By the looks of how the first season of Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord was progressing, one would have easily guessed that the season finale was bound to create seismic waves with its final act. But never in a million years anyone would have even dreamed that David Filoni would drop a Darth Vader-sized meteor to Janix in the first season itself. The biggest, baddest weapon of the Empire, and Darth Sidious, made his way to the outer planet just to exterminate Maul and the Jedi.

The action, the tension, and the heaviness that Darth Vader brings with him in the season finale are just what make this already spectacular series a master stroke for the franchise, which has been struggling to give a well-rounded and thoroughly entertaining story for quite some years. However, there are a lot of other things that take place in the final batch of episodes - Episode 9, titled Strange Allies, and Episode 10, titled The Dark Lord - that set up things for the next season.

With all the things Maul and Devon go through in the first season, especially the climax, one thing is clear: their stories have just started, and the finale just sets them up for a tougher road ahead in the saga.

One thing that Darth Vader and Maul’s confrontation has taught us is that, despite being as close to his master as the Shadow Lord claims to be, he did not have any idea about the identity of Darth Vader. He obviously knew that Sidious had some kind of scheme in place for Anakin Skywalker before Order 66, but he did not know that the Sith Lord planned to take him on as his apprentice.

Throughout the fight scenes, we can see Maul struggling to make sense of who the new threat from the Empire can be. Although he senses in his fighting style his former master’s teachings and an understanding of the Jedi techniques, he still could not piece together who it could be. However, the duel in itself was magnificent, and what makes the face-off even more immersive is the narrative weight of Maul's character.

Indeed, it was a duel that many had been anticipating for some time as Maul had only crossed sabers with his masters, particularly Obi-Wan Kenobi, and never with Anakin Skywalker. So, it had a long time coming, and it certainly lived up to expectations. But it also changed Maul's perception of Darth Sidious, his former master and the target of his unrelenting vengeance.

He now knows what kind of power Darth Sidious actually possesses, and also what Vader is capable of. His fight against Vader has established pretty well that his mastery of the Force is in a league of its own, and even a Jedi master like Daki is nothing in comparison to him. He has realized that he needs Devon by his side now more than ever, as he has lost almost all of his close allies and crewmates in his efforts to escape from Janix.

While talking about sacrifices and casualties, there was a major one that just set the course for the next chapter of the series.

For the majority of the climax fight against Darth Vader, Maul and Jedi master Eeko-Dio Daki face him together. Even while Daki was able to inflict a minor injury on Darth Vader, it ultimately cost him dearly. Daki was hopeful that together with Maul, he could defeat Vader. However, Maul betrays him, and he actually pushed the Jedi Master to death while Vader killed him in the crumbling remains of Janix's forest. Unfortunately, Daki was killed when the Dark Lord of the Sith proved to be too strong for even a master of the Force.

Devon became enraged at the Eleventh Brother after seeing her master die in front of her eyes. Maul, who has been attempting to incite Devon's rage since Shadow Lord's first and second episodes, was pleased by this. Given that Maul has been attempting to bring Devon over to his side throughout the season, it should come as no surprise that, despite his injuries and continued cunning, Maul recognized how Daki's passing could present an opportunity.

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Devon channels her fury to hurt the Eleventh Brother to the point where the Inquisitor has to flee. In her anger, she pursues the Inquisitor and instead finds Vader, who corners her with his overwhelming fighting skills. She is saved by Maul, who uses the Force to collapse the ceiling on top of Vader. However, she is so consumed with rage that she still wants to go after Vader and kill him. Devon only consents to leave on her own when Maul assures her that she will have her revenge on Vader, but in due time, when she has grown stronger.

One of Maul - Shadow Lord's most sorrowful moments is Daki's passing. In addition to the fact that Daki was the only thing tying Devon to the Jedi of the Republic and their teachings, this represents yet another Jedi death at the hands of the repressive Empire. Devon is now more susceptible to Maul's manipulations than ever. In the very last scene of the finale, we see Devon giving in to her anger and agreeing to train under Maul in order to exact revenge on Vader and the Inquisitor.

Devon is devastated by her master’s death, but someone else is also in the same emotional mess.

