For nearly two decades, Star Wars: The Clone Wars has been the visual backbone of the faraway galaxy. Even as the studio expanded into new animation styles — from Rebels to Resistance — the core CG look introduced in The Clone Wars has remained a constant point of reference, refined towards the end of its long run but not abandoned. It even served as the style for follow-up shows such as The Bad Batch and the Tales Of anthology.
Among fans, it's still the most widely recognized and celebrated animation style in the Star Wars franchise. But it seems that long-running continuity is now coming to an end.
Lucasfilm has confirmed that its next animated series, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, will debut with a new animation style when it premieres on Disney+ in 2026.
The announcement was made via StarWars.com following the project’s reveal at Star Wars Celebration in April, where Maul voice actor Sam Witwer unveiled the project on stage, with footage from the series signaling a clear departure from the Clone Wars aesthetic.
During a review of all their Star Wars content over the past year, Lucasfilm has now confirmed that the series will feature “a new style of animation.”
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Witwer previously addressed the visual direction of the show while speaking with CinemaBlend. He said the animation will be “a little bit more extreme,” describing it as “more edgy and jagged and dangerous.”
Maul – Shadow Lord takes place during the early rise of the Galactic Empire and continues a storyline previously explored in The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Dave Filoni is attached as creator, extending his long-standing involvement with animated Star Wars storytelling, which has also included live-action projects like Ahsoka.
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord is currently set to premiere on Disney+ in 2026. Ahead of the series’ debut, Marvel Comics will release a five-issue prequel titled “Star Wars: Shadow of Maul”, written by Benjamin Percy with art by Madibek Musabekov. The first issue is scheduled to arrive in March, 2026.
Are you excited about these new stories centered on Maul? Share your thoughts with us in the comments down below!
