Give maximum credit to George Lucas for this one. The ability to create the main antagonist to perhaps the most anticipated film of all time then simultaneously pass him off as the most irredeemably useless weirdo ever committed to screen is something to be admired. Sure, Darth Maul killed off Liam Neesons Qui Gonn Jinn with a swift flick of his uber-lightsaber in the Phantom Menace, but such was the middling nature of said Jedi his death was about as impressive as the prequels themselves. Regardless of all the threatening devil horns and jailbird tattoos, Darth Maul yielded about as much influence as a defective battle droid. Indeed, both Obi Wan and Qui Gonn had far more troublesome encounters with the effeminate robots than they had with this seemingly hungover Sith Lord. Mind, he wasnt completely useless per se; more underused. You suspect his character was created simply so old George could writhe about on the dollar bills that flowed in off the back of Darth Maul merchandise and action figures. Which is probably fair enough really.