Few would argue thatLuke Skywalkerisn’t one ofStar Wars’greatest Jedi, if not the single greatest of all time, but he still would have beenMace Windu’sworst nightmare. Although Master Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi were both Jedi in the original trilogy, Luke Skywalker came to define what a Jedi was inStar Warsmovies and TV shows.
Even decades later, with many Jedi now added to the franchise, Luke remains one ofStar Wars’most powerful Jedi(again, if not the single most powerful) and a fan-favorite character, to say the least. Yet,despite what a brilliant Jedi Luke clearly is, had he been trained in the Jedi Order, he would have been Mace Windu’s worst nightmare.
Mace Windu Was The Most Outspoken Against Anakin Skywalker
From The Moment Anakin Arrived, Mace Was Voicing His Doubts
Although Qui-Gon Jinn may have had the utmost faith in Anakin asthe Chosen OneinStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, the Jedi Council was much less certain. All the Jedi on the Council expressed concerns about Anakin in that movie, but, arguably,few were as outspoken about Anakin as Mace Windu was.
This persisted inStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the ClonesandStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, both of which saw Mace increasingly wary of Anakin and the risk he posed, even as Anakin proved himself to be a valiant soldier for the Republic throughout the Clone Wars.
Of course, the truth was more complicated than that, as Anakin was also carrying out heinous acts at the time, such as his slaughter of the Tusken Raiders. That event and other concerning behaviors, like Anakin’s secret marriage to Padmé, weren’t known to Mace or the other Jedi at the time, though.
Rather, it seems Mace’s initial assumptions about Anakin were simply difficult to shake, and he continued to hold Anakin at arm’s length. This became clearest inRevenge of the Sithwhen Anakin came to Mace with the massive revelation that Palpatine was the Sith Lord they’d been searching for.
Mace’s initial assumptions about Anakin were simply difficult to shake, and he continued to hold Anakin at arm’s length.
In response, Mace told Anakin that, if what he said was proven true, Anakin would have earned his trust, thereby confirming that still, more than a decade later, Mace didn’t trust Anakin. This no doubt stung for Anakin, which was presumably made all the worse when Mace then had Anakin sit out the confrontation with Palpatine.
This came to a head when Anakin went to Palpatine’s office anyway, ultimately betraying Mace and becoming Darth Vader. Based on this ending, it’s hard to blame Mace Windu for his wariness, but he certainly remains the Jedi who was the most outspoken with his concerns about Anakin and the most resistant to truly accepting Anakin.
Luke Skywalker Would Have Been Even Worse Than Anakin In Mace’s Eyes
Luke Was Everything Anakin Was… But Worse In Several Ways
As stated,Luke Skywalker is undeniably one of the greatest Jedi, if not the greatest overall, inStar Wars. Yet, Luke really would have been Mace Windu’s worst nightmare had he been trained in the Jedi Order because of the many similarities he shared with his father—and the ways in which he was even worse.
Luke really would have been Mace Windu’s worst nightmare had he been trained in the Jedi Order.
Among the biggest concerns about Anakin Skywalker joining the Order inThe Phantom Menacewas his age. At the time, Anakin was 9, which was significantly older than the typical Jedi Initiate (the first of theranks in the Jedi Order). Ordinarily, Jedi Initiates were brought to the Order when they were an infant or, at the oldest, a toddler.
This concern was due in part to the way that Anakin’s older age lent itself to attachments, such as his attachment to his mother.If Anakin being 9 years old when he joined the Order was concerning, though, Luke being 22 when he trained with Yoda inThe Empire Strikes Backwould be so much worse.
Additionally, Anakin’s romantic attachment to Padmé was a major cause for concern for the Jedi. Yes, their marriage was a secret, but Anakin was bizarrely open about his feelings for her, especially inAttack of the Clones. Luke (rather awkwardly, now) likewise had a romantic attachment to Leia.
Luke also clearly valued familial bonds, even in the most unusual of circumstances, as he was determined to save rather than kill his biological father inReturn of the Jedi. The dangers of familial attachments were apparent in Luke in that movie as well, as he lost control and almost tapped into the dark side when Vader mentioned Leia.
Even Mace’s dislike of and concern about Anakin’s arrogance could arguably be applied to Luke. While he may not have been so blatantly driven by ego as Anakin was, Luke wanted to be a hero, which wasn’t exactly in tune with who a Jedi was supposed to be and what they were meant to value.
In that sense, although he remains one of the greatest Jedi intheStar Warstimeline,Luke very likely would have been an absolute nightmare for Mace Windu, and it’s unlikely Mace would have treated him much better than he treated Anakin throughout the prequel trilogy.
Luke Being Anakin Skywalker’s Son Would Have Made This So Much Funnier
What would have made Mace Windu’s feelings about Luke all the worse (and so much funnier) is the fact that Luke was Anakin’s son. It’s difficult to work out exactly what that lineage would have meant had Order 66 not happened and Luke and Leia had been raised by Padmé and Anakin.
Assuming Luke was still incredibly powerful in the Force and was being considered for the Order, though, (leaving Anakin’s role in the Jedi Order in doubt, certainly), Mace Windu would have had an even bigger chip on his shoulder about Luke than he did with Anakin. It’s frankly hilarious to imagine how antagonistic this situation would have been for Mace.
Mace Windu would have had an even bigger chip on his shoulder about Luke than he did with Anakin.
Was Mace Windu Wrong About Anakin Skywalker?
The Easy Answer May Not Be The Right One
Had Mace Windu disliked Luke, as it seems he would have, he would have been wrong about him. Clearly, all these things could be true of Luke, and he was still a brilliant Jedi—in fact, he saved the future of the Jedi. Given that, it begs the question: Was Mace Windu wrong about Anakin Skywalker?
Was Mace Windu wrong about Anakin Skywalker?
The easiest answer to this question is no, he wasn’t wrong, simply based on the fact that Anakin went on to become one ofStar Wars’most powerful Sithand did incredible harm to the galaxy. The actual answer may be a bit more complicated, though.
It’s impossible to say, beyond just theories, what Anakin would have become had he been treated differently by the Jedi. Yet, Anakin began as a sweet, innocent kid inThe Phantom Menace, and he was depicted as caring and compassionate.Given evil isn’t born, it’s learned, it could be argued that Anakin’s fate was shaped by the Order.
This includes the treatment he was subjected to in the Order, which, as mentioned, wasn’t ideal. Even as a little kid, he was treated as a threat and an outsider, and that clearly impacted how he felt about himself and the Order. In fact, I’d argue this made it easier for Anakin to betray Mace inRevenge of the Sith.
Mace Windu’s feelings about Anakin and his subsequent turn to the dark side are therefore a bit of a chicken and the egg situation, in my view, but it supports the idea thatMace Windu would have been wrong about Luke Skywalker, and he may even have been wrong about Anakin.
Regardless, it’s evident that, based onLuke Skywalker’ssimilarities with his father, Anakin Skywalker, he would have been Mace Windu’s worst nightmare had he been trained in the Jedi Order.
