Star Wars: The Real Reason Samuel L. Jackson's Mace Windu Has A Purple Lightsaber
When "Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope" debuted, audiences were introduced to only two lightsaber colors — blue and red — with each lightsaber color having a true, symbolic meaning. By the time "Episode VI – Return of the Jedi" hit screens, franchise creator George Lucas threw viewers a curveball by introducing Luke's (Mark Hamill) green saber. Decades later, a rainbow of laser swords would manifest, with the prequel trilogy debuting Mace Windu's (Samuel L. Jackson) unique purple lightsaber. While fans might want to dissect the meaning behind the Jedi master's purple sword, the actor explains that the color was a personal preference.
While appearing on "The Graham Norton Show," Jackson revealed why his stoic Jedi sports such a unique-colored lightsaber. "We had this big arena fight scene with all these Jedi ... and I was like, 'Well, s***, I wanna be able to find myself in this big ol' scene,'" Jackson said, referring to the Battle of Geonosis sequence in "Attack of the Clones," the second film in the prequel trilogy. "I said to George, 'You think maybe I can get a purple lightsaber? ... I'm the second-baddest Jedi in the universe.'"
Lucas didn't immediately agree to Jackson's request, telling the actor that he'd think about it. When it came time for Jackson to reshoot his scenes, Lucas surprised the Mace Windu actor by showing him that his wish was granted. It turns out that the real meaning behind the purple lightsaber is that Jackson can get whatever he wants because he's just that cool.
How Samuel L. Jackson landed his Star Wars gig
Today, there are tons of different lightsaber colors, with 2019's "Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker" introducing Rey's (Daisy Ridley) now-iconic yellow lightsaber. But during the prequel era, Mace Windu having a special-colored lightsaber was a novel idea, one that separated the suave and confident Jedi from the rest of the pack. The character's attitude and saber color made him an immediate fan favorite.
Back in the '90s, Samuel L. Jackson was extremely prolific, making him the perfect candidate to join the "Star Wars" franchise with 1999's "Episode I – The Phantom Menace." It turns out that George Lucas wasn't the one who initiated Jackson's introduction to the galaxy far, far away. In "Star Wars Insider" issue #55, Jackson explained that he campaigned to be in the prequel film and later received a call from Lucas inviting him to join the cast. The actor had no qualms about being a stormtrooper or a side character and was surprised to learn that the filmmaker envisioned him as a Jedi master. "Once they started fitting Jedi robes on me, I was like, 'Hey who is this guy? This is gonna be cool.' So there was no way I was not going to do it," Jackson said.
The rest is history, as Mace Windu stands out as one of the most prolific and memorable characters from the prequel trilogy. Unfortunately, the character seemingly died in "Episode III – Revenge of the Sith," but Jackson has a powerful answer for fans who think Mace Windu is really dead.