8 Redeeming Qualities Of The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy

4. Darth Maul

Darth Maul 04 If there is a Sith equivalent to Mace Windu, containing the essence of absolute cool and unique badassery, that would be Darth Maul. With only two lines Ray Park shows you don't need to jabber on like Jar Jar Binks to make an impression on fans. All you need is a cheek-clenching death moment, duel-sided lightsaber, and martial art skills to say "don't worry if the politics of this film confuses you, we got this two-on-one lightsaber battle to welcome you back to Star Wars". Ray Park (you know, Snake Eyes from G.I. Joe) portrayed Darth Maul with a showcase of his expert martial art talent, blending the action that the shallow parts of our minds crave and the aesthetic beauty that came along with the seamless choreography that made for an eye-popping spectacle. Menacing and ominous, Darth Maul proved himself worthy of a permanent spot in the Star Wars galaxy with the presentation he gave as the perfect representation of what Anakin will eventually become: an agent of evil blindly following the orders of those who find him expendable. Giving us what I will argue as the best lightsaber fight in the six movie saga, Darth Maul delivers. Putting up a fight against both Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Maul holds his own, proving to the Jedi that the Sith have returned and are not to be taking lightly, and even kills a Jedi Master. Looking like a guy you do not want to meet in a dark asteroid field, Darth Maul was such a hit, writers saw fit to bring him back in the Clone Wars animated spin-off (honestly, who cares if he was cut in half). One of the most visually striking and enjoyable characters in the prequel trilogy, Darth Maul made Episode I not a total lose.
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From filling an empty stomach to sleeping in until noon, Chris Combs ensures to enjoy all of life's simple pleasures. Poet, explorer, and all around gentlemen. This scholar is a pop-culture melting pot of useless information that would win any game of trivial pursuit. Follow him on Twitter to get inside his mind @OrganicChris23