Warning! Spoilers ahead for Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord Season 1, Episode 5, "Inquisition."Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord requires no prior knowledge of the franchise for the show to be enjoyed, at least according to the project's star, Sam Witwer. However, the Maul voice actor's sentiment feels a little oversimplified, as the crimson-bladed Zabrak makes countless references to his life before Janix.
On the other hand, Shadow Lord does also feel like the writers at least attempted to make it a standalone project. Rather than the references being smile-and-point-at-the-screen moments, newcomers could easily accept those nods as cryptic reveals about Maul's past.