A scene in the Obi-Wan Kenobi Star Wars Disney+ series has been claimed by some to be proof that Samuel L. Jackson’s Mace Windu is dead. Obi-Wan’s conflict with the Inquisitors in the episode brought him to a tomb of fallen Jedi. A set detail has reignited old discussions about Mace Windu’s “death” in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. The iconic Samuel L. Jackson Star Wars character was famously killed by Palpatine, but there have long been theories that the franchise may undo Mace Windu's fate and revisit what happened after he was betrayed by Anakin Skywalker and pushed out of a window. Given its place in the timeline, Obi-Wan Kenobi has been identified as one of only a few installments in the Star Wars franchise with an opportunity to explore whether Mace Windu is alive or dead. After all, the series is set in the aftermath of Order 66 and follows a former ally of the fan-favorite Jedi master, which at least makes a Mace Windu connection feel plausible.
One of the Jedi corpses spotted in the tomb in Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 4 has attracted the attention of viewers who have been closely investigating the circumstances of Mace Windu's death. The corpse's resemblance to Mace created the impression that the Jedi body in Obi-Wan Kenobi was Disney's way of quietly confirming that Mace Windu died in Revenge of the Sith. Episode III never clarified what happened for fans wondering is Mace Windu dead, and as of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars still technically hasn't. A key detail proves the body in the Obi-Wan Kenobi Jedi tomb scene isn't Mace Windu — its hand. The body’s right hand is visible in the shot. This means it can’t be Samuel L. Jackson’s Star Wars character since Mace Windu had his severed by Anakin during the fight with Palpatine. It’s hard to imagine Disney would allow the Obi-Wan Kenobi showrunners to reveal such an important Star Wars character's fate so casually anyway, but the intact right limb proves the Jedi body isn't Mace Windu.
Is Mace Windu Still Alive in Star Wars?
Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 4 thankfully didn't confirm once and for all that Mace Windu died on Coruscant. As for whether Mace Windu's return will ever actually happen, that remains to be seen. When he “died” in Revenge of the Sith, there were few doubts about his demise outside incredibly hopeful Mace Windu fans. However, in the years since the Prequel Trilogy was released Star Wars has reversed the deaths of many key characters such as Boba Fett and Darth Maul. This renewed speculation that Disney and Jackson could bring Mace Windu back in Star Wars. Jackson himself has endorsed this possibility, with the actor saying that. in his mind, Mace Windu's death is not final, and that he secretly survived the events of the movie.
To make Mace Windu's death scene nonfatal, Star Wars would have to overcome the challenge of explaining why he didn’t fight the Empire in the original trilogy. That’s not the insurmountable obstacle it may seem, however. Unlike most of Revenge of the Sith’s Jedi casualties, Star Wars never showed Mace’s body, which means that a chance exists for him to have survived in some way. Although it didn't happen in Obi-Wan Kenobi as some fans hoped, Mace Windu could potentially turn up alive at some point in the future.
Samuel L. Jackson Isn't Done With Mace Windu (And Neither Are Fans)
Mace Windu's death being reversed isn't that farfetched a possibility. Star Wars is a beloved franchise, but for Disney, it's also a product. Deceased characters with high marketability are infinitely more likely to undergo canon-altering resurrections. If there's one Star Wars character who was far too cool (and marketable) to be contained to the pre-Disney-era Prequel Trilogy, it's Mace Windu. This isn't a case of a fandom demanding something from a studio that would yield little return on investment for the House of Mouse — bringing Mace Windu back in Star Wars would be a sound business decision, as the merchandise sales from The Book of Boba Fett tie-in toys, collectibles, and memorabilia no doubt attest to.
It's not just the fans who want a Mace Windu return, either. In interviews, Samuel L. Jackson hasn't been shy about saying that he's definitely up for a return to the franchise, and he's not ruling out any future Star Wars projects. Moreover, Obi-Wan Kenobi viewers were very openly disappointed online when they believed the corpse in the Jedi tomb was Mace Windu. This is itself proof there's demand for Mace Windu's final scene in Revenge of the Sith to be much less final. As Qui-Gon's Force Ghost in Obi-Wan Kenobi reminds viewers, many Jedi never truly die. Even if Mace Windu did perish on Coruscant there's always the option for a Samuel L. Jackson Force Ghost in Star Wars. There's also the chance that Mace took a leaf out of Anakin's book from the opening of Attack Of The Clones, landing on one of the City Planet's many flying cars instead of falling to his death. Either way, audiences may yet get another glimpse of the only purple lightsaber in the Star Wars galaxy — despite the lack of a Mace Windu cameo in Obi-Wan Kenobi.