Encyclopedia of Speculative Fiction

Mace Windu

From the Encyclopedia of Speculative Fiction - http://encyclopedia.wizards.pro

“The story goes that Mace Windu was once ambushed by fourteen Gank killers, who surrounded him with weapons drawn. Not even a Jedi Master could deflect that many blaster bolts at once, but Windu slowly turned to make eye contact with each Gank, placed one hand on the lightsaber hanging at his hip, and spoke only three words: 'It's your decision.' One by one, the Ganks lay their weapons on the ground.”

— Shatterpoint
Character
Mace Windu
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Mace Windu
Gender Male
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Film portrayer Samuel L. Jackson
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Mace Windu (72 BBY–19 BBY) was a Jedi Master and one of the last members of the Jedi Council before the Great Jedi Purge. Windu was often regarded as second only to Master Yoda on the High Council, though eight centuries his junior. His wisdom, power, and the weight of his words were legendary.

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Biography

Mace Windu was originally from the planet Haruun Kal, where he was born into the Gösh Windu. After the death of his parents, he was turned over to the Jedi Order when he was six months old. Like all in the Order, Mace was trained by Master Yoda before becoming a Padawan to another Jedi.

At a very early age, Mace learned of his unusual ability to see shatterpoints in the Force and how they would affect all of his future actions as well as the vunerabilities of his opponents. With these unique abilities, he had a glimpses of parts of his future, such as the lightsaber he would eventually build.

By age fourteen the Jedi Council was concerned with Mace, for even though he was at the top of his class, he still did not construct the lightsaber that came to him in visions multiple times. He informed the Council that he wanted a true challenge in order to find the best pieces for his lightsaber. After considering this, the Council and his Master sent Mace on his own to the world of Hurikane. While on this mission, Mace was at first chased away from the natives that resided there, but after he saved one of them from falling down a chasm, they rewarded him with a crystal. This crystal produced the distinctive purple blade of his lightsaber.

Over the next decade and a half, Mace went on many notable missions that included his first visit to his homeworld, Haruun Kal (during which he learned his native Korun language), and one where he tracked down and defeated the killer Uda-Khalid.

Prodigiously talented in the Force, Mace passed the trials early and was appointed to the Jedi Council at the age of 28. During his career, Windu trained many to be Jedi, including Echuu Shen-Jon (who ultimately survived the Great Jedi Purge), and fellow Council member Depa Billaba.

Mace created his own style of lightsaber combat which became known as Vaapad, the seventh form of combat which developed the incomplete Juyo Form. Mace Windu, his former Padawan learner Depa Billaba, and legendary lightsaber instructor Sora Bulq were the only ones to master Vaapad. With his eclectic fighting style, it is said that only his one time friend, Count Dooku, and Yoda could outspar him. The other factor that played into Windu's fighting style was his admission that his biggest character flaw was that he enjoyed fighting, and given the nature of the dark side, this was a very dangerous trait for a Jedi to possess. Windu, like Plo Koon, was known to practice powers close to the dark side. In fact, Mace intentionally created Vaapad to help channel his inner darkness into something more positive. In addition to being a great warrior, Windu possessed extensive knowledge of Jedi history and philosophy and was known for his diplomatic abilities. Windu was also the Council's primary liaison to the Supreme Chancellor, although the Clone Wars caused him to question his firmest beliefs.

Windu was a stern advocate against Anakin Skywalker's induction into the Jedi Order. However, he later came to see that Skywalker was the Chosen One. Despite this revelation, it did not solidify his trust in the haughty, petulant Anakin.

In the years before the Clone Wars, Windu would spearhead many diplomatic and peace-keeping missions, including ones to Yinchorr and Malastare.

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Clone Wars

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Mace Windu during his legendary Clone Wars campaigns

In 22 BBY, it became apparent that a full-fledged military conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems would occur. Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi was captured by the Confederacy on Geonosis and prepared to be executed. Having learnt of this, Mace Windu, without waiting for the Clone Army to be put at the Republic's disposal, led a Jedi strike force to Geonosis. When Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padmé Amidala were brought to the Geonosis arena, Windu and his Jedi revealed themselves to Count Dooku, the leader of the Confederacy, who was personally overseeing the planned execution.

The Battle of Geonosis followed, during which Mace Windu beheaded bounty hunter Jango Fett, the progenitor of the clone troopers, an act predicted millennia ago by Darth Traya in the times of the Old Sith Wars. Eventually, the Jedi were outnumbered by Separatist battle droids, but Master Yoda and the clone troopers rescued the Jedi. After that, Windu and the other surviving Jedi joined the battle as military commanders.

