Registered: Jun 2016
Location: The Throne of the Sheevites
Palpatine's cosmic accomplishments
There seems to be this retarded misconception that the imbalance of the Force during Clone Wars and the Dark Times was the result of Darth Plagueis' and Darth Sidious' meditative rituals and thats that. This has been false for decades now.
Sidious, upon killing his Master Darth Plagueis, gained a monumental increase in power. The magnitude of this increase was such that the Force itself was tipped to the dark side more than it had ever been, all because of Darth Sidious’ personal power in the dark side. In that moment, Sidious trancended all other mortal beings that had ever existed, and achieved the status of galaxy-wide dark side nexus. As a feat it shits on all others and is the ultimate proof of the supremacy of Darth Sidious among the dark side masters that have existed throughout the ages.
–Darth Plagueis
The quote references the present, not their ritual. It clearly mentions "what had transpired in the suite," and immediately after "the Force had shifted irrevoccably". What transpired in the suite was that Sidious gained a tremendous increase in power, the spirits of the ancient Sith returned from their dark graves to praise Sidious, and the very concept of the dark side anointed Sidious. That's what happened in the suite, and it shifted the Force just like Plagueis' and Sidious' meditation, but this time it happened instantly.
Sidious' power maintained the imbalance throughout the Clone Wars and the Dark Times, as described in other sources:
–Databank (2008): The Jedi Order
-Revenge of the Sith novelization
For those who have reading comprehension issues, the first quote is from an objective, third person source, and clearly mentions the Jedi's diminished ability to draw on the Force to be the result of Sidious' personal power in the Force, as in "his power" referencing the Dark Lord of the Sith mentioned a few words earlier, which is of course Sidious.
The second quote mentions that the shadow within the Chancellor's office, which is Sidious, drained light from the galaxy, and that the darkness in the Force did not hinder him because he himself was the darkness. And you'll need a better excuse than "Hyperbole!" to refute this. I swear, people literally interpret every word Matthew Stover writes as hypebole these days, and it's getting old. There's nothing hyperbolic about this and it's supported by other sources.
Registered: Jun 2016
Location: The Throne of the Sheevites
When Sidious was killed by Anakin in RotJ, balance to the Force was restored, lending further proof to the idea that Sidious was the sole source of the imbalance at the time of the OT.
But this was not the end of Palpatine, as we know from Dark Empire, and with his return, the Force was unbalanced yet again, as noted by Luke:
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“You have filled the galaxy with your darkness” cannot possibly be a reference to Palpatine’s military might, as Palpatine hadn’t conquered the entire galaxy at the time. There is a more definitive statement, though, which comes from one of the elders of the Ysanna tribe of Force sensitives:
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There’s no other explanation for the dark side growing stronger throughout the entire galaxy, other than Palpatine’s residence there. And now a final piece of proof, and what I feel is the most reliable one:
-Dark Empire Sourcebook
In case it sounds dubious, it comes from an article talking about the dark side of the Force, not military power, and if it were referring to the latter, it would be factually incorrect as there are areas withing the galaxy where the Empire has no presence. Thus, it can only refer to the former.
This is the ultimate proof that the imbalance was linked to Palpatine and Palptine alone: with his return the imbalance also returned, and I honestly don’t see any debate to be had over this. This is one of those things that is indisputable fact.
And as a final word to those who think Darth Malak fogging the senses of Bastila and Revan is equally impressive (lol), it’s not. First of all, there’s no proof that it was actually Malak himself that caused this, as the Force shifts constantly per the actions of the galaxy’s residents, and the galaxy was filled with dark side Force users to the point where such numbers would not be seen until Darth Krayt’s One Sith order, 4000 years later (Legacy era campaign guide). Secondly, there’s nothing suggesting it covered the entire galaxy. The quote above proves only Palpatine ever managed this. All this so-called “imbalance” caused was Bastila and Revan failing to sense the destruction of the Dantooine Enclave and that’s it. Palpatine’s imbalancing caused a veil of the dark side so thick even the combined meditation sessions of the entire Jedi Order (Yoda included) could not pierce it. There’s no comparison.
