Poll: Was Darth Maul a good character in a bad Starwars film? Or a mediocre character in a really bad film

[Killspre]

Darth Maul lacked any characterization in the movie except looking like a badass, so to me no he wasn't a good character because he wasn't a character just an obstacle for Obi-Wan to get through. They may give him a character in a book but I am going strictly by the movie.

 

[senordesol]

Remember the kill bugs at the beginning of Episode II? The creepy crawly things that Jango Fett gave to Zam Wessel that gave to that probe droid to kill Padme?

Maul was those. There to do a job, with no real motivation outside of doing that job. Ever. Maul was as much of a character as those bugs were. So, no, he was not a 'good' character or even a 'mediocre' one. He was a battle droid that just happened to have flesh and blood.

Vader was a great character, in that while he was a servant to the Empire, he'd be known to tighten a collar or two to make a point. He was decidedly unimpressed with a battle station that could destroy a motherfucking planet, and we are given glimpses into his past that suggest he was once a better man, but was somehow 'seduced' by the Dark Side. There's some complexity and depth to Vader that goes beyond 'kill everything I see'.

With Maul you get none of that. There's a difference between 'mystique' and 'not telling us a damn thing'. So far as the audience is concerned, Maul is just some goon who does whatever Sidious tells him to without question or hesitation.

 

[Agow95]

He had no character or personality, but was a complete badass. Meh.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Much like Bobba Fett, Darth Maul was just a cool looking character that a lot of people thought was interesting.

They aren't really characters, but they're certainly iconic to the franchise.

 

[plugav]

Darth Maul was a guy who looked super-evil and killed Obi-Wan's master. Was he a character at all or just a plot device?

 

[YogSothoth]

I'm not a fan of star wars anyway,so I might have a stilted opinion, but he was barely a character at all. Literally,how many lines of dialogue did he have in the entire movie? One to three? He was more of a "thing" that the protagonists had to get past than an actual villain. At least that four-armed robot in episode 3 had a part to play in the story other than a speed bump and a way to kill off Liam Neeson (although that was a noble cause in and of itself).

 

[Quakester]

Much like Bobba Fett, Darth Maul was just a cool looking character that a lot of people thought was interesting.

They aren't really characters, but they're certainly iconic to the franchise.

Boba Fett was a better character than Maul was. They actual did develop him more despite his lack of screen time and lines. They used his few actions, lines and the reactions of others to emphasize who he was. Boba Fett is one of the only characters in the entire series that was able to talk back to Vader and live. The only others (who weren't key members of the rebellion) were Grand Moff Tarkin and the Emperor. He was the only one to figure out where Han Solo went. He was the first to draw a weapon on Leia when she pulled the thermal detonator in Jabba's Palace. They made sure everyone knew he was a bounty hunter, he was smart, cunning, and exceedingly good at his job. He was also well respected in his field and generated intense fear. Remember how Han reacted just hearing he was around? Fortunately this was over 2 movies (3 if you count the special editions, which I don't). But even in Empire Strikes Back, you had an idea of who he was. He had some depth.

Compare that to Maul. He was Sidious' apprentice which made him a sith. That's it. Oh and he has a cool weapon. They tell you nothing else about him. He follows orders. Yay.

 

[Best of the 3]

He didn't really have a character. He was just a evil looking bad guy. He never really did an entire thing in the film, only played his role in the climax.

That being said the film was mediocre, not one I like. But I don't think he was a good character, simply because he didn't really have one.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Much like Bobba Fett, Darth Maul was just a cool looking character that a lot of people thought was interesting.

They aren't really characters, but they're certainly iconic to the franchise.

Boba Fett was a better character than Maul was. They actual did develop him more despite his lack of screen time and lines. They used his few actions, lines and the reactions of others to emphasize who he was. Boba Fett is one of the only characters in the entire series that was able to talk back to Vader and live. The only others (who weren't key members of the rebellion) were Grand Moff Tarkin and the Emperor. He was the only one to figure out where Han Solo went. He was the first to draw a weapon on Leia when she pulled the thermal detonator in Jabba's Palace. They made sure everyone knew he was a bounty hunter, he was smart, cunning, and exceedingly good at his job. He was also well respected in his field and generated intense fear. Remember how Han reacted just hearing he was around? Fortunately this was over 2 movies (3 if you count the special editions, which I don't). But even in Empire Strikes Back, you had an idea of who he was. He had some depth.

