To be honest, they never interpreted Vaapad as the technique which allowed Windu to deflect Sidious' Force lightning. They thought it as being a Force power mirror. They thought the only reason Windu was fast as Palpatine in the Revenge Of The Sith novel is due to Vaapad.
__________________ RealistRacism: "Sheevites, much like the Banites, were meant to increase in power with each member. From Lightsnake to Gideon to Azronger, this was supposed to be the case. However, knowledge must've been lost in some kind of Gravid-like incident, as Az turned out to be a mid-tier debater with a sub-par track record, sh!itting all over Tempest's legacy. Sad."
Registered: Feb 2013
Location: On my lawn chair drinkin a beer
The wiki and Novelization actually both describe Vapaad as the ability to channel Dark Side energy through Mace and back into the target:
He reflected the fury upon its source as a lightsaber redirects a blaster bolt. There was a time when Mace Windu had feared the power of the dark; there was a time when he had feared the darkness in himself. But the Clone Wars had given him a gift of understanding: on a world called Haruun Kal, he had faced his darkness and had learned that the power of darkness is not to be feared. He had learned that it is fear that gives the darkness power. He was not afraid. The darkness had no power over him. But- Neither did he have power over it. Vaapad made him an open channel, half of a superconducting loop completed by the shadow; they became a standign wave of battle that expanded into every cubic centimeter of the Chancellor's office. There was no scrap of carpet nor shred of chair that might not at any second disintegrate in flares of red or purple; lampstands became brief shilds, sliced into segments that whriled through the air; couches became terrain to be climbed for advantage or overleapt in retreat. But there was still only the cycle of power, the endless loop, no wound taken on either side, not even the possibility of fatigue.
Lightning blasted the clouds above, and lightning blasted from Palpatine's hand, and Mace didn't have time to comprehend what Palpatine was talking about; he had time only to slip back into Vaapad and angle his blade to catch the forking arcs of pure, dazzling hatred that clawed toward him. Because Vaapad is more than a fighting style. It is a state of mind; a channel for darkness. Power passed into him and out again without touching him. And the circuit completed itself: the lightning reflected back to its source.
Vapaad was indeed the sole reason for Mace to channel Sidious's Sith Lightning back into him.
- Even Yoda can't do that against Sidious with a lightsaber: (please log in to view the image)
Only Mace and his Vapaad can: (please log in to view the image)
__________________ Asking about which Jedi or Sith that can defeat Darth Nihilus is like asking about which one of the X-Men can defeat Galactus.
Last edited by CaveDude33211 on Apr 20th, 2019 at 04:46 PM
I know. I just said that most fans think Vaapad is an universal Force power mirror. Not that it is particularly related to Force lightning based attacks.
__________________ RealistRacism: "Sheevites, much like the Banites, were meant to increase in power with each member. From Lightsnake to Gideon to Azronger, this was supposed to be the case. However, knowledge must've been lost in some kind of Gravid-like incident, as Az turned out to be a mid-tier debater with a sub-par track record, sh!itting all over Tempest's legacy. Sad."
"YODA leaps after him, but PALPATINE quickly turns and aims the full force of his energy bolts at the tiny green Jedi, catching him in mid-air and throwing him back hard against the Podium. The force causes YODA to drop his lightsaber."
The screenplay clearly shows Yoda as capable of deflecting Sidious' lightning.
"YODA unleashes a ferocious assault on PALPATINE, causing him to almost go over the edge. The Dark Lord drops his lightsaber but recovers with a BLAST OF ENERGY from his hands that surrounds YODA. YODA is deflecting the Sith Lord's lightning bolts.
The energy bolts begin to arc back on the Emperor. It looks as if the Dark Lord is doomed."
Registered: Feb 2013
Location: On my lawn chair drinkin a beer
The film clearly shows Yoda as trying to deflect Sidious's Lightning and ultimately getting blasted into the air by it in the process.
