Sometimes, I don’t feel like rewatching an entire Star Wars movie—I just want to relive certain moments, like lightsaber duels or major character deaths.
But this time, I was watching a short clip on YouTube—the Freedom of Naboo celebration scene—and I noticed something really strange about Mace Windu.
Mace Windu Looks Different in This Scene
Based on The Phantom Menace, I do believe that’s supposed to be Mace Windu, but it looks like they used a stand-in actor for the scene.
After the Battle of Naboo, we know the Separatists and their droid army were defeated, but at the cost of Qui-Gon Jinn’s life. Following the victory, the people of Naboo celebrated—not just because they won, but because their planet was finally free.
If you rewatch the moment when Obi-Wan and Anakin return to Naboo after their battle, you’ll notice Palpatine leading the group to meet the heroes of Naboo. But what’s interesting is that right behind him, you can see several Jedi Masters from the Jedi Council, including Plo Koon, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Yoda… basically the whole Council standing behind Palpatine.
And if we check The Phantom Menace script, it confirms their presence:
“The main ramp of the cruiser is lowered as OBI-WAN and CAPTAIN PANAKA lead the VICEROY and HIS ASSISTANT toward the ship. The GRAND CHANCELLOR PALPATINE and SEVERAL REPUBLIC GUARDS descend the walkway, followed by YODA and SEVERAL OTHER JEDI MASTERS.”
From that moment on, we know the Jedi stayed on Naboo for a few days, celebrating the victory alongside its people.
This is where you can spot Mace Windu—during the celebration, several Jedi Masters stand at the front, including many familiar faces from the Jedi Council.
But here’s where things get weird—if Mace Windu wasn’t there on the first day, how does he suddenly appear during the celebration?
So in the end, the Jedi Master walking behind Palpatine is definitely supposed to be Mace Windu, but a stand-in actor was used for the scene.
According to a fan on Reddit, his dad’s friend once worked as a stand-in for Michael Keaton, explaining that stand-ins are often used for background shots, scenes where other actors are delivering dialogue, or when extra filler shots are needed.
If we apply this same idea to Mace Windu’s scene, it’s likely the same situation. During the moment when the Jedi Masters follow Palpatine, none of them have dialogue or close-up shots—they’re simply walking in the background.
It’s only during the celebration in Theed that we finally get a proper shot of each Jedi Master, including Mace Windu.
But that’s not the question we’re here to answer—we’re not trying to determine if it’s Mace Windu. Instead, we’re focused on who actually played him in that scene.
Fans have put forward a few convincing possibilities. One Reddit user suggested Mark Anthony Newman, citing his IMDb credit for The Phantom Menace as potential evidence.
Others believe the mysterious Jedi could have been played by Ahmed Best, best known for portraying Jar Jar Binks, who later returned to Star Wars as Kelleran Beq—the Jedi who saved Grogu from Order 66.
