Count Dooku’s reaction to Jango Fett’s death in Attack of the Clones is one of the more subtle yet intriguing moments in Star Wars.
As Mace Windu swiftly ends the life of the galaxy’s most feared bounty hunter, Dooku’s expression betrays a rare glimpse of emotion.
While it could be dismissed as just a fleeting moment, there’s clearly more going on. Did Dooku genuinely believe Jango stood a chance against one of the most powerful Jedi?
Let’s explore why Dooku’s face showed such surprise when Jango was defeated.
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Mace Windu’s Perspective During His Duel with Jango Fett
We all know what happened in the duel between Mace Windu and Jango Fett on Geonosis. The result is quite shocking, not just because Jango Fett fell, but because of how Windu claimed his victory by slicing Jango’s head off.
The Jedi are known for following their Code, using their lightsabers primarily for protection and defense, not for killing.
However, in Windu’s battle with Jango, the encounter was so swift that it seemed as though Mace Windu had planned it in his mind.
Fortunately, we get a glimpse into Windu’s thoughts from the moment he knew he had to take down Jango, thanks to the novel Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover.
In the novel, Stover provides detailed insight into Mace Windu’s perspective when facing Jango Fett:
“Jango Fett bristles with weapons. An instinctive killer: the deadliest man in the galaxy. Jango can kill me in less than a second. I know it. Even if I had never seen Kenobi’s report from Kamino, I can feel the violence Jango radiates: in the Force, a pulsar of death.
But I do it right.
My blade doesn’t light the underside of Fett’s square jaw. I don’t waste time with words. I don’t hesitate.
I believe.
In my dreams, the purple are of my blade sizzles the gray hairs of Dooku’s beard, and in the critical semisecond it takes Jango Fett to aim and fire, I twitch that blade and take Dooku with me into death.
And save the galaxy from civil war.
I could have done it. I could have done it.”
From this detail, we can understand why, in his first confrontation with Dooku and Jango, Windu didn’t hesitate.
He immediately swung out his purple lightsaber and pointed it at Jango Fett, prioritizing him over the primary threat, Count Dooku.
Dooku’s Emotional Response
One possible interpretation is that Dooku was genuinely shocked by the swiftness and decisiveness of Mace Windu’s actions.
Jango Fett was renowned as one of the galaxy’s most formidable bounty hunters, and his skills were well-known to Dooku.
The fact that Windu could dispatch Jango so quickly might have caught Dooku off guard.
This shock could stem from underestimating Windu’s combat prowess or overestimating Jango’s ability to handle a Jedi of Windu’s caliber.
The suddenness of the event left little time for Dooku to process the loss, resulting in a visible emotional reaction.
However, Mace Windu’s swift and decisive victory over Jango Fett disrupted Dooku’s expectations.
Jango was not just any opponent; he was a highly skilled bounty hunter, the template for the clone army, and someone Dooku had personally recruited.
The ease with which Windu dispatched Jango highlighted the Jedi’s formidable strength and resilience, even in seemingly dire circumstances.
This unexpected turn of events would have been unsettling for Dooku, as it challenged his assumptions about the battle’s outcome and the Jedi’s capabilities.
Conclusion
Dooku’s reaction might also signify a deeper realization of the strength and resolve of the Jedi Order.
Seeing Mace Windu, one of the most powerful Jedi Masters, effortlessly defeat Jango Fett could have reinforced the formidable challenge the Jedi posed to Dooku’s plans.
While Dooku is a Sith and generally detached, he might have had a certain level of respect or personal connection with Jango.
Jango was a professional, and their relationship, though transactional, might have been built on mutual respect.
Seeing Jango killed so swiftly could have elicited a rare emotional response from Dooku, reflecting a moment of personal loss amidst the broader conflict.