An old member named SSWR had some similar ideas years ago - trying to turn Mace Windu into a sort of Snape character, who was a sort of tragic hero. Sadly he closed his youtube account a while back so some of his videos are lost - but there are some here -
AOTC COUNCIL
ROTS WINDU
ROTS ANAKIN’S TURNA lot was achieved with adding different context to various head turns and grumpy expressions. He had a bunch of other videos, including a brilliant ending to ROTS that was never recovered.
Ah yes–the fan-o-matic!
I’m fairly new around here, but the 'matic has always impressed me every times I’ve seen a clip of it.
Those ROTS clips were quite chilling–in a good way. Too bad that’s not what George did.
Anakin’s fall to the dark as presented in the PT never rang true to me. Worried that his wife is gonna die (due to a DREAM), and killing children? Sure, it explains how he became evil, but it doesn’t explain how he became Darth Vader. Darth Vader isn’t Darth Maul (vicious, mindless animal) or Kylo Ren (emo baddie).
The PT would have worked best like this:
EPISODE ONE:
(basically the phantom menace and attack of the clones rolled into one film)
Obi-wan (no qui-gon, (I thought Yoda trained him?)) helps free Naboo from the Confederacy of Independant Systems (already a thing at this point), which is led by a Count Dooku figure. Somewhere along the way Kenobi meets (in his late teens) Anakin, who eventually becomes his apprentice. Mace Windu is opposed to this. Anakin also meets Padme (not a queen) and it’s obvious they like each other.
The Republic is freaked out about the Separatists and wants action immediately. Chancellor Valorum is criticized for letting the situation get to the point where it’s basically coming to war. (to make matters worse, the republic has no galaxy-wide army. individual planets may have forces, but the entire galaxy does not)
Meanwhile, we get a subplot about the Jedi council finding out about some clones that have been grown on Kamino. The makers of the clones simply say they are ‘opportunists’ who have seen the war coming. (of course they’ve really been planted by Palpatine)
The Jedi Council and Valorum are leery, but the Senators and people of the galaxy don’t care. They want action! Naboo must be rescued! So Valorum, realizing that stuff must be done, gets a law passed that creates a GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC. This army is under the command of the office of the chancellor, and will be assisted by the Jedi.
Then Valorum, under criticism for his handling of this situation, resigns. (this is a practice unfamiliar to the USA, but in many other countries, the Prime Minister will resign when things “go bad” under his watch.)(or it could be a ‘vote of no confidence’, either one). Either way, Palpatine becomes Chancellor, partially out of pity (Naboo is the planet he represents) and partially because he has been a strong voice against the Separatists, and it seems now he’s been validated.
Anyway, the brand-new clone army attacks Naboo, and frees it…but begun, the clone wars have!
EPISODES II AND III
With the political story of Episode I out of the way, I don’t think we need much more politics. I think the audience can accept that over the course of the war, Palpatine simply became more and more powerful with the army under his command, and the senate became more and more irrelevant yes-men. Also Palpatine appointed regional military governours.
Episodes II and III are really focused on Anakin and Obi-wan.
Anakin (between I and II) has married Padme (no Jedi forbidden love). He is a stong Jedi commander and often works with Obi-wan under the command of Bail Organa (this validates the OT).
Basically, Anakin is one of the most powerful jedis ever. He is frustrated by Mace Windu’s percieved attempts to hold him back and snub him.
He is also frustrated by the incompetence and idiocy of the army-men under his command. One time, after they lose a battle they should have won, he starts to force-choke a lieutenant in anger. Obi-wan is alarmed by this and makes Anakin stop. Anakin apologizes, but he’s still angry.
The story would end much like the fan-o-matic presents. Anakin is hungry for even more power. He is fed up with stupid bureaucrats and a Jedi order that seems to hate/fear him (personified by Mace Windu). Palpatine and Obi-wan seem to be the only ones who understand him. Palpatine’s vision of a galaxy ruled by a strong leader (an emperor) is attractive to him. Obi-wan agrees that Mace Windu focuses too much on himself, and not on the Jedi principals, but concedes that Mace is an incredibly powerful Jedi and has a right to be at the head of the Order.
Of course, eventually Anakin learns that Palpatine is a Sith! He’s shocked, and Anankin turns him in. Mace, knowing Anakin is a friend of Palpatine, uses this opportunity to accuse him of fraternizing with the enemy…
And you get the point. Anakin ends up killing Mace Windu, and, with Palpatine’s approval, begins to use his new powers in dark ways. Somewhere along the line the clones execute order 66…
“I thought I could be as good of a teacher as Master Yoda. I was wrong.”
As events get worse and worse, Obi-wan realizes that he has, in effect, failed. Anakin is becoming a monster of a man–a ruthless, cold military commander.
They end up on Muustafar together, where Obi-wan says "Wrongs (meaning Mace’s treatment of Anakin) do not justify other wrongs."
They talk for a little more, and anakin gets very angry. Obi-wan says something along the lines of "perhaps Mace Windu was right about you, Anakin!"
Anakin can’t believe his master is saying this and sees it as a betrayal. It gets to the point where Anakin pulls a lightsaber on Obi-wan…
and this is where Obi-wan realizes that Anakin’s new powers he’s learned from palpatine are the beginnings of his training…in the ways of the Sith! (only Mace was told palps was a sith)
Obi-wan becomes very alarmed and says that Anakin is following an evil path!
Eventually, they end up dueling, and Anakin falls into the lava pit.
FIN!
WEIRD, WACKO IDEA:
Mace Windu’s title, as head of the Jedi Order, is Darth Vader, which means “master of all force users” or something like that. The symbol of this office is the purple lightsaber, which has been handed down since ancient times. It represents the user’s mastery of all the force–the head of the Jedi Order was supposed to understand (not use, mind you) the dark and the light, or something like that.
This lightsaber is destroyed when Anakin kills Mace Windu.
This way, the audience is tricked into thinking that Ben isn’t lying–Anakin’s hatred towards Mace is the reason Anakin had to be killed. We assume Mace Windu somehow survived his injuries.
In truth, though, Darth Vader is in actuality Anakin Skywalker. His taking of the name shows that he arrogantly feels “now I am the master”… because he’s killed Mace.
Wow…that went way longer than I thought it would. I wonder if I should make my own fan-o-matic based on this…I’m not sure it’d be possible… it would take a lot of dubbing!