How The Second Death Stars Weakness Was So Similar To The Original

How The Second Death Star’s Weakness Was So Similar To The Original

The first Death Star’s weakness was the Empire’s undoing in Star Wars – why did the second Death Star have the same weakness in Return of the Jedi?

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How The Second Death Stars Weakness Was So Similar To The Original

Though an overall beloved installment of the Star Wars saga, an often-criticized plot element of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi is its use of a second Death Star and the Rebel Alliance’s method of destroying it via a fatal flaw in the main reactor being so similar to the first. Why did The Emperor, one of the most intelligent beings in the galaxy (and who was certainly aware of how the original Death Star was destroyed), have the second Death Star built with such a similar weakness? The answer lies in both stations’ main reactors, and how the two differ in canon and the original timeline: Legends.

The first Death Star served several purposes for the Galactic Empire. In both continuities, it was the ultimate expression of the “Tarkin Doctrine,” a belief held by many within the Empire that fear would keep the people of the galaxy subjugated. The Imperial Senate was dissolved around the same time as the Death Star’s completion, making it essential to the Empire’s governance. Naturally, another Death Star was needed as soon as the first was destroyed.

The second Death Star was also the irresistible bait in the Emperor’s trap for the Rebels in Return of the Jedi. Multiple battles in Star Wars canon and Legends show the lengths that the Rebellion was willing to go to destroy the first Death Star. Naturally, another Death Star, this one still under construction and harboring The Emperor himself, was simply too good an opportunity for the Rebels to pass up. Expecting the full might of the Rebellion to arrive, Palpatine defended Endor with a gargantuan fleet and an operational superlaser. This time, however, the second Death Star was enveloped in an energy shield because The Emperor knew that it shared a nearly identical weakness to its predecessor.

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Still, hitting the reactor with powerful explosive ordnance, such as proton torpedoes or concussion missiles, would cause a chain reaction that destroyed the station. The original Death Star had a small thermal exhaust port that led directly to the reactor, which was famously exploited by Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, using a pair of Force-guided torpedoes. With the second Death Star’s being unfinished, however, Rebel craft could simply enter the superstructure through the many unfinished sections of the station and fire on the main reactor at close range without the use of Force-guided ordinance.

As for the reactor itself, canon and Legends each provide a different reason for why it causes a catastrophic chain reaction if destroyed. In the movie canon, it uses Force-attuned kyber crystals to power it. As explained in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Imperial scientist Galen Erso secretly assisted the Rebellion by purposely designing the Death Star with an unstable reactor. Erso died during a Rebel attack on Eadu so, presumably, the second Death Star was still based on a modified version of his designs. Because of this, the reactor itself likely couldn’t be made more stable, but the energy shield around the station could provide better protection for the more easily-accessed reactor.

Legends Death Stars, however, are powered by hypermatter reactors. This makes Darth Vader’s assessment that they’re “technological terrors” inferior to the dark side hold more weight. Both stations having vulnerable reactors that aren’t the result of sabotage is also more consistent with the rest of the saga. Throughout the Star Wars films and non-movie material in both continuities, reactor cores in ships, space stations, and bases often lead to catastrophic destruction if detonated. This was notably seen in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, when Anakin Skywalker destroyed a Trade Federation Droid Control Ship by hitting its reactor with a pair of torpedoes, similar to what would later destroy both Death Stars.

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Link Source : https://screenrant.com/star-wars-death-star-2-reactor-weakness-same/

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