Darth Maul Wields The Darksaber In This Unbelievable Fan Art

The Darksaber has become such a huge part of Star Wars lore, and is very much associated with Darth Maul and the Mandalorians. We first saw it in The Clone Wars but have since seen it in Rebels and, more recently, the first season finale of The Mandalorian. A unique design, fans have loved seeing characters wield the weapon, especially Maul.

One such fan named Raf Grassetti has illustrated a piece depicting Maul wielding this weapon. The caption reads the following:

"The ruler of Mandalore

I’ve always wanted to do this piece and even though Maul is not showing up on Mandalorian any mention of him would make me happy. With that said I can’t wait for more info on the Obi Wan series. Star Wars hype!

Mandalorian S2 already blew my mind. First episode was awesome! I’m really hyped for where this is going, I want to do Ahsoka Tano this weekend if I find time.

Sculpted using #Zbrush and comp in #photoshop

#starwars #mandalorian #darthmaul #conceptart"

The in-universe history of the Darksaber is that it was created by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian to be inducted into the Jedi Order. After his passing, it remained at the temple, until approximately one thousand years before the Clone Wars, when members of House Vizsla stole it from the Jedi Temple during a conflict that they had against the Jedi. Eventually, it got passed down to Pre Vizsla (voiced by then-future creator of The Mandalorian Jon Favreau).

In The Clone Wars season 5, we saw Pre Vizsla and Death Watch cross paths with Maul and his brother Savage Oppress. Together, they gained allies in the criminal underworld, forming the Shadow Collective. They staged an attack that made Death Watch look like the heroes of Mandalore, and Pre Vizsla came to power and betrayed Maul and Savage. Maul then found an ally in the form of Prime Minister Almec, whom he would use as a puppet ruler, and broke out of his incarceration to challenge Pre Vizsla. Maul ended up defeating Vizsla and beheading him with the Darksaber, thus making himself ruler of Mandalore. Through various challenges, Maul continued to use the Darksaber throughout the rest of the Clone Wars.

During season 3 of Star Wars Rebels nearly two decades later, we see Maul's hideout on Dathomir. The Darksaber is left behind as he searches Obi-Wan Kenobi, and it gets picked up by Sabine Wren, a Mandalorian who is part of the Ghost crew that fights for the Rebel Alliance. In season 4, Sabine gives the Darksaber to Bo-Katan. While we do not know the specifics of what happens to Bo-Katan within the decade that follows, it eventually ends up in the hands of Moff Gideon by the time that The Mandalorian roles around.

Needless to say, the Darksaber has a complex history, and it is nice to see fans express their enthusiasm for these bits of Star Wars lore. Maul wielding the Darksaber is a striking image, especially in this medium that we see in the Instagram post. The fans can continue to surprise with their talents as they share what they enjoy about the franchise.

Written By Steven Shinder

Syndicated From Culture Slate