Meanwhile the film also shows Mace deflect Sidious's Lighting on a ledge in a thunderstorm - and unlike Yoda - Sidious's Lightning can't touch Mace. (please log in to view the image)
Again - Mace is immune to that - thanks to Vapaad. (please log in to view the image) (please log in to view the image)
Nice try - but whatever screenplay you're using doesn't match what's in the film: (please log in to view the image)
In the film, Yoda already had his feet planted on the Podium and was balanced - but Mace Windu was fighting on a slipperly ledge in a windy thunderstorm:
He could feel the end of this battle approaching, and so could the blur of Sith he faced; in the Force, the shadow had become a pulsar of fear. Easily, almost effortlessly, he turned the shadow's fear into a weapon: he angled the battle to bring them both out onto the window ledge.Out in the wind. Out with the lightning. Out on a rain-slicked ledge above a half-kilometer drop.
Lightning blasted the clouds above, and lightning blasted from Palpatine's hand, and Mace didn't have time to comprehend what Palpatine was talking about; he had time only to slip back into Vaapad and angle his blade to catch the forking arcs of pure, dazzling hatred that clawed toward him. Because Vaapad is more than a fighting style. It is a state of mind; a channel for darkness. Power passed into him and out again without touching him. And the circuit completed itself: the lightning reflected back to its source.
So Yoda didn't get caught flat-footed.
Mace was deflecting Sidious's lightning on a slippery ledge in the wind and rain and Sidious Lightning still couldn't touch him.
Yoda was normally-positioned when Sidious fired his Lightning - but Yoda can't redirect Sidious's Lightning like Mace can.
And when Yoda used his hands to try to redirect the Lightning - Yoda got touched and blasted by it.
So yes, even Yoda with a lightsaber or no lightsaber cannot deflect Sidious's Lightning successfully like Mace can: (please log in to view the image) (please log in to view the image) (please log in to view the image) (please log in to view the image)
Yoda lost because he couldn't deflect Sidious's lightning with a lightsaber or without one - and Mace won because he could.
__________________ Asking about which Jedi or Sith that can defeat Darth Nihilus is like asking about which one of the X-Men can defeat Galactus.
Didn't Yoda absorb Dooku's Force lightning blast and directed it back at him?
__________________ RealistRacism: "Sheevites, much like the Banites, were meant to increase in power with each member. From Lightsnake to Gideon to Azronger, this was supposed to be the case. However, knowledge must've been lost in some kind of Gravid-like incident, as Az turned out to be a mid-tier debater with a sub-par track record, sh!itting all over Tempest's legacy. Sad."
I see. You are talking about unlimited Force lightning torrents being the only solution to reflect with Vaapad.
__________________ RealistRacism: "Sheevites, much like the Banites, were meant to increase in power with each member. From Lightsnake to Gideon to Azronger, this was supposed to be the case. However, knowledge must've been lost in some kind of Gravid-like incident, as Az turned out to be a mid-tier debater with a sub-par track record, sh!itting all over Tempest's legacy. Sad."
Registered: Feb 2013
Location: On my lawn chair drinkin a beer
It's been implied there was a storm on Coruscant during their duel - even in the RotS video game, too.
When the office window got blown out, the final part of their duel took place on the ledge - where there was wind, apparently rain and a half-kilometer drop next to where Mace was standing - it wasn't all indoors and the implied-storm meant the ledge would be slippery.
Way better than Yoda being tooled, ragdolled and defeated by Sidious.
Yoda couldn't hang onto his saber because he couldn't handle Sidious's Lightning - Mace could.
Yoda's saber got blasted out of his hands because he couldn't handle Sidious's Lightning, like Mace could.
And when Yoda tried to compete against Sidious's Lightning with his hands - he still lost.
Mace and his Vapaad are clearly superior against Sidious and his Lightning.
__________________ Asking about which Jedi or Sith that can defeat Darth Nihilus is like asking about which one of the X-Men can defeat Galactus.
Last edited by CaveDude33211 on Apr 22nd, 2019 at 02:29 PM
for the umpteenth time, vaapaad isn't a thing in the films; its not real. What is real though is Mace being known as Yodas second; Sidious beat Yoda and Mace "beat" Sidious? That can only happen if Sidious threw the fight which makes perfect sense from a storytelling perspective as he needed to force a choice from Anakin
Apr 20th, 2019 08:40 AM
