Inside Maul - Shadow Lord: Trivia from the Writers Room

The team behind Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord shares behind-the-scenes details on the new Disney+ animated series, including the fact that Maul's official kill list lives in the show bible. Obi-Wan Kenobi is the only confirmed name on it — for now.

You don't need a PhD in Star Wars lore to jump into Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord. According to Head Writer Matthew Michnovetz, the pitch is simple: a guy who's been wronged by a lot of people wants payback — and he's willing to burn the galaxy down to get it.

A Pulpy Noir Built on a Kill List

Shadow Lord, now streaming on Disney+, was designed to be an accessible entry point for new viewers. Michnovetz describes the series as a "pulpy noir" powered by a single emotional engine — Maul's thirst for revenge. That accessibility is deliberate, but behind the scenes the writers room went deep. To keep continuity straight, the team actually compiled a formal "kill list" for Maul that lives inside the official show bible, documenting every person who's ever crossed him across the films, animated shows, comics, and novels.

"All you really need to understand is that this is a story about a guy who has been wronged by a bunch of people and he wants payback." — Matthew Michnovetz, Head Writer

Obi-Wan Is the Only Name They'll Confirm

Supervising Director Brad Rau, Michnovetz, and Lore Executive Matt Martin are staying tight-lipped about what's in the bible — with one exception. Obi-Wan Kenobi is confirmed to be on Maul's list, which longtime fans won't find shocking given the duo's history stretching from The Phantom Menace through Rebels. Beyond Kenobi, the team is keeping those names under wraps, but they have opened up about other fun behind-the-scenes trivia, production stories, and Easter eggs tucked into the show.

What This Means for Star Wars Fans

With new episodes dropping weekly on Disney+, fans can look forward to additional behind-the-scenes reveals every Monday as Lucasfilm rolls out more trivia and making-of details. If you've ever wanted to know how a decade of Maul lore gets distilled into a streamable revenge story, Shadow Lord's production team is slowly letting the curtain lift — one episode at a time.