Mace Windu

"You must realize there aren't enough Jedi to protect the Republic. We're keepers of the peace, not soldiers."

- Mace Windu

Mace Windu was a male human Jedi Master who was the second most senior of the Jedi during the final years of the Galactic Republic, after Grand Master Yoda.

It was Master Windu who led two hundred and twelve Jedi into combat at the Battle of Geonosis and slew the infamous bounty hunter Jango Fett, leading his son Boba Fett to hate Mace Windu and even try to kill him. He continued to serve the Republic throughout the Clone Wars, often leading troops into battle, despite his misgivings about the militarization of the Jedi Order.

In the final days of the war, Windu and three other Jedi confronted Darth Sidious. The three other Jedi, including Kit Fisto, were all slain by Sidious, leaving only Windu to duel the Sith Lord. Windu defeated Sidious in a difficult duel, after being informed by Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker that Sidious and Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine were one and the same person. As Skywalker rushed to the scene, Sidious lay disarmed on the edge of the window in his office with Windu holding his lightsaber on Sidious. Sidious then told Anakin that if he died he would lose Padmé as he saw in his vision, Anakin wanted to keep him alive but merely as an excuse to help him bring her back. Windu was ultimately prevented from slaying Sidious by Skywalker and forced out the window by Sidious. The Galactic Empire would later teach in its history books that Windu was the leader of a "criminal gang" who sparked the Clone Wars by interfering with a legal execution on Geonosis.dash star (you tuber) says he survived.

Biography
Prior to the Naboo crisis, Windu had achieved the rank of Jedi Master and was serving on the Jedi High Council. During one of his missions, Windu rescued a young Chalactan girl, Depa Billaba, from pirates and brought her to the Jedi Temple. He then took Billaba as his apprentice, who became a Jedi Knight and member of the Jedi Council herself.

Invasion of Naboo
"There's no doubt the mysterious warrior was a Sith." "Always two, there are. No more, no less. A master and an apprentice." "But which one was destroyed, the master or the apprentice?"

- Mace Windu and Yoda on the Sith's return

When Qui-Gon Jinn and his padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi had returned from the planet Naboo, Windu, along with the rest of the council, were informed that negotiations with the Trade Federation had failed and that they had saved Naboo Queen Padmé Amidala before escaping the planet. Jinn also reported that while he was on the planet Tatooine, he had encountered a Zabrak wielding a red lightsaber on the outskirts of Mos Espa. Jinn claimed that his attacker was a Sith Lord. Windu's fellow council member, Ki-Adi-Mundi voiced his skepticism on that the fact that the Sith had been extinct for a millennium. Windu also pointed out that if the Sith did return, they could not do so without the Jedi Order being aware of it. Windu also approved of Jinn bringing Anakin Skywalker, to test him and approve his training. Windu then tested Skywalker, seeing that the Force was strong within him. However, Windu and Council agreed that he was too old to be trained. However, Windu stated that is fate would be decided later after the mystery of the Sith had been solved.

Windu then went with newly appointed Chancellor Sheev Palpatine to Naboo. Windu and the Council then approved of Skywalker's training under Kenobi. Windu then attended Jinn's funeral pyre and spoke with Yoda about who the Sith warrior was, the master or the apprentice. He then attended the the celebration between the Naboo and the Gungans.

Prelude to war
Windu and other members of the Jedi Council and Order then met with the Chancellor to discuss the growing threats of the Separatist Movement under Count Dooku. Windu reminded Palpatine that there were not enough Jedi to defend the republic and that they were keepers of the peace, not soldiers. Windu then spoke with Amidala about her assassination, telling her that their intelligence pointed to disgruntled spice miners from Naboo's moons. He disagreed that Dooku was behind, since he was a Jedi. Windu then agreed to assign Kenobi and Skywalker to protect former Naboo queen, Senator Amidala from further assissination at the request of the Chancellor.

Following the death of the assassin, Windu assigned Kenobi to track down the bounty hunter and Skywalker to protect Senator Amidala from further attempts by taking her to Naboo. Windu told Skywalker to see the Chancellor to convince Amidala to do this. Windu then spoke with Kenobi and Yoda about his doubts about Skywalker's assignment on his own. Windu, however, told Kenobi that the Council was confident in their decision to let Skywalker continue the mission on his own, knowing that he might be the Chosen One. Windu then went to Yoda's quarter, where Yoda sensed that Skywalker was in terrible pain.

Windu and the rest of the Jedi Council then went to the Chancellor's office. There they watched a report from Kenobi on how he tracked Jango Fett to Geonosis. He also reported that Viceroy Nute Gunray was behind the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala. He also said that the Commerce Guild and the Corporate Alliance with other factions had pledged their armies to Count Dooku. Before he could say anything else, Kenobi was attacked by droidekas and captured. Windu then watched as Palpatine was given emergency powers to create a Grand Army of the Republic. After it was decided, Windu gathered a two hundred Jedi team to rescue Kenobi while Yoda inspected the Clone Army.

