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Why are the Sith always made to seem stronger than the Jedi? Sidious Send a noteboard - 11/08/2010 03:19:11 PM
This has irritated me for a few years now, so I'll rant a little.

We're supposed to believe that the Sith and Jedi are relatively equal, but it seems like this is almost never achieved.

In the first movie we have the Sith face the Jedi for the first time in a millenium. Except that it's two Jedi vs one Sith, and he holds them off with relative ease. He then kills the one and defeats the other, before falling himself. And that's just the Sith Apprentice... he's more than a match for a Jedi Master and a Padawan. There's no need to even approach the Sith Master entering the fray at this stage of the series.

In the second movie, we're introduced to the fact that the Sith Master has blinded the entire Jedi Order with the dark side. It's not like the Jedi Masters have any way around this, or at the very least, can blind him back. In fact he's right in front of them and they can't sense the dark side in him until the last movie. Later we have the Sith Apprentice, Tyranus, facing two Jedi for the second time, and once again defeating both. Yoda appears, and he manages to force a stalemate with the Sith Apprentice, once again bearing in mind that the Jedi don't have anything bigger to throw at the Sith than Master Yoda. For the second time, the Sith Master doesn't even need to warm up his lightsaber.

In the second movie we're also reminded of the fact that the Sith have powers that the Jedi do not. It's as if the Sith have all the Jedi's powers and an additional stash of their own, that happen to be physically devastating. Although some of the novels suggest that the Jedi use lightning and choke on occasion, we're generally supposed to see them as dark side powers. Why don't the Jedi have unique abilities that are lost when the person becomes evil?

Finally, the third movie showed the Sith Apprentice fight the two Jedi again, and he defeats Kenobi again, only to finally die himself to more powerful Skywalker, who is already skating around the dark side pitch. The Sith Master reveals himself three movies later, and instantly kills three Jedi Masters and gets into a duel with Windu, who defeats him. The Jedi have to gang up on the Sith to beat them, but it takes at least two Jedi to match the Sith in the movies. Windu only wins because of Jackson's demands on Lucas that he received a purple lightsaber, and that he does not die in a humiliating way. The latter demand should inform us of his expectations as a Jedi Master. The Sith Master finally fights and manages to hold his own against Yoda, which is remarkable if you think about it. Thousands of Jedi, and Yoda is the most powerful, oldest and most experienced, and out of two Sith, Sidious is as powerful and skilled as Yoda. Makes one wonder.

Now introduce the newest PC game that is coming out ... the Old Republic and its quaint trailers. In the first one we have the Sith fight the Jedi in their temple and eventually the Jedi Master and Sith Master get into a duel, and guess who takes the plunge? You guessed it, the Jedi Master. In the second trailer, the Jedi Consular saves the day and gets into a duel with the Sith Master before he can execute a republic soldier. She loses of course, and is saved by the soldier. The two of them together then kill the Sith. Team work is again required to defeat the Sith.

