We explain the end of Solo: A Star Wars Story and in particular the return of an unexpected character. Spoiler alert!!!!
Ron Howard's film focuses on Han Solo's youth. Thus, no Jedi, no lightsabers and no Sith. Really? Almost, since a Sith is back in the very end of the film. When Qi'Ra overthrows power and takes over the leadership of the Scarlet Dawn organization from Dryden Vos, she comes into contact with Darth Maul, the villain of The Phantom Menace. For those who are content to watch the movies, this return must have disrupted more than one. Solo takes place between Episode III and IV like Rogue One. Darth Maul dies at the hands of Obi Wan in Episode I. At that time the character was falling apart in a huge hole on the planet Naboo. However, the character is back, again in the guise of Ray Park, the interpreter of the character in 1999.
But how did he come back?
Since Darth Maul is a character very popular with fans, George Lucas decided to bring his protégé back in the animated series Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. In Clone Wars he was rescued by his brother Savage Opress who recovered him and grafted him to robotic legs. After 10 years of recovery, the villain is back to take revenge on Obi Wan and even face his former master Darth Sidious.
This return also confirms one thing: animated series are indeed canon. Solo seems to take place after Clone Wars but before Rebels, which means Darth Maul could still return in other films.
Alden Ehrenreich is expected to make three more films as Han Solo. So the smuggler should be back either in his own trilogy or in other films like the spin-off on Boba Fett, which has just been confirmed and will be directed by James Mangold.
