Mace Windu's lightsaber

This article is about the purple-bladed lightsaber used by Mace Windu until his death. You may be looking for Mace Windu's blue-bladed lightsaber, wielded prior to the Clone Wars.

Mace Windu's lightsaber was the weapon wielded by the Jedi Master during his career. It was unique among Jedi as it produced an amethyst blade when activated, rather than the more common green or blue. Windu wielded his lightsaber in many skirmishes and battles across the galaxy during notable events such as the Clone Wars. That conflict saw the blade used on battlefronts such as Ryloth, Dantooine, Boz Pity, Coruscant, and others.

In 19 BBY, the lightsaber was lost when it was dropped out of the window of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's office prior to his death. In 18 BBY, Duros salvagers recovered it and sold it to Senator Sano Sauro.

History[]

In 63 BBY,^[4] a nine-year-old Mace Windu first imagined his future lightsaber, creating a detailed visualization of the weapon in his mind before beginning its construction as a Jedi Padawan three years later.^[2]

By 58 BBY,^[5] however, Windu had not completed a lightsaber despite his skill as a Jedi apprentice, giving rise to allegations from the Jedi Council that he was held back by fear. Seeking a challenge and a unique lightsaber crystal, he was dispatched beyond the Outer Rim to Hurikane, his first mission alone. There, he was attacked by natives and evaded the stony beings with the Force. Falling from a cliff while pursuing the young Jedi, one native's body was shattered, but Windu was able to reconstruct the individual piece–by–piece. In return, the natives presented him with several violet-colored crystals,^[6] rare lightsaber components which produced a distinctive purple blade.^[3]

MaceWindu-SWITSB — Mace Windu wielding his lightsaber

Prior to his ascension to the Jedi Council^[7] in 44 BBY,^[8] Windu constructed a purple-bladed lightsaber for the purpose of practice using crystals he had imbued himself. He lent the weapon to a Jedi Padawan who was later killed, along with her master, during a mission to the Outer Rim. The saber subsequently passed through various hands before coming into the possession of Bleth Fahr, an Omwati Dark Jedi, who wielded it in battle against a group involved in the transport of Sith artifact the Pulas to the Jedi Council on the city–planet Coruscant. Though Windu built another to take its place, this lightsaber held emotional value to him. During this time, the Jedi Master had acquired a Coruscani lightsaber^[7] constructed by Jedi artisan Felanil Baaks, which Windu gave as a gift^[9] to a Jedi student of the Almas Academy from the Cularin system as thanks for their part in the Pulas' delivery.^[7]

Viewing his physical lightsaber as a mere expression of the weapon that existed in his mind, Windu adapted it as he grew in the Force, modifying it to reflect changes within himself.^[2]

Sometime before 22 BBY, Windu created a second lightsaber, in recognition of his position as a senior Jedi Council member. It was built to the highest standards, emphasizing precision and quality. The weapon incorporated an electrum finish reserved only for the most senior of council members, as well as the signature amethyst crystal of his earlier weapon. His second lightsaber served him throughout the galaxy-spanning Clone Wars, until his death at the hands of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine in 19 BBY - who was the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious. The lightsaber plummeted out of the shattered window of the Chancellor's office after Windu's hand was severed by Anakin Skywalker, with its owner soon following.

The following year, a Duros sold a broken lightsaber, which he claimed once belonged to Master Windu, to Senator Sano Sauro. Though the claim was never verified, Senator Sauro displayed the lightsaber in question in his office.^[10]

Behind the scenes[]

"We had this big arena fight scene with all these Jedi, and I was like, 'I want to be able to find myself in this scene.' I said to George, 'You think I can get a purple lightsaber? I'm like the second baddest Jedi in the universe.'"

―Samuel L. Jackson on Windu's lightsaber^[11]

Mace Windu's lightsaber first appeared in Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, the second installment of the Prequel trilogy.^[1] The lightsaber's amethyst color was chosen by the actor portraying Windu, Samuel L. Jackson, who wanted a purple lightsaber because he was "the second baddest Jedi in the universe" and so he could find himself among the many Jedi featured in the Battle of Geonosis scene.^[11]