Darth Maul is a Star WarsEpisode I: The Phantom Menaceminifigure released in 1999. He is based on the Zabrak Sith Lord character from the Star Wars universe of the same name. Originally released in the first year of Star Wars LEGO (1999), a total of six variations have been made of the Sith Lord to date, with a seventh scheduled for release in 2013[1].
The first Minifigure form of Darth Maul was released in 1999, as a part of the Star Wars Episode I line, in two sets. This variant of Maul has black legs and a black torso piece with grey printing on it to depict his Sith robes. Maul's headpiece is also black, with red printing on the front to show his tattoos, and his yellow eyes were also printed on. Maul comes with a black cape and hood, and also a red-bladed lightsaber with a shiny silver hilt. The lightsaber either had a single blade piece like in the 7101 Lightsaber Duel, or two blade pieces, where one in inserted into the hilt in each end to form a double-bladed lightsaber, like in the 7151 Sith Infiltrator.
Maul's second variant came in 2007, along with the remake of Maul's Sith Infiltrator, the 7663 Sith Infiltrator. This variant differs slightly in the torso piece, where the grey printing was updated, but still serves the function of showing Maul's robe. In the head piece, the pattern of the red tattoos were changed slightly, and Maul's eyes were also given black pupils. Despite these differences, Maul retains his hood and cape accessories, and was released with a double-bladed lightsaber.
A new Darth Maul was released in 2009 with the 2851193 LEGO Star Wars Darth Maul Watch. He had the same pieces as his 2007 variant, except for the torso piece. The robe depicted has a different belt, and is folded differently. This torso piece is commonly seen on several of the more recent variants of Palpatine.
Darth Maul on LEGO.com
Darth Maul was redesigned once again in 2011 for the latest incarnation of his Sith Infiltrator. As is typical with all Darth Maul variants, this minifigure has a plain black leg piece, a black cape, and a double-bladed lightsaber. Maul's torso piece is again black, and with printing similar to his first two variants. However, the centre of the robe in this variant is more open, and has less lines running down it. The printing for the belt also has a different shape, and the lines are thinner. A small rectangle is also printed on the lower right-hand side of the belt. Maul's tattoo pattern was once again changed, as were his eyes and expression. For this variant, Maul has an interchangeable black hood, and a newly released piece, which goes on the top of Maul's head to represent the top of Maul's head. This piece is black, but has red printing on the front to match the red printing at the top of the head piece in an attempt to make this piece and the head piece appear joined. Eight horns come out from the side of the piece, representing the horns commonly present on Zabraks in the Star Wars universe.
In 2012, a promotional shirtless Darth Maul was released. In this variant, he has completely black legs. His torso is black but has printing on both sides depicting a grey-and-black belt and red printing depicting a bare chest. Maul's arms are red with black jagged marking on them, and his hands are red as well. Maul's head's base color is black, but with red face markings, light green/yellow eyes, and sort of sand colored teeth markings that creating an angry expression. Maul's 'horn' piece is black with some red markings at the front that match his head markings.
A Santa version was also released in the 2012 Star Wars Advent Calendar. This variant has plain red legs, red arms, a red cape, and the same hood piece found on Ice Fisherman from the series 5 Minifigures figures, but in red and white. His torso printing (back and front) is similar to his 2011 figure's torso, but with more creases, a puffy white collar, and a candy cane in back.
2013 will see the release of a Darth Maul from The Clone Wars line. It will include Darth Maul with robotic legs [1].
Darth Maul has appeared in all four video games to date- LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game, LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, and by using save data from the first game, he can appear in LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. Maul's appearances in these games appear to be a mixture of his two physical variants- in the video games, his eyes have pupils like the 2007 variant, but his torso design appears to be more like his 1999 variant. The Sith Lord has a double-bladed lightsaber in the video games, and is able to access areas which can only be accessed by those who use the Dark Side of the Force. He has a extra long lightsaber hilt in the game. He also appears in LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars after unlocking ten minikits.
Background
Darth Maul was Darth Sidious' Sith apprentice, trained from infancy in the ways of the Dark Side of the Force after he was given to Sidious by his mother on Dathomir. His weapon of choice was his red double-bladed lightsaber. Maul carried out several missions for his Master, before facing his greatest test of eliminating two Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, who were tasked with protecting the Queen of Naboo. Maul tracked down the Naboo cruiser in his Sith Infiltrator to the planet of Tatooine. Maul sent out three Sith Probe Droids to find the Naboo party, and they successfully located them as they were preparing to leave. The Sith Lord proceeded to go after Qui-Gon on his speeder bike, who was taking a young boy by the name of Anakin Skywalker back to the Naboo cruiser. Maul engaged Qui-Gon in a lightsaber duel, choosing to use only a single blade. However, Qui-Gon managed to escape from the duel by leaping onto the ship's boarding ramp.
Back on Naboo, Maul later again encountered Qui-Gon, this time along with his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The three dueled with their lightsabers (with Maul using both blades of his lightsaber), but the Jedi and Sith remained equals, until Maul managed to gain an advantage and stab Qui-Gon through the chest, the wound eventually causing the Master to die. Obi-Wan fought with great ferocity after this event managing to slice Maul's lightsaber in half, but he too was left virtually defeated, until he managed to jump out of the melting pit he was pushed into, pulling his Master's lightsaber to him at the same time by using the Force, and sliced Darth Maul in half. Maul then fell into the melting pit.
Ten years later, in the Clone Wars, Maul's brother, Savage Opress, was sent to find Darth Maul. Opress discovered Maul living on the Outer Rim with in a cave with cybernetic spider-like legs. Over the years, Maul went mad, which caused him to forget certain events. However, his mind was restored by Mother Talzin, and prosthetic legs with a lower torso were fashioned for him. He then went with Opress to find Kenobi and engaged him in a duel, before Kenobi fled with the help of Asajj Ventress.
