“Too Dangerous To Be Left Alive”: George Lucas’ Apprentice On The Jedi’s Greatest Mistake With The Sith

The Jedi correctly viewed the Sith as a serious threat, but George Lucas’ own Star Wars apprentice explained why their methods in dealing with them were a mistake. Having been thought extinct for a millennium, the Sith revealed themselves to the Jedi in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, with the Duel of the Fates setting off a cataclysmic chain of events. Some in the Jedi Order would come to recognize their flaws in the Clone Wars, but it was too late to prevent the fall of the Republic.

In a 2015 interview with Star Wars, creator Dave Filoni reasoned that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu responding to the Sith with violence were key errors that led to the Jedi’s demise.

In striking down Darth Maul on Naboo, Obi-Wan prevented the Jedi from learning the truth about the Sith’s schemes. By the time Darth Sidious revealed himself, the final phase of grand plan was in motion, and Windu’s decision to execute the Chancellor successfully pushed Anakin Skywalker over the edge to darkness.

justified in cutting down Maul, his initial attacks were aggressive, fueled by the pain of the loss of Qui-Gon. His emotions left him unbalanced, which put Obi-Wan into the spot of dangling in a melting pit to begin with. There were few options beyond taking a fatal swing at Maul when he leaped up, but cutting the Sith down allowed Sidious to continue his secret operations.

The Jedi had a chance to learn from this in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith when Palpatine outed himself, and again met the Sith with violence. Unlike Obi-Wan, Mace Windu disarmed Palpatine and was positioned to make an arrest. After revealing his true power with Force lightning, Windu instead resolved to make an extrajudicial execution on the Chancellor, forcing Anakin to take action. Had Windu adhered to the Jedi way and taken Palpatine into custody, Anakin’s betrayal may never have transpired. Filoni expertly recognizes that the Jedi fell by acting like the Sith, and through his Star Wars apprenticeship to George Lucas has been able to pass on what he’s learned in Ahsoka.