Is it bad I found Devon's fall to the dark side not compelling or even believable? During the finale, I was just thinking, "This makes no sense."
Devon knows without a doubt that Daki would rather die a thousand times over than see his Padawan become a tool for a dark-side monster like Maul. Daki told her that Maul is manipluating her to make her his. She knows Maul is a sith, a murderer, and warlord. Maul literally tried to murder Daki infront of her once. That alone should have ended any potential of their relationship. Just because he later on helps her fight off Inquisitors and gave her some advice sessions here and there shouldn't change her awareness that Maul is still a overt manipulative predator that tried to murder her master before. Devon has no reason to trust Maul in anyway. Maul isn't even subtle with his manipulation like he was with Ahsoka. Heck, Devon should have fully suspected that Maul had a hand in Daki's death and not want to be his apprentice.
Logically, Devon has proof that Daki's teachings work. She survived this long, even against Vader. For her to suddenly decide that the only way to defeat Vader is to completely abandon Daki's teaching and throw herself into the Sith arts feels like an unearned leap in logic. It ignores her own practical experience just to rush her toward a red lightsaber.
AND the fact that Devon just happens to miss the exact moment Maul deliberately pushes Daki into Vaderâs path is incredibly convenient.
If a character's entire tragic transformation depends on them being physically turned the wrong way at the exact microsecond a major betrayal happens, it relies on luck rather than organic drama. It proves that Maul's manipulation isn't actually brilliant or even smart; he just got incredibly lucky that Devon had a blind spot in that exact frame. If she had looked a second earlier, the entire plot would have collapsed.
In a truly character-driven story like Anakin Skywalker's slow, agonizing manipulation over a decade, the character's descent is born of internal flaws, desperation, and twisted philosophy. With Devon, her fall happens almost instantly as a reaction to a single event. We barely know much about her really, despite the heavy focus on her. She's just a flat plot device that Maul wants as his apprentice and he manipulates her into his apprentice. That's it.
