There are few franchises that have utilized retcons as famously as Star Wars, from Greedo shooting first to the return of Palpatine.
But, we can at least find solace in the fact that the symbolism behind lightsaber colors will remain as airtight as a spaceship in George Lucas’ beloved mythos. If the lightsaber is red, you’re a Sith. If the lightsaber is green or blue, you’re a Jedi. And, if the lightsaber is purple, it also means you’re a Jedi, and that you’re Samuel L. Jackson, and you’ll be damned if anyone is going to tell you that you can’t have a purple lightsaber.
All joking aside, a behind-the-scenes clip from the set of one of the prequel trilogy films has resurfaced on r/StarWars, capturing what is perhaps the exact moment that Mace Windu’s iconic lightsaber color was willed into reality.
The video depicts George Lucas giving a rundown of the lightsaber symbolism after Jackson, who portrays Mace Windu in the prequel trilogy films, asked him who he could talk to about his lightsaber color. After Jackson questioned the lack of a purple color, Lucas conceded that he “might get purple,” which seemed to make Jackson’s day.
Many other days were made with the purple lightsaber, with several responders reminiscing about first seeing a new lightsaber color and having their imagination captured by it.
His Mace Windu days might be behind him for the time being, but Jackson is still going strong. His next two film appearances will see him reprise the role of the MCU’s Nick Fury for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels, both releasing in 2023.