Star Wars has yet to confirm one of the biggest secrets regarding Darth Maul and his iconic double-bladed lightsaber. Having debuted with a sinisterly epic entrance in 1999’s The Phantom Menace, Maul’s double-bladed lightsaber is one of the coolest weapons in the entire galaxy far, far away. However, a key element of the weapons’ origins and construction have never been revealed.
In the established Star Wars canon, Maul was inspired to build his double-bladed lightsaber upon studying a Sith holocron given to him by his master Darth Sidious. He’d then go on to wield it in the service of his master as seen in The Phantom Menace, as well as subsequent variations in The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels even after Sidious had rejected Maul. Regardless, the origin of the red kyber crystals within Maul’s lightsaber and where they came from has never been revealed, a key mystery considering the Star Wars timeline and the traditions of the Sith Lords.
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Here is how to watch all Star Wars movies and TV shows chronologically and in order of release, and how each fits into the Star Wars timeline.
Sith Kill Jedi And Take Their Kyber Crystals… So Who Did Maul Kill?
A Dark Side Rite of Passage
According to the traditions of the Sith, an apprentice would be typically be tasked with killing a Jedi and then taking the kyber found within their lightsaber. The apprentice would then pour all their hate, pain, and suffering into the kyber until the living crystal bled. The corrupted red kyber would then be used for the Sith’s own lightsaber, a perveted symbol in opposition to everything the kyber had represented in the hands of the Jedi.
Darth Vader gained his kyber crystal after slaying Jedi Master Kirak Infil’a in the aftermath of Order 66. Kylo Ren corrupted his own blue kyber, having symbolically killed his past self as Ben Solo as well as his fellow Jedi students. It’s implied that Dooku claimed the kyber crystal of Jedi Master Yaddle after killing her, the final step in his dark side corruption. However, the origins of Maul’s kyber crystals remain unknown (as well as who he might have killed to get them).
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.
- Created By
- George Lucas
- Cast
- Ray Park , Sam Witwer
- Race
- Zabrak
- Movies
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace , Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- TV Shows
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars , Star Wars Rebels
Did Maul Slay TWO Jedi Before The Phantom Menace?
It Seems Unlikely
There have been canonical Darth Maul comics set before the events of The Phantom Menace. However, they all feature Maul with his double-bladed lightsaber already built and actively being wielded as the Sith apprentice impatiently waits for his master’s plans to come to fruition. To that end, it doesn’t seem as though Maul killed any Jedi at all to claim his own kyber considering Sidious’ continual refusals to let Maul reveal his presence to the Jedi despite his ravenous desire to claim revenge in the name of the Sith.
Although Maul did kill Jedi Padawan Eldra Kaitis in a trial secretly orchestrated by Sidious himself before The Phantom Menace, he was already wielding his double-bladed lightsaber. Furthermore, Maul also claims that Kaitis was his first Jedi kill. While a new story could certainly reveal the origins of Darth Maul’s lightsaber, it does seem likely that the kyber crystals were simply given to Maul by Darth Sidious himself with the Sith’s secrecy trumping Sith tradition at this point in the Star Wars timeline.
