Is Maul Just His Sith or His Real Name? And if It Is His Sith Name, What Is His Real Name?

I came across an incredible fan-made video about Maul on YouTube, and I have to say, hats off to the editor! The clip was so well done that I couldn’t help but share it—I’ll leave the link here so you can check it out for yourself. But while watching the video, it reminded me of a detail I’ve noticed many times in Star Wars Rebels. There’s a moment when Maul says to Ezra, “I once had a real name, so long ago, I don’t remember. Now… now I am called Maul.”

If Maul is his Sith name, then what was his real name? I mean, we know Dooku was given the Sith name Darth Tyranus by Sidious, and Anakin became Darth Vader. So, what was Maul’s actual name before he became a Sith?

Darth Maul Is A Sith Name

When Maul reveals his identity to Ezra in Star Wars Rebels, it’s pretty obvious to us that “Maul” isn’t his real name. It’s his Sith name—just like every Sith Lord gets one from their master. “Darth Maul” was the title Sidious gave him when he became his apprentice, and it’s completely tied to his time as a Sith.

After Maul’s defeat at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Phantom Menace, Sidious replaced him with Count Dooku, whose Sith name was “Darth Tyranus.” By the time Maul reappears on Malachor in Rebels, he has completely dropped the title “Darth.” In his conversation with Ezra, Maul simply refers to himself as “Maul,” which shows that he no longer identifies as a Sith Lord. This is likely because he can’t even remember what his real name was, leaving “Maul” as the only identity he has left.

We also know that Maul’s real name remains a mystery. Even Maul himself admits he doesn’t remember it, and no one else in the galaxy seems to know it either. Not even his brother, Savage Opress, ever mentions Maul’s real name. In The Clone Wars, when Savage searches for him, he simply calls him “brother,” which reinforces the idea that Maul’s true name has been completely lost to time.

However, In Legends, Maul Was His Actual Name

According to Star Wars: Darth Plagueis, Maul wasn’t just a Sith title—it was his actual name from birth. By 54 BBY, Maul was born to the Nightsister Kycina on the planet Dathomir. Following Dathomirian tradition, his father was killed shortly after his conception, and Kycina worked to keep Maul’s existence a secret. 

Kycina feared that Mother Talzin, leader of the Nightsisters, only knew about one of her children and would force Maul to become a Nightbrother—one of the Zabrak warriors enslaved to serve the Nightsisters. Determined to give her son a different life, Kycina seized an opportunity when Darth Sidious visited Dathomir. She pleaded with the Sith Lord to take Maul and raise him far away from Talzin’s influence.

Sidious, recognizing Maul’s strong sensitivity to the Force, eventually agreed and took the infant under his wing. While Maul was initially meant to serve only as an assassin, Sidious secretly began training him as a Sith apprentice, even without the full approval of his master, Darth Plagueis. Over time, Maul’s identity became deeply tied to the dark side, and he fully embraced the name he was given at birth. Unlike other Sith Lords, who adopted new titles upon their indoctrination, Maul carried the same name throughout his life—a rare instance where his Sith identity and real name were one and the same.

After Maul completed his final test, Darth Sidious officially granted him his Sith title, naming him Darth Maul. This moment is detailed in Star Wars Journal: Darth Maul, where Sidious declares:

“From this day forward, you are a Sith Lord. You have chosen the path of darkness, the path of power. You are Lord Maul. You are my instrument.“

Yes, Master.

Your rage. You enjoyed it? You enjoyed wanting to kill me?

Yes.

You will do well, Lord Maul.“