Richmond,VA What's Your Take?

Hey, what's your take on the following observation? I'm not looking for a right or wrong answer, just what you think:

When Mace Windu disarmed Palpatine and had him at his mercy on the window ledge, did he in essence outduel the Sith Lord, something even Yoda couldn't do or did Palpatine, sensing Anakin's presence closeby, stage the whole scene as just one more step in the process of pushing the young Jedi over the edge?

I'm inclined to think that Mace actually outdueled him lightsaber-to-lightsaber. But then again, it's just a movie.
_________________
Lee Wilcox

 

I too think that Mace took him.

It was a smaller area to fight in, compared to the larger room that the later fight between Yoda and Palpatine occurred.

I mean come on...beat Samuel Jackson?

 

Confronted by the Jedi and a threat of arrest, Palpatine unleashes his fury and lightsaber in a slightly spastic style and manages to kill several Jedi before turning on Mace Windu. Windu has a reputation for being the best Sword Master of the Jedi. Mace Windu is put to the test yet outclasses the wicked Sith Lord in a straight sword on sword fight. The defeat works to his advantage however as Anakin betrays Windu to save Palpatine's life. Palpatine used cunning to defeat Windu by manipulating Anakin's logic to the point of killing the Jedi Council's leading voice. Windu shows himself to be lacking persuasion skills as Palpatine convinces Anakin to save him despite Anakin's knowledge that he is a Sith Lord and has been behind the deaths of countless innocent lives. Anakin is selfish and believes the Sith Lord has the power to save his secret wife so is inclinned to believe anything Palpatine says to him.

How did Anakin become so selfish? Why was Anakin always so inclined to anger and rash choices? When was he good at anything? The only Jedi he is able to defeat are younglings. Dooku kicks his butt, Obi-Wan kicks his butt, he crys about his mommy and his wifey and cold space - Vader is a total wimp, plus he needs big shoulder pads to look like he fills the suit. I wish Mace had been turned, I would have believed Mace Windu was the badass Vader in the armor and could defeat anyone. When he walks onto the Tantive IV I would have known the rebels were in for trouble instead I'm left wondering if Vader is still have trouble adjusting to life without mommy and Padme.

I think this is one of the core problems with the prequels. It should have been Anakin that was the amazing and noble figure that even Mace Windu (if he's even necessary) would have looked up to him. Anakin's turning to the dark side would have been tragic and scary and would have reflected the point in ROTJ when Luke our beloved hero who has always been good and righteous rejects the Emperor's offer to turn where his Father had not. The turning to the dark side is the most important part of the Prequels and should be the "I Am Your Father" moment of the prequels - a shock and a true tragedy. Even though we know it's coming if Anakin had been so good and powerful (like Mace) we come to love him and hope that he never turns so that when he does we would feel it hard and feel scared for everyone else as a result. It would also make us realize the enormity of Luke rejecting the dark side in his Father's name.

This is why I like the Clone Wars cartoon because they spend their time making Anakin good and likable and as a result emphasizing the tragedy of his choice, too bad it is undone in the first 15 minutes of the truly awful ROTS.

 

I think Mace took him down, but when Anakin came in, perhaps persuaded through the force to come help, Palp took advantage of the situation and manipulated Anakin to saving him. If only Anakin hit a little traffic on the way there, things could have been very different...

 

I'm reading the Star Wars novel Death Star and came across a passage on what Darth Vader thought about this fight:

"Before Darth Vader himself had been transformed, he'd watched Mace Windu inflict ghastly injury upon his Master. Had that been a test, as Vader suspected, to see if Anakin Skywalker would commit himself to the Sith Lord's cause? Had Darth Sidious been in control the entire time, only pretending to be losing, and willing to absorb such malevolent energies purely to make a point? If so, it had been a heavy price for his Master to pay to learn what he'd needed to learn."

 

Shabad, you are one thought invoking machine. My take though is simply that all is within the will of The Emperor. That his rule is just. Taking down 3 of the best Jedi shows his superior skill not only at sword play but at manipulation of the Force as well. The Emperor was faking it when Master Windu had him against a wall as he could feel through the Force that Anakin would be turned and that the dark side of the force would close upon the light. Peace through superior firepower and death from above as Master Mace learned all so well while clutching his stump falling through space to his death.