I'm so thrilled to share that, thanks to Star Wars, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the 2-episode finale of Maul - Shadow Lord at The Walt Disney Studios with my husband. I had never been before, and it was such an incredible experience to be there and watch Star Wars on the big screen. This will go down as one of the best ways we've spent May the 4th together.
Today, I'll be talking about the event and some of my thoughts on the finale, so there will be spoilers. If you haven't watched the finale yet, you may want to do that first.
When we arrived, there was a red carpet set up along with posters and photo-ops, and newly released Maul merchandise. It was so fun looking around and feeling the joy emitting from all the fans and creators of the show. I've talked about it before, but one of the best things about these events is getting to see my friends and meeting new people. There are certain corners of the web where there's a lot of hate and negativity towards Star Wars, but I've never experienced that at gatherings like this. Star Wars fans are the best!
We had the opportunity to chat with Matthew Wood, who voices General Grievous and the Battle Droids, to name a few. He talked about what a great time he has recording in the studio with his friends, including David W. Collins, and that he also did some work on Maul - Shadow Lord. I got to see the lovely Vanessa Marshall, who voices Rook Kast in the series. Most know her as Hera Syndulla from Star Wars Rebels aka Space Mom! Ezra himself, Eman Esfandi was there and was chatting it up with the fans. He even got a hug from Matthew Wood! We also briefly spoke with David W. Collins, who voices Spybot in the series. Everyone was so kind! Jason even got to say hi to Dave Filoni right before we watched the episodes. There's no photo of that moment, but the memory will live on forever.
After the finale, there was a great discussion that David W. Collins moderated with Dave Filoni (President of Lucasfilm and Creator of Maul - Shadow Lord), Sam Witwer (Voice of Maul), Brad Rau (Supervising Director and Executive Producer), and Matt Michnovetz (Head Writer). They talked about everything from Darth Vader wanting to destroy anything that reminds him of his past to knowing that certain characters will die from day one, and how it's hard to let them go once they get to that specific episode. I was able to record most of what Dave Filoni shared about Darth Vader, which you can watch here if you'd like. I could listen to him talk about Star Wars all day!
I was so surprised when we walked out of the theater and they handed us Darth Vader posters! Darth Vader was also outside to greet fans, but by the time I made it to the back of the line to meet him, it was already capped. I opted for a photo with him in the background. I think you can tell how happy I was regardless!
The finale left me speechless in the best possible way. It was action-packed, it tugged at my heartstrings (I didn't expect that we'd lose that many characters), and it was shockingly cool. As an enormous fan of lightsabers in Star Wars, the last two episodes delivered in a way I have never experienced in Star Wars. If you're not watching the animated series, I cannot emphasize enough how much you're missing out.
If you know me, you already know I was freaking out when my favorite character appeared on screen! The presence of Darth Vader in these episodes was bone-chilling. The way he fought with one hand, not to mention that it was sometimes his left or his right, and didn't say a word, added to his menacing aura. His fight against Maul, Master Daki, and Devon was up there with the hallway scene in Rogue One for me. It was wild to see him fighting against Maul, two pupils of the same master, Emperor Palpatine. Darth Vader obviously knew who Maul was, but I think Maul was just beginning to suspect who Vader was, and we see that in a brief moment after the first part of their encounter with him when he says, “It can’t be… No, no, no, no...”. I love moments like this! Star Wars animation constantly enriches the stories we already know and love, but I'm always so astounded at how beautifully it's done.
I hope you enjoyed getting a look at what this event was like. Thank goodness we're getting a Season 2, right!? Thank you for all the support and kindness you’ve shown me over the years. I couldn’t do this without you all! ❤️
My Imperial Jacket and Jason's Darth Maul t-shirt are both c/o Heroes & Villains. You can use my code: "AANDA15" for 15% off your full priced purchase. I'm also wearing the Ina Sweater c/o Asteria Outpost, Darth Maul Sunglasses c/o Pair Eyewear, a Darth Maul Cutie Cuff c/o Bullsitoy, a Darth Vader Lightsaber Bag Charm c/o BaubleBar (referral), and a Darth Maul Necklace c/o Girls Crew. My Sith Wayfinder necklace is from RockLove, but it's a retired piece, and the Commtech Chips keychain are vintage.
Did you watch the finale? What did you think? You can get in touch with me by leaving a comment below or following me on my social media channels: Instagram, X, Threads or Bluesky.
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