Mace Windu Is Still Alive, At Least According to Samuel L. Jackson
As a whole, the Star Wars prequel characters were not a particularly well-liked group. You had Anakin Skywalker, the mopey, whiny Jedi who hated sand. There was Queen Amidala, the blank royal who endured Anakin’s moping and whining and hatred of sand. And there was Jar Jar Binks who talked like a moron and later basically helped the Palpatine seize control of the galaxy. Not exactly candidates for the Mount Rushmore of Star Wars heroes.
Really the only character people liked was Mace Windu, and that was mostly because he was played by the great Samuel L. Jackson, hung out with Yoda, and had a really cool purple lightsaber. Despite his coolness, purple lightsaber, and proximity to Yoda, Windu still perished at the climax of Revenge of the Sith. At least that’s what we all assumed. According to Jackson in a recent Twitter Q&A, Mace Windu isn’t dead after all.
This is one of the most Sam Jackson things ever. “Who decided to kill Mace Windu?” “Oh, that was George Lucas. Also I am not dead because I say I am not dead because I am Samuel L. Jackson and I am literally too cool to kill.”
Entertainment Weekly asked Jackson about his theory and he confirmed that in the Samuel L. Jackson Phantom Edit of Revenge of the Sith, Mace Windu is alive and well. “Of course he is!” Jackson said. “Jedi can fall from amazing distances. And there’s a long history of one-handed Jedi. So why not?” I mean, he’s not wrong.
And what was George Lucas’ reaction to Jackson going over his head to declare his character alive in spite of the evidence that he was not? “I’m okay with that. You can be alive,” Jackson said Lucas told him.
Let this be a lesson to all of us: Do not try to kill Samuel L. Jackson. It cannot be done.