Anyway, I'm rather tired of this inconsistency. It would be nice if a Jedi could actually stand up to a Sith, or if not, at least tell us outright that the dark side is stronger so that we don't have to search the small print for signs of equality. There are too many programmers and film makers who secretly glorify the dark side IMO. I've decided to purchase the game just so that I can bury anything with a red lightsaber. In the mean time we should find the Sith and kill them in their beds. Who's with me? Who's bloody with me?
Wheel of Time board admin
Fan of Lanfear
This message last edited by Jacob on 11/08/2010 at 03:29:48 PM
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Why are the Sith always made to seem stronger than the Jedi? - 11/08/2010 03:19:11 PM 1323 Views
Not to answer your question... yet... but this is misplaced. - 11/08/2010 03:29:06 PM 874 Views
To make them a scary menace - 11/08/2010 03:54:50 PM 899 Views
That's exactly what I was going to say *NM* - 11/08/2010 07:37:00 PM 451 Views
you might even call them.... a "phantom" menace...? *NM* - 12/08/2010 02:10:10 AM 631 Views
ouch. *NM* - 12/08/2010 10:10:08 AM 481 Views
. *NM* - 12/08/2010 10:58:16 AM 535 Views
Precisely. - 12/08/2010 11:00:31 AM 866 Views
You really have to learn to delete your text body *NM* - 12/08/2010 02:03:35 PM 584 Views
No - 12/08/2010 03:39:04 PM 828 Views
Maybe it has to do with the rule of two? - 11/08/2010 04:04:08 PM 1105 Views
This, and there's no maybe about it. - 11/08/2010 04:25:45 PM 941 Views
Mno - 11/08/2010 04:52:27 PM 943 Views
As I understand it, the prophecy didn't mean that - 11/08/2010 06:08:20 PM 978 Views
Exactly *NM* - 11/08/2010 07:41:40 PM 624 Views
We don't even know what the prophecy was... - 11/08/2010 06:22:15 PM 981 Views
Agreed *NM* - 12/08/2010 05:54:06 AM 515 Views
Doesn't sound dumb. I agree w/ you. Plus, the Dark Side .... - 11/08/2010 05:27:39 PM 935 Views
Fair enough - 11/08/2010 06:12:33 PM 1034 Views
I think all of that makes a lot of sense. - 11/08/2010 10:58:12 PM 830 Views
- 12/08/2010 01:13:20 AM 882 Views
Why does that make no sense? - 12/08/2010 01:33:01 AM 930 Views
It's a good thing they're making an mmorpg - 12/08/2010 02:29:45 AM 950 Views
If you bring Expanded Universe in it - 12/08/2010 02:37:17 AM 848 Views
It makes sense - 12/08/2010 02:51:28 AM 898 Views
"One to embody power. The other to crave it." - 12/08/2010 07:46:26 AM 727 Views
I think being confident in the Dark Side requires a certain selflessness - 13/08/2010 03:44:11 AM 924 Views
Not they don't Edited - 11/08/2010 04:21:01 PM 872 Views
there's also a good chance - 12/08/2010 03:26:47 AM 790 Views
The same but different - 12/08/2010 09:53:10 PM 904 Views
Because, without it, there's no tension or danger of the Good Guys losing. Goes for all media. *NM* - 11/08/2010 05:08:34 PM 500 Views
Fourth wall arguments are stupid. - 11/08/2010 06:05:22 PM 821 Views
Nonsense - 11/08/2010 11:32:19 PM 884 Views
I don't get your question/rant. Shouldn't you be happy the Sith are stronger? considering your name *NM* - 11/08/2010 05:21:41 PM 547 Views
It's like you know him! *NM* - 16/08/2010 06:15:16 PM 441 Views
Three reasons - 11/08/2010 07:25:34 PM 975 Views
Because Good is dumb. - Dark Helmet. *NM* - 12/08/2010 03:35:03 AM 468 Views
Force stealth wasn't unique to the Sith - 12/08/2010 03:54:23 AM 778 Views
Because they fight with all they have, and fight to kill - 12/08/2010 04:59:26 AM 934 Views
They aren't. How many times have they actually done things? - 12/08/2010 07:51:23 AM 745 Views
What exactly are you focusing on? - 12/08/2010 11:01:58 AM 806 Views
It doesn't matter. - 12/08/2010 08:18:19 PM 769 Views
Re: It doesn't matter. - 13/08/2010 12:22:12 AM 784 Views
Because they're more powerful - 12/08/2010 10:59:45 AM 974 Views
Force lightning didn't age him. - 12/08/2010 06:50:44 PM 819 Views
Re: Force lightning didn't age him. - 12/08/2010 08:02:28 PM 823 Views
No, the Dark Side did actually cause him to deteriorate. - 12/08/2010 08:57:41 PM 764 Views
I thought it was something along those lines. *NM* - 13/08/2010 12:22:45 AM 500 Views
No...no...no. Quicker, easier, more seductive *NM* - 13/08/2010 12:16:37 AM 385 Views
because the sith actively seek to become more powerful - 14/08/2010 12:47:46 AM 739 Views
Also they exist in tension with each other. - 16/08/2010 06:17:05 PM 1026 Views

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