Battle of Geonosis
"This party's over."

- Windu to Dooku

During Kenobi's, Skywalker's and Amidala's execution, Windu sneaked into Dooku's viewing box where he confronted Dooku and his bodyguard, Jango Fett. However, Windu was forced to leave when super battle droids moved towards him and Fett used his flamethrower on him. Windu then fought against hordes of battle droids and a Reek. Windu was then confronted by Fett, but was able to defeat him when he cut off his head. As the battle droids surrounded Windu and the other survivors, Dooku offered him the chance to surrender. Windu refused, saying that they would not be bargaining chips. Windu and the other Jedi were then rescued by Yoda and newly commissioned Clone Army. Windu then led the Clones to victory despite Dooku's escape. Following the battle, Windu spoke with Kenobi about Palpatine/Sidious controlling the Republic Senate. Windu agreed that they would keep eye on the Senate.

Following the battle, Windu was then with the Chancellor when he offered to help Jabba the Hutt in rescuing his son, Rotta. Windu did not like dealing with criminal scrum, seeing it as a dark day for the Republic. However, they had no choice since they control trade routes in the Outer Rim. The Chancellor asked Windu to assign as many Jedi as they could to this mission. Windu however, told him that General Grievous has spread their forces thin. Only Kenobi and Skywalker were available now that they had liberated Christophsis. Windu was then informed by their scouts that they had located Jabba's son to a abandoned monastery on Teth. Windu then asked Admiral Wurtz for three of his star cruisers to assist Kenobi on Christophsis.

During this time, Windu spent much time on Coruscant directing the Jedi in their role as wartime leaders. He was assigned Commander CT-411 "Ponds" as his second in command.

Battle of Ryloth
Windu, alongside Kenobi, Skywalker, and their forces then answered the Senate's plea to free Ryloth from Emir Wat Tambor's Confederate forces. After Skywalker's first attempt to break blockade, Windu told him that he must break the blockade or they would postpone the invasion. Skywalker was able to defeat the blockade, allowing Windu and Kenobi to begin their landing.

Windu then tasked Kenobi and Ghost Company with securing the landing area near Nabat. Windu then contacted Kenobi, giving him the task of taking out the proton cannons. Windu then spoke with Kenobi and Cody on freeing the Twi'lek prisoners surrounding the canons. Windu made it clear that freeing the hostages was their main priority. After Kenobi's forces secured Nabat, Windu took his forces to take the Capital and free Ryloth.

En route to Lessu on cliffside road, Windu's forces came under attack by AATs. Windu then rescued the AT-TE's pilot and then pushed off the cliff. Windu then ordered Lightning Squadron to the front. Windu took one of the AT-RTs and then led Lightning Squadron to destroy the AATs. Though they destroyed them, Windu lost 32 men and told Ponds that they would need help to take the Capital.

In a briefing with the Chancellor, Windu told them that he was going to recruit the Twi'lek Resistance under Cham Syndulla. Though Chancellor Palpatine and Senator Orn Free Taa did not like the idea, Windu believed they could not take the capital without Syndulla's forces. Windu then took a couple of ARF troopers with him to find Syndulla, tracking his blurrg tracks. Windu then found Syndulla after they destroyed a droid patrol. Windu and his troopers were then brought to their hideout, where Syndulla entertained them. Windu asked why Syndulla would not help the Republic. Syndulla told him that he did not trust Senator Taa because of the future. Windu promised that the Republic would not abandon Ryloth like before. However, Syndulla told him that an occupied Ryloth, whether by Separatist or Republic, was not a free Ryloth. He asked how long it would until he would fight the Jedi and the Clone Army. However, Windu convince him to speak with Taa after Ponds reported the fire-bombing campaign on the villages. Windu was able to broker a truce between Syndulla and Taa, convincing them to work together to free Ryloth.

As Windu's and Syndulla's forces moved on Lessu, Windu and Syndulla then looked for a way to cross the bridge. Syndulla then spotted a pair of treasure-laden MTTs coming into Lessu. Windu decided to board the transports, despite the risk of being discovered. Windu and his two ARF troopers then boarded the MTT. Windu then told Syndulla and Ponds to prepare for the attack. Midway across the bridge, Windu and his troopers were then detected. However, Windu was able to push Stak and Razor across the bridge before it was turned off. Windu then took a STAP and got to the otherside. Windu then fought the droids while Stak and Razor turned on the bridge. After the bridge was up, Windu then went to find Tambor. Windu then destroyed Tambor's guard and held him at lightsaber point. Windu then demanded his surrender, though Tambor refused seeing the approaching hyena bomber. Fortunately, it was destroyed and Tambor surrendered. Windu and Ponds then watched the victory parade in Lessu.

