#sith

Many believed Lord Vader to be a cold-hearted and ruthless man who concerned himself only with the Empire's strength; thus, it was a great surprise, and a pleasant one, to witness his blatant affection for the prince and princess. He invested vast sums of credits into artistic renditions of his children, which decorate the Imperial Palace and many other important buildings to this day, and so brought a resurgence of art to Coruscant in their honour.

He also took great pleasure in seeing the twins' mutual affection. It was proof of their unshakable bond, wrought deep in the so-called Force, an ancient religion that he himself took part in. It is worth noting that the Empire’s citizens were also overjoyed in seeing their lord's happiness, not least because their livelihoods depended on his good mood.

To this day, the shared love of the Imperial family remains a symbol of the Empire's unbreakable core.

~~~

because tell me why I caught myself multiple times leaning forward like, "oh… this might actually work." "oh, i would like to see what happens," like I was considering it. like I was ready to watch Devon fall and go, "yeah, okay, I get it, I support it."

and that’s the trap.

this whole time, we knew who Maul is. manipulator, survivor, (at one point) a victim, walking vendetta wrapped in charisma, Sam Witwer voice, and cool tattoos. him technically not being a Sith anymore doesn’t cleanse anything. it just makes him more unpredictable. he’s not serving Sidious anymore, he’s serving himself.

and still… the show makes you feel for him.

that last episode especially felt like emotional whiplash in the best, most unsettling way. one moment you’re watching him inch closer to getting what he wants; Devon as an apprentice, and there’s this creeping tension where you think, "is it really gonna happen?" and then the next moment he’s practically delivering Master Daki to Vader like a calculated sacrifice.

and it snaps back into place.

oh. right. he’s awful.

but it doesn’t stick, does it? because then Daki dies, Devon is angry and shattering the way Maul wants.

and Maul... Maul has that moment. that barely-contained smile. that flicker of satisfaction he tries to hide while feeding her anger, sharpening it. "we will have our revenge." and suddenly you realize something deeply uncomfortable:

he’s not just manipulating her.

he’s been manipulating us the entire time.

because why are we feeling anything close to hope when he speaks? why does his pain feel compelling enough to blur the lines? why did I, even for a second, forget that wanting Devon to follow him is wanting her destruction?

it’s not just character writing at that point. it’s narrative sleight of hand.

and honestly? I have to give it to the writers. because making Maul likable isn’t new. making him tragic isn’t new. but making the audience complicit in his manipulation? making us feel the pull of the dark side alongside the characters?

that’s something else entirely.

Anakin Skywalker 💔