Mace's Duel with Darth Sidious

When I watched Revenge of the Sith, I wasnt sure if Mace REALLY beat Sidious in their duel. It seems like Sidious let him win so that Anakin would think that the jedi had betrayed the republic. Mace was the 2nd most powerful jedi at the time but I dont know if he couldve overcome Sidious. Was it a real duel or just a setup?

 

Based on the commentary, Mace did win the duel fair and square, although Palpatine was exaggerating his weakness.
Personally I prefer the idea that Palptine planned it though, makes him far more manipulative.

 

Palpatine could've ended the duel here:
[image=http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z274/EyeBashBadWriting/NoStab01.jpg]
It was a combination of getting drilled in the grill and fighting not to win.
[image=http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z274/EyeBashBadWriting/NoBoot4You.jpg]

 

I agree with JTH-123

Lucas states Mace did indeed win unfortunately,

it was more of the usual Sam L Jackson butt kissing from Lucas

"i want to be in star wars"

Lucas: ok

"i want a purple lightsaber i wanna be different"

Lucas: ok

and I imagine this:

"it's not fair i wanted to win the duel"

Lucas: ok

 

Yeah, Mace won the physical duel, but in doing so, fell right into Sidious' trap of making the Jedi seem like traitors to Anakin.

Won the battle, lost the war.

 

Validation for your gold star.

 

Bow to your one-star general.

 

Mace flat out beats him,GL said so,the boot to the face,the strain on his face during the fight plus the frightned crab walk retreat with none else in the room.It's only by Anakins stupidity he survives.The emperor since the ANH novel has been a weaselly guy who's plans fall threw.It makes no sense for him to be this omnipotent manipulator.

This scene is badly choreographed and poorly acted but even then I still don't get where people are seeing palp let Mace win.Is it something actually in the scene or is it more of that people cheering on the villain stuff?

 

Palpy was letting Mace "win", in order for Anakin to make the incorrect assumption the Jedi were attempting a coup. If Palpy was really that weak, would he have been other to fire lightening at Mace that quickly?

I bet Palpy was enjoying the lightening being forced back to him. Hurts so good!

 

what does being able to fire lightning quickly have to do with their duel and Palpatine faking the fight?

Personally I prefer to think that Mace did indeed win, but that Palps knew Anakin wouldn't let him die. He might've believed he could have beat Mace, but regardless of that fact he knew Anakin would make sure he and the "power to save your wife" survived.

Lots of things that happen in Star Wars are coincidential and highly unlikely. You can't really play the percentages when you look at a scene like this.

 

Mace unarmed Palpatine. Clear and simple.
But Sidious was not fighting to win against Mace.
If he was, Windu would have been impaled in the image up above.

Like Admiral OneStar said: Mace won that battle; but in so doing, he lost the war.

 

Frankly I don't think that image really proves anything. He's got his pointed at him, so...? Maybe he's extended already and can't reach, I mean if you want to break down the lightsaber duels I could say Anakin let Dooku cut his arm off because he just stands there at the end of their duel. The duels are meant to look pretty, I'd take a frame like that with a grain of salt.

Though the Admiral's quote is correct.

 

Yeah, Palpatine's already got his arm pretty much extended all the way. Barring that Palpatine is made of rubber, I don't see a stabbing thrust being viable there-Palpatine would have to "choreograph" like crazy to cover that extra foot or so of reach.

 

If Palpatine can make it from his desk to the top of the stairs in a flash, one half-step forward isn't out of the question. And I have more than one frame isolated. If Sidious wanted Mace dead, then Windu would have been a corpse with a hole in his chest before Skywalker arrived. Sentimentality can't cloud a pragmatical assessment.

 

He doesn't make it there in a flash,he does a very slow spin.You can't break them down like that(particular this one as it's so bad ),there not that well done to do so.There supposed to look cool.

Palp does that after he loses the lightsabre dual but that doesn't work so he goes to the "saving Padme's life card".

 

A flash that didn't even make it close to Mace. Nor did any of his other moves.

Not to mention that letting your opponent disarm you before Anakin arrives is a foolish move. What's to keep Mace from turning that kick into an immediate kill move? Nothing.

 

I never said that... I said Mace disarmed him fair and square.
But also postulated that Sidious wasn't fighting to win, either.

Gotta at least appreciate the amount of arrogance it took to trust an idiot like Skywalker.

 

Not so much, given that the same arrogance made him think Anakin would be down with watching his last blood relative being tortured to death.

At least Anakin's blindness is somewhat understandable...that really isn't

 

or just use the force to jab forward.

 

Yeah, because Mace would've been just completely unable to do anything about that.

 

yeh like the Jedi who got totally wiped out with him you mean?

 

You mean, like the Jedi who've never been shown or described to be anywhere near as powerful as Mace?

"....As wise as Master Yoda...as powerful as Master Windu..."


But yeah, I guess three other Jedi getting chopped to shreds must mean all Jedi are pathetic losers compared to Sidious. It's the only option that works, after all!

 

well, one would think he would have chosen better Jedi then,

and wasn't one or two on the council?

 

Yeah dude. Why didn't, like, Mace get some better Jedi? Getting killed like that by a Sith Lord.

 

are you mocking me? I can't tell