As it happens, Maul - Shadow Lord did not pull any punches in the climax. With Maul losing almost all of his crew and Devon losing Daki, Rylee also had to part ways with his father, and I mean not willingly. It was the only way for Rylee to escape the planet. Brander Lawson used himself as bait to lure the attention away from Rylee and Two-Boots so that they could board Dryden Vos' ship along with Looti Vario.

However, despite being surrounded by the stormtroopers and being fatally injured, we do not see him actually die. He just sort of vanishes into the mist of the Janix jungle, still firing at the enemies. The show cleverly conceals his fate to build up anticipation for the next season. The second season of the series may provide an explanation for Brander's fate and establish a new narrative for him.

Either way, Rylee is left in Two-Boots' care right now and is emotionally wrecked, as he might be under the impression that his father laid down his life for him. But he and the audience do not know if that is entirely true. Anyway, the most possible role for Rylee going ahead in the series might be to act like the voice of reason for Devon - a role that previously belonged to her master. Since the show subtly established that Devon cares about Rylee, this seems to be plausible for now.

Rylee being there for Devon may mitigate some of the dark influence of Maul on her, at least for a while. The next season may see a tug-of-war-like situation between Maul and Rylee over Devon, where Rylee will constantly try to remind her of her former self and the Jedi principles that Daki once taught her.

On the contrary, his father’s death might also push him down the darker path, just like Devon, being influenced by Maul. Besides, Brander Lawson’s last instructions to Two-Boots were to safely deliver Rylee to his mother, who, by the way, works for the Empire. So, Rylee’s future, in this regard, does not seem too bright.

While it still remains to be seen if Rylee comes in his way or plays a pawn in his game, Maul is plotting his next move, and the destination is the top seat of Crimson Dawn.

By the end of Shadow Lord's ninth episode, Strange Allies, Maul loses all of his subordinates, and his Shadow Collective collectively perishes in the shadows. Maul can only proceed by cooperating with Dryden Vos of Crimson Dawn, his rescuer and new ally, as his organization is in ruins. The problem is that Maul will have to contend with Rintero, the current leader of Crimson Dawn and Vos' superior.

We know from Solo: A Star Wars Story that Maul will be able to establish himself as the crime syndicate's boss, with Vos serving as its public face, but we still don't know how that happened or whether Darth Vader and the Empire will be involved in any effort to stop it. Thus, Maul's scheme to murder Rintero and seize Crimson Dawn for himself will probably be the main focus of Maul - Shadow Lord season 2. It will be interesting to see how Devon contributes to this during her training, as well as what happens to Rylee, Two-Boots, Vario, and the other supporting cast members.

Now that everything about the ending is covered, there is just one last thing to clear, and it is about the two Inquisitors.

The show's conclusion and the upcoming events of the Star Wars chronology involving Ahsoka Tano confirm that Marrok and the Eleventh Brother, who have been major adversaries in the series, will return. Just like Brander Lawson, neither of the Inquisitors had a clear death scene here, yet they both survived to face Ahsoka.

Daki threw Marrok off a bridge into a deep rift, but this probably would not have killed him, as is assumed from the numerous falls we have seen in several Star Wars stories. On the other hand, the Eleventh Brother fled after being injured by Devon and vanished just like that. Since their death has not been finalized yet, it is hard to conceive a universe in which Marrok and the Eleventh Brother do not reappear in the second season, since Maul and Devon continue to pose a threat to the Empire.

Optimistically, there seems to be a lot of room for the Inquisitors in season 2, as their absence would leave Vader doing the heavy lifting all by himself, and that does not suit someone of his stature. Vader’s existence in itself should be the threat that Maul needs - the idea of him constantly in pursuit of the Shadow Lord should be the approach, not Vader himself going after him from place to place. However, it is also true that it is highly unlikely that Vader will leave this business unfinished, especially since it is a major threat to the Empire.

The climax of Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord has successfully put the audience in a bind about the future of Maul, Devon, and Darth Vader’s role in it. But certain things are clear, like Maul taking over Crimson Dawn and Devon becoming his apprentice and embracing the dark side. With many questions still left to answer, the second season of the show is poised to be an even more tumultuous ride of vengeance.

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