Is Anakin really more powerful than Palpatine?

"I am more powerful than the Chancellor. I can overthrow him." (Anakin Skywalker, EP3)

Is this true? Yes Anakin is the chosen one, but he has yet to reach him peak. Sure, he's young and is one of the best Jedi. Certainly if he'd continued to train as a Jedi for several more years I'm sure he would be more powerful than Palpatine.

But at the time of ROTS, no, I believe Palpatine is the most powerful force-user in the galaxy. Had Anakin actually witness Palpatine's power then he probably would have realized that no, Anakin is not more powerful. But think about it, Anakin tells Padme that he's more powerful. But what does have to go off of? What's he basing that on? The fact that Palpatine was covering before Mace and only managed to shoot some lightning at him, which ultimately backfired?

The fact of the matter is, that Anakin has never truly witnessed Palpatine's power. Palpatine killed three Jedi MASTERS and held his own against Mace Windu (the second greatest Jedi). Then, Palpatine defeated Yoda (THE greatest Jedi). However, all Anakin saw was Palpatine's little act to persuade him to turn to the dark side. Does Anakin even know if Palpatine can use a lightsaber???

So from all I've seen, I believe that Palpatine is far more powerful than Anakin. He was able to train at least two great Sith Lords, one of which took on two highly successful apprentices, and then Palpatine was able to covert Anakin and use him to destroy the Jedi Order and change the Republic into the Empire, and more. So, when I see Anakin/Vader hurling Senate pods and levitating two others at the same time, I'll believe he's more powerful that Palpatine.

Sidious: "Darth Vader will become more powerful than either of us."

Anakin had the potential to become more powerful than Palpatine and he knew it.
Thanks to Obi, it never happened.

Quick Random ROTS Questions

I think Palpatine is far more powerful. Anakin's line was merely him being his arrogant self.

potentially ?? of course

in ROTS ?? no ***ing way !!

He would've been if it wasn't for lava.

PM Sinister for the quote, but GL himself says that before he started walking around in an iron lung Anakin would have PWNED Sids. He hadn't reached his true potential yet, but he was still superior when it came to fighting pre-suited. After the suit, he would have been a goner... unless of course there was a well or shaft around to throw him in

he also says that mace,palpatine and yoda were the 3 toughest guys around

No he didn't.He said,"You have to be either Mace or Yoda to compete with the emperor:if Anakin hadn't gotten all beat up,he COULD'VE(not would've) beat the emperor."

I think that if Anakin fought anyone, be it Mace/Sidious/Yoda/JarJar/Yoshifett, the way he fought Dooku that he could've seriously given them a run for their money. Palpatine would destroy him as he is in the Mustafaaaaaaarrrrrrrrr fight though.

- O_F

that line is open to debate ,for me that line is always gonna mean that anakin post ROTS could beat palpatine not ROTS anakin and unless GL decides to be more specific aout it i dont see myself changing my mind.

Could've implies an action that is now.Would've implies an action that is later.

are u a grammar teacher ?

Er no, "could have" and "would have" are both past tense.
The former means "possibly might have been able to", and the latter "definitely will have been able to."

He has the greatest potential of all and the Dark Side can give him a nice extra boost, but if he doesn`t get a handle on his emotions and learns to focus them, he won`t reach the pinnacle of his powers.
And I don`t see that happening anywhere in ROTS. In fact his line about "I can overthrow him" shows how overconfident and all over the place he still is at this point.

Somewhere down the line when (unburned) Anakin learns to overcome this and really use his strengths to the fullest, Palpatine is toast.

American heritage dictionary............ "Could, past tense of can" "Would, past tense of will."

still,open to debate.potential and power doesnt equate victory

both palpatine and anakin were on the same level of saber skills and palpatine was a monster using the force while anakin was not.

Exactly, and "could" and "would" are used in the context of "...if Ani had not got all beaten up by Obi."

If it is "could have" it is just a possibility.
If it is "would have" it is a definite.

yes ,yes ,to master get_in_gear you listen.

Well, as soon as Anakin finds Palpatine`s one great weakness - reactor shafts - it`s obviously all over for Master Sidious.

Starwars is not Power Rangers.

You cannot rank force users easily and accurately. Makes no sense. There is a human, psychological dimension which cannot be reduced to just comparing force powers.

As the master of all vilains, and *only* heir of the Sith tradition alive during the time of the saga, Sidious cannot be easily taken out.

What makes Sidious hard to defeat is that he is the one who has the greatest variety of weapons at his disposal : dark force powers, lightsaber, but also deception, lies, seduction, manipulation, ...

Had Anakin stayed at the jedi temple, Palpatine would have let Mace arrest him. From jail he would have manipulated things, make the jedi look like the bad guys, seduce Anakin further and convince him that he had to free him, ... A little bit Like Sauron when he is prisoner on Numanor at the end of the second age.

George Lucas once (in 1999) said that Anakin would be the one both powerful enough and close enough to the emperor to destroy him. Anakin takes Sidious by surprise in ROTJ. That's why he succeeds.

I doubt ROTS Anakin could have done anything against Sidious. He needed training. He needed dark side initiation. If Anakin had felt he was really superior to Sidious, things would have gone differently after Mace died : Anakin could have tried to extract info from Palpatine without accepting to be his dog.

Well, not so fast, I'm just arguing semantics here.
It's all moot, because Anakin is obviously speaking from his own ego-fuelled POV at that point anyway.
"I am more powerful than the Chancellor. I can overthrow him."

Possibly, he could.
Ewoks can overthrow an Empire, right?

We'll never know, because Obi gets to Ani first.

But - Sidious: "Darth Vader will become more powerful than either of us." - Sidious obviously appreciates Vader's potential. It is not to be sniffed at.

i never doubted vader's potential.he could be twice as strong as palpatine according to GL.

i agreed with you on the semantics topic

And I don't care what he had up his sleeve, the look on Palps face when Anakin drew that saber on him was pure fear of the possibility that Anakin could take him out if he chose to.

Ah, my mistake...

debatable and to kill a man whose intentions are not to atack you doesnt make you more powerful than him.