I remember the first time I watched Revenge of the Sith, I was completely locked in during Mace Windu’s fight with Palpatine.
It was the moment – the Jedi finally had the upper hand, and then… Windu does this huge, slow wind-up instead of just stabbing him.
Like, dude, it’s a lightsaber – a tiny poke, and boom, no more Sith Lord.
But no, he had to take his sweet time, giving Anakin just enough room to jump in and ruin everything.
So why did Windu fight like that?
Table of Contents
Windu Fought Like That Because of Vaapad
If you don’t know what Vaapad is, it’s basically the most intense and aggressive form of lightsaber combat. And guess what? Windu invented it.
Vaapad is all about embracing an opponent’s darkness and channeling it into battle.
Unlike other Jedi, who tried to keep their emotions in check, Windu walked a fine line, riding the edge between the light and dark side.
But here’s the thing – Vaapad wasn’t just a fighting style, it was a state of mind. It turned the user into a loop of energy, feeding off an opponent’s aggression and throwing it right back at them.
This is why Windu was able to hold his own against Palpatine, who was basically a dark side battery.
And Vaapad wasn’t about quick jabs or precision strikes – it was a relentless, overpowering assault.
Windu’s whole approach was about dominating his opponent with raw power, and that meant big, forceful swings.
So yeah, Windu fought the way he did because that’s just how Vaapad works. A quick stab wasn’t his style – he was going for total obliteration.
The Timeline Had to Stay Intact
Let’s be real – if Windu had just stabbed Palpatine, the entire Star Wars timeline would be screwed.
No Palpatine? No Empire. No Darth Vader. No Original Trilogy. The whole thing falls apart.
That’s just how storytelling works. The prequels had to lead into the OT, and that meant Windu had to lose, Palpatine had to win, and Anakin had to fall.
If Windu had actually killed Palpatine right then and there, it would’ve been a total game over for the Sith.
Anakin wouldn’t have turned, Order 66 wouldn’t have happened, and the entire Star Wars saga as we know it would’ve been completely different.
Luke might have been raised by his actual parents instead of growing up on Tatooine, and the rebellion against the Empire? It might have never even needed to exist.
So yeah, while Windu could have ended it all right there, the story needed him to fail.
The Movie Was Milking the Drama
And let’s be real again – movies need tension. If Windu had just stabbed Palpatine, that whole scene would’ve been over in a second.
No suspense, no dramatic build up, just an instant kill and… roll credits? Not exactly satisfying storytelling.
By doing that huge, exaggerated motion, the film forces us to feel the weight of the moment.
It makes us hold our breath and think, Oh man, is this really happening? And more importantly, it gives Anakin the split-second he needs to make his fateful choice.
So yeah, cinematically, it makes sense. But what about in-universe?
Bonus: Did Mace Windu Really Win That Fight?
This was the moment. Mace Windu and three of the most powerful Jedi Masters storm into Palpatine’s office, ready to arrest the Sith Lord who had been orchestrating the war from behind the scenes.
But before they even have a chance to react, Agen Kolar, Saesee Tiin, and Kit Fisto are dead—cut down in seconds. Now it’s just Windu vs. Palpatine, one-on-one.
And here’s the thing—Windu won. No tricks, no “Palpatine faked losing.”
George Lucas himself confirmed (from 31:09 of the video below) that Windu genuinely overpowered Palpatine in their duel.
He disarmed Palpatine, knocked him to the ground, and held his lightsaber at his throat. “The oppression of the Sith will never return. You have lost.” For a moment, it looked like the Jedi had actually done it.
But Palpatine was never actually in danger.
The second he lost his lightsaber, he switched to Plan B. He knew Anakin was coming. He knew Anakin was conflicted.
And right when Anakin walked in, Palpatine started his act—begging, pleading, twisting the moment into something completely different.
Suddenly, this wasn’t a Sith Lord being taken down—it was the Chancellor of the Republic being attacked by the Jedi. And Anakin was standing there, watching it unfold.
Here’s where everything changed. Windu had already made his decision: “He’s too dangerous to be left alive.” But Palpatine wasn’t done yet.
In a last-ditch effort, he unleashed a full blast of Force lightning. Windu barely held on, using everything he had to deflect it back at Palpatine, causing the Sith Lord’s face to deform.
And while all this was happening, Palpatine was talking to Anakin the entire time. He kept feeding him doubts, forcing him to pick a side.
Windu, completely focused on keeping the lightning at bay, had no way to stop it. But once Palpatine finally dropped the attack, Anakin still wasn’t convinced—he and Windu actually argued.
“You can’t! He must stand trial!”
“He has control of the Senate and the courts! He’s too dangerous to be left alive!”
That extra time was all Palpatine needed. Windu had already overpowered him, but now he was just standing there, leaving room for doubt. Anakin hesitated, torn between his loyalty to the Jedi and his desperation to save Padmé. Palpatine kept the pressure on, acting weak, begging, making himself look like the victim.
And then it happened.
Anakin snapped. He made his choice. With one swing, he severed Windu’s hand.
Palpatine, still playing the part of a weak, helpless man, looked up at Windu—and smiled.
The second he got what he wanted, he dropped the act instantly.
“Unlimited power!”
He unleashed a full-force blast of Sith lightning, this time with nothing holding him back. Windu, defenseless, was blasted straight out of the window to his death.
And just like that, the Jedi’s greatest warrior was gone. The Republic fell. The Sith took control. The entire fate of the galaxy turned in that one moment.
Windu won the duel, but Palpatine won the war.