We rank the 50 most memorable Star Wars deaths ever
By Ryan Wrenn
28. Mace Windu
When Did They Die: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Who Were They: Jedi Master; leading influence in the Jedi Council
How Did They Die: Palpatine electrified him then flung him out of a window using Force-lightning
There is no movie that is not made better by the presence of Samuel L Jackson. That being said, it feels like Mace Windu is something of a missed chance. So often his scenes are stale or lifeless in such a way that makes it seem as if the character was hastily written into the script, perhaps only after it became clear that Jackson was willing to be in the movies.
Such criticism could be said about almost every character in the prequels. Each one seems like another vessel for such and such parallel from the original trilogy, or such and such means to an end. Even if, broadly speaking, Lucas pulled off a lot of the thematic elements, that quality is often clouded beneath some clumsily written dialogue or unnecessary characters.
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In the movie, Windu is supposed to be an extremely powerful Jedi, but very rarely does anything to warrant that label. He mostly echoes Yoda’s opinions in the Council meetings and only arrived to the idea of a coup against Palpatine when it was already too late. He, like Lucas, meant well, but it’s hard to rank his death any higher in terms of significance or emotional impact.
Next: 27. Genonosis Beasts