I know someone who's got a whole slew of interesting (and compelling) evidence compiled on the subject. Maybe he'll chime in here...
That'd be me. I'm convinced Mace is the bad egg of the Prequel Trilogy. George has let slip what I consider to be more than a few clues pointing to Mace as a lynchpin bad guy in Episode III, so I've played Scooby-Doo and sniphed out as many as I can. Some are certainly more compelling than others. One or two are just silly. Many may chalk it up to coincidence. Judge for yourself:
- Fighting StyleAs mentioned at StarWarsKids.com:
His combat skills are close to those used by Sith warriors, the Form VII lightsaber fighting style.
As mentioned at StarWars.com:
Only the most skilled of the Jedi could master the Form VII discipline of combat, for its aggressive nature treaded dangerously upon dark side practices.
Lucas has provided enough background on Mace's fighting style to lead one to believe he'd be all too comfortable wielding a double-bladed lightsabre.
- Saber ColorMace's is uniquely violet, a combination of Jedi blue and Sith red. Jackson's preference, or a subtle hint from Lucas?
- Saber DesignDarth Maul's Sith lightsaber looks suspiciously like
Mace Windu's lightsaber as seen in
The Phantom Menace. The lightsaber has since been conveniently "lost" on a mission.
- Character DesignPreliminary artwork for Mace had a familiar
Sithy silhouette before it was changed. And even the name "Mace," a name that dates back to the earliest treatment of Star Wars in 1973, has a decidedly sinister ring to it.
- The ActorYou don't hire an Academy Award nominee to play a 2-dimensional character. I don't care how lousy George is as a director, he does have vision. He knew what he was doing by selecting Samuel L. Jackson as a turncoat Jedi. Jackson's screen time has only increased since
The Phantom Menace. He will be a pivotal player in Episode III.
- DefianceYoda orders Obi-Wan to capture Jango Fett. Mace doesn't hesitate to dispatch Fett once on the arena floor. Self-defense, or covering his tracks?
- The Jedi BlindspotMace is deliberately present at very key moments throughout
Attack of the Clones, particularly when all-seeing Yoda should be able to detect the presence of the Sith. I believe Mace has been placed in the Jedi Order to cloud the Jedi council's vision.
From The Art of Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
1) Scene 008 - INTERIOR CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE - DAY
Palpatine: Master Yoda, do you think it will really come to war?
Yoda closes his eyes.
Yoda: Worse than war, I fear... Much worse.
Palpatine: What?
Mace Windu: What do you sense, Master?
Yoda: The dark side clouds everything. Impossible to see, the future is.
In a later deleted scene:
Scene 015 - INT. JEDI TEMPLE, CORRIDOR - EVENING
MACE WINDU and YODA walk down the long hallways, silhouetted by a lit room at the end.
Mace Windu: Why couldn't we see this attack on the Senator?
Yoda: Masking the future, is this disturbance in the Force.
Mace Windu: The propecy is coming true, the Dark Side is growing.
Yoda: And only those who have turned to the Dark Side can sense the possibilities of the future. Only going through the Dark Side can we see.
Mace Windu: It's been ten years, and the Sith still have not shown themselves. Do you think they are behind this?
Yoda: ...Out there, they are. A certainty that is.
Mace Windu: Do you think Obi-Wan's apprentice will be able to bring balance to the Force?
Yoda: Only if he chooses to follow his destiny.
"Only going through the Dark Side can we see." Big hint there. No wonder the scene was cut.
- Stickin' Up for the Bad GuysNot only does he point the finger of accusation away, Mace comes to the defense of Count Dooku:
From The Art of Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
Scene 008 - INTERIOR CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE - DAY
Padme: Do you have any idea who was behind this attack?
Mace Windu: Our intelligence points to disgruntled spice miners on the moons of Naboo. [add snicker]
Padme: But I think that Count Dooku was behind it.
There is a stir of surprise. They look at one another.
Ki-Adi Mundi: He is a political idealist, not a murderer.
Mace Windu: You know, M'Lady, Count Dooku was once a Jedi. He couldn't assassinate anyone. It's not in his nature.
Wrong. And then later, in the same scene, Mace sides with Palpatine regarding his choice for Padme's protectors:
Padme: Chancellor, please! I don't want any more guards!
Palpatine: I realize all too well that additional security might be disruptive for you, but perhaps someone you are familiar with... an old friend like... Master Kenobi... [and his obsessive young Padawan]
PALPATINE nods to MACE WINDU, who nods back
Mace Windu: That's possible.
He even goes as far as to defend Palpatine's plan against Obi-Wan's better judgment:
Scene 037 - INTERIOR JEDI TEMPLE, ATRIUM - DAY
MACE WINDU and OBI-WAN walk along the temple corridors. YODA accompanies them, riding in a small, floating chair.
Obi-Wan: I am concerned for my Padawan. He is not ready to be given this assignment on his own yet.
Yoda: The Council is confident in this [Mace's] decision, Obi-Wan.
Mace Windu: The boy has exceptional skills.
Obi-Wan: But he still has much to learn, Master. His abilities have made him... well, arrogant.
Yoda: Yes, yes. It's a flaw more and more common among Jedi. Too sure of themselves, they are. Even the older, more experienced ones [Mace!].
Mace Windu: Remember, Obi-Wan. If the prophecy is true, your apprentice is the only one who can bring the Force back into balance.
Obi-Wan: If he follows the right path.
- Final Episode II SelectIs it a coincidence that Lucas ended the
Episode II Select images with this pensive shot of a troubled Jedi Master?
- Reluctant From the StartQui-Gon tells the Jedi Council of the existence of a Sith. Mace dismisses the possibility in an attempt to buy time for his Sith conspirator.
- Master of his DomainIn the video game
Jedi Starfighter, Adi Gallia comments that Master Windu generally keeps his thoughts closely guarded from the other Jedi. Is Mace just a Jedi who likes his privacy, or is he covering a hidden agenda?
- The Episode III FlashbacksThere are reports that some scenes for Episode III were shot during pricincipal photography of Episode II. It's my assertion that these will be flashback scenes, seen from Mace's point of view during a scene in which Mace's true dual role is discovered.
Check out
this image. Mace in a darkened office with what appears to be a holoprojector in front of him and a troubled look on his brow. Could this be one of the flashback scenes shot for inclusion into Episode III revealing Mace's true allegiance? Who's he contacting?