Quote:
Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud
As someone that saw ROTS on opening night, I have never been under the impression that Windu was "winning". The Emperor was playing with him.
Once he had Anakin hooked, the Emperor stood up and said "Power!!!! Unlimited Power!!!" and wiped out Windu without missing a beat.
If he had killed Windu without putting on that performance, Anakin may not have turned and joined him.
It was an act.
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Have you read the novelization? It's pretty kick-ass and I ready dig Matthew Stover's take on the story.
For one thing, it shows a lot more of the Emperor's mental manipulation of Anakin than we're ever able to see on the big screen. It makes his fall less abrupt and more tragic.
The other thing I really like about it is how it digs into combat styles and how that style affects matchups of master-level fighters.That's what is relevant here.
Re: Windu and Palpatine, Stover describes Windu winning and the key to this victory is his Form VII lightsaber variant (Vaapaad), which is unique and particularly effective against the Sith due to its chaotic nature and closeness to the Dark Side (you can also argue, and I've seen it done, that Windu fell to the Dark Side during the fight, losing control as he fought the fight of his life)
We see how the lightsaber styles match up and matter in the Dooku-Kenobi-Skywalker rematch. It's one of the best battle scenes I've ever read. Basically...
Kenobi and Skywalker disguise their true lightsaber styles and initially present Form IV, the acrobatic style en vogue because of Yoda, and the one employed by both in Episode II. Dooku is the master of Form II - which is a precise, fencing style that makes mincemeat of Form IV users (kind of like Mahomes vs. a blitzing, man-heavy defense).
However, as the fight wears on, Kenobi reveals his mastery of the defensive form of lightsaber combat (III). This leads to Dooku prioritizing him and trying to take him out of action.
But then... Skywalker reveals his true style, Form V, which is based on powerful kinetic strikes (which, guess what, ****s with Dooku's fencing form more than any other). We know the result. Dooku ends up short 2 hands and a head.
Anyway, I've always liked the descriptions there and they track more logically and realistically for me than the idea Palpatine was sandbagging (though that probably was Lucas's vision).
It tracks with the history of human combat... fighting styles and equipment having big impacts on the outcome, especially between otherwise evenly matched combatants.