Darth Maul (Powerstaark)

Darth Maul was a Zabrak Sith lord and the first apprentice of Darth Sidious. Maul was taken from his family at a young age and trained in the ways of the Sith. He was a vital participant in the Blockade of Naboo crisis where he killed Qui-Gon Jinn before being sliced in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi. Maul was red skinned and covered in black Sith tattoos as a way of terrifying his enemies.

Early life
At a young age a Zabrak child who would be later known as Darth Maul, was taken from his family by Darth Sidious. There is little knowledge about Maul before he met Sidious and even his real name is a mystery. Maul began training with Sidious at an early age, who indoctrinated in him the ways of the dark side of the Force. During his training, any show of fear was severely punished by Sidious, and any hint of mercy rewarded with cruelty.

By the time Maul was an adolescent, his master had already forged him into a weapon of pure hatred. Marked by Sith tattoos that covered his entire muscular body, the young Zabrak warrior was now the ultimate tool of the dark side. Despite a traumatic childhood, Maul had a level of attachment to his master, and never once contemplated killing him— until his final test. During his training the young Zabrak became exceptionally skilled with a saberstaff.

At some point, Sidious pitted Maul against the Force-sensitive Drovian Silus, sending Maul to an unknown planet in the Outer Rim. Sidious claimed Silus to be a threat to his plans, due to the surge in the dark side created by the Drovian. Should the Jedi feel it through the Force too, Sidious's presence could be threatened; that, however, could just have been used to persuade Maul into doing his master's bidding.

Silus was a hulking, savage brute using the Force for financial gain by pitting himself against other lesser opponents in a dueling ring. Sidious offered to take Silus on as his new apprentice should he be able to kill Maul. He found the Drovian, and after showing him a holo-message of his master containing Sidious' proposal of replacing Maul with Silus the two began to fight. A nullifier field surrounding the dueling ring prevented use of energy weapons, rendering Maul's lightsaber useless and forcing the pair into fighting using only the Force and unarmed combat tactics. Sidious' proposal of replacing Maul with Silus alarmed and unnerved his apprentice, causing a near-fatal lack of focus that allowed Silus to gain the upper hand. Calling upon his rage Maul prevailed in the end, and killed Silus. Darth Sidious then revealed to Maul that the ordeal had only been a test.

Ultimate test
The ultimate test came when Maul was abandoned by his master on an isolated Outer Rim Territories world, forced to survive alone while being hunted by hordes of assassin droids. After a month's time, Sidious returned and challenged his apprentice to a lightsaber duel, one which the weak and famished Maul quickly lost. Sidious then tossed Maul's lightsaber aside and told Maul that he had failed, and revealed that he had been secretly training another apprentice to replace Maul the entire time. Rage and hatred overwhelmed Maul and, in one final act of defiance, he lunged forward and sunk his teeth into his master's hand. As he spat the blood back into his master's face in contempt, Maul realized he was no match for the Dark Lord of the Sith, and when Maul's emotions were finally spent, he prepared himself for death. Sidious struck his lightsaber down on Maul, but without killing him since it had only been a training lightsaber. Sidious then laughed. By wanting to kill his own master, Maul had in fact passed the final test. There had been no other apprentice. Sidious proclaimed him Darth Maul, a Dark Lord of the Sith and took him to a new home on Coruscant.

Black sun and other missions
"Stealth is the greatest tool of the Sith assassin."

- Darth Sidious

Maul went on countless missions of terror for his master, killing politicians, crime bosses, merchants, and warlords. Maul's very appearance had been carefully conceived to inject fear into the heart of the Sith's enemies and even their unwitting allies. Despite his untold successes, Maul longed for victory over Jedi. Victims of his included the Black Sun leader Alexi Garyn and his Nightsister guard Mighella, and all of the Black Sun vigos, including Darnada and Morn. In addition, he killed the assassin Sinya.

One of Maul's more notable missions was to unite Lommite Limited and InterGalactic Ore, two companies operating on Dorvalla, a planet in the Outer Rim, in order for the Trade Federation to move in and control all shipping of the ore. Lommite ore was an important component of transparisteel, a durable metal alloy used in many construction projects. Wilhuff Tarkin issued a challenge to the two companies for a major contract and both companies looked to the Toom clan to sabotage the other. This led to the loss of the majority of each company's ore transportation ships, and because of this the two companies made a joint effort to destroy the Toom clan. Maul followed the small army to the battlefield and, once they destroyed the Toom clan, killed the survivors, including high-ranking members of Lommite Limited such as Patch Bruit and the Falleen Caba'Zan, who was the leader of the InterGalactic Ore portion of the army. The mission was a success since the two companies' leaders came together and the Trade Federation received its prize.

