Why didnt luke go flying after being zapped

navy_seal55 · Post by **navy_seal55** » 2005-08-03 12:46am

In AOTC Dooku throws Anakin against the wall like nothing
In ROTS Palpatine throws Mace Windu like 50000 feet out of the window

So why in ROTJ why didnt luke get blown away and into the core or atleast slid a bit on the ground. Did palps dial down his force lightning or something?

Havok · Post by **Havok** » 2005-08-03 12:52am

Well, it seems like Palps was enjoying taunting Luke. He was the VERY LAST Jedi after all. He was savoring his ultimate victory. And in typical badguy fashion should have just shut the hell up and killed him. Oh well.

Mace on the other hand was about to chop his fucking head off and I think he wanted him dead as quick as possible. I know some people think Palps was faking, but look at the way he flinches right before Anakin chops his hand off... I saw it a few times (26 at last count) in the theaters so I had a few chances to study the mundayne stuff, but if you have a bootlegged copy you can see it there too.

Sir Sirius · Post by **Sir Sirius** » 2005-08-03 01:03am

Random though; what if the lightning doesn't in it self throw people around and the instances of people getting chucked around by lightning involve the simultaneous use of lightning and tk?

Havok · Post by **Havok** » 2005-08-03 01:12am

Don't see why not.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2005-08-03 01:56am

It's because Palpatine wasn't also using Force Throw while hitting Luke with Force Lightning...

Geez...

Havok · Post by **Havok** » 2005-08-03 02:20am

oh duh... lemme get my gamemaster book out.

Look we don't all play RPGs. I know it seems crazy, but some people just love the movies and not all the other stuff.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2005-08-03 02:43am

What the hell has that got to do with anything?

Look, it's plainly obvious that Dooku threw Anakin and Palpatine threw Windu while hitting them with lightning, while Palpatine did not against Luke. It's simple deductive reasoning.

Havok · Post by **Havok** » 2005-08-03 02:53am

How do you know that's what happened?
Did Palps use "Force Throw", which, I guess is from the SW RPG, when he blasted Yoda with Force lightning the first time? Why didn't he do it the second time if it was so effective the first? Why didn't Dooku do it? Why was it so easy for Obi-Wan to block the lightning from Dooku. Why didn't Anakin, who is more powerful than Obi-Wan block it? Does a lightsaber block "force throw", because it didn't work if Palpatine used it on Mace the first time he was trying? Yeah, I don't think it's tough shit for me because your deductive reasoning dosen't hold up.

Like the quick edit...thanks

Kenoshi · Post by **Kenoshi** » 2005-08-03 03:26am

As it's been observed in other threads "Force Lightning" isn't exactly a normal electrical discharge. It's got some funky telekinetic component in it so if Dooku or Sidious want to send someone flying with it, they can. But if the recipient of the lightning sees it coming and sets himself to block it then he can resist it. Anakin didn't see it coming in AOTC because he was rushing headlong into the fight and Dooku caught him with his pants down. Obi Wan expected the attack so he was able to deflect it....whether the deflection is purely a function of the lightsaber or a combination of lightsaber and some sort of force-based defense is not entirely clear.

Yoda was able to reflect Dooku's lightning in AOTC because he saw it coming, but he got caught off guard by Sidious in ROTS.

Dooey Jo · Post by **Dooey Jo** » 2005-08-03 06:13am

Actually, Luke does fly back a short distance from the first strike, as if he was pushed. Though I suppose it could be that he's jumping to get away...

Dakarne · Post by **Dakarne** » 2005-08-03 06:24am

It also shows, in the Novelization, that he resisted a bit of it... maybe he resisted enough not to be thrown across the room.

2000AD · Post by **2000AD** » 2005-08-03 09:42am

In the comic book Palps merely throws Mace out the window, and doesn't do the lightning (or UNLIMITED POWER!!!!!!!). ANd IIRC in the movie MAce doesn't immediatly fly back, so it looks like Palpy fried him a bit, then pushed him out.

Pcm979 · Post by **Pcm979** » 2005-08-03 11:53am

Yeah, Mace stands there and twitches while we get a nice view of his skeleton. Then he zooms out the window.

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2005-08-03 12:10pm

Possibly because Mace was still able to resist some of Sidious' attack.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2005-08-03 12:18pm

Yeah, I'd like to revise my position a little bit, although it's more of an open iffy revision. While I still thing the key point is that Mace was zapped and then thrown by Sidious, I'll open to the fact that Anakin and Luke probably did get knocked back from just the lightning, meaning that Mace was attempting to keep his ground.

Dakarne · Post by **Dakarne** » 2005-08-03 12:44pm

looked like that to me.

Guardsman Bass · Post by **Guardsman Bass** » 2005-08-03 10:28pm

Couldn't it also be that, kilometers above the planet's surface a, once Windu was knocked outside, the planet's wind simply tugged him along?

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2005-08-03 10:57pm

Guardsman Bass wrote:Couldn't it also be that, kilometers above the planet's surface a, once Windu was knocked outside, the planet's wind simply tugged him along?

First of all, that would have to be some wind.

Second, such wind speeds would be rather inconsistant with those seen elsewhere, such as at Padme's apartment, which is actually higher than Palpatine's office in the Executive Building.

The wind on Coruscant seems to be comparible to that on Earth at roughly general sea level altitudes, which makes sense considering the upper building layer is basically the "surface."

Dangermouse · Post by **Dangermouse** » 2005-08-03 11:21pm

Dooey Jo wrote:Actually, Luke does fly back a short distance from the first strike, as if he was pushed. Though I suppose it could be that he's jumping to get away...

He doesn't jump or fly back though. To me, it looks more like he is losing his balance and falling, or falling and then sidestepping away:

Most of the sequence:

Inital Image:

A moment later:

Right before the cut to a close shot of Luke:

His fall is not quite perpindicular to the lightning, but it is close.

edit: Used right image this time.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2005-08-03 11:26pm

Those last two images are the same, DM.

Dangermouse · Post by **Dangermouse** » 2005-08-03 11:35pm

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Those last two images are the same, DM.

Fixed. Thank you for noticing that.

Connor MacLeod · Post by **Connor MacLeod** » 2005-08-03 11:42pm

It really depends on the situation. In the case with Dooku and (probably) Mace, we're talking a Force wall/telekinesis effect combined with the litghtning (The AOTC novelization explicitly describes Dooku using both on Anakin.) In other cases you might assume a forcec "shove" in addition to lightning, but it might also simply be a result of momentum if the energy in the "blast" is high enough.

Elfdart · Post by **Elfdart** » 2005-08-03 11:43pm

Wasn't Luke grabbing on to the barrel-like things near the rail? He managed to hang on and fell in front of them. When he was writhing on the floor, the barrels blocked him from going down the shaft.

Darth Sephiroth · Post by **Darth Sephiroth** » 2005-08-03 11:45pm

In the RPG (at least) it makes sense that they used a combination of Force Lightning and Force Strike, Force Push isn't something that would do that much

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2005-08-03 11:47pm

Elfdart wrote:Wasn't Luke grabbing on to the barrel-like things near the rail? He managed to hang on and fell in front of them. When he was writhing on the floor, the barrels blocked him from going down the shaft.

I don't recall him being actually pushed up against them or anything that would suggest them impeding his movement.