Mace Windu

Mace Windu was a revered Force-sensitive human male Jedi Master and member of the Jedi High Council during the last years of the Republic Era. During his time in the Jedi Order, he once served as an elected leader of the Jedi and, during the Clone Wars, as a Jedi General in The Grand Army of the Republic. He was the greatest champion of The Jedi Order and promoted its ancient traditions amidst the growing influence of the dark side of the Force in the corrupt, declining days of the Republic.

During a mission to Metagos, Windu went by the pseudonym Solver. When the Separatist Crisis spawned the birth of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and sparked the Clone Wars, Windu and the Jedi rallied to the defense of the Republic and became the leaders of the Grand Army of the Republic. Throughout the war, Windu served the Jedi and the Republic in various capacities—on the battlefield in command of the clone army, on Coruscant as an overseer of the war effort and an advisor to Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, and even as a diplomat to contested worlds, despite his disdain of politics. His exploits on the frontline served as a reminder of his reputation as a renowned Jedi warrior.

As the war drew to a close, Windu became increasingly suspicious of the chancellor's motives, as Palpatine had amassed near-dictatorial control over the Galactic Senate, and sensed the rising power of the dark side in the galaxy. His suspicions were confirmed when Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi Knight and the Chosen One of ancient prophecy, discovered that Palpatine was Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith who manipulated and deceived the Republic and the Separatist Alliance into war. Windu, along with Jedi Masters Kit Fisto, Saesee Tiin, and Agen Kolar, confronted Palpatine with the intention of arresting him. Instead, the Dark Lord attacked them, striking them down one by one until only Windu was left. Windu bested Palpatine in the confrontation and—deciding the chancellor was too dangerous to be left alive due to his influence over the government—prepared to strike him down, but Anakin Skywalker intervened and betrayed Windu, allowing the Sith Lord to kill Windu. Skywalker had fallen to the temptation of the dark side and became known as Darth Vader.

Windu's actions led Palpatine to deceitfully brand the Jedi as traitors to the Republic. The chancellor executed Order 66, forcing the clone troopers across the galaxy to turn against and kill their Jedi leaders, marking the fall of the Jedi Order and separatists. Palpatine transformed the Republic into the Galactic Empire and the Emperor's new regime promoted anti-Jedi sentiment across the galaxy. Through propaganda, the Empire portrayed Windu as the leader of a criminal gang of Jedi who caused the outbreak of the Clone Wars. In spite of the propaganda, some of Windu's actions were remembered with fondness; General Cham Syndulla, who served alongside Windu during the Battle of Ryloth, remembered Windu with great respect and told the tale of how Windu helped him liberate Ryloth in a battle that earned Windu the name "The Hammer of Ryloth."

Text and facts from the “Mace Windu” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.