Lightsabers are the preferred weapon of the Jedi, a mighty order of knights featured in George Lucas’ six Star Wars films. The lightsaber had a robust hilt with no crossguards and a short laser beam that could cut through practically anything it came into contact with. A concentrated explosion of tremendous energy was used to form the beams. A crystal implanted in the weapon’s hilt concentrated this energy. The color of the lightsaber’s beam was dictated by the color of this crystal.
When Jedi’s reach the age of majority, they are expected to manufacture their own lightsabers and use them for the rest of their lives, or until their hand is severed and the lightsaber is lost, which appeared inevitable for most Jedis at one point or another.
In his long career, Samuel L. Jackson has played many memorable roles, but Star Wars fans will always remember him as the Jedi Master with the awesome purple lightsaber. For the Star Wars prequels, Jackson portrayed the wise Jedi Master Mace Windu, who famously wielded the only purple lightsaber ever seen in the Star Wars world.
In The Phantom Menace, Mace Windu first appeared as a member of the Jedi Council on the planet Coruscant. Qui-Gon Jinn’s request to train the young Anakin Skywalker causes Windu concern. Windu proves his worries about Anakin in Revenge of the Sith, establishing himself as a smart and watchful Jedi Master. Windu perishes in a horrific ironic twist after acting on Anakin’s claim that Sheev Palpatine was the Sith Lord the Jedi Council was looking for. When Anakin intervened, cutting Windu’s arm off and letting Palpatine assassinate the Jedi Master, Mace Windu had the evil emperor down for the count. Anakin’s transformation to the Dark Side is sparked by Windu’s death.
Samuel L. Jackson requested a purple lightsaber in a cool behind-the-scenes event. Lucas casually states that the good guys get a blue or green lightsaber, while the bad men get a red lightsaber. When Lucas suggests he might receive one, Samuel L. Jackson’s nonchalant query, “No purple lightsaber?” pays off. The expression of pure ecstasy on Jackson’s face is worth seeing over and over.
Despite the fact that the prequel trilogy was planned for a variety of reasons, including weak acting and trite dialogue, Samuel L. Jackson’s stoic portrayal of the valiant Mace Windu was a fan favorite. Mace Windu’s legendary character was heightened to the very end by Lucas’s grant of his demand for a purple lightsaber for the films.
Jackson has expressed interest in reprising the role and has even received formal confirmation from George Lucas that Mace Windu is still alive. Sadly, Mace Windu’s return has yet to be explored in the official canon, but in The Rise of Skywalker, he was one among the voices imploring Rey to rise and fight Palpatine once and for all.
Mace Windu died (or may have vanished) valiantly attempting to stop Darth Sidious, and his efforts will be regarded as a brave final act. Fans who want to discover more about Mace Windu should look into the books and animated Clone Wars series, which explain a lot more about why he is so powerful. Fans will hopefully get to see Jackson reprise his role as Mace Windu in the future, but for now, his excitement over the prospect of wielding a purple lightsaber will have to suffice.
Sources: Star Wars Expanded, Screen Rant, Strong Blade, Ultra Sabers