There has long been discourse about whether Obi-Wan Kenobi was truly the best choice asAnakin Skywalker’sJedi Master, but this surprisingStar Warstheory suggestsMace Windumay have been his ideal master instead. From the moment Anakin was introduced to the Jedi Council as a small boy inStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, the Jedi suspected that he wasthe Chosen One, foretold to bring balance to the Force and destroy the Sith. Rather than excitement about the implications, though, the Jedi had serious concerns about the threat Anakin could pose.
Initially, the Jedi rejected Anakin, believing he was too old and too attached to his mother to become a Jedi Initiate. This decision was reversed when Qui-Gon Jinn—who wanted to be Anakin’s Jedi Master—died at the hands of Darth Maul. Following that loss,the Jedi Council allowed Obi-Wan to train Anakin. However, their original fears unfortunately proved true, as Anakin became Darth Vader, one ofStar Wars’most powerful Sith. ThisStar Warstheory interestingly suggests thatMace Windu, rather than Obi-Wan, may have been the Jedi Master to keep Anakin from falling to the dark side.
All 15 Defining Moments In Anakin Skywalker’s Fall To The Dark Side
Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the dark side of the Force is a pivotal event in Star Wars, and 15 key moments defined how that turn happened over time.
Mace Windu Understood The Dark Side Better Than Most
Although Mace Windu may have come across as a strict, even judgmental rule-following Jedi Master throughout theStar Warsprequel trilogy, in truth,Mace Windu shockingly toed the line of the dark side of the Force frequently. Mace Windu used a forbidden lightsaber form, Form VII, also known as Juyo (one of the variants of the form). This lightsaber form was banned by the Jedi specifically because it was so aggressive, making the Jedi using the form more susceptible to the dark side. In fact, Form VII was favored by the Sith because it was so aggressive.
Mace Windu used a forbidden lightsaber form, Form VII, also known as Juyo.
Impressively, Mace Windu managed to use Form VII without falling to the dark side, meaning that he learned how to tap into his emotions and be aggressive while still remaining committed to the light. This also means thatMace Windu had a very unique level of familiarity with the dark side of the Force, particularly compared to most other Jedi. Presumably, every time he used this lightsaber form, he had to confront the dark side, resisting the pull towards it even as he used such an aggressive fighting form.
Notably,Mace Windu had a very creative (and brilliant) way to avoid Form VII turning him to the dark side of the Force. Mace Windu created his own variation of this fighting form, called Vaapad. Vaapad was still an aggressive fighting form that incorporated one’s emotions. However, with Vaapad, Mace Windu did not fully give in to his emotions. Rather, he used his feelings to his advantage without letting anger consume him as it might a Sith. Vaapad was therefore a less dangerous variant of Form VII that did not tempt the user toward the dark side in the same way.
This practice does suggest that Mace Windu would have been an excellent Jedi Master for Anakin.
This practice does suggest that Mace Windu would have been an excellent Jedi Master for Anakin. Clearly, Mace Windu understood the temptations of the dark side of the Force. He could have used this knowledge to guide Anakin, particularly given the unconventional nature of Anakin’s Jedi journey. More than that, though,Vaapad proves that Mace Windu knew that there were strategies Jedi could use to overcome a pull to the dark side.
Mace Windu’s approach would therefore have been quite distinct from what Anakin ultimately experienced in the Jedi Order. Rather than a nuanced approach that provided this type of flexibility, Anakin’s training in the Jedi Temple often reinforced black-and-white thinking about the light and dark side of the Force that caused Anakin to think that there was something fundamentally bad or ‘wrong’ with him. In fact, this pattern really began inThe Phantom Menacewhen the Jedi Council initially rejected Anakin from the Order. It continued each time the Jedi acted wary of Anakin or held him at arm’s length.
With not only Vaapad itself but also the logic behind it,Mace Windu could have helped Anakin accept his flaws while teaching him how to navigate them in a way that kept him on the light side of the Force. Specifically, he could have taught Anakin practices that could have turned these same dangerous emotions of fear and anger into something that brought Anakin into balance. In that sense, Mace Windu’s training may have been preferable to Obi-Wan’s, which often involved either enabling Anakin or shaming him.
Mace Didn’t Quite Trust Anakin
Oddly enough, the fact thatMace Windu didn’t trust Anakinmay also have worked in Mace Windu and Anakin’s favors when it came to a master and apprentice dynamic and Anakin’s future. Part of the issue with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin’s dynamic was thatObi-Wan was often much too lenient on Anakin, undoubtedly because he did ultimately grow to truly love him. In fact, Obi-Wan almost certainly knew about Anakin and Padmé’s love affair, and, despite the risk it posed, Obi-Wan never intervened.
Did Obi-Wan Know About Anakin & Padmé’s Relationship & Did He Try To Stop It
Star Wars has dropped many hints over the years that Obi-Wan knew about Anakin and Padmé, but did he really, and if so, why didn’t he stop them?
This would not have been the case when it came to Mace Windu training Anakin. Because he didn’t trust Anakin, he would have kept a much closer eye on him. In fact, had Mace Windu been Anakin’s Jedi Master, he wouldn’t have allowed Anakin to travel to Naboo with Padmé alone inStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones. This in and of itself could have prevented all the devastation that Anakin and Padmé’s marriage caused.
Moreover,Mace Windu would likely have been better for Anakin even compared to Qui-Gon Jinn. In fact, the shortcomings of the dynamic between Anakin and Obi-Wan may have become even more troubling when it came to Qui-Gon and Anakin. Clearly, Qui-Gon had a certain level of attachment to Anakin already, as he insisted on training Anakin no matter what the Jedi said. The lines would also have been even more blurred for Anakin, who saw Qui-Gon as a father figure.
Yet again, this would not have been true with Mace Windu. Yes, Mace Windu was harsh and even cold with Anakin, but, in the end, this would likely have been preferable to Qui-Gon’s fatherly bond or Obi-Wan’s (at times) passive approach. Surprisingly, thisStar Warstheory may be right;Mace Windureally may have been the ideal Jedi Master for Anakin Skywalker.
