I found some really bad flaws in Palpatine's development

Palpatine seeked to rule the galaxy forever, and was always seeking an apprentice who could match or surpass his strength, something that never happened.

STOP!!

Palpatine wants to live forever, yet at the same time, wants to obviously keep Sith tradition alive, by having an apprentice at his side. He wanted Anakin Skywalker as his apprentice, because he firmly believed in his prime, and through further training under Palpatine, Anakin would have become a legendary Sith in terms of power. But this grossly contradicts Palpatine's desire for Galactic rule, because wouldn't he be smart enough to realize if Anakin was in his prime, he would simply massacre Palpatine, and the whole charade he set up ironically ended up in his own death? Same goes for if Galen Marek, and Luke Skywalker fell to the Dark Side.

FAIL.

 

I don't think Palpatine ever really wanted an apprentice in the true sense of the word. He wanted a slave.

 

And yet he wanted this supposed slave to be as powerful as him, or even stronger.

 

He wanted someone to be his bitch. Which is what he probably called Vader behind his back.

 

That's another way to put it lol

 

You guys still don't understand regardless of what he was thinking, he still wanted an apprentice of his caliber or higher, which is why he executed Tyranus for Anakin.

But did he stop to think this almighty apprentice would attempt to kill him?

 

Did he, though?

I think Palpatine's ego was so big that he didn't think anyone could truly be more powerful than him. And as powerful as Vader might be, I think Palps always felt certain that he had him under his thumb. Might have even had a kill-switch embedded in Vader's cybernetics [sheer fan speculation on my part, of course].

Actually, after the lava incident, is Vader still more powerful (or potentially powerful) than Palpatine? I don't know the answer, but I think it could at least be a matter of debate.

 

Yup. In Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, it's clear that he would have been very surprised if (assuming Padme had survived) Anakin wouldn't have tried to kill him.

My guess is he figures that his greater experience will keep him from succumbing to any future attempts on his life by Anakin.

Palpatine's warning on the choice of apprentices, in the Telos Holocron:

Choose someone as a successor and you will inevitably be succeeded.

Choose someone hungrier and you will be devoured.

Choose someone quicker and you won't dodge the blade at your back.

Choose someone with more patience and you won't block the blade at your throat.

Choose someone more devious and you'll hold the blade that kills you.

Choose someone more clever and you'll never know your end.

Despite these cautions, an apprentice is essential. A Master without an apprentice is a Master of nothing.​

 

Yup, and I suspect his massive ego wouldn't allow him to think that he might actually die at Vader's hand. The man was an egomaniac, which supercedes rationality.

 

Palpatine is the most powerful Sith in existence. Darth Vader, after Mustafar, is like an ant to Palpatine. Kill switch? Palpatine can kill Vader on a whim if he betrayed him in his face.

 

Well I thought the Sith way was wanting ultimate power? An apprentice ain't gonna be an apprentice forever. So a Sith apprentices ultimate aim is to claim their masters throne. To have power all to themselves. On that basis, the master would always be mindful of the apprentice.

 

I'm confused, then... if you're sure Palpatine could have squashed Vader (not arguing - certainly possible), then isn't that the answer to the questions you posed in your original post?

 

That's if Anakin wasn't burnt up by Obi.

 

Oh, I see.

Well, my opinion is that Palpatine thought that he could keep lightning in a bottle. Ego, man.

 

He can justify his ego, considering his power. But what I don't get is why he is trying to create someone to surpass him in power, under the assumption that person will obey him for very long.

 

I don't really think he was trying to create somone who surpassed him in power, but that being said, the man authorized the creation of the Death Star ... he likes superweapons. A nuke might have the power to turn me to atoms, but if I'm an egomaniac and I'm the keeper of the big red button, I'm probably not worried about it.

 

"You will not stop me, Darth Vader will become more powerful than either of us!"
- Palpatine to Yoda

 

Interesting... forgot that line. Yeah that's silly lol.

But again, even if he believes Vader will surpas him in power and he's not just taunting Yoda, he's clearly not worried about it. He thinks that he can keep his slave in line - even if his slave is actually more powerful than him - via psychological manipulation.

Vader was a weapon.

 

I'm not saying that trying to keep a being as powerful as Vader under your thumb is wise, though. You're absolutely right that it's a foolish decision, one that does indeed bite him in his wrinkled ass later.

 

But it is evident through many infinities scenarios such as if Anakin killed Obi Wan, or escaped Mortis with the Son, that he would certainly just slaughter Palpatine with ease.

So it's either horrendous writing, or Palpatine is blinded by zeal to realize what could happen.

 

I've been trying to say this for many posts

 

But he still wants that apprentice to be a slave to him. And in case he fails to live forever, that apprentice will guarantee the continuation of the Sith Order.

 

Palpatine wanted an enforcer, but as his previous apprentices have shown, he has very high expectations. For Anakin, I think the reason he wanted someone as powerful as him was to assist in taking down the Jedi order. I guess Palpatine always assumed he was one step ahead.

Remember, Palpatine sought Vader before he became a cyborg, so he definately had to consider dealing with a Jedi in his peak.

 

Palpatine shaped and molded Anakin from nine years old (perhaps even earlier, if we assume that Palpatine was the one who helped conceive Anakin through the Force) into the perfect apprentice. Every aspect of Anakin's life (his lust for power, his status in the Jedi Order, his friendship with Obi-Wan, his relationship with his mother, his relationship with Padme, and his friendship with Palpatine himself) was overseen and, in some capacity or another, orchestrated or manipulated by Palpatine. Vader was, as others have said, exactly what Palpatine wanted him to be. Palpatine is a guy who knows what he wants, knows what he has to do do get what he wants, and does it masterfully.

Luke's unexpected survival and his determination to draw the good out of his father wound up being the one unexpected curveball in Palpatine's master plan that ultimately allowed Anakin to fulfill his destiny and rise up against Palpatine.

 

Vader is supposed to be weaker after becoming a cyborg. Both physically and with the force. Yes he can crush someone's neck with his bare robotic hands, but he lives in pain and sickness like General Grievous did. This is why Palps wanted Luke to replace Vader, he was not only younger, but whole and now more stronger than his father with a basket case of a body.