Summary
In Star Wars lore, it's safe to say not everyone was a fan of Anakin Skywalker. While Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi felt he could get trained as a Padawan after coming to Coruscant from Tatooine, many Jedi Masters felt Anakin was too old. He was a risk in their eyes because they preferred younglings, not a kid who was emotionally unstable after a hard upbringing. That led to Anakin giving the Jedi Council a lot of lip as he grew older, especially because he had the rebellious spirit of the deceased Qui-Gon in him.
Well, come Mike Chen's Star Wars: Brotherhood, fans got insight into all the verbal jousting, including the Jedi Anakin hated most, which surprisingly wasn't Obi-Wan Kenobi. Anakin hated none other than Mace Windu, who was immortalized in the prequels by Samuel L. Jackson. In those movies, Mace was someone who loved confrontation, with his bullish ways usually winning arguments. However, he rubbed many the wrong way, and as the novel detailed, he was someone vehemently against Anakin joining the Jedi Order.
Why Did Anakin Hate Mace Windu?
Anakin even saw disdain from Mace during his knighting ceremony, with Mace scowling and giving him the stink eye. Anakin felt part of it was because Mace blamed him for Qui-Gon falling in battle against Darth Maul. Plus, whenever talk of the prophecy and Anakin being the Chosen One arose, Mace wouldn't hide his disgust. That made him caustic and belittling towards the young padawan, especially when the Jedi became more integrated into the military as the Clone Wars began.
Obi-Wan and Yoda tried to make Anakin feel better, but the levees broke when Palpatine held council before Anakin took off on a medical supply run. They had a sentimental meeting alone, clueing Palpatine in on his pain and providing a doorway for the dark side. The politician made it clear that the Jedi shouldn't veer away from attachment, telling him he should treat people like they mattered.
Anakin Skywalker and Mace Windu's Rivalry Ended in Bitterness
Palpatine said Anakin's compassion and empathy made him different from Mace, who was only focused on the mission and didn't value the sanctity of life. And what he endured with his own mother, Shmi, being tortured by Tusken Raiders, galvanized Anakin to view Mace as a robot. Anakin didn't even admit it to Palpatine, but he hated that cold, drone-like approach that saw Mace treat people like pawns and objects.
It's something Anakin vowed never to do in his new job coaching younglings. And ultimately, the rivalry may have informed why Anakin was so quick to kill Mace to save Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith. Sure, he wanted Palpatine's secrets on immortality, but he also hated Mace and felt the galaxy was better off without him.