What Samuel Jackson Would Look Like As Mace Windu In The Mandalorian

The biggest story coming out of the second season of The Mandalorian regards the past of Grogu, aka Baby Yoda. We learned from Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) that Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) needs to take Grogu to the Jedi planet of Tython. We know that, once there, Grogu can use the force to reach out to other Jedi. And, finally, we know that if a Jedi hears the call, they might swing by Tython and take on Grogu as their padawan.

The big question is, which Jedi? Keep in mind that, in a post-Revenge of the Sith world, there aren't exactly a ton of Jedi left. The only Jedi we encounter in the original trilogy, after that, are Yoda and Obi-Wan — who are both in exile.

Naturally, as fans theorize what familiar Jedi might appear on Tython, guesses have turned to Star Wars animated series and games. Since Ahsoka Tano has already appeared, many people are guessing that the protagonist from Star Wars: Rebels, Ezra Bridger, will appear. On the gaming front, fans are hoping for Cal Kestis from Jedi: Fallen Order, or, for the old school nerds, Kyle Katarn, whose first appearance dates all the way back to 1995's Star Wars: Dark Forces.

But it's worth noting that there is another intriguing option, that being Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson). You might have thought Windu was dead, but is he really? Let's dig into the possibility that Mace might meet Grogu on Tython — and see what an aged version of the character might look like.

Let's get the big hurdle out of the way: last time we saw Mace Windu, he was plummeting to his (presumed) certain doom after finding himself on the receiving end of some force lightning courtesy of Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). However, while most of us assumed that was a wrap for the one with the purple lightsaber, Samuel L. Jackson thought otherwise. Way back in 2016, Jackson took to Twitter and answered some burning questions from fans. When Jackson was asked whose idea it was to kill Mace Windu, he admitted it was George Lucas, but was also quick to add that, "I'm not dead — Jedi can fall from incredibly high distances and not die."

Entertainment Weekly confirmed with Jackson that he not only believed Windu was still alive, but instead, like Obi-Wan and Yoda, was simply "laying low." More importantly, according to Jackson, Lucas himself is "okay" with this interpretation and agreed that Windu could, hypothetically, have survived.

Keeping in mind that time has passed, Instagram artist spdrmnkyxxiii created and posted the above image, which reveals what it might look like if Mace Windu was still alive, and did come to Tython for Grogu.

However, while there may be other Jedi who lost their hands in battle — hello, Luke (Mark Hamill) and Anakin (Hayden Christensen) — the notion of Mace Windu still being alive, much less appearing on The Mandalorian, feels like fan fiction at best. Still, you never know, and hope springs eternal in the hearts of Mace Windu fans everywhere.

The final episode of The Mandalorian's second season is set to air on Disney+ on December 18, 2020. Presumably we will find out who (if anyone) answers Grogu's Jedi call then.