Samuel L. Jackson Had One Request When He Joined 'Star Wars'

Samuel L. Jackson may not have headlined the "Star Wars" franchise, but anyone familiar with the prequels will immediately recognize him as Jedi Master Mace Windu. Windu was a staple on the Jedi council (and the battlefield) until — spoiler alert — he infamously met his end at the hands of Lord Palpatine. That said, "Star Wars" fans have long speculated about Windu's return to the "Star Wars" universe, and it's a theory Jackson has nurtured, too. 

The acting legend has a history of posting cryptic Instagrams alluding to his character's longevity, and sharing hashtags like #MaceAintDone and #MaceLives. After all, it's long been believed that Windu actually survived his fight with Palpatine, and the Jedi Master confirmed as much in a 2016 Twitter video. "In my mind, I'm not dead," he told a social media user. "Jedis can fall incredibly high distances and not die."

In 2018, Jackson told Cinema Blend that he'd love to reprise his role as Mace Windu — and with spin-off shows like "The Mandalorian" dominating streaming platforms, the time might be right for his return. But while we wait to see whether that happens, let's revisit Jackson's time on the set of "Star Wars."

In "Star Wars" canon, there are green/blue lightsabers for Jedi knights, and red lightsabers for Sith lords. But here's where Samuel L. Jackson breaks the mold: he's the only Jedi knight to appear with a purple lightsaber. What's that all about? 

In 2020, a Redditor unearthed a video of Jackson, on set, asking famed "Star Wars" director George Lucas for a purple lightsaber. Though Lucas pointed out the aforementioned color rules, he told Jackson that the actor "might" get one in purple. That response made Jackson flash the camera a huge grin.

During a 2013 appearance on "The Graham Norton Show," Jackson revealed that the purple lightsaber was his one request when he joined the "Star Wars" cast as Jedi Mace Windu. As Jackson recalled about the Jedi fight scene in "Attack of the Clones," "I was like, 'Well s***, I wanna be able to find myself in this big ol' scene.' So I said to George, 'You think maybe I can get a purple lightsaber?'" When Lucas pushed back, Jackson used some ironclad logic to make his case. "I'm like the second baddest Jedi in the universe next to Yoda," he argued. 

Jackson's argument ended up working — and made his character a standout. "When I came back to do reshoots, he said, 'I want to show you something, this has already caused a s*** storm online.' And he had the purple lightsaber," Jackson remembered, describing his elation. " ... There's like 300 lightsabers, and there I am, right there.'"

It seems fans agree, as Mace Windu ranks #1 on ScreenRant's "Best Lightsaber Duelists in the Star Wars Universe" list. In fact, it became an instant fan favorite. While Lucas said it caused an internet "s*** storm," perhaps he meant it in a good way — or at least, that's how it wound up. To sum up the fan reaction, perhaps this tweet says it best. "The purple lightsaber is the dopest," declared a user.

Throughout the franchise, Mace Windu is the only character to ever wield a weapon of this color, triggering fan speculation as to its possible origins. According to ScreenRant, Mace Windu's purple blade was explained in the "Star Wars Tales" comic "Stones," which saw him help a citizen on planet Hurikane. In gratitude, the people of Hurikane gifted Windu a purple crystal, from which he would go on to create the lightsaber. Another possibility, according to fan theory, is that the purple lightsaber represents the duality of the character's "lightness and darkness." However Mace Windu's lightsaber came to be, fans seem to agree that it is the coolest blade in the "Star Wars" universe.