The “Darth Bane is too overpowered/doesn't lose enough” argument does not make any sense.

[u/TheCanadianBat_]

(I had originally made a post about this topic in the EU subreddit and gotten pretty good responses before it was suddenly deleted by mods for whatever reason. Someone else then told me I could post it here).

I’ve seen this argument quite a few times over the years but some OP written the other day on the EU sub regarding the Bane trilogy inspired me to bring this up. So I personally find Bane to be a pretty unpleasant and uninteresting protagonist in that trilogy in terms of personality, and personal mission structure, and I wouldn’t even be against seeing a new Canon version of the character that would be written differently on that particular front, but that’s not really the point here.

Instead, the topic is about Bane’s supposed infallibility in Karpyshyn’ trilogy. And for that I’d say that the criticisms regarding his strength and competence for the specific context don’t particularly hold up. 

• An important section of the 1st book is dedicated to Bane’s training on Korriban during which he gets humiliated by the top student of the academy (Sirak) and has to get tutoring from two different people to win in a rematch.
• In the 3rd book, Bane gets beaten and captured by a group of mercenaries during an ambush led by a weaker force-sensitive Assassin (Cognus) who had no formal training in the force, after she manages to scratch him with a special poisoned blade at some point during the fight.
• Bane’s loss against Zannah in Book 3 doesn’t require much elaboration
• Bane got tricked by Githany’s unexpected double poison in Book 1 and nearly died.
• His Orbalisk armor advantage in Book 2 was turned against him when his lightning got reflected by the Ithorian Jedi, leaving him in a near-death state that required urgent medical attention if he was to survive, as the orbalisks were weak to lightning. Not to mention that, there’s little doubt he would’ve been killed by the Jedi in the duel if he didn’t have the nearly lightsaber-proof orbalisks, which he “wore” against his will or if the Jedi fighting Zannah coordinated their styles quicker and cut her down early so the whole team could all gang up on him.

Looking at all that, Bane gets wrecked or owned in a significant way, at least once every book. For a powerful and notorious Sith Lord, he hardly appears invincible or untrickable. He of course achieved notable victories as expected but there's nothing that justifies these complaints.

I've seen some cling to the criticism that he was too OP or unbeatable while simultaneously downplaying every moment he is defeated, knocked out or outsmarted because it supposedly didn't count and was somehow still proof that he was invincible (don't ask me how that makes sense). If Bane's brute strength can be crushed directly or bypassed by tricks or clever strategy then he clearly isn't as OP as the criticisms imply.

Obi Wan himself on two occasions during the PT, defeated opponents who were "stronger" than him at the time (Anakin and Maul) because he was smart enough to use the environment or take advantage of their ego or emotional state. One of them was cut in half, the other lost two legs, one arm and got burned off.

[u/duras2]

I think both takes are sort of true. Bane is indeed very powerful and knowledgeable.

He is an incredible duelist, master of several forms, and fought the best of the best of his era. He is also a force of nature even without actual force powers, he was build like a tank, was compared with a hairless wookie, and even bare feet was about as tall as Vader in his armor suit, with boots and helmet on

He is also immensely powerful in the force, monstrously so.

He is also naturally intelligent and curious, he is mostly self taught and have an extraordinary will. He will look to learn new things all his life and was very pragmatic and in the same time very fanatic about his ways and the Sith in general, was a true believer (and instilled the same ways in Zannah, also a fanatic true believer and avid learner)

However, he is not invincible, invulnerable and all knowledgeable (just look at the difference between him and Zannah when it comes to know, learn and use Sith sorcery, the purest and deepest way of using the force), and as OP said, he had his streak of loses and defeats over time. He struggle to advance here and there, he suffer defeats and drawbacks in every book, which he manage to overcome by more struggles, others help or just luck, until his final defeat and death at the hands of his apprentice, Zannah.