Summary

• Palpatine and Vader's physical limitations hindered their full potential as Sith Lords.
• Palpatine carefully kept Vader subordinate and concealed his true intentions from him.
• Palpatine's intellect and knowledge of the dark side ultimately sured Vader's strength and abilities.

Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine are easily some of the most powerful characters in the Star Wars galaxy. Palpatine was the first Sith in over a millennium to finally bring the Jedi to their knees, wiping them out to the brink of extinction. Having single-handedly conquered the galaxy, he considered himself the culmination of the Sith. Meanwhile, Darth Vader’s despair over his past as Anakin Skywalker drove him to become one of the most notorious Jedi killers of all time, to the point where the mere mention of Vader's name struck fear into the hearts of Imperials and Rebels alike.

Both Vader and Palpatine pushed the dark side to its limits. Nevertheless, it’s important to consider how both Sith Lords weren’t necessarily at their strongest. Palpatine was severely scarred and weakened due to his battle with Mace Windu. He continued to gain immense power through the dark side as he ruled over the Empire, but he rarely had the opportunity to exercise his physical body. Meanwhile, Vader’s battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi left him more machine than man. So, while he perfected the art of hunting and killing Jedi, his agility and flexibility weren’t what they were in his youth.

Anakin Skywalker Was Born The Chosen One

His midi-chlorian count was higher than anyone else's

From the first moment Palpatine met Anakin in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace and realized Anakin's potential as the Chosen One, he told Anakin that he’d watch his career “with great interest.” Had he left Anakin alone, it’s likely his abilities as a Jedi would eventually have rivaled Palpatine’s abilities as a Sith. According to Obi-Wan, Anakin’s pure talent with the Force was even greater than Yoda’s. And to this end, Palpatine orchestrated the events in Anakin’s life to ensure his servitude. In a way, it’s as if Palpatine feared what Anakin could accomplish on his own.

Vader’s status as the Chosen One gave him immense powers in the Force as a Jedi, and these powers turned Vader into one of the most dangerous Sith. The Obi-Wan Kenobi series shows Vader effortlessly grabbing a flying transport ship with the Force and yanking it back to the ground. And the original trilogy shows how he often spent his free time Force choking Imperial officers who failed to meet his lofty standards. But above all, Vader’s innate talent with the Force allowed him to use telekinesis without tiring, allowing him to fight both defensively and offensively.

Palpatine Never Intended To Teach Darth Vader All His Tricks

Palpatine may have planned on possessing Vader

Despite Vader’s innate power with the Force, Palpatine was careful to keep him subjugated and servile. Vader longed to free himself from his Master, but Palpatine was always one step ahead of Vader. For one thing, the cybernetic limbs and life- system Palpatine installed to keep Vader alive and functioning ended up hindering him. Because of his suit, Vader was unable to use Sith lightning, forcing him to resort to other powers—like Force choking—to improve his ranged combat. Nevertheless, there were even more things Palpatine failed to teach Vader about the dark side.

Vader constantly sought to overthrow his Master, inevitably falling in line with the ancient Sith decree, the Rule of Two. Nevertheless, Palpatine failed to fulfill this decree due to his lust for immortality. As the supposed culmination of the Sith, Palpatine had no intention of letting Vader sur him. Instead, he poured his efforts into finding a way to cheat death and retain his iron grasp on the galaxy forever. To this end, he never told Vader his real intention of transferring his essence into a cloned body; there’s even reason to believe Palpatine may have wanted to possess Vader.

Vader's Defeat By Obi-Wan Meant He Never Operated At Full Power

Obi-Wan humiliated Vader twice

Vader lost to Obi-Wan once in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, but he also failed to defeat him again in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Despite the immense hatred fueling his dark powers, his mechanical suit and history as Anakin Skywalker ultimately became his biggest drawbacks. Vader’s abilities tended to falter when faced with those he had a connection with, such as Obi-Wan, Ahsoka Tano, and Luke Skywalker. Meanwhile, Palpatine had no emotional attachment to anyone, allowing him to fight without his personal feelings getting in the way.

There wasn’t much Vader could do to help sever his attachments to others, which often caused him to become imbalanced when fighting those he knew. Nevertheless, he constantly strove to rid himself of the pain and suffering caused by his humiliating defeat against Obi-Wan. His meditation chamber allowed him to slowly attempt to heal himself with the Force, while his bacta tank at Vader's castle on Mustafar helped soothe his singed nerves. In other words, Vader tried his best to recover so that he could live and fight without his suit.

As Powerful As Darth Vader Was, Palpatine Was Always Greater

There's a reason Palpatine is the main antognist of all three trilogies

When all is said and done, Palpatine’s brains ultimately trump Vader’s brawn. Vader didn’t stand a chance against Palpatine because Palatine had the upper hand from the beginning. He had too many contingency plans for if Vader ever tried rebelling, and Palpatine’s deeper knowledge of the dark side would have been too much for Vader to handle. While both were damaged from their duels at the end of the Clone Wars, Palpatine’s scarring at the hands of Mace Windu wasn't nearly as bad as Vader’s burns from his fight with Obi-Wan.

Of course, Vader did deal the final blow to Palpatine in the end, but this was due to Palpatine’s miscalculation—not Vader’s own power. Palpatine believed he’d perfectly subjugated Vader, and he was prepared to cast him aside when Luke—who was evidently a more promising apprentice—turned the dark side. Nevertheless, because Luke rejected the Sith, Palpatine turned his full attention to killing him, ultimately ignoring Vader’s presence. In other words, Vader had to kill Palpatine unfairly because he couldn’t kill him head on.

Vader’s innate talent with the Force would have made him more powerful than Palpatine, if not for Palpatine meddling in his life from a young age. As it stands, Palpatine’s influence over Vader was too great for Vader’s strength to overcome, forcing him to take Palpatine down when he was prone and unaware. Despite it costing the battle with his son, Vader’s attachment to Luke ultimately allowed him to defy Palpatine and destroy him. In the end, Vader was able to free himself—and the rest of the Star Wars galaxy—from Palpatine's grasp, if only for a little while.