Star Wars is a story where good and evil fight to defend their own ideals, and sometimes there's even a mix of both, a grey between the black and white that are the jedi and the sith. Throughout all of these conflicts, there is always a clear outcome, whether that be an overwhelming victory or a humiliating defeat. And so, I would like it if you considered for a second...what if things went differently? What if...Mace Windu trained Anakin Skywalker?

I know this may seem far fetched to some of you, but if you really think about it, it isn’t. Qui Gon died by the hands of the sith assassin, Darth Maul, who went on to be defeated by the Obi Wan Kenobi we all know and love, which allowed the famous jedi to gain the rank of Jedi Knight. However, was becoming a jedi knight right after his master’s death really enough for him to be the master of the chosen one? I don’t think so, and that’s what this what if is going to be based on.

Instability was clear in Anakin, as he wanted to become powerful enough to protect those he cared about, especially his mother at the time. After being able to sense the fear inside of him, and the anger that was slowly building up after being a slave for years, I believe that the perfect master for him would’ve been Windu.

Windu was someone who studied the dark side and mastered it to some extent while staying in the light. Knowing this, it’s pretty clear that he would’ve been almost perfect as Anakin’s master. He had the experience and the capability to teach him how to face his fears and to learn about all aspects of the force while staying true to his beliefs, to the Jedi code.

Having said this, I believe it’s time to get this story started.

Anakin was scared. He had just blown up a massive droid base in space, something he’d only heard from passerbys during his time as a slave and on top of that, he had just been taken from his mother- the only family he knew, by a couple of strangers who showed up and said he was ‘the chosen one’, and that he was to be trained to become a Jedi.

Although he was excited about becoming a Jedi, he was so overwhelmed by everything that was happening around him. And as if that wasn’t enough, the only father figure he’d ever known- who he hadn’t even talked with for more than a few days at most, had just been killed, and he wasn’t even able to say goodbye to him.

Due to all of this, he was unstable. The dark side, although not exactly controlling him, was clear in the boy’s future if he wasn’t trained to control his emotions.And so, after leaving for Coruscant with Obi Wan Kenobi, the Chosen one’s future held nothing but uncertainty.

This uncertainty in the boy’s future, this instability, was sensed by all members of the Jedi Council ,a group of the strongest and wisest Jedi who decide on matters related to the order. The same elite group of Jedi he met upon his arrival at the Jedi temple.

“So, you say Qui Gon believed he was the Chosen one?” Asked Mace Windu, one of the most renowned Jedi masters. “Yes, master…although it may be far-fetched, I truly believe in what my master taught me, and so, I took him back here so he could be trained in the way of the force” Answered Obi Wan, still shaken by his master’s demise.

“Trained, the boy must be. A fact, that is” Said Grandmaster Yoda in a cryptic way, confusing the young Skywalker. “I agree, it doesn’t matter if he’s the ‘chosen one’ or not, he has an astonishingly high midichlorian count, and as so, I believe one of us should take him as our padawan.” Added Ki-Adi-Mundi, another Jedi master.

“I’ll take him,” Said Windu, to the council’s surprise. They didn’t know he ever wanted to train a padawan, but the fact that he’d excel at it was never questioned. And so, it was settled, Mace Windu would train Anakin Skywalker in the way of the Jedi.

Now this is where things start to change. Windu would sense all the conflict within Anakin, and before training him in combat, he’d work to have him overcome his fears and become someone capable of controlling his own emotions, as a father would.

Anakin would grow closer to Windu over the years, and I believe that with all the expertise in the Jedi master’s belt, it shouldn’t be too hard to get his point across to a child. As such, Anakin would become much more self-restrained, while still being able to express his emotions, although in a much safer way.

