The_Tempest
Senior Member
Rookwood
Because Sidious is just like any other Force user - just powerful.Other powerful practitioners also have to absorb energy and expend it, so I don't see how he's the sole exception.
So what you're saying is, when it suits your argument, all Force users are alike. Because Characters X and Y share a specific trait, so too must Character Z?
I might buy that if you didn't jettison that line of thought later in the post when it suits Bane.
The fact remains that Sidious, to my knowledge, is not known to require such meditative gathering of energy to attack with preternatural speed whereas Bane was forced to in order to combat the rain.
Rookwood
Apparently, you're hinging your argument on the assumption, that for some reason, Bane didn't grow to become knowledgeable and powerful enough to end up as fast as Sidious, toward the end of his life.
Because Sidious is more powerful in the Force than Bane and, if we subscribe to Kas'im's logic, correspondingly capable of greater feats of physicality.
Rookwood
Yes, the Orbalisks gave him augmented speed and power - but after he got rid of them, his total training and research in the Sith arts ended up gifting him with that kind of speed, anyway.
Not only is this a baseless assumption, it's flat out wrong. Bane laments in Dynasty of Evil that, courtesy of the aging process, he is slower than he once was. And that's not even taking the orbalisks into consideration, which (at his physical peak), made him stronger and his "reflexes quicker" than they'd ever been (Rule of Two).
Rookwood
What the rain-feat exemplifies, is not only is he visually faster with a blade than any character we've seen, apart from NJO Luke+ - but, that he has grown in skill and power in the Dark side, to the point where he doesn't need them, anyway.
This is another baseless assumption. Bane muses more than once in Dynasty of Evil that the removal of the orbalisks required a shift in tactics when combating his enemies. Furthermore, unlike Bane, Luke demonstrates the blade speed in the midst of combat and is not so easily exhausted.
Rookwood
Also, Force users might be stronger in one Force ability and weaker in another - so you're also hinging you're argument off of the assumption, that just because Sidious tends to be strong in certain Force powers, he should automatically be equally strong in all powers, which isn't how it works.
That's true, but Sidious's superiority over Bane isn't conveyed in the form of specific abilities. The Dark Side Sourcebook, The Complete Visual Dictionary, and The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia simply conveys superior power. Obviously Bane could be superior in certain respects, but greater power in the Force (per Kas'im) lends an individual greater capabilities for combat physicality.
Rookwood
Sidious is great at utilizing the Force Storm ability later on - yet he's too slow and lacks the agility, even in a younger body, to defeat a Pre-NJO Luke.
Setting aside the obvious fact that the outcome of one battle does not necessarily confer superiority, the second duel between the Emperor and Luke is one of relative party. In one scan, Sidious has taken the offensive and has Luke with his back against the wall; in the next, Sidious is disarmed.
But more importantly, Luke displays tremendous power in Dark Empire. Losing to him is hardly an embarrassment.
Rookwood
RotS Sidious is great enough with Telekinesis to hurl Senate Pods like toys - but he lacks the speed and agility to defeat Mace Windu, who is below Yoda.
Because Mace Windu was bolstered by Vaapad (and Sidious's own speed). But don't let little things like facts get in your way.
Rookwood
Until I see otherwise, there is no evidence to suggest any version of Sidious in on par with (Peak) Bane in terms of speed and agility.
Actually, there's plenty to suggest it. But I'm cool with agreeing to disagree: I have little energy for a multi-page debate where I'm constantly chasing down an enemy running with the goalpost and leaving an obstacle course of double standards in his wake.