Was Sidious going all out in RotJ?

Mostly asking about whether anything indicates that, once he got around to ramping up his Force Lightning enough to a point that would execute Luke after all that torture, is it plausible he was going all out by the time Vader threw him down the reactor shaft?

Not being reduced to ashes is already impressive for both parties for Sidious' Lightning being hilariously above Starkiller's Clone's amplified Lightning from FUII (about 40-50 seconds of constant stream vs the 3 or so from Sidious), but there's still room for more depending on any contextual evidence about how much Sidious was actually putting into his shocks. :hmm

Basically, does the novel/script/comics say anything here in more detail than the film?

Yeah..

EMPEROR
Now, young Skywalker...you will die.

Although it would not have seemed possible, the outpouring of bolts
from the Emperor's fingers actually increases in intensity, the sound
screaming through the room. Luke's body writhes in pain.

Vader grabs the Emperor from behind, fighting for control of the robed
figure despite the Dark Lord's weakened body and gravely weakened arm.
The Emperor struggles in his embrace, his bolt-shooting hands now
lifted high, away from Luke. Now the white lightning arcs back to
strike at Vader. He stumbles with his load as the sparks rain off his
helmet and flow down over his black cape.

From ROTJ Script

He laughed maniacally; and although it would not have seemed possible to Luke, the outpouring of bolts from the Emperor's fingers actually increased in intensity. The sound screamed through the room, the murderous brightness of the flashes was overwhelming.

From the ROTJ novel

“Now, young Skywalker …” the Emperor snarled, “you will die.”

Luke had not imagined pain beyond what he had already suffered, but then he was hit by a wave of power that was even more staggering.

From the ROTJ Jr novel

So...yeah, Sidious ramped up his Force Lighting at the end there to lethality.

It just says the Lightning was getting progressively stronger. It obviously wasn't at full strength, however, as Luke was putting up no resistance towards the end and was still alive. It also speaks of Luke trying to use Tutaminis which was rather effect at first, so yeah, it was getting stronger.

Eh I figured the whole "now...you will die" bit seems to indicate the Lighting was near full strength anyway.

If we take Yoda's visions to be a canon indications of his powers, then I'd say no:

Renders Anakin - who is probably roughly around as powerful as Luke - unconscious instantly. The fact that even at the end, Luke was still conscious, suggests it wasn't full power. Still, pretty powerful to be sure, but certainly not all out.

Who says in that vision Anakin wasn't just killed there?

Plus ROTJ Sidious grew more powerful and it's quite noted that the Lighting was approaching at all out.

Originally posted by Zenwolf
Who says in that vision Anakin wasn't just killed there?

Plus ROTJ Sidious grew more powerful and it's quite noted that the Lighting was approaching at all out.

Originally posted by |King Joker|
Yoda wouldn't be trying to save him if he were dead.

Why wouldn't he? But regardless, I just re-watched that bit and yeah he was still alive apparently.

Anyway though, Sidious' Lighting was noted as being ramped up in intensity so there is clear indication that Sidious' Lighting in that instance wasn't as powerful as ROTJ Lighting.

Plus it's a vision...that and ROTJ is more powerful than his ROTS self.

So he's going to risk being defeated by the Dark Lord of the Sith by trying to rescue Anakin's corpse?

Originally posted by |King Joker|
So he's going to risk being defeated by the Dark Lord of the Sith by trying to rescue Anakin's corpse?

Drop it, I already noted that I re-watched and there's some indication as to him still being alive.

Just responding to your "why wouldn't he?" lmao

Originally posted by FreshestSlice
It just says the Lightning was getting progressively stronger. It obviously wasn't at full strength, however, as Luke was putting up no resistance towards the end and was still alive. It also speaks of Luke trying to use Tutaminis which was rather effect at first, so yeah, it was getting stronger.

Originally posted by FreshestSlice
Tutaminis

😂

Actually Tzee, even the script notes that Luke was deflecting the Lighting and that he did succeed briefly before being overwhelmed.

Blinding bolts of energy, evil lightning, shoot from the Emperor's
hands at Luke. Even in his surprise, the young Jedi tries to use the
Force to deflect them. At first he is half successful, but after a
moment the bolts of energy are coming with such speed and power the
young Jedi shrinks before them, his knees buckling.

So...it's still canon.

Originally posted by Zenwolf
Why wouldn't he? But regardless, I just re-watched that bit and yeah he was still alive apparently.

Anyway though, Sidious' Lighting was noted as being ramped up in intensity so there is clear indication that Sidious' Lighting in that instance wasn't as powerful as ROTJ Lighting.

Plus it's a vision...that and ROTJ is more powerful than his ROTS self.

Doesn't matter if Sidious got stronger. Fact is in this instance Sidious did better, so clearly this is not Sidious max capacity, because he can do better. A difference in power would only be relevant if Sidious had gotten weaker.

Yes it's a vision, but given that in all other respects the characters are accurately represented, we have no reason to believe the writers would decide to misrepresent his powers.

Originally posted by Zenwolf
Actually Tzee, even the script notes that Luke was deflecting the Lighting and that he did succeed briefly before being overwhelmed.

So...it's still canon.

How does it not matter?

At any rate, I noted that it was intensity ramping up heading towards lethal. Plus Luke also used the Force to briefly deflect some of it, which Anakin didn't do in that vision. That and in that vision, Sidious wasn't toying around like he did with Luke.

So...so then the movies aren't canon anymore then?...Why wouldn't the scripts be? They literally are the movie.

I'm asking you. The fact that it was described as ramped up in intensity doesn't make it better than a demonstrably inferior feat. Evidently the ROTS feat was ramped up more.

Concerning tutanimis... meh. Dubiously canon. Either way I don't think it would make up for the disparity. Sidious was shocking him for a long time. The script would also seem to suggest that his tutanimis was only initially effective, not when Sidious ramped it up.

Concerning scripts, not everything from the script makes it into the movie.

For example nowhere is Luke seen to be initially successful against deflecting his lightning.

There are points in the scene where it's off camera, it could very well happen there. So...yeah, it's possible, just because it isn't shown doesn't mean it didn't happen, otherwise there would be no point in writing it in the script at all.

You also have in ESB with Han drawing his blaster faster than a wink of an eye at Vader, yet clearly Ford isn't that fast with his draw on screen, yet the script makes of how fast the character Han Solo is with his draw. What is seen or isn't seen on screen, doesn't mean the script is invalid.

Well even if it did, the script again suggests it was only initially effective, not when Sidious put more power in.

As for the scripts it says it happens initially, yet we see Luke go down instantly, but I suppose its possible.

Pretty sure the script is using hyperbole concerning Solo though, Ford isn't that fast on the screen, because people can't actually move that fast.

Originally posted by Zenwolf
Actually Tzee, even the script notes that Luke was deflecting the Lighting and that he did succeed briefly before being overwhelmed.

So...it's still canon.