Why are powerful characters also good at everything else?

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The Ellimist
If you make separate lists of the Force users with the most raw power, knowledge of the Force, intelligence, charisma, etc., you'll find a substantial amount of overlap between them. There are exceptions and variations, of course, but there seems to be a trend.

Sidious is a political mastermind and prolific scholar who just happens to be incredibly charismatic and, well, the most powerful sith lord of all time.

Yoda is ridiculously powerful and, oh yeah, he's also a really innovative tactician.

Luke is good at everything.

etc.

Now in some cases these abilities may evidently affect one another, like being strong with the Force opening barriers to learning new techniques, or manipulating people and foreseeing events, but I still think that there's an unusual positive manifold going on here.

I guess there's precedence in real life; we know that aptitudes in different cognitive tasks are correlated with one another, for instance (see: general intelligence factor). But Star Wars extends this to everything. Clearly from a narrative standpoint it's just convenient to dogpile abilities onto characters, but from an in-universe standpoint, maybe Force potential correlates with IQ or something?

UCanShootMyNova
Yoda was an innovative tactician?

The Ellimist
Originally posted by UCanShootMyNova
Yoda was an innovative tactician?

Didn't Palpatine try to limit his involvement in battles because he was too good at winning them or something? And I'm pretty sure his tactical acumen explicitly factored into that, but I may be mistaken.

Zenwolf
Define everything. They aren't good at everything, I don't recall Luke being any mastermind in science or politics.

Beniboybling
I would say its more to do with the environment in which Jedi and Sith are brought up. Both Orders in many ways train their members to become polymathic in there knowledge of universe and practical abilities so they could adapt to any and all situations, in which there abilities are tested in stressful environments. Especially with the Rule of Two there was a strong emphasis on become learned not only in the dark side but in politics, psychology, history, strategy, philosophy and later even science. Especially with in the Sith there survival of fitness weeded out the stupid as much as it did the strong.

Could be though that there is a correlation between intelligence and Force ability though, it seems to do a lot in heightening their cognitive functions in terms of perceptions and information processing.

Kurk
Sidious and Yoda aren't good at all in the bedroom.

darthbane77
Originally posted by Kurk
Sidious and Yoda aren't good at all in the bedroom. I dunno about that, Maul and Savage got ****ed pretty good by Sidious.

Fated Xtasy
Originally posted by darthbane77
I dunno about that, Maul and Savage got ****ed pretty good by Sidious.

laughing out loud

The Ellimist
Originally posted by Zenwolf
Define everything. They aren't good at everything, I don't recall Luke being any mastermind in science or politics.

He's shown to manipulate and outwit the lost tribe sith pretty easily in FotJ, along with Boba Fett in LotF. Plus Leia's his twin, and she's really politically astute; he presumably shares those traits, albeit with less practice. He hasn't really been in situations to show scientific brilliance.

Zenwolf
Originally posted by The Ellimist
He's shown to manipulate and outwit the lost tribe sith pretty easily in FotJ, along with Boba Fett in LotF. Plus Leia's his twin, and she's really politically astute; he presumably shares those traits, albeit with less practice. He hasn't really been in situations to show scientific brilliance.

So we can't assume that he knows about any science or politics just because he's a Force User.

chingchangwalla
I'm fine with Luke being good at everything because he's the main character in SW and ya know, main characters always win.
I do have a problem with Sheev and sabers though. Multiple sources state him as a great duelist but why? Because he mastered all seven forms years and years ago? Because he's ambidextrous? Based on quotes and shit he is one of the greatest duelists of all time but he never practices. If you watch Savage, Maul vs Sheev his technique is shit... and augmentation plays a MASSIVE part is his victory. There's no doubt in my mind that he was once this great duelist but maintaining this expert form just hasn't happened.
I'm aware that everyone on KMC thinks Palps is a great duelist and I will definitely get roasted, beaten in arguments and hated on but I always thought he was beyond the use of sabers.

The Ellimist
Originally posted by Zenwolf
So we can't assume that he knows about any science or politics just because he's a Force User.

But he's extremely politically astute (his deductions in just FotJ alone, often independent of any revelations in the Force, are far beyond what almost any real human could do). Just like how Palpatine is a political genius who happens to be the most powerful sith lord ever. They all go so in hand with one another.

Zenwolf
Originally posted by chingchangwalla
I'm fine with Luke being good at everything because he's the main character in SW and ya know, main characters always win.
I do have a problem with Sheev and sabers though. Multiple sources state him as a great duelist but why? Because he mastered all seven forms years and years ago? Because he's ambidextrous? Based on quotes and shit he is one of the greatest duelists of all time but he never practices. If you watch Savage, Maul vs Sheev his technique is shit... and augmentation plays a MASSIVE part is his victory. There's no doubt in my mind that he was once this great duelist but maintaining this expert form just hasn't happened.
I'm aware that everyone on KMC thinks Palps is a great duelist and I will definitely get roasted, beaten in arguments and hated on but I always thought he was beyond the use of sabers.

