How Was Vader's Flagship Destroyed Easily By A Single A-Wing?
Darth Vader is one of the most recognizable and strongest foes any protagonist has ever had to face. And the Empire possessed resources beyond anyone's imagination. So that begs the question, why was his super destroyed so easily defeated?
The ship could destroy entire fleets on its own. It had a caché of weapons and was the base for the whole of the Imperial Navy. It seems as though the easy answer is that, like the Death Stars, it had been struck in precisely the right place. This seems like an easy explanation for a ship the size of Manhattan to be taken out so efficiently, but it was not the only factor in the ship meeting its end. We learn that quick thinking may have also had a play in this.
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It seems like moments before the A-Wing fighter crashed into the Executor's bridge, the shields had been damaged, which just made the bridge strike pure luck to take it out. Admiral Piett ordered the forward batteries to be intensified because he knew the shields wouldn't protect them for much longer. However, it seems as though Captain Arvel Crynyd was already on a bombing run and when he was screaming out of control, decided to aim his vessel as best he could towards the Executor inflicting maximum damage to the bridge, and in doing so, he gave the rebels hope that they could win in the long run.
A secondary explanation given in the novelization of The Return of The Jedi is that the Executors guidance system had been in disarray, so it so easily crashed into the Death Star II. As with the first Death Star, it had the size to have its own gravitational pull, so once the Executor was already en route, the fate of the Death Star had been sealed.
The Empire did everything it could in those final moments to try and stop the damage from increasing. They tried to redirect the battery power to defend the bridge, but it seems like Captain Crynyd's quick thinking may have ultimately turned the tide for the rebellion to help them win the war. This timely takedown and the fact that the Empire was already trapped in orbit on Endor gave the Rebels the upper hand, and they never relinquished it. This was the last effort the rebellion had to try and win the fight and stop the Empire from having complete control over the galaxy.
Ill-fated designs always hindered The Empire as they always thought the sheer size and scope of their ships and weapons would strike fear into the enemy and crush the rebellion. However, never underestimate the power of quick thinking and the ability to use every last resource to try and gain back the galaxy. Star Wars is the ultimate story of underdog triumph and how never giving in is the key to being in a position to win.
The final battle is yet another example of this as just some clever battle tactics and the sheer will to continue what ultimately won the battle. Everyone involved was either set up with a chance and took it, or they just continued to be in the fight. Sometimes all you have to do is just keep getting back up. The size alone of the Empire warships would be enough to send anyone away in fear, but the rebellion always believed in the cause.
Star Wars and their attention to detail has always been fascinating subject matter, and these cool facts about their space battles just continued to create conversation among the fanbase for more than four decades now. This ever-expanding galaxy will continue to wow fans with mind-blowing information for generations to come.
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Source(s): ScreenRant