Maul, once known as Darth Maul, was a Force-sensitive Dathomirian Zabrak male who established himself as a crime lord during the reign of the Galactic Empire. Once, however, he was the Sith apprentice of Darth Sidious, and therefore, a Dark Lord of the Sith. Having trained in the ways of the Force, Maul was a formidable warrior strong with the dark side and deadly skilled in lightsaber combat. In addition, he was a scheming mastermind who plotted his return to power despite losing his place in the ranks of the Sith.

Born during the era of the Galactic Republic, Maul was the son of Mother Talzin, leader of the Nightsisters of Dathomir, and also had a sibling, the Nightbrother Savage Opress. Sensing Maul's potential, Sidious took Talzin's son as an apprentice while he was still a child. Anointed by his Sith Master as Darth Maul, the Dathomirian was raised to hate the Jedi Knights that served the light side of the Force. Desiring to see the Jedi Order fall, Maul trained for the day when the Sith would exact revenge on their ancient foes. The time for revealing the Sith's continued existence to the Jedi came during the Invasion of Naboo, when Maul confronted Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. Though he killed Jinn, Maul was, in turn, defeated by Kenobi, who bisected the Sith assassin at the waist. He was believed to be dead in the aftermath of the battle, but Maul ultimately survived, emerging a decade after his defeat, during the height of the Clone Wars.