Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Darth Maul: Black, White & Red #3

Darth Maul just redefined his use of his double-bladed lightsaber by proving exactly what he can do without it in the Star Wars canon. As seen in his new Black, White & Red series, Darth Maul was sent on a critical mission for his master before The Phantom Menace, taking down an entire group of galactic criminals and pirates. However, just because he was outnumbered doesn’t mean he needed his lightsaber.

In the new Darth Maul: Black, White & Red #3 by Erica Schultz and Leonard Kirk, Senator Palpatine is being blackmailed by a criminal gangster named Coir Cion who witnessed some of his darker dealings in Coruscant’s lower levels. Wanting to eliminate any potential risk of exposure of his true identity as Darth Sidious, Palpatine sends his apprentice to take out Cion and his entire gang. However, Darth Maul delays activating his iconic double-bladed lightsaber before facing the first wave of Cion’s men:

Using only his skills as a warrior and command over the dark side of the Force, Darth Maul impressively kills the entire force sent to kill him, leaving only a final Rodian alive to question before finally activating his lightsaber for his last kill, proving that Maul’s double-bladed lightsaber merely enhances his already deadly power as a Sith.

Darth Maul Never Needed His Doubled Bladed Lightsaber

…But It Does Make Him Practically Unstoppable

What makes Maul’s initial display of power sans lightsaber even more impressive is the next wave of criminals with whom he does unleash his deadly weapon. Severing weapons and limbs alike with shocking speed, Maul moves through the armed thugs as if they were standing still and made of paper. Without his lightsaber, Darth Maul is a force to be reckoned with. With it, he’s practically unstoppable. After all, what’s a common criminal supposed to do when twin red blades come spinning at them?

All in all, this issue helps prove that using a lightsaber was merely a point of preference for Maul rather than any kind of need before the events of the Skywalker saga. When it came to missions for his master in the darker corners of the galaxy, Maul had more than enough power at his disposal without ever needing his weapon. The only real need for his blade was when the time finally came to reveal himself to the Jedi as seen in The Phantom Menace.

Darth Maul’s Only Real Challenge Was Jedi Knights

A True Dark Side Warrior

Naturally, Maul’s lightsaber was called for when facing Jedi Knights, themselves being armed with their own lightsabers. The prime example for Maul is of course the Battle of Naboo and The Phantom Menace’s “Duel of the Fates”. Darth Maul’s doubled-bladed lightsaber allowed him to effectively counter the skills of both Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi simultaneously, a powerful duo for Maul to face considering their bond as master and apprentice.

Despite his defeat at the hands of Kenobi after killing Qui-Gon Jinn, Maul still proved himself a formidable dark side warrior. Likewise, it’s fascinating to see new chapters of Maul’s Star Wars history in which he didn’t need his iconic lightsaber to achieve a dark victory. In most cases, it seems as though Darh Maul only activated his lightsaber simply when he desired to do so.

Darth Maul: Black, White & Red #3 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.