Maul, part II: So who's your mama?
This is an updated rewrite of a post that I originally published on my old account. But given the extensive editing and added sources, it made sense to post it here, independently.
As this subject first came to my attention I contemplated if this was just me being confused, but instead I found a continuity conflict. From all of the information available to me, I have been able to discern two alternate versions of the matter of Maul’s birth and parentage.
The source to give the most detailed account of it is the 2012 book Darth Plagueis that now belongs under the Star Wars Legends brand. As I wrote in part I, it reveals that Maul was born to a woman named Kycina - a human witch in Mother Talzin’s clan, and an unnamed Dathomirian Nightbrother father. Although his mother was not named until the short story Restraint included in the 2nd edition of Shadow Hunter.
The book also details Maul being one of two twin boys. And although neither Savage nor Feral is mentioned in it by name, there are other sources identifying Savage as Maul's older brother (Star Wars: The Clone Wars Comic UK 6.35). This confirms Feral as Maul's twin, even if only because Talzin punishes and imprisons Kycina after finding out she'd given Maul to Palpatine (in hopes of saving him from slavery, sigh), and she is not known to have any other children after that.
The next source in line The Wrath of Darth Maul doesn’t mention Kycina, but it does feature Talzin, and with no implication that she is Maul's mother or personally linked to him in any significant way.
And then there is the version presented in the 2014 comic, Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir (especially #3) which as of right now belongs to Disney’s version of the canon that was established with the acquisition. This seems to imply that Maul is Talzin’s son, with no mention of any Kycina whatsoever.
Prior to watching The Clone Wars I thought that was that. BUT. There is an interesting conflict of canonical information here, stemming from the fact that TCW was included into the Disney-era canon. So where does the conflict lie, you ask?
Talzin, Savage and Feral first appear in season 3 of The Clone Wars which aired in 2011 already, that way predating even the publication of the Darth Plagueis book. And the portrayal does more to support the version later presented in said book than to contradict it. A rather clear indicator of the original intention, I’d say. (+ Lucas himself was Executive Producer of the series.)
To be more specific, in season 3 of TCW after the assumed death of Asajj Ventress Dooku is in need of a new apprentice. Talzin contacts him with a well-timed suggestion to pick a new one from the same lineage as Sidious’ notorious former apprentice Maul. Also establishing that even in this version all three men - Maul, Savage and Feral, are brothers. But not once is there any implication that any of the three brothers are related to her. Not in season 3 or later on.
Perhaps even more importantly, as Asajj arrives back from the Nightbrother's village with Savage, Talzin and Savage’s reactions to each other would confirm that they’re not personally familiar with the other. And not just that.
“This one is strong!” Talzin muses, as she lets her hand travel around his torso, fondling his pecs, shoulders, neck and jawline. Exclaiming “the perfect male specimen!” as she’s finally done with the hands-on tour of his body.
The overtly sexual tone of her attention is a little too out there to go undetected. I’m sure that Dathomirians may have some unusual customs, but I doubt that either Disney or Lucasfilm would want to imply that incestuous tendencies is one of them.
Then there is the fact that after Savage's enhancement by Nightsister magick the final step of the test, to see if he’s a worthy mate for Ventress and would remain loyal to her even in Dooku's service, is to kill his brother Feral in front of Asajj and Talzin. Surely, not something a mother would permit for the sake of matchmaking one of her sons. Even with the Nightbrothers only serving the roles of slaves/fighters/breeders for the Nighsisters.
That still leaves an assortment of other things. First, it is only in #3 of The Son of Dathomir comic where Talzin refers to Maul as her “flesh and blood”. His calling him “mother” alone would not confirm the link, because in TCW she is also called 'Mother' by all the Nighsisters, all the Nightbrothers, Asajj and even Obi-Wan.
Secondly, TCW reveals that Talzin also knew all along where Maul was (Lotho Minor), something that is consistent with The Wrath of Darth Maul, for example. And if he really was her precious son, why not save him sooner? Why not attempt to save him from Palpatine who had crossed her after all... or even later, before Maul had spent something like 10 years wandering around, going mad on that literal dumpster fire of a planet.
Therefore... I would say there is ample room to argue that the case of Maul’s parentage, and by extension that of Savage and Feral, is not at all closed. And if it’s not obvious enough, the motivation for this post was also linked to my pursuit of that possibility. While both versions have their own implications, I prefer the original version by far. Even though the hand dealt to these three boys remains as tragic either way.
