Originally posted by ILS
While "the Force flowed through Revan like no student" the Jedi had ever seen, including Kun
First off all, this is not a thing. Just had to check, and AP isn't lying (i know?). The Jedi Masters claiming Revan the finest student they've seen weren't around during Kun's traineeship. Vrook Lmar and his deliberating council, oversaw the training on Dantooine after Vodo Bass died. For this accolade to include Exar Kun, Vodo needs to be the one making it. But much like this premise, he was dead. Moving on.
Which doesn't make sense in this case, because visibly, Malak isn't using any new powers.[/b]
Irrelevant in more ways than one. Visibly speaking, Malak isn't using any old powers greater than Exar Kun. If the accolade is merely an analysis of their conventional abilties it can be dismissed for it's (vast) un-objecitvity. A misinterpretation so off the mark, it failed to account for the wide disparity in feats from Kun's pre-prime and weaker incarnations and Malak's strongest.
Listing specialised pieces of equipment built for these individual Sith is hardly an apt comparison; while it is self-evident that they offer esoteric powers, they are in no way related to a star-powered energy source used by the ancient Rakatans.
Irrelevant. If necklaces, swords, amulets and other artefacts can afford the wielder esoteric powers, such as Muur's Talisman and Ragnos' sceptre, than the quote in question, which alludes to some possible object being the source of the far greater powers, can certainly refer to esoteric techniques. A number of which is granted to users of the Star Forge.
However, it is noted that Malak accomplished the greater challenge of "controlling" the "power" of the Forge, "trapping into" it's "dark energy."
It seems self-evident to me that Malak, being an incredibly powerful Sith, the first to be able to control the Star Forge out of the many who perished attempting to master it, became more powerful, not militarily or politically, but with his personal power while tapping into the energies of this star-fueled engine of power. Hence the quote.
So.... Malak has stronger will power than unknown sith of an unknown number that tried to control the Forge. Impressive, perhaps you're going to tell me how Dath Krayt is the strongest sith lord because he scales of his sith troopers. Oh wait.
No, considering the Forge is powered by a star, he would need only draw on a small amount of it to be in excess of Kun's powers.
You would think that wouldn't you. That because the Star Forge is powered by a star the entire process trickles down to this - Malak having power relative to a meaningful fraction of the Sun. But that doesn't appear to be the case.
Exhibit A)
The bodies struck by lighting here aren't disintegrated, let alone burned to a crisp or desecrated in a grotesque manner. All three of which would happen even at a good half million miles distance from a star. Pretty pathetic considering 1) he's being empowered by the forge here 2) lighting deflection is often only thwarted by tutaminis and not lesser force defences 3) The Jedi in question are random no names 4) No named Jedi are usually memetic cannon fodder - Jango Fett kills 8 with his bare hands 5) The Jedi would be spending an inordinate amount of their will-power just contending with the corruptive nature of the Forge 6) much less of that will power can be channelled to defend against a sith lord. 7) they might not have even died. This is a sub Alema Keto showing. Much less an Exar Kunt hallmark, Who at this point could simply wave a hand in Malak's direction and defeat him, Star Forge or not.
Exhibit B)
Against Revan, Malak reveals the Star Forge's final gimmick - the ability to draw from the energy of random Jedi. Now what is a random Jedi captive compared to the power of a blazing hot Star you might ask? And if Malak's power = a star, why is he even considering jedi captives as some sort of meaningful boon? When just a fraction of a star should put him in "excess of" the most powerful and dangerous of all sith lords including Maul and Vader. Well clearly based off this premise and the one above, the power he's tapping into, does not give him a (relevant) fraction of a Sun's energy. The evidence in your previous post likely infers the reason to this.
"There is no one left with the power to control the Forge, though many have tried. I have watched them be devoured, their life drained from them as they attempt to tap into its power.
While Malak is capable of harnessing some degree of the Star Forge's energy, it stands to reason that much like a spectrum, there's is a limit to the amount of energy he can bathe himself in without being "devoured" too, and while he's better at resisting this effect than the other random sith that came before him, his control has a limitation. It's a reasonable assertion that explains why - His lightning powers don't burn victims with the intensity of the sun 2 - He's chooses to draw anergy from Jedi captives 3) why Revan can defeat him in the first instance.
Aside from the quote stating as much.
Which can be in reference to power(s) alternative to the conventional ones displayed. But even still, it's just claim made without evidence or a reliable analysis of the events themselves. And as such, they can be dismissed without evidence. But in this case a basic comparison of Kun vs Malak in the showings department favours the former immensely. Thematically speaking, it took the entire Jedi order using the most devastating attack possible to (not completely) kill Kun. It only took one exceptionally powerful Jedi to kill Malak. Personally i think that Kun would have an easier time of it and there's no question he wins against Mace Windu.
