Are Sith Lords More Powerful Than Jedi in ‘Star Wars’? Sort Of
The Jedi Order is just as recognizable a name as Star Wars itself. They make up the main characters in all three trilogies in the Skywalker Saga and are a source of good in a galaxy that has a lot of evil running rampant. Their main antagonists consist of Sith Lords and the Dark Side. Through nine films, there’s a battle between the Dark and Light sides, but which side is more powerful?
The Sith’s Force strength is only shared between two beings, not a group
Someone asked on Quora, in January, asked why it takes two Jedi to defeat a Sith, and the answer, simply, is that the Dark Side gives Sith Lords something the Jedi don’t have. While the Jedi are powerful and good, they have to work twice as hard to achieve what the Sith can do, as the main answer explained.
To further explain this, it’s important to know the history of the Sith. They were around thousands and thousands of years prior to The Phantom Menace and used to be an Order similar to the Jedi. Then Darth Bane came around and ruled over the Sith, instating the Rule of Two that we know of today. He figured that the Force was being split in too many ways across all the Sith, so he made up the rule that there can only be a master and an apprentice.
This is why Sidious was so adamant that Count Dooku kill off Ventress and why he came and killed Maul’s brother and nearly killed Maul too. While there are Dark Sided Force wielders later on, like Maul or the Inquisitors, they aren’t taking up enough Sith power to affect anything, it seems. And in all fairness, Maul was always working as a rogue agent after his run-in with Palpatine in Season 5 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars anyway.
Was Darth Bane correct in thinking that the Force was split up too many times, weakening their powers? Maybe. And if he was, it’s just one of the reasons the Sith have the upper hand among Jedi.
The Sith’s source of power is easier to wield
Another reason it takes a couple of Jedi to kill or maim a Sith is due to where their powers come from. As Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi told Anakin Skywalker time and again in the prequels, he had to let go of attachment and any type of passionate emotion. This included anger, hate, and fear. The Jedi Code literally says, “There is no emotion, there is peace,” among other things. It was a way to focus Jedi and stop them from turning to the Dark Side.
That’s because the Dark Side used those emotions of hate, anger, and fear to fuel their Force powers and sustain them. And while Anakin’s turn to the Dark Side is seen as being weak and also tragic, it’s also so easy to give in to those emotions. The Sith have it easy, in the sense that the source of their powers requires a lot less concentration.
They can seek revenge at the drop of a hat or hold a grudge or even just get livid. And they can act on those intense feelings. They’re all instinctual emotions and carry a lot more instant strength when used with the Force. It’s why Sith are also so hard to kill, as Maul showed time and again.
Jedi hold a lot of restraint and don’t use the full extent of the Force
Remember when Palpatine burned Mace Windu alive in Revenge of the Sith after Anakin cuts his arm off? Then Palpatine yells “Unlimited power!”? Well, that’s what the Force and the Dark Side gave him. Whether it truly was unlimited power within the Force or not, the Sith’s regard for restraint is nowhere near the Jedi’s. Not to mention the Jedi don’t strive for an unlimited range of the Force.
While there are many instances where a Jedi can take on a Sith and beat them, like with Obi-Wan and Darth Maul after Qui-Gon Jinn died. But it does usually take two because the Sith are so ruthless and have so much raw power at their disposal.
Are the Sith ultimately more powerful than the Jedi? Maybe in the short term and maybe in a fight. But the Dark Side is almost parasitic because it’s fueled by hate and anger. That’s why when Darth Vader used the Dark Side to heal himself, but was always in a state of decay. It didn’t give longlasting results.
Between that and the ideals and mission of the Jedi, it’s an overall more sustainable and fulfilling side to be on, it seems. But both have their downfalls, as seen over the years.
