5 Fun Unknown Facts About Savage Opress That’ll Change How You See Him

Savage Opress doesn’t get nearly enough credit. Most people just remember him as Maul’s rage-filled brother who crushed everything in his path. But if you take a closer look, there’s way more to his story than just raw power. He’s one of the most underrated characters in Star Wars, and the more you learn about him, the more brutal—and tragic—he becomes.

So here are 5 fun and lesser-known facts about Savage Opress that might just change the way you look at him.

1. He’s the Only Character to Fight All Four Sith Lords of the Era

The number one—and probably wildest—fact about Savage Opress is that he’s the only character who actually fought every major Sith Lord from the Clone Wars.

The first one Savage fought was Count Dooku, the Sith Lord who turned him into a weapon. In The Clone Wars Season 3, Episode 14 “Witches of the Mist,” Savage is enhanced by the Nightsisters and handed over to Dooku, who trains him as a secret apprentice. At first, Savage obeys—going on missions and showing off his brutal strength. But once he starts thinking for himself, Dooku punishes him with Force lightning like he’s nothing more than a failed experiment.

Savage also faced Anakin Skywalker during his mission to capture King Katuunko. In the same episode, right after Savage completes his brutal training, Dooku sends him to Toydaria to kidnap the king.

Savage storms the palace, tears through the royal guards, and knocks out Katuunko with ease. But before he can escape, Obi-Wan and Anakin arrive to stop him. It’s our first moment seeing Savage face off against two of the Republic’s strongest Jedi.

Then came the moment when Savage Opress turned on his own brother, Darth Maul. In The Clone Wars Season 5, Episode 1 “Revival,” while working together to build their criminal empire, Savage started seeing Maul as an equal—two brothers rising together to conquer the galaxy. But Maul didn’t see it that way. He stuck to the Sith way, calling Savage his apprentice.

Last but not least, we have, of course, Darth Sidious. In The Clone Wars Season 5, Episode 16 “The Lawless,” Sidious personally arrives on Mandalore after learning that Maul has declared himself a rival Sith and taken control of the planet.

What follows is one of the most insane lightsaber duels in the series. Sidious takes on both Maul and Savage at the same time. Savage gives everything he has—swinging hard, using the Force, and fighting right alongside his brother. But Sidious is untouchable—faster, more ruthless, and far more powerful. He isolates Savage mid-fight, stabs him through the chest with both sabers, and lifts him off the ground with the Force.

2. Opress Was Nearly Featured in Star Wars Rebels’ “Twin Suns” Episode

In the early development stages of the Star Wars Rebels episode “Twin Suns,” there were plans for Maul to experience Force visions of significant figures from his past, including his brother, Savage Opress, and Satine Kryze. These visions were intended to delve deeper into Maul’s psyche and his motivations leading up to his final confrontation with Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Savage Opress’s inclusion progressed to the design phase, indicating a serious consideration of his appearance in the episode. However, Dave Filoni, the series’ executive producer, decided against it. Filoni felt that introducing Savage in this context would require additional exposition to explain his backstory, which could potentially confuse viewers unfamiliar with The Clone Wars. Given the episode’s limited runtime and the need to maintain narrative focus, the decision was made to omit these visions.

3. He Was Mother Talzin’s Eldest Son

Did you know that Opress was almost older than Maul? In the Star Wars: Shatterpoint tabletop game, the Witches of Dathomir Squad Pack introduces a squad featuring Mother Talzin, two Nightsister Acolytes, and Savage Opress. Notably, the official description for this pack refers to Savage Opress as “Talzin’s eldest son”.

4. His Existence Was Created Solely to Bring Darth Maul Back to Life

At Star Wars Celebration Orlando 2017, Dave Filoni revealed that Savage Opress wasn’t just another villain—he was created with a very specific purpose: to bring back Darth Maul. His whole arc in The Clone Wars was a setup for Maul’s return. After Savage was transformed by the Nightsisters and trained under Dooku, he eventually broke away and began searching for his long-lost brother. That moment when he finds Maul, barely surviving and twisted by years of rage, was only possible because Savage existed to bridge the gap between The Phantom Menace and Maul’s reintroduction.

And behind the scenes? It was George Lucas who made it happen. “I’ve got an idea, and you’re going to love it,” Lucas told Filoni, suggesting they bring Maul back with mechanical spider legs. Filoni, like many fans, had assumed Maul was done for—he literally got cut in half. “It’s over. He’s cut in half. How does that work?” he asked. Lucas’s response? “I don’t know. Figure it out.”

So yeah, Savage wasn’t just a cool new Sith brute—he was the key to rewriting Maul’s fate and reshaping the future of the animated Star Wars universe.

5. He Was Meant to Replace Ventress as Dooku’s New Sith Assassin

Savage Opress was never meant to be a true Sith Lord—he was chosen to be Dooku’s next assassin, much like Asajj Ventress before him. After Sidious ordered Dooku to eliminate Ventress for growing too powerful, Dooku turned to the Nightsisters to find a replacement. That’s when Savage entered the picture.

But what makes Savage unique is how he was prepared for the role.

He wasn’t just recruited—he was rebuilt. The Nightsisters used dark magic to transform him into a towering, rage-fueled warrior. He became more of a blunt-force weapon than a traditional apprentice—an enforcer trained to obey, destroy, and intimidate. In that sense, he resembled Darth Maul more than Ventress ever did.

So while he wasn’t the first Sith assassin since Maul, he was clearly designed to echo Maul’s presence—a silent, deadly warrior sent to do his master’s bidding. And just like Maul and Ventress, the second he stopped being useful, he was disposable.