Mace Windu vs. Darth Sidious/Palpatine

When news of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi's victory reached Coruscant, Jedi Master Mace Windu felt ready to demand that Chancellor Palpatine relinquish his emergency powers at last. As Windu prepared for a meeting with the Senate Chair to bring him news of the elimination of General Grievous, a distraught Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker arrived and confirmed the Jedi Council's greatest fear: the elected leader of the Galactic Republic, Chancellor Palpatine, was in fact the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Master Windu ordered Skywalker to wait in the Jedi Council Chamber for his return and boarded a gunship along with the Nautolan Jedi Master Kit Fisto, the Iktotchi Jedi Master Saesee Tiin, and the Zabrak Jedi Master Agen Kolar. They departed to confront the Chancellor.

The Jedi marched into Palpatine's office and Windu promptly announced that the Chancellor was under arrest. He reported the end of the Clone Wars and demanded the Chancellor step down and face a trial in the Senate. "I am the Senate," Palpatine snarled. Windu retorted with strong words—"Not yet." Now the elected ruler of the Galactic Republic revealed his true colors; "It's treason, then," the Chancellor said. He ignited his crimson lightsaber and, with a battle cry more animal than Human, flew through the air and stabbed Agen Kolar. Before he could react, Saesee Tiin was also struck down. Masters Windu and Fisto managed to defend against the initial assaults, but even Fisto's mastery of Shii-Cho was overwhelmed by the intensity of Palpatine's swordplay. Fisto was slashed across the waist and died with his signature smile, leaving Mace Windu to fight Palpatine alone. His mastery of Vaapad served him well in countering Palpatine's dark side mastery.

The two viciously battled through Palpatine's private office and lounging room into his main office. Driving Palpatine back with an offensive march, Windu steered the battle towards the office bay-window, which was promptly shattered by their whirling blades. By bringing the duel to the ledge of the window-sill above the sheer drop of the Coruscant cityscape, Windu prompted Palpatine to channel more energy into a Force-powered grip on the ledge, and less into the Force powered speed that he was using against Windu. Palpatine's slight drop in speed allowed Windu to defeat the Sith Lord with a well-placed kick to the face, which caused him to drop his saber into the streets below.

Windu had the upper hand but the fight was not over. A grueling battle ensued, and Anakin Skywalker appeared just as Windu cornered Palpatine and again stated that he was under arrest. With a flash of his unique insight Windu sensed Palpatine's shatterpoint: Anakin Skywalker. As the Jedi realized the depth of the Sith Lord's trust in Skywalker, Palpatine unleashed his full power. The Sith used Force lightning against Windu, driving him back. Grunting with exertion, Windu redirected the lightning back with his lightsaber, melting away the Chancellor's features in a display of the "superconducting loop" of Vaapad. Horrified, Skywalker watched the Jedi Master seemingly cause agonizing pain to the apparently helpless Palpatine.

As they struggled, they each implored Skywalker to help them, each trying to convince him of the other's treachery. Eventually Palpatine ceased his barrage, claiming he could no longer maintain his attack against Windu, exclaiming that he had become too weak. Skywalker believed that if Palpatine died, any chance of saving Padmé from certain death would be lost. Skywalker told Windu that the Sith Lord should stand trial and that killing him was not the Jedi way, but Windu determined that Palpatine was too dangerous to be kept alive because he had control of the Galactic Senate and the Courts. Perhaps he saw a shatterpoint in Palpatine, a hinge of fate that would alter history. Palpatine pleaded for Skywalker's help, as Windu moved to strike the Dark Lord.

Torn between his loyalties, and needing Palpatine alive to fulfill his quest for arcane knowledge to preserve the life of his beloved, Anakin acted. In an emotionally charged action, Anakin ignited his lightsaber blade and sheared off Mace Windu's weapon hand before he could strike Palpatine.

Defenseless, Windu was bombarded with Sith lightning as Sidious unleashed a torrent of deadly energy at the Jedi Master. The forked bolts of lightning penetrated Mace's body, illuminating his form from within. The final blast bodily lifted him into the air, sending his form hurling into the Coruscant skies, to crash lifelessly somewhere in the vast cityscape below.

At fifty-three years of age and after decades of serving the Jedi Council, Master Mace Windu was dead. At a single stroke, Palpatine had removed one of the few Jedi who posed any threat to him and secured the allegiance of the promising Anakin Skywalker. With Windu's death, Skywalker was transformed into Darth Vader and the Great Jedi Purge had begun.