Originally posted by ILS
Plagueis is supreme. Valkorion is simply inferior.We've been wrong this whole time; Valkorion wasn't an attempt to mimic or even surpass Sidious. He was a demonstration of why the ancient Sith followed the wrong path. Instead of attempting to tap into the very source code of the Force, like Neo from the matrix, they attempted to crudely bend it to their will, using technology, alchemy, rituals, nexuses, spirits and minions to further their goals. Valkorion, as mentioned in that codex, took this practice "to it's extreme" by performing the Ziost ritual, but when put in the correct perspective (which is what Az did here), all of his feats are in a lesser league to what Plagueis achieved. Plagueis is a far bigger deal, with more advanced techniques and more impressive accomplishments.
That's the point of the Banite Sith; they evolved. Instead of trying to master new Force abilities, to discover new powers and techniques or adapt ancients ones from dusty scrolls and holocrons, they took it a step further: they tapped into the very essence of the Living Force, bent it's will, and began to alter reality itself, very much like Neo in the matrix when he finally starts to see the world as it is; just code.
The Banite Sith had enough vision to understand that they can only ascend by breaking the rules. Plagueis perfected this, and then Sidious took the reigns from him. Really, we should be looking at debating Valkorion vs anyone between Bane and Tenebrous, but certainly no higher than that.
There's no evidence that this applies to any of the Banites beside Plagueis. The rest of the Banites were just as traditional as any Sith who came before them. The early ones like Bane and Zannah are just what you described, building their order on the scraps of the Sith that came before them.
Tenebrous didn't seem to rely on the Force all that much, he simply used his enormous intelligence and computational ability to anticipate the coming of the Chosen One and tried to use bio-engineering to bide his time and snatch his body.
And Palpatine was just a massive idiot. Unlike most Sith Masters, Plagueis actually trusted and valued him, and would have freely shared his secrets with him. Palpatine had it made in the shade. If he would have just continued to handle the "profane" part of the Grand Plan while Plagueis continued his research, they would have toppled the republic, extended their lives and ruled forever. But his fear and ego got in the way.
And what did he do after he killed Plagueis? Same old same old. Got back to technology, rituals, Force Storms etc. Meet the new Sith, same as the old Sith.
Plagueis was the only one who ever got close to the Sith goal. Based on the revelation that in the years following the assassination attempt on him he actually increased his own midichlorian count, and the nature of his research in The Book of Sith, it's likely that given more time he would have eventually broken free of any limit and become some sort of god. Palpatine sensed this, and nipped it in the bud.
Other than Plagueis, the only other innovator is Krayt. Only Krayt just stumbled into it by accident. He died and in his own words experienced "rapture" and "the passageway to something greater". When he came back he was free of his previous limitations, and unique powers like the Essence Transfer, the ability to see shatterpointts, and the Dark Transfer came to him naturally. The same powers that previous generations of Sith lusted over all their lives.