Star Wars: Samuel L. Jackson Was Refused A Purple Lightsaber

Jedi Master Mace Windu became famous as the first Jedi to wield a purple lightsaber… but it George Lucas wasn’t really fussed on the idea.

In an interview with MTV News, the ‘Star Wars’ prequel star (and Jedi Master) explained that George Lucas wasn’t keen on the thought of a purple lightsaber.

“Every ‘Star Wars’ has its own thing,” he said. “Even George changed stuff, and when I asked him for a purple lightsaber, he was like: ‘no, lightsabers are two colours’.” But what Samuel L. Jackson wants, Samuel L. Jackson gets… and it seems he was able to give Lucas some pretty good reasons.

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“I’m like ‘Dude, I’m like, high up on the Jedi hierarchy, Yoda’s my best friend, I’ve been a Jedi longer than anybody except for him, really. When you think about it…’. And then next thing I know, he gave me a purple lightsaber.”

It’s no secret that Mace Windu’s purple lightsaber was a rather controversial addition… but soon became the Jedi Master’s unique selling point. And since the ‘Star Wars’ prequels, it is even a fan favourite.

But in a previous interview, Jackson explained the real reason behind why he wanted that purple blade…

“We had this big arena,” he told The Graham Norton Show in 2013. “This fight scene with all these Jedi and they’re fightin’ or whatever. And 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?’”

Although George Lucas was initially reluctant, it looks as though Jackson was able to win him round… and the lightsaber went on to make history.

“When I came back to do reshoots, [Lucas] said, ‘I want to show you something, this has already caused a s—- storm online’. And he had the purple lightsaber! And I was like ‘yeah!’ And so I could find myself in that big fight scene. There’s like 300 lightsabers, and I’m like, ‘There I am, right there’.”

Of course, Jackson’s purple lightsaber is nowhere near as controversial as the recently unveiled ‘Star Wars VII’ blade… and with its interesting new crossguard, it’s likely to be a talking point for many months to come.

But will it become as popular as Mace Windu’s lightsaber? We’ll have to wait and see.

‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ heads to cinemas on 18 December 2015.

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Picture Credit: Lucasfilm