How many lines does Darth Maul speak in The Phantom Menace?

04 April 2023
Darth Maul, one of the main antagonists in the 1999 film "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace," has a limited amount of dialogue.

In fact, he only says 33 words in three lines of dialogue.

Not 31 as many people on the internet seem to think...

Not bad for one of the most iconic bad guys in Star Wars.

darth maul quotes star wars

Here's his quite quotable conversation with Palpatine:

Darth Maul: Tatooine is sparsely populated. If the trace was correct, I will find them quickly, Master.

Senator Palpatine: Move against the Jedi first. You will then have no difficulty in taking the Queen to Naboo to sign the treaty.

Darth Maul: At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we will have revenge.
Senator Palpatine: You have been well trained, my young apprentice. They will be no match for you.

On Naboo after being instructed by Darth Sidious to wait for the Jedi:

“Yes, My Master.”

That line has big echoes back to how Darth Vader would ultimately converse with Palpatine

There was a series of 'tone poems' spoken by the characters in television spots to promote The Phantom Menace. Maul's was:

"Fear. Fear attracts the fearful, the strong, the weak, the innocent, the corrupt. Fear. Fear is my ally."
The physical portrayal of Darth Maul in "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" was performed by Ray Park, a British martial artist and actor.

However, the voice of Darth Maul was provided by Peter Serafinowicz, an English actor, comedian, and writer. Serafinowicz recorded the dialogue for the character after the film had finished shooting, and his voice was then mixed with various sound effects to create the final sound of Darth Maul's voice.

It's worth noting that while Ray Park physically played the character, he didn't actually speak any lines in the film. Instead, his grunts and other vocalizations were recorded during filming and later replaced with the final voice of Darth Maul in post-production.

In the 2018 film "Solo: A Star Wars Story," the voice of Darth Maul was once again provided by actor Sam Witwer following his run in The Clone Wars.

Witwer's voice was used in a surprise cameo appearance of Darth Maul in the film's final scene, where he reveals himself to be the leader of the Crimson Dawn criminal organization. The appearance of Darth Maul in the film was a surprise to many fans, as the character was previously thought to have died in "The Phantom Menace." - as not everyone watches Star Wars cartoons!

Here's the exchange Maul has with Qi'Ra at the end of the Solo film:

Qi'Ra: “I regret to inform you that Dryden Vos is dead, murdered by the thief he hired to steal the coaxium ship and his friend – Tobias Beckett.”

Darth Maul: “Is that so? Where is the shipment now?

Qi'Ra: “Gone. Beckett took it. Slaughtered the others. I alone survived.”

Darth Maul: “One man couldn't have done this alone.”

Qi'Ra: “I wasn't there. But if I had been, perhaps I could've saved him.”

Darth Maul: “Bring the ship and come to me on Dathomir and you and I will then decide what to do with the traitor Beckett and his accomplices.

Qi'Ra: “I'm on my way.”

Darth Maul: “Qi'ra, you and I will be working much more closely from now on.

That means Maul spoke 54 words in Solo, 63 percent more words than he did in The Phantom Menace.

Here's the first piece of concept art for Darth Maul:


darth maul concept art ian mccaig
Feels like the classic 1990s, as if they were a member of Prodigy...

Here are some bits of trivia about Darth Maul:

  1. Darth Maul was originally designed by concept artist Iain McCaig, who also designed characters such as Padmé Amidala and General Grievous.
  2. The design of Darth Maul's double-bladed lightsaber was inspired by weapons used in traditional Filipino martial arts.
  3. Ray Park, the actor who played Darth Maul in "The Phantom Menace," is a martial artist who also played the character Toad in the first "X-Men" movie.
  4. In the "Star Wars" canon, Darth Maul survived his apparent death in "The Phantom Menace" and went on to appear in other stories such as The Clone Wars and fought Ashoka Tano..
  5. Despite his limited dialogue, Darth Maul is considered one of the most popular and iconic villains in the "Star Wars" franchise.
  6. The makeup and prosthetics used to create Darth Maul's appearance in "The Phantom Menace" took over four hours to apply each day.
  7. Actor Sam Witwer, who provided the voice of Darth Maul in "The Clone Wars" and other Star Wars media, is also known for his roles in shows such as "Being Human", Battlestar Galactica and "Smallville."
  8. The character of Darth Maul was created specifically for "The Phantom Menace," and did not appear in any of the previous "Star Wars" movies or other media.
  9. The sound effects used for Darth Maul's lightsaber were created by recording the sound of an old television picture tube and modifying it in post-production.
  10. In "The Clone Wars," Darth Maul is shown to have developed a rivalry with another Sith Lord, Count Dooku, who was also one of his former masters.

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My name is Jimmy Jangles, the founder of The Astromech. I have always been fascinated by the world of science fiction, especially the Star Wars universe, and I created this website to share my love for it with fellow fans.

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