Holocron theft
Following the Battle of Felucia, Windu and the Council then punished Ahsoka for disobeying Skywalker's orders to retreat. Windu assigned her to guard duty in the Jedi Archives under Master Jocasta Nu. Windu and other Jedi in the temple were in its command center when Yoda sensed intruders. Windu then saw a droid, Todo 360 come in saying he was a maintenance droid. However, Windu pushed him back before a bomb went off on him. He and Yoda then went down to the Holocron Vault. There they learned that from Bane's partner, Cato Parasitti, that his next target was Bolla Ropal, the keeper of the Kyber memory crystal.

After Bane stole the holocron and the crystal, Windu, Yoda, Kenobi and Skywalker then tried to use the force to find the children Bane was kidnapping. Windu sensed that a child had been taken from Glee Anselm. After Skywalker and his apprentice captured Bane, Windu, Kenobi, and Skywalker then questioned Bane about the location of the children, the holocron, and his employer's identity. Bane refused to answer their questions. Windu, Kenobi and Skywalker then tried to use the force to make Bane answer their questions. Though it failed, Bane said that he would lead them to the Holocron and the children. Windu then went with Kenobi and Cody with him as Bane led them to his station in the Outer Rim. Once there, they followed Bane into the station. Though the found the holocron, Windu inadvertently set off the traps and Bane escaped. Windu and Kenobi were then able to escape the station's destruction.

Battle of Malastare
Windu and Skywalker then commanded the Republic and Dug forces on Malastare. He objected to the use of Dr. Sionver Boll's Electro-proton bomb. Windu watched as the Y-wings dropped the bomb on the Separtist forces. At first the bomb worked. However, Windu then saw the ground sinking, taking some of their forces into a sinkhole. During a meeting with Palpatine, Windu was urged to convince the Dugs and Doge Urus to sign a treaty with the Republic. However, Windu was then informed that their search party went missing. Windu then went with Ponds and a team to find the survivors. After landing in the sinkhole, Windu and his team then found the survivors, who said there was something down. Windu and his team then came across a massive creature. Luckily, they were saved by Skywalker's fighter and left. Windu was then told that it was a Zillo Beast.

Windu then watched as Urus's forces bombarded the beast. Windu objected to the Dugs' attack on the Zillo beast. Windu refused to help them kill the beast, even at the request of the Chancellor. However, he agreed to use the stun tanks on the creature. Windu then demanded that Ursus stop using their fuel to kill the beast. Windu then held a lightsaber at his throat. However, Windu then boarded one of the stun tanks and watched as they subdue the beast. Windu then spoke to the Chancellor, telling him that the creature was being loaded and that the Dugs had signed the treaty. However, Windu objected to the Chancellor to bring the beast to Coruscant.

Zillo Beast Incident
Windu then spoke with Palpatine, warning him of the beast's danger to Coruscant. He then spoke with Kenobi and agreed that Senator Amidala could convince Skywalker to convince the Chancellor to change his mind on the creature. Unfortunately, the Beast escaped and Windu was forced to lead his troops to rescue Palpatine from the beast. Windu and Kenobi were then able to save Palpatine, Skywalker, Amidalla and their droids from the beast. However, they were forced to kill the beast. Windu, alongside Yoda and Kenobi then asked Skywalker to recruit Senator Amidala to spy on Scipio Senator Rush Clovis to learn of his plans with the Confederacy.

Windu then led a Republic campaign on Dantooine. His defenses held, but at great cost to his men and asked for relief supplies.

Assassination attempt
Windu, Ponds and Skywalker were then to the Jedi Cruiser Endurance for a brief respite from the War. However, somebody had planted a bomb in his quarters, attempting to assassinate him. Windu, Skywalker, and the Endurance 's crew then searched the ship for the saboteur. However, the Endurance was compromised when the saboteur blew up the reactors. Windu and Skywalker were able to save Admiral Kilian from being blown out into space. Windu and Skywalker then led the evacuation of the Endurance as it entered Vanqor's atmosphere. Windu and Skywalker tried to convince Kilian to abandon ship, but he refused. Windu then boarded his starfighter, left with Skywalker, and rendezvoused with survivors as the Endurance crash landed on Vanqor. Windu was then informed that a escape pod with Clone cadet was missing. Windu, realizing that the saboteur was there, went with Skywalker to investigate. There, they found the cadets.

