Showdown on Coruscant

"It's treason, then."

- Supreme Chancellor Palpatine

The Duel in the Chancellor's Office began when Jedi Masters Mace Windu, Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar, and Saesee Tiin attempted to arrest Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, after learning of his true identity as Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith. However, the cause of this confrontation began a short time earlier, following the Second Battle of Coruscant.

Background
"I've just learned a terrible truth. I think Chancellor Palpatine is a Sith Lord."

- Anakin Skywalker to Mace Windu

This confrontation was a key element of Palpatine's plot to destroy the Jedi Order, in which he manipulated Anakin Skywalker to do his bidding. Knowing Skywalker was plagued with prophetic visions of his wife dying in childbirth, Palpatine told Anakin a Sith legend: The tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise, informing him that Plagueis had learned the ability to save others from death, but his apprentice, having been taught this power, killed the Dark Lord in his sleep. Skywalker realized he could use this power to save Padmé, so when Palpatine finally revealed himself to be Darth Sidious&mdash;Plagueis's apprentice&mdash;Anakin was torn between his desire to learn Sidious's power and to do his duty as a Jedi Knight.



After giving up to kill Palpatine on site, Anakin informed Mace Windu of Palpatine's true identity, though he was greatly conflicted about his actions. Sensing this internal conflict, Mace sent Skywalker to the High Council Chamber and took a squad of Jedi&mdash;Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar, and Saesee Tiin&mdash;to arrest Palpatine.

Palpatine expected a showdown, and he was well prepared for it; through the dark side the Supreme Chancellor sensed both the conflict of Anakin in the Council chamber and the approach of the Jedi Masters onboard a gunship. Palpatine recovered his lightsaber from its resting place within a neuranium sculpture, hiding the hilt in the sleeve of his robe. When the Jedi Masters used the Force to scatter the Red Guards beyond the office's outer doors, the Chancellor triggered a concealed recording device&mdash;in audio only.

The duel
"In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, you're under arrest, Chancellor." "Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?" "The Senate will decide your fate." "I am the Senate."

- Mace Windu and Palpatine



The Jedi burst into Palpatine's private office, where Mace Windu stated the Chancellor was under arrest. However, the shrewd Sith Lord ensured the audio recording would show him as the victim, with the Jedi appearing unduly aggressive towards the seemingly innocent Chancellor. Unbeknownst to his intended audiences, Palpatine activated his lightsaber and launched himself at the Jedi, stabbing Kolar through the gut and striking Tiin down with a slash to the Iktotchi's chest. After two kills, Palpatine immediately engaged Fisto and Windu in a brief duel that saw the Nautolan's demise, leaving only Mace Windu to contend against the unleashed fury of Darth Sidious.

Windu and Palpatine's duel led them into the public office as Anakin Skywalker landed at the Republic Executive Building in a Jedi airspeeder&mdash;for the young Jedi could not bear to let Palpatine meet his death at the hands of the Jedi; at least, not without first learning the secrets of Darth Plagueis. Meanwhile, looking for an advantage against his foe, Windu shattered the office window, forcing Palpatine out onto the wind-blown ledge. There, a swift kick to the Chancellor's face sent Palpatine reeling, losing his lightsaber in the process. Palpatine fell to the ground, backing up against the window frame, the Jedi Master's blade inches from his throat&mdash;and at that moment, Anakin Skywalker arrived on the scene.



With the Dark Lord disarmed, Mace again declared Palpatine was under Jedi custody. However, having arrived too late to see the depth of Palpatine's evil intent, Anakin saw only a helpless Chancellor cowering before Mace Windu. Palpatine claimed the Jedi were in rebellion, while Mace declared the ultimate defeat of the Sith. In response, Sidious hurled Force lightning at the Jedi Master, only for it to be deflected back by his lightsaber. The bolts flowed through Sidious, seemingly injuring him and deforming his body. The Chancellor begged for mercy in a raspy and tired voice that he was too weak, while his face literally melted away. He called out to Anakin for help while Windu pleaded with him not to trust the Sith Lord. Anakin's conflict reached its boiling point as he watched Palpatine suffered. Eventually, the lightning subsided, leaving Palpatine exhausted and frail.

After witnessing the "disarmed" Palpatine's incredible power, Mace decided he had to terminate the Dark Lord once and for all. As he raised his blade to deliver the killing blow, Anakin made his fateful decision. In an impulsive act of desperation, the young Jedi cut off Windu's sword arm and Sidious seemed to shift from weakness to superiority in an instant, sending an endless barrage of Force lightning to shatter the Jedi Master's body and hurl him out of the window.

Though shocked at what he had done, Skywalker knew there was no turning back from his dark path now. Anakin pledged himself to Sidious's teachings in order to learn the power to cheat death. Darth Sidious named his new apprentice Darth Vader, and tasked him with the sterilization of the Jedi Temple.

