A selfish ambition for success, recognition, esteem and respect he deserved, and yes, an unselfish ambition for power which stemmed from his need to protect the people he loved and his failure to save his mother.
HOWEVER that “power hunger” is a by-product of his fall, his coping method. By that time, Anakin is aware that he has gone too far, killed too many people, he thinks himself beyond redemption.
As Anakin's confusion and anxiety grew, Palpatine told him a Sith legend that spoke of the ability to stop people from dying. Entranced, Anakin was desperate to learn this power.
Speaking of Darth Vader and, more specifically, who he was before he fell to the Dark Side, Anakin Skywalker placed third and was bested only by Yoda and his former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. It was a close battle too as they both had a win percentage of 88.8%.
Palpatine was a master manipulator, and he mapped out his Clone Wars plan meticulously. Anakin was one of the biggest threats to his plans for galactic domination, so he found a way to use Anakin to his advantage.
Why Palpatine Said He was WAY More AFRAID of Luke than ANAKIN
Who did Palpatine fear?
Thus, while Qui-Gon was less powerful than the likes of Yoda and Mace Windu, Palpatine feared him more. In the simplest terms, he was a wild card, and with the Sidious executing an intricate decades-long plan to seize power and destroy the Jedi, a wild card was something he just couldn't afford.
Moreover, throughout the duel, Yoda continually adapts to and even matches Palpatine - forcing his enemy to constantly attempt new tactics. Palpatine clearly hated Master Yoda with a fierce passion, but he was under no illusions that the Grand Master would be easy to defeat.
Going by potential power Anakin has 20,000 midichlorians that is known of, but his full potential could have been much higher, maybe 30,000–40,000. Palpatine is stated to have 19,000, so I would safely assume that Rey could have anywhere from 12,000–15,000.
If Anakin Skywalker was at his full potential, could he have replaced Master Yoda as the Grand Master of the Jedi Order? With due time, yes. Originally Answered: What if Yoda trained Anakin Skywalker? He would have struggled but through Yoda's training, he would've allowed Jedi Master Mace Windu kill Palpatine.
Sidious then confirms that Anakin is 'far' more powerful. Anakin's quick work of Dooku + Sheev's confirmation immediately make it clear that Anakin is a tier above Dooku power wise when he cuts loose.
If anything Vader was much stronger because of his powered armored suit. And Vader's ability to manipulate the Force wasn't any lesser than Anakin's. The one area where Anakin had him beat completely was in his agility. Anakin's agility was what made him one of the deadliest Jedi of all time.
Qui-Gon Jinn believed that the Force itself created Anakin in Shmi's womb, making him the Chosen One who would bring balance to the Force. The revelation confirms that Emperor Palpatine personally manipulated the Dark Side of the Force to create Anakin, making him Anakin's true 'father'.
In those movies, Mace was someone who loved confrontation, with his bullish ways usually winning arguments. However, he rubbed many the wrong way, and as the novel detailed, he was someone vehemently against Anakin joining the Jedi Order.
Although the decision to turn to the Dark Side was Anakin's alone, the choice did not come from thin air. His natural prone to impulsivity and emotion without the support systems he needed in place made it easier for Anakin to stumble down a path of darkness.
Sidious always said that Anakin—well Vader—would become more powerful than him and anyone in the galaxy. He said this to Yoda prior to their duel and he continued to say it.
The realistic answer seems to be, yes, Anakin in his prime could have defeated Luke Skywalker (in the current canon) if they battled one-on-one. The main reason behind this is Luke's lack of formal Jedi training, at least when it comes to combat.
Kylo lost to Rey in TFA because he was heavily wounded and was holding back against her due to Snoke's request that he bring her back to him alive. He is also stated by Palpatine in the Secrets of the Sith book to be “equally as powerful as a real Sith despite not being one”.
George Lucas has stated that while Anakin had the most potential, in the form of a high midichlorian count, Luke Skywalker is the most powerful Jedi of all time — yes, topping Yoda, Revan, Nomi Sunrider, etc. This is due to more refined power.
Yoda struck the Podium too hard to control his landing, and he rolled off the main portion to the edge where he desperately attempted to climb back up. His hold on the smooth edge failing, Yoda lost his grip and fell several stories to the floor. Yoda chose to retreat as Sidious cackled in triumph above him.
Summary. Palpatine's true source of power comes from his intense hatred for everyone in the galaxy, which only fuels his strength. Not only that, but the more people hate Palpatine, the stronger he becomes as well, making inspiring hatred a crucial part of increasing his strength.
