The whole aging thing comes from two EU sources. The Dark empire stuff and the recent star wars visionaries thing where palpatine was supposedly masking himself. If he was concealing his true appearance, than why did he have normal trimmed fingernails in ROTJ? Why was his face very swollen and white after the force lightning attack only to go back to a pale grey and gradually puff down as the scene went on to Vader's pledge? It would also explain the wrinkles he developes along his neck and jaw line that are not present in that scene. his skin was stretched by the swelling and remained distended.
i'm guessing that the heat generated when the lightning was burning his neck also permanently altered the shape of his vocal chords, thus changing his voice. the weird breathing in the scene was probably due to some minor burns on the lungs, nothing too serious.
As for why vader can't use it, why he died, and why Dooku's reflecting lightning caused such a massive explosion, how's this for a theory? Force lightning faces less resistance and therefore less heat based on density. When it leaves the fingers it acts as a stream of high energy particles, but once they begin to travel through a medium that's more dense than air, more and more particles are blocked and release their energy in the form of heat. That's why it primarily effects the skeleton, since flesh is less dense than bone. The metals and polimers used in Vader's prosthetics and construction are more dense and therefore would heat the prostethics even more, therefore damaging his arms before the lightning could leave his organic stumps. The explosion that Dooku's reflected lightning caused was as a result of the ceiling being too dense to allow any force lightning particles through, therefore, they released all their energy at once, creating a brief, but powerful fireball.
the ROTS novel explains it clearly when it said that Force lightning melts and destroys from the inside out. starting with bone then muscle then skin. Palpatines facial muscles were getting so fried that it practically turned it into jello, contorting his facial skin, then the frying of his skin after that made it worse and gave him the look he has.
must 'a hurt, lol
okay, first and foremost palpatine let himself be attacked with his own sith lightning because he wanted to prove to anakin that the jedi were betraying the republic and wanted to take over, palpatine knew the jedi didnt trust him because of his relationship with him, and knew with certenty that when anakin went to go spill the beans that palpatine was a sith lord, he knew mace wasnt going to let him come and arrest him with the other jedi, he made it look like the jedi were evil, and if you knew a respected and powerful jedi trying to kill a close personal friend of yours who happend to be the opposite of a jedi, you might interfere to. now as for sith lightning control, it depends on how strong with the force the sith master really is, like dooku was a powerful jedi, and when he killed master sifo-dyass, and possibly other evil acts, he developed his lightning, now when he attacked anakin with it he temporarily ko'ed him, as for yoda he couldnt even budge, yoda is to powerful in the lightside of the force for dooku, now as for palpatineit depends if he wants to inflict major damage or minor, examples..mace windu, when anakin cut mace's forearm off palpatine went for the kill. like he told him power, unlimited power.
now yoda he sent his lightning bolts at him to send him a message, he was indeed very powerful, now when him and yoda fight it's different yoda is more skilled in lightsaber's, palpatine knows this thats why he relies on his power when he wasnt cutting it with throwing the senate box seats he leapt into another box and looked for yoda when yoda leapt on to the side he instantly fired full force lightning at him and knocked his lightsaber from his hands makeing yoda use his force deflecters, and at fist it looks as if palpatine is stronger but yoda proves to be able stop his bolts with some force bomb/push havent really figured that out yet.
as for luke, he was toying with him, but he didnt realize vader would come to his son's rescue...
Originally posted by Thorin
okay, first and foremost palpatine let himself be attacked with his own sith lightning because he wanted to prove to anakin that the jedi were betraying the republic and wanted to take over, palpatine knew the jedi didnt trust him because of his relationship with him, and knew with certenty that when anakin went to go spill the beans that palpatine was a sith lord, he knew mace wasnt going to let him come and arrest him with the other jedi, he made it look like the jedi were evil, and if you knew a respected and powerful jedi trying to kill a close personal friend of yours who happend to be the opposite of a jedi, you might interfere to. now as for sith lightning control, it depends on how strong with the force the sith master really is, like dooku was a powerful jedi, and when he killed master sifo-dyass, and possibly other evil acts, he developed his lightning, now when he attacked anakin with it he temporarily ko'ed him, as for yoda he couldnt even budge, yoda is to powerful in the lightside of the force for dooku, now as for palpatineit depends if he wants to inflict major damage or minor, examples..mace windu, when anakin cut mace's forearm off palpatine went for the kill. like he told him power, unlimited power.
now yoda he sent his lightning bolts at him to send him a message, he was indeed very powerful, now when him and yoda fight it's different yoda is more skilled in lightsaber's, palpatine knows this thats why he relies on his power when he wasnt cutting it with throwing the senate box seats he leapt into another box and looked for yoda when yoda leapt on to the side he instantly fired full force lightning at him and knocked his lightsaber from his hands makeing yoda use his force deflecters, and at fist it looks as if palpatine is stronger but yoda proves to be able stop his bolts with some force bomb/push havent really figured that out yet.
as for luke, he was toying with him, but he didnt realize vader would come to his son's rescue...
all true, also the force/ bomb.
i think he compresses the lightning somehow and sends it away, after that the lighting explodes of it's own acord