Star Wars: This sentence from Mace Windu hastened the death of the Jedi master
In episode III of the saga Star Wars, Revenge of the Sith, Mace Windu is betrayed by Anakin Skywalker while trying to stop Chancellor Palpatine who was in reality Darth Sidious. His death marks the beginning of the Great Jedi Purge. But what fans may not know is that his downfall was brought about because of four words he said in his past. Explanations.
Four words that precipitated the death of Mace Windu
WARNING THIS ARTICLE MAY CONTAIN COMICS SPOILERS STAR WARS: MACE WINDU #1.
In this comic by Marc Bernardin and George Jeanty, Mace Windu is tasked with finding a person who holds the secret of refining coaxium allowing ships to run their engines. An important mission to prevent an enemy of the Republic from getting their hands on this formula. Once the person is located and before taking off for Coruscant, he is told not to underestimate the target. To which he responds: “I don’t underestimate anyone“. And it is unfortunately because of this sentence that he is killed in episode III.
Indeed, when he points his lightsaber in the direction of a weakened Palpatine, two choices are available to him: capture him alive or kill him. Anakin asks him to keep him alive because he needed him to learn more about Padmé’s fate.. Not having confidence in the legal system which could not have properly prosecuted a person such as Palpatine, If he brought him back alive, Mace Windu didn’t want to be seen as having underestimated him.. So he decides to kill him. Except that he is betrayed by Anakin allowing Palpatine to launch attacks, one of which will be fatal to him.
Mace Windu is the last person to underestimate Vader
Mace Windu says he never underestimates anyone but, ironically, he dies because he underestimated Anakin Skywalker. The Jedi did not realize to what extent the Dark side had already influenced the young man. At this given moment, Anakin had already become Darth Vader. Mace Windu was not suspicious of Skywalker’s power. So, he turned his back on the deadliest person in the galaxy.
Not underestimating people certainly allowed him to successfully complete missions when he was a Jedi Knight, but he should have shown more wisdom as a master. By insisting that Palpatine absolutely had to die, Mace Windu’s insistence ensured his own death even if Samuel L. Jackson the Jedi would still be alive.