Darth Maleval, a Sith Lord of the One Sith order, was a male Quarren. He served under Darth Krayt, the Dark Lord of the Sith, and his Empire, after Krayt had deposed Roan Fel, the Galactic Emperor. By the year 137 ABY, many units, including the 908th Stormtrooper Division, had switched their allegiance to Fel, who was now an Emperor-in-exile during the Second Imperial Civil War. To guarantee the faithfulness of Krayt's troops, Maleval was put in charge of the 407th Stormtrooper Division, stationed on the planet Yinchorr, with the mission of retaking the base of the 908th on Borosk.
When the Battle of Borosk commenced, Maleval spearheaded the 407th division to reclaim the base and ensure the utter annihilation of the 908th, leaving no man alive. Following the battle, Maleval instructed Lieutenant Gil Cassel from the 407th to assassinate his own brother, Captain Jared Cassel of the 908th, who had defected to Fel. When Gil refused, Maleval killed both Cassel brothers himself, prompting Hondo Karr, a trooper from the 407th's Joker Squad, to launch an attack on Maleval. However, before Maleval could kill Karr, he was fatally shot from behind by another trooper, Anson Trask. The surviving members of Joker Squad concealed the truth of the incident in their report, claiming that Maleval died in battle and that Karr was vaporized in an explosion. This allowed Karr to desert the Empire and later join the unified remnants of the Galactic Alliance military, known as the Galactic Alliance Remnant.
Darth Maleval, the Quarren Sith Lord, was an adherent of the One Sith, serving the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Krayt, and his Galactic Empire. This came after Krayt had overthrew Emperor Roan Fel at the conclusion of the Sith–Imperial War. In the year 137 ABY, during the time of the Second Imperial Civil War, Maleval was selected to lead the 407th Stormtrooper Division. The 407th Division, stationed on Yinchorr, was tasked with the recapture of the base held by the 908th Stormtrooper Division on Borosk and the total destruction of that division, which had sided with Fel's Empire-in-exile. Given these defections, Krayt harbored doubts about the 407th's loyalty to his Empire, and dispatched Maleval to ensure they fulfilled their duty.
Upon his arrival on Yinchorr, Maleval was in discussion with the leaders of the 407th when he was approached by trooper Anson Trask, who was in search of his new unit, Joker Squad. As Maleval turned to face him, Trask—taken aback by the Quarren's appearance—angered the Sith Lord by blurting out the expletive, "Sith me." Trask, only ten days out of training, was spared Maleval's wrath by Sergeant Ran Harkas of Joker Squad, who excused Trask, explaining that he was a "noob" and that no disrespect was intended. Maleval cautioned Harkas to ensure the trooper was disciplined, or he would personally administer it.
Maleval initiated the attack on Borosk by leading a vanguard, which included Joker Squad, to seize and secure gun and shield emplacements along the perimeter wall of the 908th's headquarters. During the battle, he brandished his lightsaber in one hand and his shock whip in the other, cutting down stormtroopers indiscriminately, regardless of whether they belonged to the 908th or his own forces. He devised numerous methods to kill his adversaries, reveling in their deaths.
After the 407th had successfully captured the base's gun and shield platforms and had paused for the night, Lieutenant Gil Cassel of the 407th proposed a truce with the 908th, offering them a chance to surrender. Upon hearing this, Maleval confronted him about his decision. Maleval had discovered that Cassel had a brother in the 908th; however, Cassel assured the Sith Lord that his brother was not the reason for his truce suggestion, but rather to prevent unnecessary loss of life and matériel. Maleval informed the lieutenant that he was indifferent to the number of casualties—there would be no truce or surrender, the 908th would be made an example of, and they would all be killed.
He informed Joker Squad that they would spearhead the attack on the 908th, warning them that he would be observing and that any hesitation would result in their immediate deaths. In response, Hondo Karr, a member of Joker Squad, threatened the Sith Lord. Karr brandished his knife at Maleval, who simply used the Force-pushed him into a nearby wall. This encounter with Maleval sparked a debate among the members of Joker Squad. That night, the Jokers discussed options such as defecting or allowing the 908th to escape. Cassel was undecided when asked what they should do; however, Sergeant Harkas persuaded them all to fulfill their duty and complete the mission.
The following day, Maleval oversaw the attack on the base, with Joker Squad breaching the main fortress around midday. After the battle concluded, Maleval placed a rope around the neck of Gil Cassel's captured brother, Captain Jared Cassel, and presented the defector to Gil. To prove his loyalty, Maleval ordered Gil to kill his own brother or face condemnation himself. Jared urged Gil to comply, stating that they should not both die, but Gil refused, asserting that some things were more important than duty or life. Due to Gil's refusal, Maleval condemned them as traitors and killed both brothers with his lightsaber.
Enraged by this act, Hondo Karr attacked the Sith Lord once more, but Maleval stopped him with a backhand. Maleval then ensnared Karr with his shock whip and began to electrocute him. However, before he could kill Karr, Maleval was shot from behind by Anson Trask, resulting in the Sith Lord's death.
The surviving members of Joker Squad fabricated a report to their superiors, stating that Maleval had been killed in battle, and that Hondo Karr was vaporized in a blast that also eliminated fellow Joker Squad trooper Jes Gistang. This allowed Karr to desert the Empire and later join the unified fragments of the Galactic Alliance military, known as the Galactic Alliance Remnant.
Darth Maleval was a heartless member of the One Sith, handpicked by Darth Krayt to guarantee the loyalty of the Empire's stormtroopers. He was a male Quarren with yellow eyes, and like many other members of the Order, Maleval's face and visible skin were adorned with red and black Sith tattoos. Maleval was aggressive and showed little regard for those under his command, readily killing both enemies and allies during combat. He possessed no compassion for his adversaries, preferring their complete annihilation over offering them a chance to surrender. In battle he was merciless, devising diverse methods of killing his victims and relishing in their demise. He favored the use of the shock whip in combat, as it inflicted greater pain while being less lethal, and could be used to torture his enemies for extended periods before killing them. Maleval was even known to leave his adversaries alive, but severely maimed, as a warning to those who dared oppose the Empire. He was also cruel to those under his command, ordering Lieutenant Gil Cassel to kill his own brother to prove his loyalty, and killing both when he refused.
Maleval was a proficient wielder of both the lightsaber and shock whip, frequently employing both in battle to devastating effect—he could easily cut through the stormtroopers of the 908th. He would use his shock whip to ensnare his opponents and electrocute them, reveling in the pain it inflicted. Beyond his skill with melee weapons, Maleval possessed a strong connection to the dark side of the Force, enabling him to use telekinesis to hurl enemies with a potent wave of Force energy. He could also sense incoming attacks and use that knowledge to react accordingly, as demonstrated when Hondo Karr attacked the Sith Lord. Despite his aptitude with the Force, Maleval failed to anticipate the impending attack by stormtrooper Anson Trask until it was too late, resulting in the Sith Lord's death.
The character Darth Maleval was conceived by writer John Ostrander and made his debut in the standalone fourth issue of the Star Wars: Legacy series, Noob.
On the cover of Noob, Maleval is depicted with five suction-tipped fingers on each hand, whereas in the comic itself, he has three clawed fingers on each hand. Maleval is the second of three Quarren Sith Lords featured in Star Wars: Legacy, following an unidentified Quarren Sith and preceding Darth Azard.
An Entertainment Earth exclusive action figure of Darth Maleval was revealed at Comic Con International 2008 as part of Hasbro's Star Wars: The Legacy Collection Joker Squad six-pack.