Revenge of the Sith’s Mace Windu vs Palpatine Battle Is Still a Major Fan Debate

The titanic battle between Mace Windu and Palpatine in Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith is one of the most consequential events in the history of the Star Wars franchise. In addition to heralding the demise of the Jedi Order and the rise of the Galactic Empire, the battle marked a major turning point for Anakin Skywalker, whose betrayal of Windu marked the final step in Anakin’s conversion to the dark side of the Force and eventual transformation into Darth Vader.

Since Anakin prevents Windu from killing Palpatine by severing his hand in Revenge of the Sith, many Star Wars fans believe Windu had already defeated Palpatine. Others, however, maintain that Palpatine allowed Windu to gain the upper hand in order to lure Anakin to the dark side. Indeed, while it’s difficult to say how the battle between them would have ended without Anakin’s interference, Anakin’s betrayal of Windu is unquestionably one of the most defining and reverberating moments in the Star Wars franchise timeline.

George Lucas Said That Mace Windu Defeated Palpatine in Their Lightsaber Duel

Mace Windu is regarded as one of the most powerful Jedi of his time, perhaps second only to Yoda. The battle between Palpatine and Windu in Revenge of the Sith showcases Windu’s mastery of the lightsaber form Vaapad, which requires the practitioner to utilize negative emotions, most notably anger, to their advantage. Given the inherent risks of tapping into darker emotions, it took great skill for Windu to modulate his emotions while practicing the controversial Vaapad form without turning to the dark side.

Windu, played by Samuel L. Jackson, was never more powerful than he is in Revenge of the Sith during his battle with Palpatine in Palpatine’s office. In addition to the Vaapad form, Windu utilizes his Shatterpoint Force ability to detect Palpatine’s perceived weakness — fear — which Windu seemingly exploits. However, it’s later revealed that the fear Windu detects in Palpatine was actually transported from Anakin to Palpatine. Moreover, while Windu’s disarming of Palpatine leaves him cowering and pleading for mercy, he is hardly defenseless, as seen with the Sith lightning that he unleashes on Windu in front of Anakin.

In his director’s commentary for Revenge of the Sith, George Lucas states that Windu dominates and is victorious against Palpatine in their lightsaber duel. Matthew Stover’s novelization also makes clear that Windu’s victory over Palpatine in their lightsaber duel was genuine, noting that Palpatine’s Force powers ultimately proved decisive in the overall battle. Indeed, while Windu’s victory in the lightsaber duel seems legitimate, this doesn’t address the underlying question of whether Palpatine allowed himself to be defeated by Windu as part of his elaborate design for ruling the galaxy.

Palpatine Feigned Weakness Against Windu To Manipulate Anakin Skywalker

When Mace Windu arrives at Palpatine’s office to take him prisoner, Windu is accompanied by Jedi masters Agen Kolar, Kit Fisto, and Saesee Tiin, whom he kills in a matter of seconds before entering into a prolonged battle with Windu. While the legendary Windu is a much more formidable opponent than his fellow Jedi masters, the ease with which Palpatine murdered the three Jedi masters lends credence to the enduring theory that he allowed Windu to gain the upper hand in their battle for the purpose of convincing Anakin Skywalker to choose Palpatine over Windu.

While Windu seems poised to kill a disfigured and seemingly exhausted Palpatine in front of Anakin, Palpatine still has the ability to strike back at Windu with Sith lightning, as he quickly proves following Anakin’s betrayal of Windu. In the Revenge of the Sith novelization, author Matthew Stover reveals that the lightsaber duel with Windu was largely irrelevant to Windu, who placed far greater importance on bringing Anakin over to the dark side by framing himself as a victim of Windu and the Jedi Order.

By killing the three Jedi masters alongside Windu so quickly, Palpatine proved himself to be much stronger than he appeared to be in his lightsaber duel with Windu. Palpatine prolonged the duel with Windu with the clear anticipation that Anakin would arrive at the precise moment when Windu seemed poised to kill Palpatine.

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For Palpatine, killing Windu prior to Anakin’s arrival would have hurt his ability to convert Anakin to the dark side by confirming Windu’s beliefs about the dark side. By presenting himself as the victim of an assassination attempt by Windu, Palpatine sowed confusion in Anakin, whose growing disillusionment with the Jedi Order was exacerbated by Windu’s previous mistrust of Anakin.

Moreover, by feigning weakness against Windu, Palpatine was able to successfully present himself to Anakin as the only vessel through which Anakin’s wife, Padmé Amidala, could be saved, referring to Anakin’s nightmarish visions of Padmé’s death. Of course, once Anakin betrayed Windu, Palpatine dropped the charade of weakness and killed Windu with a suddenly rejuvenated burst of Sith lightning.

Everything in ‘Revenge of the Sith’ Happens According to Palpatine’s Vision

The fact that Palpatine was able to conceal his true identity as Darth Sidious from the Jedi Order over multiple decades is a testament to his extraordinary patience and strategic thinking. This is highlighted in Revenge of the Sith with the battle between Mace Windu and Palpatine, as while Windu emerges victorious in their lightsaber duel, the ultimate battle unfolds exactly as Palpatine planned. Indeed, just as he rose to power through manipulation and political savvy, the battle with Windu is decided more through anticipation and deception than pure strength.

While Palpatine and Windu were both among the most powerful Force users in their respective orders, Palpatine’s weaknesses of arrogance and his reliance on manipulation proved to be much less telling than Windu’s weaknesses, specifically Anakin’s interference and Windu’s inability to foresee the possibility of Anakin’s betrayal. Palpatine also has the element of surprise. As seen with the swift murders of Mace’s three fellow Jedi masters, Palpatine anticipated that he would be attacked by a group of Jedi knights. He had been preparing to fight an opponent like Windu throughout his rise to power. In his brilliant, diabolical mind, the battle was over before it began. Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith is streaming on Disney+.