Savage Opress: The ‘Star Wars’ Character Cool Enough To Redeem Darth Maul
By Evan Saathoff/Nov. 2, 2020 11:00 am EST
(Welcome to The Galaxy-Wide Star Wars Character Guide, where we give proper due to the smaller figures in Star Wars history.)Some Star Wars fans started watching The Clone Wars from the first theatrical film and stuck with it all the way through. To those folks, its jump from animated curiosity to the main engine driving the saga’s narrative future probably wasn’t a huge surprise. They were smitten even in its Ziro the Hutt days; of course they would remain smitten when the show started getting really good.The rest of us had to be convinced, however, and I’m willing to bet that argument started upon learning they resurrected Darth Maul. What a bold move, probably a cynical one. How could you bring back a character we saw get cut in half? Oh, he has robot legs? Rolls eyes to death.But little by little, more folks claimed the Darth Maul resurrection not only worked, it held true greatness. Upon closer inspection, it turns out that greatness (which would come to fruition in Star Wars Rebels) had less to do with Maul and more to do with his brother, Savage Opress.
Does this Character Warrant a Toy?
Think of all the toys that came out for Darth Maul, one of Star Wars’ coolest-looking characters. Now imagine him as a bodybuilder with an even more demonic face. Of course Savage Opress deserves a toy. He deserves a ton of toys. His character pairs extremely well with Maul, but he had interactions with a bunch of other heavy hitters as well: Ventress, Dooku, and of course Darth Sidious. He doesn’t just deserve a toy done in the Clone Wars style, but some of those really fancy jobs in live-action style as well.
How Important is This Character?
Ultimately, Opress’ story exists to support Maul’s resurrection which is important, though even his tragedy isn’t super impactful in the grand scheme of things. This is an extremely well-told story, but I don’t know how important it is. It’s too much to assume Maul would never have returned without Savage’s help. More importantly, Maul is so enraged by madness and revenge by default, even Savage’s death can’t add too much fuel to that already scorching fire.So narratively, no. Savage Opress is not entirely important to the Star Wars story. I do think he’s massively important to the reputation of Clone Wars, however. When people praise this show, they almost always get around to the greatness of Darth Maul’s story. But like I said above, what feeds that greatness is the thorough development and superiority of Savage Opress’ story. Comparatively, we hardly know Maul and there honestly isn’t much to know anyway until Rebels gets its hands on him.
Is This Secretly a Great Star Wars Character?
I don’t think I’m being coy about this: Savage Opress is one of the great Star Wars characters. He has an iconic look, strong narrative development, and a satisfying exit from the story. What more do you want? If his greatness is a secret, it’s only because fewer people watch The Clone Wars compared to the mainline Star Wars movies. Hang out with Star Wars fans online long enough, they’ll eventually talk you into trying Clone Wars out. Characters like Savage Opress are why that enthusiasm endures. He’s just one of many characters created for that show who rival Star Wars’ live-action heroes and villains.
Savage Opress: The ‘Star Wars’ Character Cool Enough To Redeem Darth Maul
By Evan Saathoff/Nov. 2, 2020 11:00 am EST
(Welcome to The Galaxy-Wide Star Wars Character Guide, where we give proper due to the smaller figures in Star Wars history.)Some Star Wars fans started watching The Clone Wars from the first theatrical film and stuck with it all the way through. To those folks, its jump from animated curiosity to the main engine driving the saga’s narrative future probably wasn’t a huge surprise. They were smitten even in its Ziro the Hutt days; of course they would remain smitten when the show started getting really good.The rest of us had to be convinced, however, and I’m willing to bet that argument started upon learning they resurrected Darth Maul. What a bold move, probably a cynical one. How could you bring back a character we saw get cut in half? Oh, he has robot legs? Rolls eyes to death.But little by little, more folks claimed the Darth Maul resurrection not only worked, it held true greatness. Upon closer inspection, it turns out that greatness (which would come to fruition in Star Wars Rebels) had less to do with Maul and more to do with his brother, Savage Opress.
Which Character is This Again?
Does this Character Warrant a Toy?
Think of all the toys that came out for Darth Maul, one of Star Wars’ coolest-looking characters. Now imagine him as a bodybuilder with an even more demonic face. Of course Savage Opress deserves a toy. He deserves a ton of toys. His character pairs extremely well with Maul, but he had interactions with a bunch of other heavy hitters as well: Ventress, Dooku, and of course Darth Sidious. He doesn’t just deserve a toy done in the Clone Wars style, but some of those really fancy jobs in live-action style as well.
How Important is This Character?
Ultimately, Opress’ story exists to support Maul’s resurrection which is important, though even his tragedy isn’t super impactful in the grand scheme of things. This is an extremely well-told story, but I don’t know how important it is. It’s too much to assume Maul would never have returned without Savage’s help. More importantly, Maul is so enraged by madness and revenge by default, even Savage’s death can’t add too much fuel to that already scorching fire.So narratively, no. Savage Opress is not entirely important to the Star Wars story. I do think he’s massively important to the reputation of Clone Wars, however. When people praise this show, they almost always get around to the greatness of Darth Maul’s story. But like I said above, what feeds that greatness is the thorough development and superiority of Savage Opress’ story. Comparatively, we hardly know Maul and there honestly isn’t much to know anyway until Rebels gets its hands on him.
Is This Secretly a Great Star Wars Character?
I don’t think I’m being coy about this: Savage Opress is one of the great Star Wars characters. He has an iconic look, strong narrative development, and a satisfying exit from the story. What more do you want? If his greatness is a secret, it’s only because fewer people watch The Clone Wars compared to the mainline Star Wars movies. Hang out with Star Wars fans online long enough, they’ll eventually talk you into trying Clone Wars out. Characters like Savage Opress are why that enthusiasm endures. He’s just one of many characters created for that show who rival Star Wars’ live-action heroes and villains.