Compare that to Maul. He was Sidious' apprentice which made him a sith. That's it. Oh and he has a cool weapon. They tell you nothing else about him. He follows orders. Yay.

I didn't exactly read that deep into Fett's screen time, sorry, he'll always be 'that one guy who doesn't do much but seems to be the center of general fanbase's fanwank.'

I love Star Wars, it was a huge part of my life, but I never understood the following that some characters have gotten.

 

[Marcus Kehoe]

He played the part of a sith perfectly, he was evil looking, was himself evil, and was all around pretty badass. He was event he first to use the double-bladed light-saber when t was still cool.

 

[RuralGamer]

Of all the characters in the new trilogy, I'd say I think Maul was one of the best. The right atmosphere was created around him, he said enough, but also not too much to ruin the air around him and he had a really cool lightsaber (okay that last point may be invalid). He's like the Boba Fett of the new trilogy; doesn't have that much screen time, doesn't say much and is ultimately pretty cool.

 

[malestrithe]

Mediocre Character in an above average movie. He is just there to menace the main characters, have a cool fight scene, kill off Qui Gon and that is pretty much it. If a little more of the movie was devoted to fleshing out Darth Maul, or atleast give him a few more scenes, maybe some James Earl Jones style talking moments, he might have done better.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I think he was one of the most superfluous characters in all of Star Wars, well one of the most superfluous named characters anyway. Seriously he had absolutely ZERO influence on the plot whatsoever and pretty much just existed as an excuse for them to have that wicked three way sword fight at the end. You'd think that for all the work that went into his character design and how much he was and is plastered all of the marketing, he'd have had a much larger role to play. Instead you could have completely taken him out of the movie and lost nothing. ...well except the awesome sword fight.

 

[willsham45]

I do not think he is on the screen long enough to know anything more than he is a good fighter and has some cool face paint happening.

...although he did not do much he did nothing bad.

 

[Limer11]

As many others have said he wasn't really a good character, he just had an awesome visual design.

I mean he had absolutly no personality and you never actually get too know anything about him, his only purpose was looking cool and provide an opponent for a ligthsaber battle.

 

[Limer11]

*oops doubble post

 

[Susurrus]

SNIP

That assumes he was in a film by a guy who could direct, or a guy who could write.

Also, Lucas has never had the ability to write. Watch the original trilogy and actually listen to the dialogue. It's cringe inducing. The only reason Star Wars is loved is because some of the ideas and concepts were brilliant.

 

[Chimichanga]

I'll never understand this about starwars fans: why do you guys deify all these mostly-silent non-characters?

Hell, you did it with Boba Fett, and Darth Maul has gotten similar treatment.

What character? Disregarding all the Extended/expanded/whatever - universe and comics and going only with the original film he appeared in, then he had only like what - two lines and 15 - 20 minutes of overall screen time? It's like the collective consciousness of the fandom is made up of easily-amused five-year olds who base importance off of "OOH, he haz dubbul-bwaded lightsaybuh! Hees got these SO COOL head horns and faise tatooS!!!1 LETZ MAIK ENTIRE COMX AND BACKSTORY AROUND THIS GUY BECAUSE HE JUST LOOKED SO BADASS1!!"

Same with Boba Fett. In 1970-whatever: "OMG< HE HAZ THE COOL VIZOR ADN JHETPAK! i want cool helmte and jeetpac!1!! Let krait al theis baxtoree and continue the charactor in zuh comix because we thought he looked SO COOL!" [even though he only had like a few lines in the original]

I hate baseless fan worship, and while I tend to not have hate for characters initially for things like this, it grows when they become idolized and regarded 'iconic' for no reason than said fans. It's a strange love/hate I have with SW: I think the universe Lucas created is an interesting place than needs more exploration, but usually does not because everyone working on the IP always tries too hard to shoehorn in popular established characters or everything gets designed around being exactly like said characters just because fanboys don't know how to control themselves.

TLDR; No, he is not a good character in a pretty 'meh' movie.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Darth Maul didn't have a character.
"I'm the evil looking Sith Swordsman, here to act as a stand-in for Darth Vader to fill in the badass villain quota."

That's all there was to his "character", going strictly by the movies. I'm sure he sold a LOT of action figures though!

 

[Guffe]

I love the guy (didn't have too much "character" thou) + the actor (Ray Park) is absolutely fantastic, also plays snake-eys in the G I Joes movie (see any similarities?). And the silent martial artist is something I like. AND he does all the jumping and shit for real (well not the a few stories high ones) and the stunts too.