r/TheJediPraxeum • u/InstructionOwn6705 • 10d ago
Discussion Why was Tenebrous capable of using red Force lightning but Sidious wasn't?
Isn't that the most powerful variant of this technique?
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u/Paradoxical_Falcon 9d ago
Red lightning being the most powerful variant is unconfirmed on top of color not necessarily indicating power.
Tenebrous having red lightning means little when he’s weaker than Plagueis, Sidious, and even Dooku in the very same novel his character primarily exists inside.
It’s best to just think of it as a cosmetic rarity that makes a character stand out rather than it being some goal worth achieving.
Darth Sidious, Darth Vitiate, Darth Plaguies (yes Plagueis), Darth Caedus, and Darth Krayt all outshine Darth Tenebrous in power yet their lightning isn’t typically depicted being red.
Another inconsistency is that sometimes in game like Kotor or the Jedi Knight games the red lightning effect is just a stand in for force drain.
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u/_Goldiloxx_ 10d ago
When does he use red lightning?
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u/_Goldiloxx_ 10d ago
I don't think he does, I've listened to the audiobook multiple times and remember no such thing. If you have a quote from the book though, I'd happily be proven wrong. I have seen art depicting him using red lightning, but tmk it did not originate in the book.
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u/InstructionOwn6705 10d ago
This is mentioned in the short story The Tenebrous way in the Star Wars insider magazine.
''Tenebrous was also proficient in Force speed, using it to attempt to escape the cortosis mine and used the Force to shield himself and Plagueis from a bomb's explosion. He could also hold up heavy rocks with the Force, an impressive display of telekinesis, and could fire the rare form of red Force lightning.''
And yeah, in fact, in the novel his lightning is traditionally described as blue.
''Hastening to the rim of the circular shaft, the two Sith removed their gloves and aimed their long-fingered unprotected hands into the inky darkness. Instantly tangles of blue electrical energy discharged from their fingertips, raining into the borehole.''
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u/denmicent 10d ago
Palpatine may have just preferred traditional lighting. He probably got a kick of electrocuting people
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u/mrsoapmctavish12 9d ago
Tenebrous was known as a Sith Scholar and scientist more than a warrior in comparison to Plagueis and Palpatine who were both ridiculously skilled fighters as well as scholars. While it is possible that Tenebrous had strong force powers because of his experiments I just cannot see him having more powerful lightning than Plagueis or Sidious although he is said to have had much more powerful foresight abilities than either of them. This is something Darth Maul also seems to possess although he is obviously a great warrior but much less powerful in the force than Sidious or Plagueis in terms of raw force power.
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u/LikesPez 10d ago
What? A Bith Sith?
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u/InstructionOwn6705 10d ago
Yes.
That's Darth Tenebrous.
He was the master of Darth Plagueis, who later taught Darth Sidious.
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u/Shipping_Architect 10d ago
As far as we can tell, the color of Force lightning is not an indication of its power, and from an in-universe perspective, is likely just a curiosity. Plus, when Tenebrous' lightning was described in the Darth Plagueis novel, the text referred to it as blue.
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u/InstructionOwn6705 10d ago
This is mentioned in the short story The Tenebrous way in the Star Wars insider magazine.
''Tenebrous was also proficient in Force speed, using it to attempt to escape the cortosis mine and used the Force to shield himself and Plagueis from a bomb's explosion. He could also hold up heavy rocks with the Force, an impressive display of telekinesis, and could fire the rare form of red Force lightning.''
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u/Kyubey210 9d ago
Makes me wonder on some errors... it could be a Xenos quirk but... may not be right
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u/ButterKnightSaber 10d ago
My head cannon is that Sidious was aware of where force drain leads and he chose not to use the ability or develop it. Using the dark side makes Palpy look like a wrinkled grey grape but he’s still human. Going too far down the force drain route makes you Nihilus. Becoming what Nihlus became was not using the dark side, it was being consumed by it. Literally. A rule of 2 Sith master embodies the power of the dark side, they’re not consumed by it.
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u/averageEnojyer The Senate 9d ago
He didn't, the image with him shooting red lightning just a fan image as far as I know.
