Force lightning question

So as we all know, the emperor has the ability to shoot lightning out of his hands, as does Count Dooku. Since we haven't seen the movie yet, I'm still unsure if Yoda has this ability or not, although we do see in episode 2, that he can at least absorb and redirect it with his hands. It is a very rare skill also, because Obi wan has never done it, and neither has Mace Windu or Luke in episode 6.

So why can't Darth Vader do it? You would think, that the chosen one, a former jedi, and a very powerful one under the training of Palpy, would have learned the skill. If dooku can do it, after being turned to the dark side for a much shorter time then Vader was, surely Vader would have also picked up on the skill at some point. So why can't he? And while i'm at it, Maul was trained from a very young age under Palpy, and was also very skilled. Why can't he do it? Dooku having the skill seems to confuse the issue.

he has no real hands

This question seems like it should be in the Original Trilogy forum...please explain a bit more.

Force lightning is an aggresive use of the force so jedi would NEVER EVER use it. Jedi only use the force for defence, never for attack.

Darth Maul is centainly able to do force lightning, he just didnt do it in the movie.
And Vader cant do it because he has robotic hands (it is explained in the rots visual dictionary)

Grrr, robotic hands, I really am getting sick of Lucas' crappy explanations as to why Vader doesn't do certain things in the OT.

Even R2D2 can do lightning for f**ks sake, he's robotic.

To Vader couldn't do lightning because of some contrivance is bullshit. It would make MORE sense for Vader to be able to do MORE lightning because he has metal arms. Even if it wasn't the force, he could have a power transformer that generated it from his finger tips.

"It would interfere with his suit" - rubbish. Why? Circuitry.

Robotic hands my ass.

If he does force lighting, it could short circuit the suit, and he would die. Vader is not that strong because of the serve injuries his suffers. It makes perfect sense and it does not bother me at all.

ok then how come Vader in Ep 3 doesnt do it??? he's still all human. I dont think Maul could have done it cause he wasnt that bright, but Yoda, mace and Anakin COULD if they used the force for attack.

Don't you guys think that you might be a little obsessed with this particular ability?

why don't we just face the fact darth vader can't do force lightning

He was not on the dark side long enough to know how to do it. THink about, you do not just learn how to do force lighting over night. It takes time to learn how to use it, just like all the other force powers.

The thing is, having the ability should have nothing to do with whether you have hands or not. Using the force is a mind trick, so where the actual lightning eminates is irrelevent. I mean Palpy could probably shoot it out of his dik if he wanted too. So what if vader has robotic hands, he should still be able to summon the mental strength to do it and shoot it out of his robotic hands. I think the big mistake isn't that vader doesn't do it, but rather that Dooku does. I understand the emperor having the evil ability, but once they make Dooku have it, that means that maul and Vader should also definitely have and use it.

Are you really saying that Maul has the ability but chooses not to use it, when he is fighting 2 on 1? Come on. Fact is, if he could, he would have. Maul didn't have the ability, but somehow, Dooku does after only a short time under the dark side. Vader was a sith for way longer then Dooku. He should have all the skills dooku does and more.

in the game anakin uses force lightning when he is evil and he uses his robotic hand

It's just the whole rationalising BS for why we don't see Vader do it.

The "it will short circuit his suit" explanation is utter bullshit.

How would it? And like Vanquish stated, the hands are just ONE way of expelling the lightning.

Think about it, lightning is just force push. You use the force to collect electrons in the air and concentrate them into lightening. Vader easily has the power to summon lightening.

It doesn't come from INSIDE the person either, because it it frmed outside of the person doing. Another explanation as to why Vader robotic arms should not be an issue.

Also, Vader can't do it in Episode III because he isn't a master. By Episode IV he should be easily able to do it. Lucas should have just said "he didn't need it" rather than "he can't do it".

My point was that even if Vader lost his ability to use force lightening, he could still have lightening powers. He's a genius mechanic, he'd easily be able to make his arms fire lightening at twice the power.

Vader keeps getting weaker and weaker with these crappy explanations.

thats a game though

maul uses it in episode 1 game

vanquish and Red Superfly have it spot on 😉 Except for minor details... Jedi don't use dark force powers. Lightning being one of them.
For the most part, I agree with the concept that vader 'should' be able to conjure force lightning. Summoning the force as I percieve it has nothing to do with your physical self.

However I'll go defence for once... you could look at it this way!

Yoda on the force - "it surrounds us... luminous beings are we, not this crude matter... it's in you... me.. the rock.. the tree." Thought force powers are conjured from energy of the force in all things... it's IN jedi too. If it's in a tree its in a freakin' jedi.
Lightning is a force directly from the energy of the sith. Originating from their negative energy.. their hate etc. The sith powers more commonly come from sith beings themselves as they ARE more powerful. They don't draw on the living force. The living force is in everything else.
So, the means of using force lightning? the hands! The hands are commonly used to apply force powers. So quite possibly the lightning DOES come from the hand. Hense vaders problem... he don't have none... No luminous force hands for anikan. It's gotta be directed somehow... I'd like to see you aim lightning with your arse better than your hand 😱.
And lightning for maul? Well I got the impression he didn't wanna cheat! Why the duel blade? He's a swordsman, he wanted to beat the jedi with raw skill.. because he was arrogant. maby he could use lightning... We didn't see him use any other dark force powers did we?
Dooku trained for 10 years with palpy while already being a council member with a lifetime of force experience.
Final thoughts 😊
take a line from obi "your going to find many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of veiw." I think ultimately... there are so many details, they can mean whatever the hell you want them to mean. Otherwise you'll be discussing jedi philisophy and techniques for years.

Wouldn't the intense heat generated by thelightning damage his life support systems?

Originally posted by Darth Jello
Wouldn't the intense heat generated by thelightning damage his life support systems?

Erm... if it's coming out of him... yes.. he'd fry himself. But going by georges theory, he can't do it in the first place.
If your referring to Red Superfly's comments... well he's suggesting the lightning has nothing to do with coming out of Vader.. Just like yoda never touches the force when he absoarbs it.. and Like Vader absoarbs the laser blasts, getting shot by Han in episode 5.
It's all just one big contradiction.

I feel sorry for george.. if he changes more of the OT, he'll have a price on his head. So he settles with leaving it with the DVD eddition and having NT fans hating all the contradiction. 😛

well, it's obviously hot enough to make Vader's skeleton glow through his armour and make Sidious' bone and flesh liquify and run down his face

Nah, I really think I will just chalk it up to yet another inconsistancy. I firmly believe that if Dooku has the skill, that Maul and Vader should also display the skill at some point in the movies to make it consistant. Or, Dooku should never have had it, and that would solve the thing also. Besides, Dooku is a sword master, not a force lightning master. It wasen't necessary to have him even do it in the films. His dominance is with a saber, so why confuse the issue further with something he obviously isn't a master of. makes no sense...