

The world of Solo: A Star Wars Story is one of shadowy criminal gangs operating freely during the reign of the Empire.

One of the most notorious gangs is Crimson Dawn, which Maul actually runs, despite Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany) being the supposed leader.

Why is Darth Maul in Solo?

Solo: A Star Wars Story is the first major movie to rely heavily on non-film storylines and characters.

While Maul has been romping happily through animated series and novels, his place in the film canon had been nothing more than rumour, until that epic cameo reveal in Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Bridging the gap between mainstream and uber-geek, Maul’s presence in Solo: A Star Wars Story does two things.

Firstly, it hints at the wider expansion of the Star Wars movie franchise, especially with the recently confirmed Boba Fett solo movie on the horizon.

Maul’s cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story is a thread that joins all of the films, including Rogue One, together.

Secondly, it sets up future Solo movies and revives speculation around an Obi-Wan standalone movie.

Solo: A Star Wars Story has opted not to fill in movie-only fans on how Maul popped up after his presumed death.

Whether this purposefully oblique move is meant to drive fans towards non-film material or drum up excitement for future films is almost irrelevant.

Maul’s mere existence in Solo: A Star Wars Story certainly means there’s more to the former Sith lord than meets the eye and whets the appetite for even more Star Wars movies to come.

Solo: A Star Wars Story is in cinemas now.