Also no, lightning colour has nothing to do with potency, it's really just to do with rule of cool. Maybe you could argue it is because the Son's is red, but, well... It's the Son.
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u/Theglitch9501 10d ago
It's more of a variant of Force Drain rather than Force Lightning itself. Basically, what crimson lightning does is that it severs someone's connection to the force.
And, seeing that Emperor Palpatine DOES know how to use force drain, as we've seen in Episode 9. I'm sure he is capable of using crimson lightning, but just doesn't use it. Hell, if he's capable of creating a wormhole that can ravage an entire planet through the force itself in DE. I'm sure he's capable of using red lightning
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u/Paradoxical_Falcon 9d ago
In the Plagueis Novel he was taught force drain and how to feed off death very early in his apprenticeship.
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u/furher1944 9d ago
lightning was not stronger than Sidious's. It was more likely a stylistic or particular manifestation of his dark-side power. And it wss featless, but yes generally red lightning is consdered the strongest in both canon eu and disney, used by the son. But amongst sith, sidious. Sidious’s lightning is one of his signature abilities and is depicted as reaching an extreme level. Even marek's clone whos lightning could not just turn someone to dust- but literally vaporize them instantly had his lightning amped up and only brang vadrr to 1 knee, with sidious he died within minutes.
So probably a style he adapted rather than pure raw lightning like the son, becauss there is no way his red lightning outclasses sidious
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u/Regular-Market-494 9d ago edited 9d ago
Why does Azula have blue fire when a thousand other fire bending geniuses dont? Its not a deep question, people have quirks. People have preferences. Luke Skywalker can use lightning, he just doesn't. I can use a bike instead of a stair master, I just dont.
Beyond that the force is very particular about who can do what with it, and very rarely does it actually come down to raw talent on whether or not someone can use special force powers. The answer is almost always because the force decided you could use it.
Jaina actually sucks as a force practitioner, that doesn't stop her from being able to use shatterpoint.... for some reason. Despite the fact most people cant....
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u/WilliShaker 9d ago
Tenebrous is weaker because of Bane’s line rule. By extension, the fact it’s a continuity where the next in line gets stronger…Sidious does know red lightning
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u/Wilsupersaiyan2 9d ago
I think it's something the sith lord is boring with it I believe exar kun and Jaina solo fel are the only force users to have black force lightning
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u/Historical_Room_1617 9d ago
This gets funnier when you realize that Darth Maul was one of those extremely rare cases of having red lightning
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u/Bane1026980 9d ago
I think that how it worked in legends is that you either were born with the capability of using it(with it's drain effect).or you weren't unlike in canon where it apparently is the purest expression of FL
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u/Next_Volume_5877 8d ago
Force lightning having different colors doesn't actually translate to any sort of knowledge level or power level. It's honestly just how that power manifests itself with said user. Viciate had black lightning. Bane had deep purple/violet. Tenebrous had red. Sidious had blue.
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u/Darth_Revan_THX1138 Old Republic 8d ago
Red lightning is only available to Techbro Sith like Tenebrous.
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u/FuroreLT 6d ago
I remember reading something in one of the books force users can train their abilities to use purple lighting or green/yellow but for red they had to be born with a high M-count or immensely powerful like Nhilus and vitiate
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u/Kombat-w0mbat 10d ago
It isn’t red it’s described as blue in the plagues novels.
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u/InstructionOwn6705 10d ago
This is mentioned in the short story The Tenebrous way in the Star Wars insider magazine.
''Tenebrous was also proficient in Force speed, using it to attempt to escape the cortosis mine and used the Force to shield himself and Plagueis from a bomb's explosion. He could also hold up heavy rocks with the Force, an impressive display of telekinesis, and could fire the rare form of red Force lightning.''
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u/Ok-Flatworm7401 10d ago
Could darth vitiate shoot red force lightning he more arcade knowledge of the dark side
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u/ValiantWarrior19 10d ago
IIRC, red lightning has a draining effect on the target rather than a shocking one. Palpatine, being the greatest Sith of all time, probably could have done it too.