Well considering it's noted he only uses a saber as a means of messing around with his opponents, he is beyond a lightsaber.

Truthfully any powerful Force User shouldn't have any need for a lightsaber as The Force is much better. Heck in general there's no need for Force User to use a lightsaber as I see it.

Beniboybling
Originally posted by chingchangwalla
I'm fine with Luke being good at everything because he's the main character in SW and ya know, main characters always win.
I do have a problem with Sheev and sabers though. Multiple sources state him as a great duelist but why? Because he mastered all seven forms years and years ago? Because he's ambidextrous? Based on quotes and shit he is one of the greatest duelists of all time but he never practices. If you watch Savage, Maul vs Sheev his technique is shit... and augmentation plays a MASSIVE part is his victory. There's no doubt in my mind that he was once this great duelist but maintaining this expert form just hasn't happened.
I'm aware that everyone on KMC thinks Palps is a great duelist and I will definitely get roasted, beaten in arguments and hated on but I always thought he was beyond the use of sabers. Pls stay off youtube friend. smile

The Ellimist
Originally posted by chingchangwalla
I'm fine with Luke being good at everything because he's the main character in SW and ya know, main characters always win.
I do have a problem with Sheev and sabers though. Multiple sources state him as a great duelist but why? Because he mastered all seven forms years and years ago? Because he's ambidextrous? Based on quotes and shit he is one of the greatest duelists of all time but he never practices. If you watch Savage, Maul vs Sheev his technique is shit... and augmentation plays a MASSIVE part is his victory. There's no doubt in my mind that he was once this great duelist but maintaining this expert form just hasn't happened.
I'm aware that everyone on KMC thinks Palps is a great duelist and I will definitely get roasted, beaten in arguments and hated on but I always thought he was beyond the use of sabers.

Sidious has been stated plenty of times to be really, really skilled with a blade. As for why, part of it is his training, but part of it is also probably that he's just naturally gifted at it. Which just happens to come in hand with having a high midichlorian count and being really smart.

chingchangwalla
I hate the youtubers... Just because I share one view with them doesn't mean I'm chilled monkey

darthbane77
Originally posted by chingchangwalla
I'm fine with Luke being good at everything because he's the main character in SW and ya know, main characters always win.
I do have a problem with Sheev and sabers though. Multiple sources state him as a great duelist but why? Because he mastered all seven forms years and years ago? Because he's ambidextrous? Based on quotes and shit he is one of the greatest duelists of all time but he never practices. If you watch Savage, Maul vs Sheev his technique is shit... and augmentation plays a MASSIVE part is his victory. There's no doubt in my mind that he was once this great duelist but maintaining this expert form just hasn't happened.
I'm aware that everyone on KMC thinks Palps is a great duelist and I will definitely get roasted, beaten in arguments and hated on but I always thought he was beyond the use of sabers. He's only an amazing duelist because GL wanted to have an anti-thesis of Luke, or somebody that was better than Vader. He also probably did it just so Yoda could have another gymnastics competition with somebody that wasn't Dooku.

Zenwolf
Originally posted by The Ellimist
But he's extremely politically astute (his deductions in just FotJ alone, often independent of any revelations in the Force, are far beyond what almost any real human could do). Just like how Palpatine is a political genius who happens to be the most powerful sith lord ever. They all go so in hand with one another.

Right, Luke ok sure could be great at science and what not. But has he shown this? Not really, so he's not good at everything. Can he on paper? Sure, What he has actually shown? He's not.

chingchangwalla
That's another thing, its not like he genuinely enjoys using a saber. If he actually loved duelling he could be even better... scary

The Ellimist
Originally posted by Zenwolf
Right, Luke ok sure could be great at science and what not. But has he shown this? Not really, so he's not good at everything. Can he on paper? Sure, What he has actually shown? He's not.

Lol ok, so he's not shown to be good at literally *everything*, just a lot of things.

Sinious
Well, it's kinda like RL imo, where you can find people like Palpatine. He is just smart enough to comprehend more sophisticated matters in life who can also use his intelligence to become good at other, more specific things, and then people like Anakin who are also exceptionally gifted but still kinda dumb.

The Ellimist
Yeah, Anakin may rival Palpatine in raw intellect but acts like a moron.

SunRazer
Anakin's pretty intelligent, just emotionally unstable.

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