A new Star Wars TV show was announced by Lucasfilm's animation team, blending the world of Maul with some exciting elements from George Lucas' sequel trilogy plans.

As part of the 20th Anniversary of Star Wars Animation , Dave Filoni outlined the future of the franchise. Filoni revealed a brand new animated show - Maul: Shadow Lord. The show will focus on the titular villain as the head of his crime syndicate in the Imperial era of the Star Wars timeline. What's more, Maul will take on a dark side apprentice, linking to plans George Lucas himself once had for a Star Wars sequel trilogy. Maul: Shadow Lord is set for release in 2026, and stars Sam Witwer as the voice of the titular character.

Following the , a video celebrating the Star Wars animation anniversary was released, and while it mostly reviewed the franchise's past, the final frames offered a first look at Maul's return:

Darth Talon, The Sith Apprentice Lucas Wanted For The Sequels, Is Becoming Canon

As Maul's Apprentice

In the trailer for Maul: Shadow Lord, shown exclusively to those in attendance at Star Wars Celebration 2025, Maul is shown training an apprentice, a pink/red-skinned Twi'lek. This resembles the design of Darth Talon, a character first introduced in Star Wars Legends stories. Reportedly, George Lucas wanted to bring Darth Talon into the scripts for his Star Wars sequel trilogy, before ing off the franchise to Disney. Now, Lucas' dream is being fulfilled.

While the storyline of Maul: Shadow Lord and how his dark side apprentice will play into things is unclear, the basic premise matches what is known of Lucas' sequel plans. Lucas intended to focus his sequel trilogy on the criminal underworld being led by Maul, with the villain as the primary antagonist, akin to Emperor Palpatine from the original trilogy. Talon would then take a Darth Vader-like role as Maul's apprentice. Although the broader elements of Maul: Shadow Lord will be different, the titular character being a criminal mastermind and taking on a Twi'lek apprentice seems to match Lucas' plans.

Our Take On Darth Maul: Shadow Lord

The Future Of Star Wars Animation Looks Bright

As far as surprises go, this is one that should be sure to excite Star Wars fans greatly. Not only is Maul returning to the franchise, but the possibilities of Maul: Shadow Lord are endless. Star Wars Animation has proven to be one of the few facets of the franchise with consistent near-universal acclaim, and it has only gone from strength-to-strength in recent years. Combining this with the fact that Maul is a fan-favorite, Star Wars' future just got much more exciting.

Regarding the story itself, the introduction of a Darth Talon-inspired character is overly intriguing. Whether the show delves into deeper aspects aligned with Lucas' sequel plans remains to be seen, but the possibility of this alone is compelling. Then there is the possibility of Maul: Shadow Lord linking to the teases of Solo: A Star Wars Story. Regardless of what happens, one word can be best used to describe Star Wars' new TV show: potential. Hopefully, Maul: Shadow Lord lives up to the high standards its predecessors have set.

Check out more of our Star Wars Celebration coverage:

• Star Wars Celebration: All s & Times
• Star Wars Celebration:Live Blog Day 1 - The Mandalorian & Grogu and Lucasfilm Animation Updates
• All 8 Things We Just Learned About The Next Star Wars Movie, The Mandalorian & Grogu
• Star Wars Starfighter Announced: Next Star Wars Movie Releases In 2027, Five Years After Rise Of Skywalker & Stars Ryan Gosling
• Darth Maul Returns In First Look At Maul: Shadow Lord, New TV Show That Fulfils George Lucas’ Sequel Trilogy Plans