He soon became adept in both Djem So and Vaapad. Although these forms can be quite different, I do believe that Anakin would still train in Djem So, as it’s his preferred form of combat and the one that fits his character best. However, he’d also train in Windu’s variation of the seventh form of lightsaber combat, due to the fact that it draws strength from the dark side emotions while still staying in the light, something that would’ve served Anakin incredibly well in canon.

He went on many missions with Windu, learning more about the force and himself on each one. Eventually, Obi Wan and Anakin were both assigned to protect senator Padme Amidala, as Mace Windu was preoccupied with council matters and Obi Wan by this point was already a Jedi master.

As usual, there is an assasination attempt on Padme, but this time, Anakin is much more controlled and is able to chase down the assassin alongside Obi Wan, but it still wasn’t enough. The one who hired them had taken the correct measures, and as such, they weren’t able to get any information out of them.

Anakin goes to Naboo with Padme to protect her while Obi Wan goes to investigate, similar to how it originally went in Attack of the Clones. And although this Anakin has better control over his emotions, he still falls in love. You could call this a set point in time, as unless there’s a drastic change, he wouldn’t fall in love with her, and even then it’d be quite forced.

As Obi Wan searches for Kamino, Anakin starts to grow tired of his nightmares. All he sees is his mother’s death- which to his knowledge, hadn’t happened yet. He thought of it as a prophecy, perhaps he could make it to Tatooine fast enough to stop it, maybe he could-

That’s when he felt it.

The Dark Side. It was near him, he felt it in his nightmares, he felt it clouding his judgment, and if it wasn’t for his master’s training, he would’ve been blinded by his emotions and immediately gone to Tatooine, which would have costed Padme’s and his own life, something he couldn’t afford to lose.

Though he still felt conflicted, perhaps he could try to communicate with his mother somehow? If Padme’s ship had a communications system, maybe he could somehow communicate and learn about what’s going on in Tatooine? It may not have been the best option, or one capable of confirming his mother was truly safe, but Anakin wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, and this was the only thing he could think of.

With Padme’s help, he got on the ship, and what he found there surprised him. A beacon, a call for help, from none other than Obi Wan Kenobi.

Things are very similar to canon for a little while; Anakin and Padme are captured, so is Obi Wan, and they are all taken to the colosseum where they are forced to fight giant beasts to survive.

The hidden Jedi in the arena start to reveal themselves, and Anakin spots his master in the balcony, confronting the leaders of the Separatists.

The fight rages on for dozens of minutes, the number of Jedi dwindling and battle droids start coming in larger numbers to the battlefield.

Anakin is handed a Lightsaber by one of his comrades, who gets shot in the chest right after. With a somber look on his face, Anakin continues to fight, vowing to end the battle as soon as possible to minimize the Jedi casualties.

However, all the effort the Jedi put in was all in vain, as the droids outnumbered them by far too much, and ended up surrounding them, rendering them incapable of continuing the fight. “I’m sorry, old friend, I wish things were different” Said Count Dooku, the pity he had for his old comrades visible in his face. Anakin had heard of him before, a Jedi who had retired to live on his home planet. But he was a sith now? He couldn’t imagine a Jedi ever turning to the dark side, much less one as powerful as wise as Dooku.

But just when all hope seemed to be lost for the Jedi, a large shadow enveloped the entirety of the arena, as dozens- no, hundreds of LAATs flew all over the planet of Geonosis, launching a large-scale attack on the heart of their enemy.

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Led by Grandmaster Yoda, soldiers started taking the arena for the Jedi, as the separatist council started their retreat. “Sir, we just got a transmission from the inferno division, they’re successfully completing their mission, and we also got the same message from seven other squads!” Said someone who appeared to be a commander with yellow paint on his helmet and armbands.

“Good, that is. Pushing you must keep, for victory we must achieve!” Said Yoda, boosting the troop’s morale.

Anakin then got on a Gunship alongside Obi Wan, taking senator Amidala with him in order to keep her safe. Dozens of gunships were getting blown out of the sky by the Geonosian defenses, and yet they persisted. Count Dooku was on the run, and Anakin’s gunship was the one getting the closest to him.

