10 Most Paused Star Wars Moments

8. The Double-Sided Lightsaber - The Phantom Menace

Darth Vader Skull
Lucasfilm

Yes, that really was a double-sided lightsaber.

In amongst the highs and the lows of The Phantom Menace, one of the undoubted triumphs of Episode I is Darth Maul. A completely new character to Star Wars canon, this most badass of beings was the star of the show when it came to George Lucas' 1999 movie.

Granted, the rogue was sold to eager audiences on the false pretences of being a major part of the movie - Maul is rarely on screen and only says a total of 31 words throughout the picture - but that still didn't make his impact any less impressive.

When it comes to impressive impact, though, the moment this Dathomirian reveals that his lightsaber is actually a dual-bladed weapon is one of the greatest moments of the prequel trilogy. And for a fan base who hadn't even ever considered the notion of just such a weapon, this was a mind-blowing moment that had franchise fans reaching for their pause button once The Phantom Menace first hit VHS and then DVD.

Many may have wanted so much more from Darth Maul in Episode I, but what we did get of the character was absolutely phenomenal.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.