Concept artist Iain McCaig explains what led to the inspiration for Darth Maul’s iconic look. The iconic menacing villain was first introduced inStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, the first installment in the prequel trilogy. Over the years, Darth Maul remained one of the most popular characters in theStar Warsuniverse, with one reason being the character’s menacing appearance. This includeshis bright gold eyes and his red skin with black circuit tattoos,alongside one of the fewStar Warscharacters with a double-bladed lightsaber.
While speaking withStarWars.com, McCaig shared that the only description he received from George Lucaswas that Darth Maul was “our new Sith Lord.“While initially stressed about the lack of direction, he realized Lucas chose him because the director wanted to see what the artist could ideate for Darth Maul on his own. Read his comments below:
“George [Lucas] just came up and said, ‘Darth Maul, he’s our new Sith Lord,’ and he walked away. I didn’t know if Maul was male or female, an alien, anything. It freaked me out at the beginning that I didn’t get much direction. Then I realized that maybe he picked me because he liked my work and wanted me to show him what I thought Darth Maul might look like.”
Since Darth Vader was the only Sith Lord who had appeared onscreen at that point, McCaig thought that Maul should look similar. At first, he planned on giving the character a similar look but then decided to focus on what Maul’s face would look like. Originally, hethought of giving him implanted circuitry that would connect Maul’s flesh to a mask.
“Darth Vader was the only Sith Lord we knew back then, so I assumed he would be wearing some kind of a helmet. Months of trying to out-helmet Darth Vader went absolutely nowhere.”
McCaig then tried putting a circuit board on Maul’s face, butthe circuitry later evolved into tattoos. He said that the design of the tattoos on Darth Maul’s face was inspired by the character Rorschach from the DC Comics seriesWatchmen.
“For [previs supervisor] David Dozoretz, I literally put a circuit board on his face. By the time I got to our production designer, Gavin Bocquet, I had simplified the circuitry to tattoos - probably channeling Rorschach from [Watchmen] - and suddenly the design started to work.”
Later, Lucas shared his first draft ofThe Phantom Menace’s script, whichdescribed the character as “a vision from your worst nightmare.“He then thought about when he worked late at his studio and the feeling of being watched. Visually, he thought of a white face staring at him, that had glittering eyes and sharp metal teeth. He then shared an image of what he imagined to Lucas, who told McCaig to instead give him his “second worst nightmare.” McCaig’s description of the design can be found below:
“Working late at night in my studio, I had the eerie feeling I was being watched. My imagination conjured a dead white face pressed against the studio window, glittering eyes staring at me. It grinned sharp metal teeth as it peered, distorted through rivulets of rain. So I drew that face for George, put it in a folder and slid it across to him at the next meeting. He took one look, shrieked, and slapped it closed again. ‘Give me your second worst nightmare,’ he said.”
He then thought abouthow the painted expressions on clowns scare himbecause they don’t show what the clown is actually thinking. The artist even shared that he was scared of Bozo the Clown as a child. He then decided to use the markings on Darth Maul’s face to show the characters having emotions that contradicted each other.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love clowns. But something about those painted expressions scares me, because who knows what they’re really thinking? So I used the markings on Maul’s face to conjure contradictory emotions: malice, but delight; scowling but grinning like a skull.”
An example that McCaig used was the scene where Maul is about to battle Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Although the two Jedi are physically bigger than him,Maul’s expression shows how excited he is about fighting them. McCaig’s description of the scene can be found below:
“you may see that in the iconic scene where he confronts Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn.TwoJedi, both bigger than him, and Maul looks like he’s just won the lottery. He doesn’t give a fig about the Trade Federation. He just wants to kick some Jedi ass.”
What Darth Maul’s Iconic Designs Means For Star Wars
The Sith Lord Made A Memorable Impression On Viewers
Even though Darth Maul has a smaller role inThe Phantom Menacecompared to other characters, his iconic appearance hashelped him become one of the most iconic characters of the franchise. He is also one of the scariest-lookingcharacters in theStar Warsuniverse, which adds more to how much of a threat the character is to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan in the film.
Darth Maul’s 10 Best Moments (So Far)
Though Darth Maul has only had one significant live-action appearance, his legacy in Star Wars is no less impressive. These are his best moments.
Darth Maul’slook also added variety to how a Sith Lord looks, so they don’t all look like Darth Vader. By not wearing a mask like Darth Vader, or later Kylo Ren, it also allowed Darth Maul to show the expressions that McCaig talked about, which he wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. The fact that his actual face is so terrifying, and he’s not just wearing a mask, also adds to how scary the character is.
Our Take On Darth Maul’s Iconic Design
One Of Star Wars' Best-Looking Villains
TheStar Warsfranchise has had a lot of great designs for characters, including Darth Vader and Boba Fett. Darth Maul’s design is one of the best looks to come out of the franchise. Giving him such an iconic look made Darth Maul stand out as one of the most memorable characters inStar War: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. He became so iconic, that even though he appeared to die at the end of the film, he has been brought back many times.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Cast
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is set in a galaxy facing political turmoil, as Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi seek peace while encountering Anakin Skywalker, a slave with great potential in the Force. Meanwhile, the Sith begin their resurgence, threatening the stability of the Republic.
