After watching Confused Matthew's review on it, I'm making a point of seeing the Director's Cut. It'll be my fourth time watching Blade Runner, so if I'm not intrigued this time 'round, I'm giving up.
__________________ Recently Produced and Distributed Young but High-Ranking Political Figure of Royal Ancestry within the Modern American Town Affectionately Referred To as Bel-Air.
There really hasn't been any sith to question Palpatine's status as being the overall most powerful sith. There have been sith lords who surpassed him in certain areas of power (Nihilus, Kun, possibly Bane), but Palpatine has a greater range of power than any sith lord so far, and he had a greater effect on the force as a whole.
Mara won her fight with Caedus because she was a far more skilled and smarter fighter than he was, which is not an advantage she will have against Palpatine. One thing that Plagueis trained Palpatine well in, was how to kill. Palpatine is more vicious, more faster, and far more powerful than Mara is.
__________________ "The power of the dark side is an illness no true Sith would wish to be cured of" -Darth Plagueis
Yep. Sidious the politician is a much more skilled, tactically aware, and brutal fighter than Caedus, who is known for is poor pain tolerance and complete unfamiliarity with battlefield situations.
I commend your well thought out and exhaustively sourced argument, and simply cannot find a single chink in its armor.
Either I read that wrong or you wrote it wrong, because that looks terribly much like you saying "bloodlusted, prepped Mara isn't more vicious, faster, and powerful than Sidious."
More Vicious: (See cave fight)
More Faster: (See cave fight)
More Powerful: Given that this limits Palpatine to RotS feats, he's basically got Sithisis and RotS to draw from. Mara has her 3x force power bubble, cross-galaxy awareness (routine as a hand as well as her link w/Ben) and the whole manhandling a Skywalker descendant charism
Palpatine slaughters a group of Gran Protectorate Senators, their guards, and women & children in Darth Plagueis.
Palpatine’s physical speed is comparable to Yoda’s own, beyond what can be perceived by Anakin, in excess of what Mace Windu can reproduce without Vaapad, and sufficient to slaughter two “celebrated swordsmen” of the Jedi Council before they can react.
Palpatine’s galactic clairvoyance is displayed in Revenge of the Sith where he senses Anakin’s danger on Mustafar from Coruscant.
You need to substantiate why manhandling a Skywalker is a decisive advantage for Mara; Dooku did it to the Skywalker and Palpatine’s powers eclipse his.