However, they were also damaged from all the gunfire, and Padme fell off the ship, sustaining a considerable amount of damage upon her fall, although it was cushioned by the sandy soil below.

Anakin was desperate, the woman he loved had just fallen multiple meters to the ground with no one to help her. However, he knew better than to go down and help her, for if he managed to defeat Dooku, the upcoming war might be over before it even began.

After following Count Dooku to one of the hangars, they confronted him before he could make his escape.

“We’ll take him together, Anakin, you go from the left and I’ll go from the right!” Said Obi Wan. And this time, Anakin listened, and they both dashed towards their opponent at hurdling speeds, as the Count struggled to fend them off.

Dooku was surprised, he had never seen someone so young with that much power. It almost seemed as if he was…draining him? Although unknowingly, Anakin wasn’t only drawing power from his own emotions, but from Dooku, something nobody had ever accomplished before to the count’s knowledge.

Obi wan then jumped in the brawl, blocking attacks from Dooku and covering Anakin’s back when he himself couldn’t. They still had much to learn, but if they fought for any longer, Dooku feared that he might actually lose.

However, the Count had a card up his sleeve that neither of the Jedi were able to see. As Anakin prepared himself to end the fight and Obi Wan looked at Dooku for any sign of what he might do next, Dooku executed his plan.

Anakin swung his blade down at the Sith, who blocked it with his lightsaber, and suspended it in the air before using sith lightning to knock back both Jedi, leaving severe burns in Anakin’s chest, where the attack hit him.

He then used the force to bring down a massive tube in the hangar, in hope of ending the lives of both Jedi before they got any stronger. However, he was surprised to see the tube suspended in the air, as a small green figure walked through the hangar’s entry with the help of their cane.

“Master Yoda..”

He was old. He had just fought two of the most powerful Jedi he’d ever met, and for some reason other than his old age, he was extremely exhausted. If his theory for why that might be was correct, then he couldn’t afford to let the Jedi Padawan grow any stronger. However, with the Grandmaster of the Jedi order right in front of him, he didn’t have any choice.

Yoda jumped towards Dooku, making himself faster by using the force, as the master of the second form of lightsaber combat parried his strike, and the next, and the next.

The sound of lightsabers clashing could be heard from miles away as the two continued their duel, but it was clear that Yoda was overpowering the Count, who as cunning as ever, brought down another tube, distracting the master who stopped it to protect his allies.

In an attempt to kill his opponent, Dooku used sith lightning, but it was in vain, as Yoda was able to absorb it with his other hand.

As such, Dooku used the last card he had to use in the fight. He manipulated his lightsaber with the force, as it shot towards Yoda, forcing him to do the same. While the two lightsabers clashed against each other and Yoda held off the metal tube, Dooku made his escape, pulling his lightsaber towards him at the last second.

After the attack on Geonosis, the clone wars started, and they went as usual. Although Anakin did go on more missions with Mace Windu, the latter was busy with council matters still, and after Anakin fought Asajj Ventress and became a Jedi Knight, he was no longer forced to take him on mission.

This Anakin was much stronger though, so many of the battles during the war were made easier, and subsequently, Ashoka was also stronger. Now I’m not gonna dive too deep into what went on during the clone wars, because I could make a whole what if story on that single topic, so we’ll move on to the more important events.

During the Clone Wars, although Anakin was almost always busy with missions, he did get some time off, and he used the first bit of it to visit Tatooine to check on his mother. However, after arriving on Tatooine, he received news that his mother had died long before he got there, and the time of her death seemed to match the time he spent on Naboo.

And if this was true…then were the nightmares real? Was it really just the dark side? Maybe if he had gotten there on time…he would’ve been able to save her. He was given directions to where she disappeared, and where the Tusken Raider camp could be.