After a medical ship arrived, Windu and Skywalker investigated the crash site, looking for survivors, including Kilian and Ponds. Windu then had his astromech droid, R8-B7 and R2-D2 scan for survivors. Windu was displeased with Skywalker's attachment with R2. Windu then found evidence that someone was executing the survivors, believing they were looking for his body. Windu and Skywalker then went to the bridge. After looking, Windu informed Captain Silver that Killian and Ponds were lost and ordered them to the nearest medical station. Skywalker then spotted a Mandalorian helmet. Windu then realized that the saboteur was none other than Jango Fett's son, Boba. Windu then pulled Skywalker away from the helmet before it blew up. However, he and Skywalker were buried in debris, unable to move. They then told R2-D2 to call for help. Windu then watched as R2 took his fighter, believing he was leaving them behind when he was being pursued by Slave I. Windu and Skywalker were then rescued by Master Plo Koon, Ahsoka, and Commander Wolffe's Wolfpack. As Windu was being loaded onto a stretcher, he thanked R2 for rescuing them, seeing why Skywalker valued him.

At the Jedi Temple, Windu and Skywalker recuperated. Windu told Skywalker that he would not be hunting down Boba Fett, knowing that they are busy with the War. However, Koon and Ahsoka then showed them a message from Boba Fett, in which his colleague, Aurra Sing, shot Commander Ponds and threatened to kill the other hostage if Windu did not meet with Boba. Windu decided to agree to this but allowed Plo Koon and Ahsoka to apprehend him. Windu then met with Boba after he and Bossk were captured. Though Boba regretted what he had done, he told Windu that he would never forgive.

Following this, Windu alongside Yoda, attended Rodian Senator Onaconda Farr's funeral. Windu then showed Kenobi footage of the Devaron massacre, showing an Zabrack attacker with a resemblance to Darth Maul. Windu then told Kenobi that this Zabrak was not Maul. He then told him that the attacker and Maul came from Dathomir, not Iridonia.

Kidnapping of the Chancellor
When rumors reached the Council that bounty hunter, Moralo Eval, was planning to kidnap Palpatine from inside prison, Windu, Yoda, and Kenobi then conceived a plan for Kenobi to impersonate bounty hunter, Rako Hardeen to get close to Eval. Windu then arranged for Skywalker to arrest Kenobi, posing as Hardeen, and have sent to prison. He was then informed that fellow bounty hunter, Cad Bane, was planning to free Eval. Following Eval's, Bane's and Kenobi's escape, Windu and Yoda took the bounty off them to ensure that they would continue on their way to Serenno.

Windu then went with Palpatine to Naboo's Festival of Light. When a bomb went off, Windu then confronted one of the bounty hunters, Embo and captured him and Twazzi alongside Skywalker.

Mission to Bardotta
Windu later went with Representative Jar Jar Binks to assist Bardottan Queen Julia in finding the disappearing Dagoyan Masters. However, Windu's presence was not welcome by the Queen nor the Bardottans. Windu also sensed that the force was out of balance here. However, when the queen disappeared, Windu assisted the Bardottans and Binks in their search in the catacombs belonging to the Frangawl Cult. When Binks disappeared, Windu tracked him down and rescued Binks from being sacrificed. However, the Frangawl cult leader escaped with queen offworld. Binks promised the Bahk-tov Council that they would find the queen before the prophecy comes to be.

Windu learned from Binks that the Frangawl cult was extracting the living force from Dagoyan masters putting it into a sphere. He surmised that they would do same to Queen Julia. Windu then sensed the orb on Zardossa Stix where Windu sensed her in a city market square. Windu then fought with several of the cultists and saved Binks from them. He then stunned one Gundark and killed another. Windu then questioned the Gundarks' trainer, who told them that the Great Mother would deal with him. Windu then took an eopie and a dalgo to help in their search. They then went to the Zardossan temple. However, Windu and Binks were then confronted by stone guardians. Windu was able to defeat the Guardians. He then confronted the Great Mother, who revealed herself to be a Nightsister. Windu was able to prevent Talzin from absorbing the sphere's power and watched as she disappeared.

Legacy
The name of Windu would later be reviled by those who believed the line of the Galactic Empire. The Empire taught in their history books that Mace Windu was the leader of a "criminal gang" that interfered with a legal execution taking place on Geonosis, thus sparking the Clone Wars.

Behind the scenes
Samuel L. Jackson portrayed Mace Windu in the prequel trilogy and he returned to voice the character in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars film. In the  The Clone Wars TV series, he was voiced by Terrence Carson, who had played the role in Legends animation and video games.

Jackson requested George Lucas that his character be given a purple lightsaber because he wanted to be able to find himself in the Geonosis battle scene in Attack of the Clones. He reasoned that since Windu is the second most powerful Jedi after Yoda, Windu should had a lightsaber of a different color from the customary red, blue, and green.

Non-canon appearances

 * William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace: Star Wars Part the First
 * William Shakespeare's The Clone Army Attacketh: Star Wars Part the Second
 * William Shakespeare's Tragedy of the Sith's Revenge: Star Wars Part the Third
 * Disney Infinity 3.0