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Master Windu in battle

During the Clone Wars, Mace commanded Systems Army Alpha as a General on many fronts, and won a famous victory at the Battle of Dantooine by almost singlehandedly defeating an army of B-2 battle droids and a massive seismic tank, without his lightsaber for much of the battle. Six months after the Battle of Geonosis, Mace returned to his homeworld of Haruun Kal to track down his missing former Padawan, Depa Billaba. There, he battled Kar Vastor and spiritually faced the dark side. Though Windu survived this trial, the memories of his return to Haruun Kal would continue to haunt him.

Toward the end of the Clone Wars, Master Windu came to question Chancellor Palpatine's motives. As Windu prepared for a meeting with the Senate chair to bring him news of the elimination of General Grievous, a distraught Anakin Skywalker arrived and confirmed the Jedi Council's greatest fear: the elected leader of the Galactic Republic was in fact the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Master Windu ordered Anakin to wait in the Jedi Council Chamber for his return and boarded a gunship along with Jedi Masters Kit Fisto, Saesee Tiin and Agen Kolar.

Windu marched into the Chancellor's office and coldly announced that he was under arrest. Mace Windu reported the end to the Clone Wars and demanded the Chancellor step down and face a trial in the Senate. Palpatine announced that he was the Senate. Windu retorted with strong words—"Not yet". Now the elected ruler of the Galactic Republic revealed his true colors; the Chancellor ignited his blood-shine colored lightsaber, flew through the air, and struck down Agen Kolar and Saesee Tiin. The fight with Kit Fisto and Windu lasted somewhat longer; then Fisto was dead. Windu, now alone against the Sith Lord, allowed himself to slip into Vaapad. The result was a wild duel that ended with Windu breaking a window and sending Sidious' saber flying down into the streets of Coruscant.

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Mace Windu shortly before his death

Windu seemed to have won the lightsaber duel. But the fight was not over. A grueling battle ensued, and Anakin Skywalker appeared just as Windu cornered Palpatine and again stated that he was under arrest. Palpatine used Force lightning against Windu that he redirected with his lightsaber back at him, melting away the Chancellor's features. Anakin saw the Jedi Master hurting a helpless old man.

During this stand-off, Palpatine and Windu each tried to convince Anakin that the other was a traitor to the Republic. Palpatine could no longer maintain his attack against Windu, claiming that he had
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Mace Windu dies at the hands of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine
"become too weak." Anakin knew that if Palpatine died, any chance of saving Padmé from certain death would be lost. Anakin told Windu that the Sith Lord "must stand trial" and that killing him was "not the Jedi way," but Windu determined that Palpatine was too dangerous to be kept alive because he had control of the Galactic Senate and the Courts. Palpatine pleaded for Anakin's help, and Windu moved to strike the Dark Lord.

With Windu's attention focused entirely on Palpatine, he failed to foresee Anakin's intervention. Anakin ignited his own lightsaber and severed the Jedi Master's lightsaber hand, leaving him defenseless against the full power of Palpatine's Force lightning, no longer masked under a veil of weakness. As the Chancellor shouted, "Power! Unlimited power!", he once again unleashed his rage, sending raw dark side energy through Windu's body and hurling him out the window into the cityscape far below. With this action, Anakin had secured his place as the new Sith apprentice and Sidious had eliminated one of the few Jedi that could be a threat to him.

The Great Jedi Purge had begun.

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Behind the scenes

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Mace's lightsaber as of 32 BBY
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Mace's lightsaber as of 22 BBY

Mace Windu was portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson in all three movies of the prequel trilogy. He was voiced in Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the Clone Wars animated series by Terrence Carson.

In Jedi Power Battles, Mace's saber is blue, and the Mace Windu Episode I Action Figure has a blue saber. Therefore, in Episode I Mace had a blue lightsaber. Ten years later, in Episode II, he had a purple lightsaber. It is unknown what happened to his blue lightsaber.

Jackson requested as a quid pro quo that he have an amethyst-bladed lightsaber in Episode II, to which George Lucas agreed. As a result, Mace Windu is the only major character in any of the Star Wars films to have a lightsaber that is not red, green, or blue.

Aside from color, his lightsaber is also uniquely decorated with electrum, a precious metal. Only a senior member of the Council could have such a hilt.

Jackson also requested that the acronym B.M.F. (for "Bad Motherfucker," a phrase made famous by him in some of his earlier films) should be written on the hilt of his saber, but this request was eventually refused.

The issue of Mace's death or survival has been heavily debated on the internet (even to the point of the official Star Wars site taking a poll), and some fans are not entirely convinced that Mace Windu fell to his death in Revenge of the Sith, believing that he survived his fall off of the skyscraper. However, this idea has not been confirmed in any official source, and is thus not canonical. Playing on the idea, SuperShadow has stated on his site that Mace survived, and will be included in "his" future Star Wars films, though SuperShadow cannot be taken as an official source.

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Appearances

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Sources

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External links

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