MAUL – SHADOW LORD Introduces 2 New Order 66 Jedi Survivors Eric Diaz | usagoldmines.com

Maul – Shadow Lord takes place in the aftermath of one of the most tragic events in Star Wars history, Order 66. As seen in Revenge of the Sith, shortly after taking full control, Emperor Palpatine issues this infamous directive to his Clone Troopers. They ambush and kill their Jedi generals in one horrifying moment, nearly wiping out the Jedi Order overnight. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda survived, of course. But so did Ahsoka Tano, Kanan Jarrus from Rebels, Cal Kestis from Fallen Order, and, of course, Grogu. Not to mention the Jedi who became Inquisitors. But in Maul – Shadow Lord, we meet two new survivors. These are Eeko-Dio Daki (Dennis Haysbert) and his apprentice, Devon Izara (Gideon Adlon). But we have a feeling one of them is not going to remain a survivor much longer.

In episode one, Maul –Shadow Lord introduces us to a new planet, the Blade Runner-esque world of Janix. Located in the mid rim of the galaxy, this is a highly industrialized world, teeming with skyscrapers. It feels much like a “Coruscant Jr.” But at the point in the story, Janix remains out of the immediate purview of the newly formed Galactic Empire. Although we don’t have an exact date for when Maul – Shadow Lord takes place, there are plenty of context clues. Early trailers show that the TK Stormtroopers will appear in the show. These were the first non-clone troops utilized by the Empire (as Star Wars fans learned in The Bad Batch). So, Maul takes place roughly 1 to 2 years after Revenge of the Sith, at least to start.

Living in the streets of Janix is Eeko-Dio Daki, a male Mosyk Jedi Master, who seems elderly. Mosyks are a new species, never seen before in the galaxy, created just for this series. Maul producer Matt Michnovetz gave him a hyphenated name, like Qui-Gon Jinn or Obi-Wan Kenobi, to suggest he comes from an older era of regal Jedi like them. Accompanying Eeko-Dio Daki is his young Twi’lek padawan, Devon Izara. We don’t know almost anything at this point about how both Jedi survived Order 66, but if they were already on Janix when it went down, it may explain how they’ve managed to hide for so long, as the Empire has (until now) kept Janix out of its crosshairs.

Despite the Jedi Order having fallen, Master Eeko-Dio Daki still retains his Jedi code. That means no stealing, even to eat. His padawan Devon is less willing to maintain these principles, especially in a galaxy that is actively hunting them down. Because the Jedi are Public Enemy #1, the pair must hide their Force sensitivity, or risk exposing themselves. When local police arrest Devon for stealing fruit, they send her to jail. And just like that, Eeko-Dio Daki no longer has his student. Using his Force abilities in public, which at this time could get him killed on the spot, he attempts a rescue. Because of this, we think it won’t be long before the Empire sends Inquisitors to eliminate him. Eeko-Dio Daki is quite powerful, so he won’t go out without a fight.

Without her master keeping her centered, Devon will be vulnerable to Maul’s manipulations to become his new apprentice, something he clearly wants. He may use her anger at Eeko-Dio Daki’s execution (assuming that’s how he dies) to turn her to the dark side. For story reasons, Eeko-Dio Daki can’t stick around for too long. Although hopefully, Maul – Shadow Lord shows us how these two Jedi managed to initially survive the Emperor’s purge, perhaps in flashbacks. And who knows? There may have been other Jedi with them that we have yet to meet. During the Clone Wars, there were 10,000 Jedi Knights. If only 1% of them survived Order 66, that’s still 100 Jedi. Especially at this point in the Star Wars timeline. We are eager to see what Maul-Shadow Lord has yet to reveal about the remaining Jedi in this era.

Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is currently streaming on Disney+.