The Next Anakin Skywalker? Meet Star Wars' New Sith Apprentice

Remember meeting kid Anakin back in The Phantom Menace and knowing exactly where that train was headed? We might be watching a new version of that rise-and-fall play out right now with Devon Izara in Maul - Shadow Lord. Different era, different players, same dangerous slide.

'Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.'

Meet Devon Izara, a very familiar kind of prodigy

Devon Izara is a Twi'lek Jedi Padawan who actually fought on the front lines of the Clone Wars. She survived Order 66 with her master, Eeko-Dio Daki, and the two have been dodging the Empire ever since. That alone would mess anyone up, but then Darth Maul clocked her potential and put a target on her as a possible apprentice. The first season of Maul - Shadow Lord is basically the slow, methodical pitch to pull her off the Jedi path. Honestly, the result wasn’t a shock.

The Obi-Wan/Anakin echo is not subtle (and that’s the point)

The show leans into the mentor/student energy we know. Devon and Master Daki are framed a lot like Anakin and Obi-Wan, especially in episodes 7 and 8 during a jailbreak where Daki sends Devon to grab transport. Devon rolls up in a speeder Anakin would have immediately tried to jump a canyon with, wisecracks included, then absolutely floors it to ditch Imperial heat. Daki’s weary, 'please don’t enjoy this so much' reaction? Classic Obi-Wan vibes. That chase itself rips, too — arguably one of the better speeder sequences the franchise has put on screen.

The fall begins: fear, attachment, and an end-of-season turn

Drill down past the style, and Devon’s arc hits the same beats Anakin walked: fear sparked by trauma ( Order 66 never stops echoing), and a deep attachment to her teacher that turns into a weak spot. By the end of Season 1, Devon leans into her anger and hate, turns her back on the Jedi, and opts to learn from Maul. It’s not subtle — the finale literally bathes her in red as she makes the choice.

Season 2 setup: a bond, a loss, and a dangerous tradition

The show is already laying track for what comes next through Devon’s connection with Rylee Lawson. The two spend serious energy keeping each other alive, there have been sparks for a while if you’ve been watching closely, and now they share something darker: both are reeling from the loss of a father or a father figure. That shared grief can become glue — or tinder.

Here’s where lore gets messy in a way that absolutely fits this story. Sith history (canon and not-so-canon) suggests an apprentice eventually 'proves' their commitment by killing someone they love. Snoke tried to force that moment on Kylo in The Force Awakens, but Han stepping forward willing to die muddied the ritual. Palpatine clearly tried to weaponize Padme for Anakin, but Anakin didn’t choose her death — and Vader spent years obsessing over undoing it. Maul, for his part, doesn’t even operate with the full Sith handbook anymore, but he repeats what he knows.

• Devon and Rylee’s bond is deepening — and that could be exactly what Maul wants, if he intends to push Devon toward a 'sacrifice'.
• The emotional trajectory mirrors Anakin’s Revenge of the Sith slide, but it’s not fated — Devon could still pull up before the cliff.
• Romance brewing? It sure looks that way, which only raises the stakes if Maul aims to twist it.

The Darth Talon connection is loud and clear

If Devon’s path feels pre-written, that’s by design. She’s tracking hard toward Darth Talon — the red-skinned Twi'lek Sith from the old Expanded Universe — a character George Lucas once wanted to pair with Maul as his apprentice in his sequel trilogy plans. The Season 1 finale isn’t coy about it: Devon stands in a crimson wash as she buys into the Sith way. It’s not just a neat color cue; it’s a big neon arrow at what she could become. Maybe 'Darth Talon'. Maybe just 'Talon' if Maul keeps side-eyeing the 'Darth' label. But the silhouette is there.

Why this remix works: Vader vs. Maul are not the same

The show also quietly underlines a key difference: Vader was the Empire’s iron fist — a wrecking ball and a leader. Maul was Palpatine’s blade, honed for a purpose and discarded. So Maul trying to counter the darkness by creating more darkness? That’s a losing game. He doesn’t build — he corrupts. Which makes Devon’s crossroads even more interesting: power now, or a path back to the light later.

So, where are we headed?

Will Devon complete the turn and fully become a Talon-like enforcer for Maul? Or does she choose Rylee over rage and break the cycle? Either way, Season 2 has plenty to chew on, and the show is even sneaking in texture about how Sidious shaped Maul in the first place — a mystery fans have been chewing on since 1999.