One of the coolest characters from the Star Wars prequel trilogy is Samuel L. Jackson’s Mace Windu. It’s not even a contest, especially considering Samuel L. Jackson was the man playing him and personally requested a purple lightsaber from George Lucas. Aside from not having a blue or green lightsaber that made him stand out from the other Jedi, this Jedi Master represented far more to the Jedi Order than fans may realize. For the time that we have seen him in the movies and shows, Mace Windu served as the right-hand of Yoda, the head of the Jedi Order. And whenever we heard him talk or interact with other characters, he seemed like he had the personality of a cardboard box. Well, that’s because he pretty much does.
Now on paper, that sounds like that trait would make him a very dull and forgettable character. However, for the case of Mace Windu, that is exactly what made him such a stand-out character. We got our taste of this in the prequel trilogy, where out of all the Jedi of the Order, Mace Windu was the one who had the most dogmatic view of the ways of the Order. His black-and-white perception of the code and his dedication to the tradition of the ways of the Jedi made him the ideal Jedi. However, it many ways, this also made him represent the reality of the Jedi losing their way.
We didn’t really get to see this in the prequel trilogy, because most of Mace Windu’s screen time was just him sitting and talking, walking and talking, and then finally igniting that purple lightsaber and being the coolest Jedi warrior in the Order. Let’s keep in mind, this is the only Jedi to cross lightsabers with Darth Sidious and actually win. If it weren’t for Anakin, Mace Windu would have certainly killed the Sith Lord.
If you can forget about the very obvious CGI face of Palpatine and his awkward movements, he was still known as the deadliest lightsaber duelist in the galaxy. No one, rival Sith Lords or Jedi Knights alike, were too afraid to engage him in a lightsaber duel. They had every reason to be afraid, given that Darth Sidious could cut through three Jedi Masters in a matter of seconds. Oh, and he also took on Darth Maul and Savage Oppress and won. That is definitely someone to fear and by all accounts, Mace Windu should have lost that duel. But as we all remember, the best lightsaber duelist in the Jedi Order managed to emerge victorious in their battle. No matter what you think about Mace Windu, you have to respect the fact that he defeated Darth Sidious in a lightsaber duel.
And of course, we all remember what happened to him right after. Anakin cut off his right hand, Darth Sidious used force lighting to electrocute him, and he was hurled off a very tall building and fell to his death. Or did he? For years, Samuel L. Jackson has kept implying that Mace Windu might not have died from that horrible fate. That seems ridiculous, but then again, this is one of the most powerful Jedi Masters we’re talking about. We’ve seen other Jedi and Sith warriors survive far worse than falling from great heights. George Lucas himself has supported this idea, but even years after Revenge of the Sith, we have never seen a hint of Mace Windu’s survival.
With that in mind, we have seen how popular Star Wars shows have become on Disney+ and the classic characters that have returned for them. I mean, if The Mandalorian can bring back Boba Fett, Ahsoka Tano, and even a young Luke Skywalker, then who’s to say it won’t bring back more popular characters? Now don’t get me wrong, that can be dangerous. Bringing back popular Star Wars characters for the sake of fan service can very much backfire. However, when it’s done right, and it has been done right, it can be a very nostalgic moment. Speaking of The Mandalorian, can you imagine if Mace Windu were to make his return for season 3? Boy, just imagine how crazy that would be.
But can it actually happen? After seeing what the show has done with Boba Fett and Luke Skywalker, I really don’t see why not. However, Samuel L. Jackson is very enthusiastic for reprising his iconic Jedi Master role and thinks the third season of The Mandalorian is a good place to do that. Is he wrong? I think fans can argue that he could appear somewhere else or if he should even ever pop up again. Personally, I do believe having a fan-favorite return to Star Wars is a good idea, but it has to be done in a way that makes sense.
In a recent interview with Josh Horowitz, Samuel L. Jackson did reveal that he has spoken to Bryce Dallas Howard about appearing in the third season. According to Jackson, the reason he approached Bryce Dallas Howard is because he had just finished filming a movie with her and is well aware that she has directed several episodes for the series. Samuel L. Jackson basically pitched the idea of his old character coming back simply because he wants to do it again and he just asked if she could hook a brother up. Classic Sam Jackson right there.
I’ll be honest, I can totally see Bryce Dallas Howard abiding to Samuel L. Jackson’s request simply because he’s Samuel L. Jackson. It’s pretty hard to turn him down, but we should think about the manner in which Mace Windu can return. The Mandalorian is set several years after Darth Sidious was defeated and about two decades after Mace Windu’s supposed death in Revenge of the Sith. If he did actually survive, then where could he have been that whole time? My guess is that he was in self-imposed exile much like Obi-Wan, but the injuries he suffered from would surely still be affecting him.
This could all help develop a different kind of Mace Windu than the last time we saw him. In the Star Wars novels, it was revealed that Mace Windu actually mastered a unique ability called Shatterpoint, which allowed him to sense his enemy’s weak points. This is something he alone used and also developed his own lightsaber fighting style known as Vaapad. What makes this fighting style so unique is that it allows him to tap in very close to the dark side of the force. That obviously sounds like a dangerous risk, but then again, it would explain why he was able to defeat Darth Sidious.
This is something that could very well be explored if Mace Windu does return in The Mandalorian. Just imagine seeing him transform into a rogue Jedi with a broken spirit and mind. He was once one of the most respected Jedi in the Order and if we were to see him give into the dark side of the force due to his use of the Vaapad style, it would lead to an exciting interaction with the Mandalorian. In fact, there’s even a chance Mace Windu knows Baby Yoda. There are a lot of possibilities the writers of The Mandalorian can pursue with this idea and I kind of want to see them go for it. The challenge is to bring him in in a way that doesn’t come off as unnecessary fan service. If they can avoid that, then we’ll welcome back Mace Windu with open arms.
What are your thoughts, Star Wars fans?
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