Maulkiller: The Fearsome Hybrid of Starkiller and Darth Maul

Even while it may not be as well-known now, many fans still adore the Force Unleashed series, especially those who are nostalgic for its daring gameplay and storytelling. With a special emphasis on Darth Vader's plots to depose Emperor Palpatine, these games offered a novel perspective on the era preceding A New Hope. Galen Marek, also called Starkiller, was a formidable Force-user whom Vader had trained as his apprentice and was at the center of this. Despite Starkiller's eventual betrayal of Vader, the Dark Lord persisted in his scheme to use the young man's tremendous might.

A new aspect of this plot—Vader's attempts to clone Starkiller after his death—arose in The Force Unleashed II. One of these attempts resulted in the development of Maulkiller, a failed yet fascinating clone that was a cross between Starkiller and the renowned Sith killer Darth Maul.

1. Who is Maulkiller?

Darth Vader created the clone Maulkiller on the planet Kamino. The genetic DNA of the deceased Human Galen Marek and the Dathomirian Zabrak Sith disciple Darth Maul was combined to produce him. In the end, a terrifying creature with silver skin, black tattoos and golden eyes was created.

Only a short time after his conception, Maulkiller was destroyed due to significant physical and mental instability brought on by the dramatic contrasts between the two DNA sources. He was so frightening that even Darth Vader was afraid of him.

2. Why was Maulkiller Created?

Darth Vader has one goal in mind: to utilize Starkiller to depose his master, Darth Sidious. Because of his unadulterated might and devastating potential, Starkiller was the ideal candidate. Vader's schemes, however, failed when Palpatine recognized Starkiller's potential, and Starkiller decided to embrace the light side of the Force.

Even after Starkiller passed away, Vader was still fixated on using him as the secret to defeating Sidious. Determined to keep such great power from escaping his grasp, Vader resorted to cloning in the hopes of reproducing Starkiller's skills in a way that would produce a devoted and potent apprentice.

3. The Challenge of Cloning Starkiller

Vader could not foresee the impending catastrophes, but he was certain that cloning Starkiller would not be simple. Early attempts to create a clone, which were fraught with failures, resulted in misshapen, mentally unstable creations with certain Force skills but a frail physical and mental makeup. Starkiller's power was brutal for Kamino's cloning technicians to replicate without terrible outcomes.

In addition to having unsettling morphologies, some of these clones even displayed hazardous tendencies, attacking anyone in their vicinity. Their memories of Starkiller, including his conflict between the light and dark aspects of the Force, continued to exacerbate this erratic behavior. Vader quickly concluded that Starkiller couldn't be cloned alone. Something more was what he needed.

4. How Was Maulkiller Created?

Vader came up with a new scheme after becoming frustrated with Starkiller's constant failures and continued association with the light side. He decided to combine Starkiller's DNA with that of Darth Maul, another former Sidious apprentice renowned for his unwavering dedication and strong affinity for the dark side. Vader thought he could produce the ideal Sith apprentice by fusing Starkiller's tremendous power with Maul's savagery and loyalty, as Maul's Zabrak species was inherently inclined toward the dark side.

The end product was Maulkiller, a clone that appeared to be the ideal specimen—at least outwardly. He had the sheer Force potential of Starkiller, the fantastic fighting skills of Maul, and an unbreakable bond with the dark side. It seemed for a moment that Vader had at last located the apprentice who would enable him to destroy Sidious.

5. Failure of the Maulkiller Project

Maulkiller wasn't flawless. His mind was a raging tempest, but he inherited both Maul's and Starkiller's physical strength and Force sensitivity. Maulkiller's mentality was unable to cope with the combination of two such strong and opposed personalities: Starkiller's troubled nature and Maul's innate fury.

Vader's most potent weapon turned into an uncontrollable destructive force instead. Although Maulkiller was a savage who was entirely motivated by the dark side, he lacked the grace and self-control required to be a genuine Sith apprentice. Even worse, he attacked anyone who approached him, including those who tried to assist or instruct him, demonstrating no devotion to Vader or anything else.

6. Maulkiller's Destruction

Eventually, Vader ordered Maulkiller's execution after realizing the threat he posed. Using both his bare hands and his mastery of the dark side, Maulkiller easily sliced through the legion of clone troopers sent to bring him down. Maulkiller was an unstoppable force, slaughtering everything in his path even as Vader watched.

Ultimately, Vader was forced to carry out Maulkiller's execution himself. He had planned to shape Maulkiller into the ideal apprentice, but it soon became apparent that the clone was just too unruly and deadly. Following the failure of his attempt to combine Darth Maul and Starkiller's DNA, Vader turned back to more conventional cloning techniques.

7. Maulkiller's Lightsabers

Maulkiller made his debut in 2010 as a special bonus for those who pre-ordered Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II from GameStop for their Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. Players received less Force energy when using Maulkiller's recognizable silver lightsabers, which were part of the pre-order prize. "Maulkiller Silver Saber Crystals" was the presale bonus.