Watch Samuel L. Jackson Ask George Lucas For A Purple Lightsaber

Watch Samuel L. Jackson ask Star Wars creator George Lucas for a purple lightsaber in a cool behind-the-scenes video. Jackson played the wise Jedi Master Mace Windu in the Star Wars prequels, where he memorably wielded the only purple lightsaber to be seen in the Star Wars universe.

Mace Windu first appeared in The Phantom Menace while sitting on the Jedi Council on the planet Coruscant. Windu expresses apprehension about Qui-Gon Jinn’s request to train the young Anakin Skywalker. Establishing himself as a wise and wary Jedi Master, Windu’s doubts about Anakin are proven entirely correct in Revenge of the Sith. In a terrible ironic twist, Windu meets his end after acting on Anakin’s report that Sheev Palpatine was the Sith Lord the Jedi Council was searching for. Mace Windu had the evil emperor down for the count when Anakin intervened, cutting Windu’s arm off and allowing Palpatine the opportunity to kill the Jedi Master. Windu’s death ends up acting as the catalyst for Anakin’s turn to the Dark Side.

Reddit user u/EKRB7 posted the cool behind the scenes moment where Samuel L. Jackson asked for a purple lightsaber. Lucas casually lays down the common rule that the good guys get a blue or green lightsaber while the bad guys get red. Samuel L. Jackson’s casual question of, “No purple lightsaber?’ pays off when Lucas says he might get one. The look of sheer joy on Jackson’s face is worth rewatching again and again. Check out the video below.

Although the prequel trilogy was criticized for many things, from bad acting to cheesy dialogue, Samuel L. Jackson’s stoic portrayal of the brave Mace Windu was a standout fan favorite performance. Lucas did grant his wish for a purple lightsaber for the films, which enhanced Mace Windu’s epic character to the very end. Jackson himself has said that he’d love to reprise the role, and even got the official approval from George Lucas himself that Mace Windu is still alive. Sadly, Mace Windu’s return has not been explored yet in official canon, but he was one of the voices urging Rey to rise and defeat Palpatine once and for all in The Rise of Skywalker. 

Samuel L. Jackson has had a lot of iconic roles in his lengthy career, but Star Wars fans will always fondly view him as the Jedi Master with the cool purple lightsaber. Mace Windu died (or perhaps disappeared) nobly attempting to stop the evil Darth Sidious, and his efforts will always be remembered as a heroic final act. Fans eager to learn more about Mace can explore the comics and the Clone Wars animated series, which reveals a lot more about why Mace Windu is so powerful. Hopefully one day fans will get to see Jackson return as Mace Windu, but in the interim, his delight over the potential of getting to wield a purple lightsaber will suffice.

Source: Reddit