Another notable mission was to kill Hath Monchar, the Neimoidian Vice-Viceroy of the Trade Federation, and anyone he may have talked to about the trade embargo of Naboo. Maul learned that Monchar intended to sell a holocron that contained details of the embargo to Lorn Pavan, a Corellian information broker on Coruscant. Maul had to face both Jedi Padawan Darsha Assant and her Master Anoon Bondara. He dueled Bondara in a lightsaber fight on top of a building and nearly lost his life in the ensuing explosion when Bondara destroyed Maul's speeder bike. Darsha and Pavan escaped into the sewer system where they encountered and killed subterranean lifeforms. They made it to a cavern where they fought and escaped from a taozin, a Force resistant beast. Later Darsha Assant blew up the warehouse that they were fighting in, in an attempt to prevail where her Master had failed, claiming her life in the process. Maul escaped the inferno and continued to hunt for Pavan. Pavan followed Maul into space, and had a chance to kill Maul when he was hibernating on board a space station. However, Pavan's blaster only had enough power for a single kill shot or three stun shots, and he was worried about missing. He planned to hit Maul in the back with a stun bolt, and then try to steal his lightsaber and kill him. Maul was seemingly unaffected by the shot, woke up, and sliced the Corellian's right hand off. He then pursued Pavan through the station and Pavan escaped. The mission ended when Maul ambushed Pavan outside of his room in a hotel on Coruscant and gave him a quick death for his surviving skill.

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Invasion of Naboo
"At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we will have revenge."

- Darth Maul

Duel on Tatooine

Prior to the battle of Naboo, Maul was dispatched to eliminate the Jedi who had been sent by the Republic to settle the conflict. After tracking them to the planet of Tatooine using the Force—and killing Aneesa Dym, a Pa'lowick smuggler who got in the way—Maul engaged the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. Following a brief but intense duel Qui-Gon escaped, but with the fear of what would become the eventual revenge of the Sith. He only used one side of his double-bladed lightsaber in this short duel. Maul, having failed in his task to prevent Queen Amidala and the Chosen One from reaching Coruscant, was eager to exact revenge on the Jedi Knights.

Duel on Naboo

"You have been well trained, my young apprentice. They will be no match for you."

- Darth Sidious

When the wall deactivated, Qui-Gon immediately attacked, driving Maul to the edge of the shaft. However, Maul managed to regain the offensive and eventually smacked the Jedi Master in the face with his weapon's long hilt, stunning Qui-Gon. Once this act was finished, Maul quickly impaled him in the stomach.

Turning to Obi-Wan, Maul again awaited the laser-walls deactivation. As soon as it did, the Jedi Padawan viciously attacked, momentarily catching Maul off guard, even managing to sever Maul's weapon in two. Discarding the nonfunctional lesser half of his weapon, Maul unleashed a flurry of his own attacks, driving Obi-Wan back. Eventually, Maul pushed Obi-Wan into the reactor shaft. As Obi-Wan grasped hold of a input nozzle, Maul kicked the Jedi Padawan's lightsaber into the reactor pit

As Darth Maul struck the edge of the pit repeatedly with his lightsaber, Obi-Wan managed to calm himself. Although Maul disposed of his lightsaber, Obi-Wan remembered his fallen master's weapon still lay at Qui-Gon's side. Using the Force, Obi-Wan leaped out of the shaft and summoned the lightsaber to his hand. The Jedi Padawan landed after a mid-air turn, executing a blindingly fast horizontal slash that bisected Maul and temporarily ended the darkness of the sith lord.

Flinching in shock and pain, Maul fell backwards into the shaft with a vague and muted yell, his two halves separating. After briefing the Jedi Council and the newly elected Supreme Chancellor, Obi-Wan was sworn to secrecy, as well as Queen Amidala, regarding the identity of the assassin and his connections to the Sith.

Maul's death was an unfortunate setback for Darth Sidious, but for a calculating man with foreknowledge of the future, it was not a disaster. Within a year, Maul would be replaced with the late Qui-Gon's former Master, Darth Tyranus, who was not only a fully capable warrior and duelist, but also a charismatic idealist, exactly the traits Palpatine needed to instigate the Clone Wars

Personality and traits
Darth Maul was little more than a savage animal. He was a being of hatred and evil because of his intense training under Darth Sidious. However Maul wasn't completely heartless and felt respect, admiration, even a level of genuine attachment to his master despite Sidious' harsh training. Maul had his own code of honour and usually gave people whom he thought were worthy opponents a quick death. Despite this he didn't give Qui-Gon Jinn a painless death and Qui-Gon was probably one of the most powerful opponents he'd ever faced. This may have been because he was eager to finish the battle with Qui-Gon's padawan, Obi-Wan and therefore forgot about his code of honour.

Maul's greatest weakness was his arrogance. He was always determined to prove that he was stronger than his opponents and he sometimes dropped his guard when he thought the enemy was no longer a threat. His arrogance eventually cost him his life when he was bisected by Obi-Wan Kenobi, an opponent he'd thought he'd beaten.

Powers and abilities
However, the Jedi Master delivered a flurry of attacks and drove Maul along the catwalk into the laser-walled security hallway protecting one of the exhaust shafts. Suddenly, the walls activated, separating Qui-Gon and Maul, but also Obi-Wan from Qui-Gon. With the battle momentarily halted, the three took a moment to recover, with Maul pacing like a caged animal.