Devon Izara is a young Twi’lek Jedi Padawan that’s struggling to survive. When Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord begins, she’s hiding on the city planet Janix with Master Eeko-Dio-Daki.
It’s the early days of the Galactic Empire and Palpatine’s reign. The Jedi Order she was trained to serve is gone. Her friends and fellow Jedi are dead. And Eeko-Dio-Daki can’t get them enough food, choosing to rely on “the kindness of strangers.” The same strangers who ignore their plight.
So Devon tries to steal some fruit for her master and gets arrested instead.
She’s a survivor trying to adapt to the strange new world she’s living in. But it also shows there’s a darkness inside of Devon and Maul would love to bring it to the service.
One Dangerous Encounter
This story is more than a tale of good versus evil. Both Devon and Maul are wounded individuals.
Maul was taken as a child, molded into a weapon by Darth Sidious, then thrown away when he was no longer useful. He survived (barely) and by the time he arrives on Janix, Maul is eager to reclaim the criminal enterprise he lost after The Clone Wars ended. He’s searching for a way to get revenge against Sidious. To him, finding an apprentice is the missing key to his plans.
Devon is perfect because she’s already disillusioned and drifting from the Jedi way. These types of people are almost destined to run into each other.
The Master Who Waits
One of the reasons why Maul’s manipulation works has a lot to do with how Eeko-Dio-Daki interacts with the world.
Daki is a good man who believes the Force will provide. He waits for something to happen so he can react to it. These are admirable qualities but they cause him more harm than good. Waiting for a stranger to give him food instead of finding new means to earn money for food leads to Devon stealing.
After she’s kidnapped by Maul, he finds himself unprepared for actually confronting the former Sith Lord. It’s not that Daki isn’t strong, it’s just that Maul is always one step ahead.
By the time Daki crashes the bank transport to stop his escape, Maul already had a response. He uses the Force to collapse a bridge, knowing Daki would prioritize saving innocent lives over trying to free Devon. Daki’s caution and reluctance to act before he has a “sign” costs Devon, again and again.
The Father Figure Trap
Maul’s behavior follows a consistent ll pattern. From Savage Opress to Ezra Bridger, and now with Devon, he targets individuals who are wounded but gifted. People whose pain makes them volatile, yet also fuels their potential.
Rather than helping his targets process their trauma, he legitimizes it. He presents himself as the only person who truly understands them. That validation creates a sense of trust between him and his victims. With Maul’s dynamic with Devon, he’s presenting himself as someone who’s only trying to help a Force-sensitive individual survive despite the Empire keeping its foot on everyone’s necks.
This approach was evident in his attempt to make Ezra Bridger his apprentice in Star Wars Rebels. Maul leveraged Ezra’s frustration with the Jedi’s restraint, convincing him that his emotions were not liabilities but sources of strength. He framed himself as a mentor willing to help Ezra master the dark side of the Force. In reality, Maul only sought an apprentice to further his own goals, not to guide Ezra.
In fact, with Rebels taking place years after Maul Shadow Lord, it’s possible we get to see Maul’s interactions with Devon influence his future attempt to manipulate Erza.
Devon Was Already Moving Toward the Dark Side
Remember that Maul is only pushing Devon to embrace the darkness that’s already inside her. She already broke the law, ignored Master Daki and disobeyed authority figures. Her actions are fueled by anger or recklessness, which are clear violations of the Jedi Code.
Maul sees all of this and embraces these traits. He wants someone who knows how to push limits. He just needs to convince Devon that turning to the Dark side is the solution to all her problems.
The corruption of Devon Izara won’t be a sudden fall into evil. It will start with one compromise after another. It’s one moment of thinking: my master would wait, but here I’m going to act. It’s putting pieces together and assuming the picture is telling her Maul was right all along.
That’s what makes Devon’s arc so compelling, and so sad. Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is streaming now on Disney+.
