Sometime, I'd love to do another lightsaber theory/analysis post with Vaapad vs. Makashi, i.e., me just wanting to lovingly imagine how a Dooku vs. Mace Windu duel would go.
My first instinct is that this would be a really beautiful and interesting fight to watch, but one that Mace would definitively win, as the strengths of Vaapad would play well against the weaknesses of Makashi, specifically it's inability to take a hammering from a real power form. And Dooku's usual mitigating factors to solve for this weakness - his sheer physical strength and height, his creativity in using his Force talents to interpose lightning or ...pieces of decor to give himself a break - seem like things Mace would be prepared for and adept at countering. Mace's 6'2 (1.92m) height to Dooku's 6'5 (1.96m) means our Count isn't quite enjoying the reach bonus he's used to, and Mace knows him personally, knows his fighting style in a way that his little surprises and redirects aren't as fresh.
In terms of sheer lightsaber ability, we might also consider that Mace is able to get the upper hand on Sidious in a duel, whereas Dooku decidedly treats Sidious like someone who can and has thoroughly whipped his ass, even going as far as to trying to enlist his graduate students to help him take him down. (Implying that he's considered and rejected the prospect of doing it on his own.)
On the other hand, I think it's worth weighing the fact that neither one of them really want to destroy the other, even if they both would definitely do so for the sake of their causes. I think there's a little bit a lingering psychological reluctance there that has Mace going after Jango first, not Dooku, on Geonoisis. For Dooku's part, he doesn't even pull out his lightsaber during their confrontation. A little thing, but little things can determine lightsaber duels. There's also the possibility that Vaapad's ability to uniquely combat and channel/redirect dark side users might be less effective on a Sith like Dooku, who doesn't appear to (typically) get off on the same towering rage-fueled murder frenzy other Sith demonstrate in battle, who has 50 years of Jedi breathing exercises under his crunchy Sith candy coating. If anything, he appears to be genuinely having a great fucking time during most of his duels. (After all, when does he ever get to do anything fun?!) I'm not sure that passes the sniff test though; alas, even I am capable of Dooku apologist tendencies.
Anyway, it's interesting. What do you think?
