As “Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord” unfolds over its initial episodes, the narrative is firmly centered on Maul’s quest for vengeance against the crime lords who turned on him after the Empire’s demise. Sam Witwer reprises his role as Maul, shedding his Darth title, and his journey is intertwined with that of Devon Izara, portrayed by Gideon Adlon, a young Jedi fleeing from danger. It’s this relationship that provides the emotional depth of the series thus far.

Maul sees potential in Devon to become his apprentice, setting his sights on her as a possible protégé. Episode 3 takes an intriguing turn as Devon, in her attempt to evade Maul, snatches half of his dual-sided lightsaber, showcasing her own formidable abilities. While her moves might seem ordinary to some, aficionados of the Star Wars lore will recognize the nuances in her fighting style. Devon predominantly employs Form III, known as Soresu, a technique famously used by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Maul’s longtime adversary. She also weaves in elements of Form IV, or Ataru, which was the preferred style of Qui-Gon Jinn.

The series cleverly uses choreography to tell a deeper story, an apt approach for a character like Maul, who is intrinsically linked to his lightsaber. His double-bladed weapon remains a symbolic fixture throughout his appearances in the Star Wars universe. Thus, “Maul — Shadow Lord” is rich with lightsaber nuances and hidden gems, aimed at the keen eyes of devoted fans.

While not widely known, the different lightsaber forms add layers to the epic duels in the Star Wars saga. Maul typically favors Form VII, known for its aggressive nature and often associated with those steeped in the dark side, including Mace Windu, who famously used it against Palpatine. This style complements the aggressive tendencies of Ataru, the form used by Qui-Gon Jinn and popular among the Jedi, as seen when Maul bested Qui-Gon in “The Phantom Menace.”

Lightsaber forms are a niche aspect of Star Wars, but if you know a few basics, there are a lot of interesting details in all the big Star Wars lightsaber fights. Maul traditionally uses Form VII, a hyper-aggressive style typically associated with dark side users (and also Mace Windu, including when he beats Palpatine). It’s generally seen as a natural match for Ataru, Qui-Gon Jinn’s form and a very common one among the Jedi, as it eclipses Ataru’s own aggressive approach. Maul’s defeat of Qui-Gon in “The Phantom Menace” is a great example.

Soresu, on the other hand, is generally seen as a better counter to Form VII. In “Star Wars Rebels,” when Obi-Wan finally kills Maul in their final duel on Tatooine, he first adopts his famous Form III pose, then shifts into Qui-Gon’s Form IV stance, effectively goading Maul into launching the same sort of attack he used to defeat Qui-Gon. Maul falls for the trap, and Obi-Wan counters.

Throughout Episode 3 of “Maul — Shadow Lord,” Devon repeatedly enters and re-enters variants of that core Soresu pose. Form III is much more defensive in nature, and since she is cornered and afraid, this makes sense, especially if it’s the form she was trained in. But when Maul pushes her emotionally, we see her slide into Ataru, either adopting the Qui-Gon pose, or engaging in some more aggressive acrobatics. Given Maul’s historic dominance over Ataru, it would make sense for him to push her in that direction. But when he finally confronts her at the end of Episode 3 for a proper duel, he doesn’t use much Form VII at all.

Form VII, Maul’s typical preference, is strong against Ataru, but weaker against Soresu. But that’s only relevant if you’re trying to win a fight. In “Shadow Lord,” Maul is uninterested in beating Devon. He wants to push her to her limits and decide on her own that the Jedi restraint she’s been trained in is actually a weakness she needs to shed.

When he faces her at the end of Episode 3, he only uses a single blade, as she wields his other. And notably, he fights one-handed, his off-hand fixed behind his back — a dueling style that seems to be a variant of Form II, Masashi. Most commonly associated with Count Dooku, it’s demonstrated to be strong against Form III, but substantially weaker against Ataru.

The read? Maul wants Devon to win, but he also wants her to use the most aggressive style in her repertoire to do it. By adopting Masashi instead of his usual Form VII, he dismantles her safe, defensive Soresu and pushes her into Ataru to gain an advantage. He creates a situation where she is rewarded for her aggression, which is exactly what he wants. How much of this is intentional? It’s kind of hard to tell. What’s certain is that the fights in “Maul — Shadow Lord” were crafted with a lot of intention, providing some of the most exciting lightsaber action we’ve seen in a while.