Stupid Midi-Chlorian Thought
 

[Star Wars geek mode on]

I know we all hate this theory of the Force, so here's a thought-experiment to further debunk it:

Assumptions:
1) The power of the Force is based on how many of these stupid things are living in your blood
2) The midi-chlorians are creatures of some fixed size

Results:
1) Darth Vader is now "More machine than man" and we can assume that most likely he is just a head and torso and a few stumps inside that armor. Therefore, he has less flesh (and less blood) for the stupid midis to live in - therefore his Force power should drop.
2) And I'm sure its been brought up before, but can't someone just get a blood transfusion to at least temporarily enhance their Force powers?

[geek mode off]

Anakin's Force powers were quite potent to begin with, so even with little he has left as the largely cybernetic Vader, he is still someone to be reckoned with. (Maybe General Grievous factors into this somehow, of how something part organic and part cybernetic can be lethal with the Force.)

The blood transfusion thing never really crossed my mind, although I think midichlorians are more of a genetic (as opposed to physical) characteristic, which was why certain people were more in tune with the Force than others.

Well, we never seen, for instance, the force lightining used by Vader, so maybe his powers were diminished from what they could have been.

That was my thought as well, I mean I assume with the rest of the Jedi more or less dead what was left of Anakin's power was more then enough to wipe the floor with the general populace.

Or maybe he didn't want to use lightining from fear a stray spark would fry his suit.

Re: Stupid Midi-Chlorian Thought
 

Keyword: Assumption. We know nothing about how they truly work, and how big they are. Actually, I've always thought a midichlorian reading was a percentage, like parts per million. So even with limb loss, Vader's power might be the same. Remember, QuiGon only had a drop of Ani's blood. So it could be a statistical anomaly or such.

The thing most people like yourself forget is what QuiGon truly says. They are microscopic beings continually telling us the will of the Force. When you learn to quiet your mind, you can hear what they say. Theoretically, if somebody was born more patience than someone with a shorter temper, then even if their midi count was lower, if they could listen to the midi's better, and they would be more powerful.

There is nothing said in TPM that contradicts what Obiwan and Yoda taught Luke in ANH and ESB. It's an energy field created by all living things, it surrounds us, penetrates us, binds the galaxy together. The midis are only a go=between. That it runs in families was also alluded to in the OT. The PT just gave a little science to it, however unnecessary it was.