Key Takeaways
- Mace Windu’s purple lightsaber was unique, representing a balance between the dark and light sides of the Force.
- Windu’s ability to tap into his aggressive side without succumbing to the dark side made him a compelling and powerful Jedi.
- Samuel L. Jackson’s request for a purple lightsaber added uniqueness to Windu’s character and became iconic in the Star Wars series.
Mace Windu is one of the most powerful Jedi in Star Wars history, second only to Yoda in the prequel trilogy. Samuel L. Jackson’s character caught people’s attention because of his charisma in his performances and because he had a purple lightsaber.
While there are various colored lightsabers at this stage in Star Wars, they are predominantly green, blue, or red. Windu’s use of a purple lightsaber instantly made him stand out, and his fight scenes became even more iconic because of his weapon, and there is a genuine reason for it.
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The Force Connection Meaning
Windu’s lightsaber was covered in a rare metal known as electrum, and its purple hue provided the unique color that fans know so well. The color purple is associated with the owner having an affinity to both the dark and light side of the force as it blends blue and red together in terms of color. While Windu was the perfect Jedi during the prequels, there have been stories about him flirting with the dark side, but he was able to reject it.
It allows him to tap into a more aggressive side of the Force, but in a controlled manner that those who become Sith Lords cannot achieve. His ability to keep the full dark side at bay but remain as powerful helped him throughout his life and allowed him to climb the ranks in the Jedi council at the same time.
It gives a glimpse into his character and personality, which means his final scene with Anakin Skywalker and Darth Sidious is even more meaningful. Knowing this information, his speaking to Anakin about not giving in to the dark side makes even more sense because he came close to doing the same thing. It gives the scene a lot more of an emotional punch, but few would’ve expected it simply from the color of his lightsaber alone.
Windu decided to explore the emotions and struggles with the dark side of the Force, and that was a significant factor in why he became such a powerful Jedi. He knows information about both options, which is something that few other characters within the Star Wars universe can boast. This is one of the reasons he is such a compelling character that many fans want to see a lot more of him.
How Mace Windu Built His Lightsaber
Star Wars Tales #13 provides a more detailed account of how Windu actually went about creating his purple lightsaber. He failed to do it by the age of 14, which concerned the Jedi Council, being another example of Windu not always being a perfect hero. However, it was because he hadn’t found the right elements to create the saber that he wanted. Windu ends up being gifted a kyber crystal by the people of planet Hurikane after he defends them with the Force. He was able to use those parts to create the purple lightsaber, which is something that he went on to use throughout his life until he was killed.
The True Reason Mace Windu Ended Up With A Purple Lightsaber
While there is a deep lore that Star Wars’ creative minds have made to explain the difference between Mindu’s lightsaber color, the ultimate reason is that Samuel L. Jackson requested it. He wanted to make sure that he could see himself during Star Wars: Attack of the Clones in the Geonasian arena and felt that a purple lightsaber would make that happen despite how many characters were going to be involved in what was a massive cluster of lightsabers.
Of course, it certainly did make that happen, as fans instantly paid attention to him, which was important given that he was a key part of the scene. The color purple wasn’t random either, as it is Jackson’s favorite color, which is why he picked it. George Lucas agreed to the decision, and that led to the color purple being brought into the world of Star Wars and helped to make Windu an iconic character in the process.
Ultimately, the purple lightsaber came from Samuel L. Jackson’s imagination and was later explained in Star Wars lore with specific reasoning. While it’s unusual for an actor to have so much input on a Star Wars character, it worked positively because it made his character unique, created some good merchandise, and became a talking point amongst fans.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise originally created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy of movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other media like comics, video games, tv shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.