CT Your reaction to Palpatine's force lightning

If you can think of a use for Force lightning that doesn't involve pain and suffering, maybe. Short-order cook, perhaps? Though I wonder how often that aligns with a Jedi's job description.

 

What if the energy of some ship, device, etc. requires more charging? Use lightning. I've seen other franchises that use lightning abilities for good or bad reasons.

 

That could work. So far, though, all we've seen of it is its use against sentient beings. Which is very Sithly.

 

I think might be possible, in theory, for the Jedi to use a version of Force lightning. But they have to design their own Force lightning "software" compatible with their Light Side "operating system". And the Sith aren't going to help them out by showing them the "programming" of the Dark Side version; the Jedi need to start from scratch.

 

I like @devilinthedetails description of Force lightning being a reason he was afraid of Sheev, as I always wondered why Vader didn't just overthrow him. It seems Shiv had something on him that held him back.

 

I've said this before but your posts are very well thought out and articulate.

 

The Emperor's force lighting was always one of the most fascinating moments for me, as a kid. I LOVED that he could do that, and I loved that he didn't do it until the last moment.
In a way, it's a shame Dooku used the same effect in Clones. I could do without it.

 

Exactly. The lightning was effective because it confirmed the Emperor was a powerful figure and not an old man sitting in a chair or walking around with a cane.

 

Agreed. As a kid I wondered why Luke couldn’t just force the Emperor to surrender... the old dude seemed pretty weak. And why would Vader hold the emperor in such high regard??

But when that lightening came out.. BOOM. I was shook. Also, I think it’s a darker power because it’s so uncontrollable and chaotic, like the dark side. You don’t wield the power of the dark side... it wields YOU.

But yah, if Luke ever gave the Falcon a jumpstart in an act of desperation, I don’t think that constitutes a ping for dark force usage. IMO.

 

As a 7 or 8 year old kid in the theater it was "Whoah - the emperor can do that?"

I do think it was a mistake to have Dooku use it..... as it begs the question of why Vader never used lightning since he supposed was much more powerful than Dooku. I liked having it be something only the emperor had mastered

 

My thoughts on Vader not using force lightning is likely due to the fact that one of his arms were cut off and he was more machine than man at that point. Using force lightning post suit would have killed him. If he had remained outside of the suit pretty sure he would have been able to use force lightning once he tapped into the dark side more deeply. Keep in mind Dooku was a lot older than Anakin and had been around longer so he most likely knew a little more.

 

I like reading these accounts and encourage everyone who saw ROTJ in 1983 to share their firsthand experience of Palpatine’s use of force lightning.

 

We had no idea what the Emperor could do. Vader builds him up in the opening. But it's not until the lightening that was see the pay off why it comes to physical damaging power.

It was pretty great. It also left a ton of questions.

 

I didn't think the lightning lived up to the hype. Force choke was already a lot more efficient at killing and it was also much more original and iconic. It's something that became instantly synonymous with Vader. Palpatine is the ultimate bad guy in the final climax of what (was) the end of the Star Wars trilogy and instead of something equally fresh and unique that we could remember the Emperor by, we got something that was an overused trope in every RPG fantasy spellbook.
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