And so, it began. This is a pivotal moment in Anakin’s life, as many believe this is where he truly fell to the dark side. However, in this what if, it goes slightly differently. After arriving, he watches the Tusken from a distance, watching Tusken children playing with each other, the men and women dancing, as a feast was being served for all to enjoy.

At first, he wondered how those monsters could ever enjoy themselves after they murdered his mother and who knows how many more, he even considered killing all of them. However, his master’s teachings lingered in his mind still.

“Every planet, every race, every individual, they’re all part of the force. Good and evil exist, they’re a part of the force, the light and dark side, both essential to sustain life in the galaxy. And although there will be some who commit acts of evil, you must always first question, ‘Why did they do this’?. Some do what they do to survive, others for personal gain, and others do it to protect the ones they love. We Jedi do what we must do to preserve peace in the galaxy, and we may be evil in another’s eyes, so always be careful before doing something you might regret”

And so, although Anakin had considered killing not just the men, but the women and the children too, he eventually decided against it. Killing would make him no different than them, and he rather strive to stop something like this from ever happening again.

Anakin then leaves Tatooine after being called for another mission, but not before paying his respects to his mother’s empty grave. The Clone Wars rage on for years to come, and he fights valiantly to bring victory to the republic, mission after mission, battle after battle, but it seemed like it’d never end.

The only thing that kept the goal of victory in his mind were his master, his friends, his padawan, and all the people counting on him. However, that all starts crumbling down after Ahsoka leaves the order. Although she would definitely leave on much better terms than in canon, her lack of trust in the Jedi council was what pushed her to leave the order, and that hasn’t changed even after Anakin was trained in a different way.

And so, this brings us to the final part of this what if, the events of Revenge of the SIth.

The beginning of the film goes as usual, but in this version, Anakin doesn’t kill Count Dooku; and instead, he’s much more wary of Palpatine since he asked him to kill an unarmed enemy.

Anakin returns to Coruscant with a captive Dooku and is relieved, for if General Grievous is found, the war may be over. However, he comes ‘home’ to find even more conflict. After witnessing the interrogation of Dooku, he hears him say the same thing the count had said to Obi Wan in canon.

“What if I told you that there was a Sith in the order, like a plague that has infected the Jedi Order you value so much?”

He was conflicted, he already had his suspicions, but he couldn’t make any baseless accusations. And so, when the council actually assigns Anakin to spy on the Chancellor, he’s much more accepting of the role, and doesn’t pressure them to place him on the council, as patience was something his master taught him to dominate.

Days later, the chancellor reveals himself as the Sith Lord, and that event goes the same as in canon. Anakin ignites his lightsaber, before deciding against immediate action and instead goes to his master, who actually brings Anakin with him as he goes to arrest Palpatine.

Casualties are avoided due to Anakin’s presence however, so it didn’t cost the Jedi nearly as much as it originally did. However, even after barely managing to capture the Chancellor, there is still another challenge to overcome.

The Senate was in favor of Palpatine staying in office, as being a sith lord wasn’t exactly a crime, and deemed it as the Jedi discriminating against him because of his beliefs, something which although true- was with reason. Even after Count Dooku testified against his old master, the Senate still wasn’t convinced, and with Padme dealing with childbirth, there wasn’t anyone to gather the senate together and convince them to vote against the Sith Lord.

However, Padme was smart- cunning, even, and she had expected something like this to happen. As such, she had given Bail Organa the perfect accusation, the assasination attempts on her when she was the Queen of Naboo.

With Dooku confirming this to be true, there was nothing Palpatine could do, and as such, was given the life penalty until the Jedi Council could gather more evidence to push for an execution.

Now this is where I believe the story would end. Anakin does have Luke and Leia, and they grow up as Jedi in the temple, but there are no threats to the galaxy for decades to come, and Anakin would likely not be alive by the time one arrives, so there’s no point in diving in too much on that. For that reason, I would like to call this part of the story…

The End.