Bingowings: What is the Dark Side of the Force is like a cancer? It consumes living things and the living power of the force. The stronger you get, the weaker your "physical" body gets. It can help explain Vaders armor and the emperor prunish exterior. Remember that the force was never about physical strength anyway. So as the emperor comes to power he APPEARS to be weakening which could lead to people following him out of respect for what looks like a dying leader, but in reality his powers are getting stronger