PT Was Darth Maul really Necessary?

"It's a bacon tree!"

 

Was he necessary to the plot? Absolutely.

Was he utilized well in the PT? Meh - I guess.

 

Yes he was necessary, but he should've at least hung around until Episode 2, Dooku still would've worked and you'd have two badasses running around.

 

But you always need to keep the "rule of two"

 

Yeah, you could've introduced Dooku in TPM. Read Darth Plagueis, Palps and him converse several times. Although not having him there adds to the mystery of the story by the time AOTC arrives. Plus did we really need another character in TPM, there were a ton of new characters in the film. Dooku is more of a political figure/teacher, not an assassin/warrior type. Which is what Maul does so well. So yeah, I think Maul was necessary.

 

I honestly never thought about it from this perspective. I love all of this.

 

<------ I abolished that rule a long, long time ago.

 

Yes, Darth Maul was absolutely necessary.

He could've been the main villain of the prequals had George not killed him off too early. Maul would've also been the leader of the Separatists instead of Dooku and he'd be instrumental in Anakin's fall to the dark side (especially by ROTS).

 

I guess rules can be broken...

 

I agree that the introduction of Dooku was awkward. The slaying of Maul was even more awkward.

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Mod corruption! I'm reporting you to the Mod Squad.

 

I always read Maul as filler. His handling was very poor. Does he have the potential to be key, yes. Is he, no.

Regarding Dooku, going by the films I don't see him as political at all. Nor a figurehead. He was disenchanted (with cause) and used.

 

Except Palpatine is Anakin's master. Palpatine is the one who seduces Anakin over to the dark side and ultimately enslaves him. Introducing another villain to drive Anakin's fall to the dark side would only serve to dilute the dramatic heft of Anakin's final confrontation against Palpatine in Episode VI.

The villains of the prequels are just pawns in Palpatine's grand scheme, and that was by design. Lucas wasn't setting out to create new iconic symbols of evil, because he already had one, and that was enough.

 

I feel like Maul has become overexposed now.

 

I hear what you're saying Cush, but Maul is never filler.

Whaaaat? He was going around trying to get every system hooked up with the Separatists. That's political, just not in the senate. Disenchanted? Yes. Used? I think he knew what he was doing. He knew what Sidious was up to. He told Obi-Wan so. I think he was the most aware of what was going on other than Sidious.

 

I really hate questions about entertainment that use the word "necessary". Its entertainment! Its whole existence is not "necessary".

 

I think that Darth Maul is essential the same as Dooku, and we get a good enough sense of what Maul was... the new face of the Sith. Not only was Sidious the Phantom Menace, but so was Maul. A new threat that had not been dealt with in a millennium and seemingly came out of nowhere. In the end, though, I think Maul's part in the films was pretty well established. He's a character we don't need to know too much about. He's mysterious, he's evil, and we already know he's the Sith apprentice. It's sort of like the Joker in The Dark Knight. The film focuses on Batman and Harvey Dent's arcs, but the Joker is in the film simply to wreck havoc in the middle of it all. A distraction to the real actions at play with the longer-term consequences.

At the same time, Dooku should have been seen briefly in TPM (or at least discussed) in order to give the character a more well-rounded story. The brief dialogue we hear about him in AotC says very little and leaves the viewer with more questions than answers. Dooku could have certainly been dealt with in a better fashion.

 

Darth Maul Apprentice: Fancy seeing you here!

Honestly, I think all the 'Dark Ones' could've been done better, particularly Maul. I got the intention but it doesn't work for me.

For me, no, Dooku isn't political simply because he supposedly did that. I said he was used, Maul, I by no means said he was completely unaware. He wasn't stupid. Yet, his disenchantment was twisted and used by Sidious just as Anakin's was. Dooku likewise trusted Sidious that's clear in RotS, I do not think his heart was Sith.

 

Har har Cush. Just like anything there are degrees, and Dooku was Sith. Maybe not as dark as Lord Sidious, but Sith none the less.

 

I understand that's how most see it. However, not me.

 

I've always felt that having both Maul and Dooku as Sith apprentices resulted in neither of them being particularly well utilised in the role. In my fantasy PT, they both appear in all three films, but Maul is the Sith apprentice and Dooku is the influential, respected face of the Separatists, but not a Sith. They could both have been better developed that way.

 

The question should be was Dooku necessary. Maul should have had more lines, had more exposure, and survived until episode III. He could have been as iconic as Vader. Oh well.

 

There should have been Maul or Dooku, not both.
Whoever was left would have characteristics from both characters though.

 

That would be interesting but hard to incorporate.

 

Master political speaker with combat experience on the side. Some things would be taken out but could still work.