Mace Windu is one of the good guys, right? Right? I mean, he’s part of the Jedi Order, he takes on Emperor Palpatine, and he’s best pals with Yoda. But what if I told you he has been known to tap into abilities that some consider to be unnatural?
Throughout the Star Wars timeline, few Star Wars characters have been quite as fascinating and downright cool as Mace Windu, and I’m not just talking about his unique purple lightsaber. No, the iconic Jedi Master may be best remembered for being within an inch of ending Palpatine’s life and saving the whole galaxy, but even before that, he showcased how brutal he could be.
If you watch Genndy Tartakovsky’s version of The Clone Wars, you’ll notice Mace Windu using a dark side ability known as the Force Crush, which is a move more commonly associated with the Sith.
Check out the clip below from season 3 episode 5 of the Star Wars series, in which General Grievous seemingly abducts Palpatine. Not knowing the true identity of the evil mastermind at this stage, Mace races after Grievous to rescue the Chancellor and wastes no time in using the Force Crush on his mechanical adversary.
It’s a ruthless move and not one that you’ll usually find a Jedi putting to good use. The Force Crush is actually considered among the most sadistic abilities of the dark side (perhaps second, behind the Force Expand, which would essentially cause an opponent to explode), and while anyone who is Force capable could learn the trick, the Jedi were very much against it.
So, how did Mace Windu learn this ruthless trick, and why did he choose to use it? There aren’t clear answers on either. But let’s not forget we’re talking about a highly skilled, incredibly experienced warrior here. You can’t expect someone like that to have lasted that long without knowing how to play dirty every once in a while. And, with the fate of the whole galaxy seemingly at risk, Windu clearly saw no alternative but to give Grievous’ chest a little squeeze.
If you think back to the prequels, the very fact that Mace Windu is ready to kill Palpatine on the spot rather than make him stand trial is a clear indication of his hypocrisy and his willingness to bend the rules. In fact, it is this very act that tips Anakin Skywalker over the edge towards the dark side. So, if you think about it, Mace Windu has always had questionable morals, and really, he’s to blame for everything bad that happened in the galaxy.
Of course, the clues to Mace Windu’s dalliances with the dark side have been hidden in plain sight all along, and you only have to look at his lightsaber color for the answer. Typically, blue lightsabers are for the good guys, and red lightsabers are for the bad guys. But what do you get when you mix red and blue? That’s right: purple. Could it be that Windu was actually a double agent all along?
Or maybe, just maybe, the reason Mace Windu does all these things is because Samuel L. Jackson simply insisted he be the baddest motherfucker in the whole galaxy. We wouldn’t put it past him. While you ponder that one, why not learn more about the Star Wars cast or look ahead to the new Star Wars movies? You can also start to get excited about The Acolyte release date, and new movies featuring Jackson, like The Marvels.