'Star Wars' Theory: Darth Maul Founded The Knights Of Ren
The Dathomirian Zabrak known as Maul was once apprenticed to the most powerful being in the galaxy. As with many Sith, Maul's arrogance and reveling in victory proved to be his undoing as the padawan of Qui-Gon Jinn defeated him during the Battle of Naboo. The Sith Grand Plan suffered a major setback with Obi-Wan Kenobi's victory on Naboo, and Maul was left for dead by his master. Fueled by the Dark Side, amplified by rage at his defeat, Maul was able to survive and ended up the planet Lotho Minor, where his broken body was recovered by his brother, Savage Opress.
Reunited with his brother and healed physically and spiritually by the dark magicks of Mother Talzin, Maul set about building his own empire. While it may not have been built on the armies and firepower of Darth Sidious' Galactic Empire, Maul's underworld crime family was still undeniably powerful and an influential player in galactic events. However, it is entirely possible that Maul returned to the realm of the Sith and played an influential role in a dark side cult that would become a force to be reckoned with over 30 years after Maul's death. Here we will examine the theory that Maul founded the group of warriors known as the Knights of Ren.
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The Sith have operated with numerous Force-sensitive lackeys over the millennia, throughout Legends and canon. Whether they be Asajj Ventress, Imperial Inquisitors, or the Shadow Assassins of Umbara, these soldiers of the dark side are not to be taken lightly, even if they aren't full-fledged Sith. The Knights of Ren are the newest addition to this army of darkness. Rising to prominence to fill the power void left by the death of Palpatine and the destruction of the Empire, we see Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and his apprentice Ben Solo confront these Knights during a mission to Elphrona.
At this time, the Force cult is led by a man who has taken the moniker "Ren." While he is a proud and charismatic leader, there is no evidence to determine that he founded the Knights, save for his name. Even this is not enough evidence, as adopting the name Ren seems to be a tenant of the Knights' leader, with Ben Solo adopting the name Kylo Ren after his fall to the dark side. The power the Knights of Ren wield shortly after the events of Return of the Jedi would indicate that they were formed before the fall of the Empire. The recent reveal that Ren will appear in the upcoming comic Crimson Reign seems to support this. Perhaps Ren has a connection to Crimson Dawn, and by extension Maul. Selecting only Force-sensitive recruits, though stunted by their lack of training, the Knights were a scourge of the galaxy, eventually allying themselves with the First Order and enforcing Kylo Ren's will across the New Republic.
Maul makes numerous appearances across Star Wars media, always attempting to capture the power to destroy his Master who left him for dead after his defeat. He has done this by taking control of the Pykes, Black Sun, and Crimson Dawn, as well as leading a coup on Mandalore. Should we add "founding the Knights of Ren" to the list? Given the resources of his underworld empire, his power with the dark side, and his shadowy movements through Star Wars media, Maul is a prime candidate to be the founder.
We know from Jedi: Fallen Order and The Clone Wars that holocrons containing information on Force-sensitive children were utilized by the Jedi Order to grow their ranks. With the destruction of the Jedi Order and archives, these holocrons (and by extension the children they listed) were left unprotected. Just as Palpatine apparently pulled from these databanks to recruit Inquisitors, Maul could just as easily have done the same to recruit his Knights. These warriors would also be a coveted dark side militia once Maul was killed. This could have been the moment that Palpatine took them for his own, as they would eventually go on to serve him, under the guise of Snoke, and his apprentice, Kylo Ren.
If Maul did found the Knights of Ren, they could have proved a valuable resource to him after some rudimentary training. The Knights do have an aesthetics that blends the dark side with the criminal underworld, masked warriors shrouded in black cloaks and robes, wielding all manner of melee and ranged weaponry. With the rising popularity of Solo, the call for the continuation of that story, and the appearance of both Qi'ra and Crimson Dawn in a recent comic run, more information on Maul's shadowy dealings could be on the horizon. Don't be surprised if that includes mention of Ren.
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Source(s): Screen Rant, Wookieepedia