The Great Jedi Purge had begun.

Behind the scenes



 * Throughout the battle, the lightsaber hilt Palpatine is using alternates between his saber's and Anakin's due to the fact that originally, he was going to use Anakin's lightsaber against the Jedi. Anakin was scripted to be present throughout the duel at first, but the battle was rechoreographed at the last minute and Anakin was scripted to arrive at the exact moment Palpatine loses his saber. His saber's hilt remains visible in some shots of the finished film though, making this one of many lightsaber bloopers found throughout the movie.


 * In the novelization of Revenge of the Sith, there were a few differences from the film's interpretation. Mace contacted Yoda before and after receiving the truth from Anakin: the members of the arrest team and their action were both approved by the Grand Master. During the engagement, Mace sent Saesee Tiin and Agen Kolar to the Chancellor's desk to block the way to the door. Firstly, Sidious tricked Saesee by asking him to read his mind (to establish if the Chancellor was truly a Sith Lord), then used the distraction as a chance to behead the unexpecting Iktotchi. Agen barely had time to absorb the scene before Palpatine pierced the lightsaber blade through his head, who dropped his lightsaber and collapsed. After that, the remaining two Jedi fought Sidious. Kit Fisto was beheaded from a sudden strike of Sidious's blade. Kit's death was not described firsthand&mdash;instead Anakin found Fisto's head on the Chancellor's table with the Nautolan's typical smile on it. The movie scene was originally scripted that way as well, but George Lucas decided it was too violent, and thus changed it.


 * In the novelization, Anakin Skywalker arrived earlier, and was able to watch almost half of the epic lightsaber duel between Mace and Palpatine, instead of just in time when the Jedi Master knocked down Sidious in the movie. During the deadly fight Anakin could sense the Force darkened within the Chancellor's Office, and there was no Jedi restraint there&mdash;Mace Windu was cutting loose.


 * In the novelization, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu and Shaak Ti all claimed that the arrest team consists of "four of the greatest swordsmen the Jedi Order has ever produced"&mdash;a fact less obvious in the movie for Agen, Saesee and Kit. Responding to the question of "Mace brought the B team to arrest Palpatine" in The Making of Star Wars Revenge of the Sith, George Lucas replied one have to be either Mace or Yoda to compete with Palpatine, and if Anakin suffered none of the injury, he could've beaten the Emperor.


 * There is constant debate about whether Palpatine threw the fight, one of the argument is around Palpatine's ability to sense the approach of Anakin, which would allow the Sith Lord to stage his defeat timely. The novelization confirmed that Mace Windu could sense the approach of Anakin through the Force before he broke the office window, even in the heat of the deadliest lightsaber duel. Thus it was reasonable for Palpatine to have the same experience.


 * Whether it is an intentional trick from the part of Palpatine or Windu truly outsparred the Sith Lord is confirmed in neither the movie nor the novel. However, in the novelization, Mace confessed Vaapad could not overpower the Sith Lord, that Vaapad could only form a superconducting loop of energy which flowed between Mace and Palpatine, making the duel an even match for infinite time. Mace claimed that it was his shatterpoint ability which allowed him to gain the upperhand. When the fight moved to the ledge, the novel described Mace sensing Palpatine hesitated for a moment and the Sith decreased his speed. Mace did not kick the jaw of Palpatine, and he sliced the Sith lightsaber in half instead of Palpatine dropping his own weapon. When Mace held Sidious at blade point, the Jedi Master explained the reason of his victory as: "You lost for the same reason the Sith always lose: defeated by your own fear". Sidious countered by screaming an interesting line, "Fool! Do you think the fear you feel is mine?" and blasted Mace with Force lightning.


 * The comic, it kept the idea of Palpatine slamming Mace on a wall with a powerful Force push, which was stated in the Screenplay but absent from the movie. In this version, Anakin arrived right at the moment the office window was broken. Instead of Palpatine's jaw, Mace kicked the right palm of the Sith Lord and knocked away the Sith lightsaber himself. Anakin ignited his blade right after Palpatine applied Force lightning for the first time, and after the young Jedi attacked Mace, it showed Palpatine throwing Mace out of the office window with telekinisis, without the use of Force lightning.


 * In both the novelization and the comic, the whole duel took place in the Chancellor's public office only, unlike beginning in the Chancellor's private office as seen in the movie. Thus Palpatine could activate the recording device hidden within his office desk in the book&mdash;his private chamber has a holoprojector instead of a desk.


 * In the video game adaptation, instead of severing Mace's arm, Anakin has an actual duel with Windu that ends with the Jedi Master stabbed to death and thrown out of the window. This is clearly a non-canon depiction for gameplay purposes.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (novel)
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (comics)
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (game)