Darth Somebody
Senior Member
Sidious feared Yoda incredibly. Then again, we all know why he did. Sidious conquered the galaxy, outwitted the entire Jedi Order, and then had the vast majority of them wiped out. Yoda is revered for being the most powerful and wisest of the Jedi, so if Sidious sees him walking into his throne room, why not be scared?
Sidious then blasted Yoda with lightning and overpowered his defenses, proving that he is capable of overpowering Yoda through the Force. I don't think even you can manage an excuse for Yoda's failure here, Fishy. There was no surprise attack or environmental advantage here. Sidious blasted Yoda across the room and nearly knocked him out. Then yes, Yoda eventually got up and Force-pushed Sidious across the room. This exchange of blows proves that both of them are about equal.
Sidious attempted to run, coward that he is, but Yoda stopped him. Then Yoda and Sidious dueled. Each kept up with one-another blow for blow. Fishy and Janus, where did it appear that Yoda was the superior duelist? I would like to know exactly. Both kept up, blade-for-blade, what they were doing. So they are actually equals in lightsaber combat, given the duel.
Sidious then tried to distance himself, thinking that the lightsaber duel was going on endlessly, with great risk on both sides. You see, here is a difference between Yoda and Sidious. Yoda is willing to sacrifice himself to wipeout Sidious - or WAS - at the particular time. Sidious is more concerned with himself, being a Sith, and I think Yoda knew that. Hence the fear Sidious seemed to express.
When Sidious distanced himself, he lifted three pods at a time into the air above his head and threw each one down to Yoda. I watched the movie again before it went out of the theatres to be sure. Sidious was on a pod himself and lifted three others above his head. You excused Yoda's lack of speed to stop a pod on gravity. Then clearly Sidious is the superior Force-user, if he lifted THREE pods into the air above his head and tossed them.
So. Yoda dodged them all and stopped. He managed to stop a single pod, turn it, and toss it back. Sidious hopped away, again the quintessential coward. Yoda persued and drew his lightsaber. Sidious blasted it from his hands. Then Sidious kept on firing lightning. Yoda had to remain stationary, Sidious moved closer. Finally, they were only a few feet apart. Sidious exchanges expressions that show he is confidant of victory, then of physical strain. Yoda looks like he's being put through hell stopping the lightning; but he manages to keep it at bay.
Finally. Yoda musters his strength and pushes the coiled lightning back to its maker, flipping Sidious over the pod. Yoda, apparently not realizing this (or it may have been intended, to escape) was caught by the kickback. Physically weaker than Sidious and lighter, he is knocked farther and loses his grip, where he falls.
Thusly, Master Yoda and Darth Sidious are really equals, with only true evidence of Sidious being the superior Force-user. But that can be dismissed with Yoda's ability to reflect his lightning. So all-in-all, they are equal.
Only Yoda's centuries of experience would gain him a victory over Sidious. Not power or saber skills.