Good effort but you are overlooking other realities in relation to shift in the balance of the Force.
1. Darth(s) Plagueis and Palpatine (jointly) succeeded at exerting their WILL upon the Force after months of meditative efforts towards this end:
Risen out of themselves, discorporate and as a single entity, they had brought the power of their will to bear, asserting their sovereignty over the Force. No counterforce had risen against them.
Taken from Star Wars: Darth Plagueis
Emphasis mine: the aforementioned accomplishment is not a demonstration of raw power of characters involved because it does not involves use of corporeal strengths and Force powers. This was a strictly mental exercise to influence the balance of the Force to the benefit of the Dark Side. More important is the fact that the Force offered no resistance to the Sith partaking in that controversial course-of-action. And before that deed, the participants had to wait for the right moment to exploit the balance of the Force to their advantage as clearly stated earlier in the novel:
But in any case this is why the Jedi Order has descended into decadence and is dragging the Republic down with it. Because the Jedi have lost the allegiance of the Force. Yes, their ability to draw energy from the Force continues, but their ability to use the Force has diminished. Each of their actions engenders an opposite, often unrecognized consequence that elevates those attuned to the dark side; that buoys the efforts of the Sith and increases our power. Yet our use of that power requires delicacy. We must be alert to moments when the light side falters and openings are created. Then, and only then— when all the conditions have been met—can we act without fear of meeting resistance or repercussion.[//I]
Taken from Star Wars: Darth Plagueis
They noticed that the Jedi Order was loosing its touch with the ways of the Force with passage of time by virtue of a series of miscalculations (deliberate or goaded into), and those miscalculations worked in the favor of the Banite Sith who would see opportunities in them to expedite the tilt of the Force towards the Dark Side (even in proactive manner at times). In connection to this all, corruption was becoming rampant in the galaxy and Sith benefited from it. Another point to consider is that all living beings collectively influence the balance of the Force. Greater the magnitude of corruption across the galaxy and the inability of the Jedi Order to handle such developments, greater would be the tilt towards the Dark Side. Coming back to the point, Darth Tenebrous found an opportunity and exploited it (the so-called rend in the Force in the philosophical context). Darth Plagueis and Palpatine would also find one and expand on the earlier effort.
Indeed:
[I]"They see dark times ahead. In fact, they think of little else. That's why they have allowed the Jedi to become involved in parochial conflicts like those at Galidraan, Yinchorr, and Baltizaar, which are like brush fires born of windblown embers from a massive blaze just beyond the horizon. But instead of actually rising up against the corruption in the Republic, perhaps disbanding the Senate entirely for a period of time, they have become fixated on prophecy. They await the coming of a prophesized redeemer who will bring balance to the Force and restore order."
"A redeemer?" Palpatine stared at him in authentic
surprise.
Taken from Star Wars: Darth Plagueis
The aforementioned information represents just one side of the coin. The other side is WILL OF THE FORCE.
Two observations to consider:
1. The prophesy of the Chosen One
2. Darth Tenebrous noted that the Sith will ascend under the right circumstances:
Tenebrous had tried to persuade Plagueis that the Force did not play games of chance with the galaxy; and that while the fated ascendancy of the dark side could be predicted, its rise could not be influenced or hurried by the Sith.
Taken from Star Wars: Darth Plagueis
3. The Force willed the partnership of Darth Plagueis and Palpatine:
The fact that the Force had not struck back argued that their partnership was something unique and in accordance with the will of the Force.
Taken from Star Wars: Darth Plagueis
Emphasis mine: the Force has a WILL of its own and strives for balance. Everything that happens, is in part due to its design. Force-users and living beings in general can influence the balance of the Force but such events are in consort with the WILL of the Force. The Force willed the triumph of Banite Sith during the era of Palpatine, only to throw the Chosen One at them and eradicate it through him. Lesson is that the Sith thought that they had made the Force subservient to them but they were absolutely wrong. The Force works in mysterious ways and is beyond the comprehension of mere mortals as Revan once remarked: "we are only scratching its surface."