IIRC, in the cartoon The Clone Wars, Darth Sidious kicks Maul and his brother’s asses at the same time using dual lightsabers and throwing them around with the Force; can’t remember if he used lightening.
I’ve heard somebody speculate that since Vader is basically a torso and head, his midi-chlorians are greatly reduced.
Besides, if he tried to use force lightning, he’d short himself out.
I’ve heard that idea, too (although, thankfully, without mentioning midichlorians) but the problem I have with it is that even just being a head and a torso, he still has more living matter in him than Yoda does in his entire body.
Size matters not.
Yeah, I was going to list that but some people say only what is in the movies is canon.
I think I have to watch these Star Wars movies someday.
Wait 'til you find out who Luke’s father is. :eek:
Cool design indeed, and Lucas shouldn’t get credit for it. Lucas asked designer Iain McCaig to draw his worst nightmare and George unfortunately went with McCaig’s second worst nightmare. The first design was far, far more awesome.
Right. So it shouldn’t matter if you could scrape up all the organic material in Vader’s body in a teaspoon, he should be just as powerful a Jedi as he was when he was a whiny emo teenager.
I’m guessing the theory is that since Vader is “half” his original size, he’s lost 50% of his original, innate power/potential. The less said about midi-chloians, the better.
I’ve heard the theory that he can’t generate Force lightening because he doesn’t have organic hands to shoot them out of. And, he would electrocute himself
Shouldn’t Palpatine been able to float out of that shaft?
That’s essentially the canon explanation. Kenobi says “He’s more machine now than man.” No force lightning because no hands with which to throw it, though that sounds like something Yoda would scoff at.
Yup
There’s, like, a serious downdraft there.
And do it while turning flips in mid-air and monologuing like a mofo. Everybody seems to forget they have telekinesis when the chips are down. Hell, Mace Windu should have floated to safety on any number of balconies after Palpatine threw him out that window.
Never would have worked. He didn’t have any arms to make the dramatic “I’m using telekinesis!” pose that Jedi always adopt when moving shit with their minds.
Darth Maul is the lamest villian in the history of film. Sure, he looked impressive, but he had no personality, no lines of dialog, no background, no anything but a face. He is an absolute nothing and about as interesting as a blank sheet of paper. There are two reasons why The Phantom Menance is the worst of the Star Wars films, and Maul is probably even a bigger factor than Jar Jar Binks.
As for Palpatine, Vetirnari would eat him for lunch. Hell, even the talented Mr. Ripley was more devious on his worst day. Adrian Veidt would have left him standing stupified, and Bruno Anthony would have had him stuck on a merry-go-round.
Well he looks cool and he fights well. Your criticisms are largely correct though.
I’m rather curious what Palpatine’s motive is:?
According to Jedi theology, he’s someone who has given in to anger and hatred and fear, and so is theoretically spiteful, destructive, and chaotic. However, the man we see is cool, scheming, and his greatest desire in life is to create an ordered and well-functioning galactic empire. 
Overall, I think it would be fairly easy to argue that the greatest villain in the Star Wars series was Princess Leia, as the ring leader of a bunch of terrorists.