So what's Taegin doing in here? He has no knowledge.
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Okay, different kind of question. Which Sith had the greatest lightsaber skills?
That is a loaded question. As a Sith Lord, one is already a formidable opponent. Different Sith had varying degrees of saber aptitude.
I'm not certain what form Revan preferred, but he was apparently no slouch with a blade.
Bane, and perhaps Malgus, were skilled in Djem So. Despite their hulking frames, both were exceptionally quick and delivered equal strength in their strikes. From reading the Bane trilogy, I have characterized a defense against Bane's technique as almost futile, as he would bounce you off the floor then knock you across the room. Mad power.
(Also note worthy: despite being comparatively weak in the Force, Bane's saber master at the acadomy was a force to be reckoned with.)
I'm a little shocked that nobody has mentioned Zannah yet. Due to her slight build, Bane knew that she would be ill suited to his strong style. He instead equipped her with a staff and focused her training in fast style, primarily soresu. It was said that Zannah's skills offered her a nigh impenetrable defense that could be maintained for extended periods. This would allow her to wear her opponent down while conserving her own energy, and simply wait for a prime opportunity to strike.
For what little literature there is with the Sith of Bane's lineage, it might be assumed that all in that line were exceptional with a saber.
And let us not forget Tyrannus.
And we certainly can't forget Exar Kun. Of what little I know of this Jedi gone dark, his saber skills are supposedly legendary. He modified his saber to be double bladed (not a staff)
It also had a dual-phase modification that allowed instant blade length change mid-combat. This feature combined with the option of single or double blades easily confounds.
I don't recall much of what is about Darth Plagueis' ability in the book of the same name. But as has been depicted in that book, as well as Ep3, and even TCW, Sidious was a madman with a saber. I honestly think he would have been a match for Bane and Zannah combined. But that might be pushing it.
From watching them fight in the movies, I'd say Darth Vader before he was chopped up and burned, or else Darth Sidious. I don't know about any of the Sith that aren't officially canon. Logos will come in a second, and tell me why I am wrong, but that is my opinion based on what I have seen.
I can't discount Vader from this line-up as (despite showcasing Kenobi's skills was an after thought) Vader was capable of contending with Kenobi pre and post Mustafar. I always viewed certain events as painting the far extent of Obi Wan's saber skills: Defeating Darth Maul when his master could not, and taking on Grievous time and again, when most Jedi, even masters, could not hold their ground against the cyborg. From what I've been told of events depicted in
Lords of the Sith, Sidious intentionally sabotaged Vader by equipping him with sub-par prosthetics in order to limit his powers and saber effectiveness to a level that he (Sidious) could easily control.
Maul was trained specifically as a warrior, and he's also super fit.
Maul was also not fully trained. According to Darth Plagueis, Maul was the equivalent of Ventress...an assassin. Sidious had no plans to continue the Sith line. He wanted power to end with him for all time, so he never trained an apprentice to any level that he would be able to be challenged. So despite being the pinnacle of physical fitness, Maul never stood a chance against Sidious.
Real life weapon specialists have been saying the weapon Maul used would add difficulty. The flare and confusion of two blades attached wears off quickly for experienced swordsman. In a book, Maul was in prison where he couldn't use the Force, so he basically became Riddick. The story felt like it was supposed to be about Riddick, and someone modified it for Maul. So, I know Maul is still a slick son of Dathomir. I just don't know a Forceless Sidious without making assumptions without demonstration. Ray Park could kick Ian McDiarmid's butt. My assumptions didn't write the characters. Maul lost against Sidious in TCW. But, that was sabers and Force.
Different variants offer different strengths and liabilities. I have experienced it first hand. Even the variation between a straight hilt and curved is easily evident. The greatest advantage of a staff is that it take literally half the time to bring a blade around to face your opponent. This advantage is furthered by utilizing Exar Kun's inovations. One notable hindrance in using a staff is a lack of a defensible center because of the way the weapon is held, resulting in a lot of this...
Choose your weapon wisely.
How much did Sidious actually use the Force in his battle against Maul and Savage?
Sidious uses the Force to fight the same way that Yoda does. Neither actually has the physical strength anymore to perform their individual maneuvers. I've always deemed they saber skills as an extension of their control of the Force to move their bodies instead of actually relying on their muscles, resulting in faster reflexes and greater dexterity and agility.
Just a question that doesn't really belong here, but does anybody else want a live action SW TV series?
Only if it doesn't suck for the sake of ratings and tells a worthy story.
Bane, Kas'im, Malgus, Sidious pretty much in that order. There were other bright spots here and there in Sith history, but they were consistently the best.
Thanks, I was drawing a blank on his name. Kas'im was Bane's sabermaster. Sadly(-ish) the student quickly usurps the master.