The Real Reason Darth Maul Wears An Earring In Star Wars

Darth Maul is one of those "Star Wars" characters with an incredibly distinct look. His short, sharp horns, red and black tattoos, and piercing yellow eyes made him a standout from the moment he emerged from the shadows in 1999's "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace." Although, among his numerous defining features, one often manages to fly under the radar: his ear piercing. Since his franchise debut, Maul has had an outer conch piercing in his left ear, and it turns out that it comes with a pretty fascinating behind-the-scenes story.

According to Maul actor Ray Park at Star Wars Celebration Orlando 2017, the piercing wasn't a planned addition. "I was told we're doing a screen test that week, and I just had it pierced a few days before," Park recalled, sharing that it had to remain in his ear for a few weeks. He was worried that it being in his ear would cause an issue, but that wasn't the case at all. While inspecting Park's Maul look, director George Lucas rationalized that the character would be the type to have a piercing. With that, Park got to keep it and it became a part of Maul's "Phantom Menace" look.

In fact, the ear stud has remained a permanent part of Maul's appearance no matter the medium.

Though it often contradicts itself and is chock-full of retcons, "Star Wars" tries to maintain continuity no matter what. Though it's a largely inconsequential thing to keep track of, Maul's ear piercing has remained a consistent element of his character design despite its unplanned inclusion. After his supposed death in "The Phantom Menace," Maul returns on "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," voiced by Sam Witwer. His legs may be missing, replaced by various robotic replacements, but he's still rocking that ear stud.

Maul's piercing sticks with him throughout his entire "Clone Wars" run, and its animated successor, "Star Wars Rebels," doesn't miss the small detail like many "Star Wars" fans understandably tend to. As seen in the above picture, the silver stud very much stands out against the whole of his "Rebels" model. You best believe that when he loses his final duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi (Stephen Stanton) and passes on in the episode "Twin Suns," he's still wearing it. Though it's not shown in the final film, promotional photos share that even "Solo: A Star Wars Story" gave Maul his trademark piercing.

Little did Ray Park realize all those years ago that when he decided to get his ear pierced in real life, that decision would influence the look of one of the most popular "Star Wars" characters of all time for years to come.