Mace Windu’s Star Wars Return Feels More Likely Than Ever – Is That Good?

The legendary Jedi Master Mace Windu is theorized by some Star Wars fans to have survived his prequel-era demise, but his return to the franchise seems more likely than ever before, for better or worse. Mace Windu was a prominent member of the Jedi Order in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, equaled by perhaps only Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Though he was one of the Jedi Order’s most valiant members and certainly one of its most skilled warriors, Windu was betrayed by Anakin Skywalker and killed by Palpatine (Darth Sidious). Windu’s survival is possible, however, considering that more obvious character deaths have been retroactively undone in the Star Wars franchise and the support for Windu’s return among both fans and his actor, Samuel L. Jackson.

Jedi Master Mace Windu was a leading member of the prequel-era Jedi Council in the final days of the Galactic Republic. Windu had a reputation for being the Jedi Order’s finest combatant, but he adhered closely to the Jedi way and was a strong believer in the Republic’s democracy. Naturally, Windu became a grimmer character at the onset of the Clone Wars, as he found himself forced into the position of a military general and watched as the Republic that he adored gradually became twisted into an authoritarian regime in all but name. Despite this, Windu fought bravely during the war, showing compassion for the citizens he protected and the Clone Troopers under his command, as shown in canon and Legends-era materials.

Mace Windu’s death, tragically, was the final step for Anakin Skywalker to leave the Jedi Order and join the Sith, taking on the new identity of Darth Vader. Mace Windu’s duel with Palpatine not only led to Anakin’s fall, but also saw the Jedi Master flung from the Chancellor’s private quarters on Coruscant by a blast of Force lightning. However, given Mace Windu’s popularity, the Star Wars franchise may yet bring the heroic Jedi Master back from this seemingly certain fate. While Revenge of the Sith was fairly unequivocal in its removal of Windu, there is actually a way for him to return to the franchise and continue his story. Here’s how Mace Windu can make his Star Wars return and whether or not this would actually help the saga as a whole.

Is Mace Windu Dead Or Alive? How He Might’ve Survived ROTS

Mace Windu’s death in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith saw him flung out of the window of Palpatine’s Coruscant skyscraper after a deadly barrage of Force lightning and Skywalker slicing off his hand. Although the scene was intended to unambiguously show Windu’s death, he could have hypothetically survived. Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber strike may have dismembered Windu, but it wasn’t a lethal blow. Palpatine’s final assault of lighting was certainly deadly, but Windu can be heard exclaiming in pain as he’s flung out of the window. Throughout both Star Wars timelines, Jedi are shown not only surviving falls from great heights but landing gracefully through their use of the Force. The loss of his hand and the debilitating Force lightning does not put Windu in the best physical state, but he may be powerful enough to use the Force and cushion his fall, perhaps just enough to survive. This evidence raises the possibility of his escape.

Star Wars Has Made Mace Windu’s Return Feel Plausible

Star Wars is a fantasy series, and while it has an internal sense of logic, it has retroactively resurrected characters who seemingly had definitive deaths. For instance, Darth Maul died in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace after being bisected by Obi-Wan Kenobi. While Darth Maul was a powerful Sith Lord, he was still an Iridonian Zabrak, whose physiology is extremely similar to that of a human. While Maul’s species and demise were preserved in Legends, canon’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars retconned Maul into not only being a Dathomirian but also to have survived his rather definitive death in The Phantom Menace.

Similarly, Emperor Palpatine seemingly died in Return of the Jedi when he exploded into dark side energy as he fell down the Death Star II’s chasm, but the Legends-era comic series Dark Empire resurrected him at the insistence of George Lucas. Palpatine’s body may have been obliterated, but his mastery of the dark side’s unnatural powers allowed him to transfer his consciousness into cloned bodies. This idea was reimagined in canon’s sequel trilogy, with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker retroactively making the undead Palpatine the antagonist of the sequels, just as he’d been for the original and prequel trilogies. If Darth Maul and Palpatine can survive seemingly definitive deaths, Mace Windu can certainly come back from a demise that’s less explicit than the two Sith Lords.

Samuel L. Jackson Really Wants Mace Windu To Return

Samuel L. Jackson enjoyed his Star Wars role and notably lobbied to have Mace Windu come back to the franchise. While working with Bryce Dallas Howard, Jackson asked if she’d be able to help him bring his character back, joking that he’d have Mace Windu fight with a lightsaber one-handed. Given the Star Wars franchise’s track record with resurrecting iconic characters, it seems that nearly anybody can return, as long as they’re popular enough. Mace Windu certainly fits the criteria, being a beloved prequel-era character among both fans and Samuel L. Jackson. With this in mind, it may only be a matter of time before the famous Jedi Master is revealed to have survived.

Is Mace Windu Being Alive A Good Star Wars Twist?

Bringing Mace Windu back is certainly possible from both an in-universe and meta-perspective, but whether it’s a good idea or not isn’t quite as clear. Mace Windu’s death was a definitive final step in Anakin Skywalker’s corruption as well as being the removal of one of Palpatine’s greatest obstacles in his sinister coup, yet bringing Windu back doesn’t invalidate any of this, just as Palpatine’s own resurrection doesn’t reduce the meaning of Anakin’s Return of the Jedi redemption. What matters far more is whether or not the Star Wars franchise gives Mace Windu a meaningful role following his return. Resurrecting Mace Windu only for the sake of fan service would be frivolous, but giving him an important role and character development, similar to Maul in The Clone Wars and Palpatine in Dark Empire and The Rise of Skywalker, would make his Star Wars franchise return worthwhile. As such, Mace Windu’s Star Wars return could yet be a success, but only if handled with the necessary skill.

About The Author

David Miller
(618 Articles Published)

David Miller is a staff writer for Screen Rant, indie comic writer, and life-long lover of all things Star Wars, Marvel, and DC. He was born and raised in New York and has a degree in English from Rider University. He relates to Peter Parker maybe a little too much.

More From David Miller