5 Sith Just As Powerful As Palpatine
While Darth Sidious is unarguably one of the most powerful and devious Sith ever to tarnish the galaxy, this article will look at a handful of others, canon and not, who could give him a run for the throne as being the most powerful. After all, there were Sith with more knowledge of the force, better skills with a lightsaber, and more political power than Sheev Palpatine was ever able to muster. The following paragraphs will look at the top 5 Sith that were just as powerful as Palpatine and what makes them a contender to the throne.
First on the list of Palpatine's rivals is Darth Bane. He was not only unrivaled with a lightsaber in his day, but he was also a master at shrugging off the force powers of others, Sith and Jedi alike. As the sole surviving Sith of the Jedi-Sith War, his knowledge of the force should not be underestimated. He also revealed his wisdom and view for the long game by implementing the Rule of Two. This doctrine allowed the Sith to continue unnoticed by the Jedi for more than a millennium. It can be argued that this philosophy was responsible for setting the stage for Palpatine's eventual take-over of the galaxy.
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A strong second candidate for the most powerful Sith is Sidious's mentor, Darth Plagueis the Wise. This Dark Lord of the Sith was well versed in the powers of the dark side of the force related to life itself. While it is true that Sidious ultimately killed his master (in his sleep), as decreed by the Rule of Two, it was before learning those particular force powers. Ultimately, while Palpatine succeeded in prolonging his life beyond its natural conclusion, his haste and lust for power kept some knowledge related to immortality just out of his clutches.
Speaking of immortality, the third Sith on this list is Darth Vitiate, also known as the Sith Emperor. Darth Vitiate was so powerful that, after using the force to kill his father as a child, he went on to learn how to absorb all the life force of a planet into himself. All the stolen power extended his physical life to more than a millennium and allowed his spirit to survive significantly longer. This makes Palpatine's limited life extension via clone technology and dark side powers pale in comparison.
Fourth in line is Exar Kun. This fallen Jedi was so hungry for power that his quest led him down the darkest paths. Eventually drawing the attention of a long-dead Sith on Yavin 4, he was acknowledged by this entity as being worthy of the title Dark Lord of the Sith. After earning the title, he immediately built his forces and launched a successful campaign against the Jedi. During one of these battles, he was able to slay the Grandmaster of the Jedi with an invention of his own design, the double-bladed lightsaber. This feat was arguably beyond Darth Sidious, as it is unlikely Palpatine would have survived his duel with Mace Windu if Anakin had not intervened.
In my opinion, the fifth and final challenger to the Sith throne is undeniably the most powerful, and they are none other than Palpatine's apprentice, Darth Vader. Even before having the powers of the dark side at his disposal Anakin was a true master with a lightsaber, a precision pilot, a brilliant strategist, and had a connection with the force greater than any known life-form, including the immensely powerful Yoda. After his fall, what little self-restraint Anakin Skywalker melted away, resulting in him becoming the true boogeyman of the galaxy. Over his short 45-year life span, Anakin/Vader slew hundreds, if not thousands, of the universe's most elite. Jedi, Sith, Tusken Warriors, Storm Troopers, Imperial Officers, Rebel Scum, Separatist Leaders, an Emperor, and not one but two gods, all with nothing but a lightsaber and his mastery of the force. While it can be argued that Palpatine exhibited some powers beyond what Vader did, such as force lightning, only Vader instills fear in others just by the sound of breathing and thus should be considered just as powerful as Palpatine.
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