Maulkiller

The Force Unleashed series, though perhaps less prominent today, remains a beloved part of Star Wars lore for many fans, especially those nostalgic for its bold storytelling and gameplay. These games provided a fresh look at the time period before A New Hope, particularly focusing on Darth Vader’s schemes to overthrow Emperor Palpatine. Central to this was Galen Marek, also known as Starkiller, a powerful Force-user Vader had groomed as his apprentice. Although Starkiller eventually turned against Vader, the Dark Lord never gave up on his plan to harness the young man’s immense power.

In The Force Unleashed II, a new facet of this storyline emerged—Vader’s attempts to clone Starkiller after his death. One of these attempts led to the creation of a failed but intriguing clone: Maulkiller, a hybrid of Starkiller and the legendary Sith assassin, Darth Maul.

1. Who is Maulkiller?

Maulkiller was a clone made on the planet Kamino by Darth Vader. He was created by merging the genetic material of the Dathomirian Zabrak Sith apprentice Darth Maul and the deceased Human Galen Marek. The result was a fearsome being with golden eyes, silver skin adorned with black tattoos.

However, the stark differences between the two DNA sources caused severe physical and mental instabilities, ultimately leading to Maulkiller’s destruction shortly after his creation. His presence was so terrifying that even Darth Vader himself feared him.

2. History

2.1 Why was Maulkiller Created?

Darth Vader’s ambitions were clear: he wanted to use Starkiller to overthrow his master, Darth Sidious. Starkiller’s raw power and destructive abilities made him the perfect candidate. However, after Palpatine discovered Starkiller’s potential and Starkiller himself chose to embrace the light side of the Force, Vader’s plans fell apart.

Despite Starkiller’s death, Vader remained obsessed with using him as the key to defeating Sidious. Determined not to let such immense power slip through his fingers, Vader turned to cloning, hoping to replicate Starkiller’s abilities in a way that would yield a loyal and powerful apprentice.

2.2 The Challenge of Cloning Starkiller

Vader knew cloning Starkiller wouldn’t be easy, but he couldn’t predict the disasters that awaited. Initial attempts to create a clone were plagued with failures—misshapen, mentally unstable creations that possessed some Force abilities but were physically and mentally fragile. Cloning technicians on Kamino struggled to recreate Starkiller’s power without producing horrifying results.

Many of these clones had disturbing deformities, and some even exhibited dangerous behaviors, attacking anyone who came near. This erratic behavior was compounded by their inherited memories from Starkiller, which included his struggle between the light and dark sides of the Force. Vader soon realized that simply cloning Starkiller wasn’t enough. He needed something more.

2.3 How Was Maulkiller Created?

Frustrated by the repeated failures and Starkiller’s lingering connection to the light side, Vader turned to a new plan. He decided to merge the DNA of Starkiller with that of Darth Maul, another former apprentice of Sidious known for his deep alignment with the dark side and unyielding loyalty. Maul’s Zabrak species was naturally attuned to the dark side, and Vader believed that by blending Maul’s savagery and loyalty with Starkiller’s raw power, he could create the ultimate Sith apprentice.

The result was Maulkiller, a clone that, at least physically, seemed to be the perfect specimen. He possessed the incredible combat abilities of Maul, the raw Force potential of Starkiller, and an unbreakable connection to the dark side. For a brief moment, it appeared that Vader had finally found the apprentice who could help him defeat Sidious.

2.4 Failure of the Maulkiller Project

Maulkiller was far from perfect. While he inherited the physical prowess and Force sensitivity of both Maul and Starkiller, his mind was a chaotic storm. The fusion of two such powerful and opposing personalities—Maul’s primal rage and Starkiller’s conflicted nature—proved too much for Maulkiller’s psyche to handle.

What should have been Vader’s most powerful weapon was instead an uncontrollable force of destruction. Maulkiller was a brute, completely driven by the dark side, but he lacked the finesse and control necessary to be a true Sith apprentice. Worse, he showed no loyalty to Vader or anyone else, attacking anyone who came near him, including those who sought to help or train him.

2.5 Maulkiller’s Destruction

Realizing the threat that Maulkiller posed, Vader eventually ordered his execution. A legion of clone troopers was dispatched to subdue him, but Maulkiller tore through them with ease, using both his bare hands and his command of the dark side. Even as Vader looked on, Maulkiller was an unstoppable force, killing everything in his path.

In the end, Vader had no choice but to personally execute Maulkiller. Though he had hoped to mold Maulkiller into the perfect apprentice, it became clear that the clone was simply too dangerous and uncontrollable. Vader’s experiment with combining the DNA of Darth Maul and Starkiller was a failure, and he reverted to more traditional cloning methods in future attempts.

3. Maulkiller’s Lightsabers

Maulkiller debuted in 2010 as an exclusive bonus for those who pre-ordered Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II for Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 through GameStop. The pre-order reward included Maulkiller’s distinctive silver lightsabers, When using these lightsabers, players had less Force energy. The preorder bonus was named “Maulkiller Silver Saber Crystals”.