The first Death Star was an immense space station and superweapon capable of destroying entire planets. The Galactic Empire secretly constructed it in order to solidify its hold over the galaxy. However, the Death Star was ultimately destroyed by the Rebel Alliance in a climactic battle that marked a major turning point in the Galactic Civil War. But who exactly was responsible for blowing up this feared Imperial weapon? Let’s take a closer look at the events leading up to its destruction to find out.
The Death Star’s capabilities
The Death Star was unlike anything the galaxy had seen before. At 120 kilometers in diameter, it was crewed by over 1.7 million military personnel and carried a planet-shattering superlaser capable of annihilating entire worlds. When completely charged, the superlaser could fire a beam that could travel across the galaxy instantaneously to strike its target. The Death Star’s first test firing completely obliterated the planet Despayre. This demonstrated the terrifying power the Empire could now wield over star systems that refused to submit to Imperial rule.
The Death Star operated as a mobile battle station, able to travel across the galaxy to intimidate systems into obedience. Grand Moff Tarkin, the Imperial officer in charge of the Death Star, developed the Tarkin Doctrine of rule through fear of force rather than force itself. As Tarkin infamously stated, “Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station.”
Capture of the Death Star plans
The Empire intended the Death Star to be a secret project. But the Alliance learned of its existence and began seeking a way to destroy it. With galactic life at stake, Rebel spies worked to obtain the Death Star’s schematics and identify a weakness in its design.
Princess Leia Organa, a leader in the Alliance, managed to intercept the technical readouts of the Death Star while on a diplomatic mission. She downloaded the plans onto an astromech droid named R2-D2 and launched it and protocol droid C-3PO in an escape pod to evade capture. Leia herself was arrested by Imperial forces under Darth Vader. Before her capture, Leia tasked R2-D2 with getting the Death Star plans safely to Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi on the planet Tatooine.
After escaping the Empire in a stolen freighter, Obi-Wan and the droids traveled to the planet Alderaan to deliver the plans to Leia’s father, Bail Organa. But they discovered Alderaan had been destroyed by Tarkin and the Death Star as punishment for Leia’s resistance. The Millennium Falcon was then drawn in by the Death Star’s tractor beam. This began a chain of events that would lead to the battle station’s explosion.
Analyzing the Death Star plans
Obi-Wan sacrificed himself in a duel with Darth Vader to allow the others to escape and fulfill the mission. The group later traveled to the Rebel base on Yavin 4. There, analysts studied the schematics to look for a weakness to exploit.
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| General Jan Dodonna | Rebel commanding officer |
| General Willard | Analyst |
| Major Bren Derlin | Analyst |
| Lieutenant Caluan Ematt | Analyst |
The Death Star had a tremendous amount of firepower directed outward. But the analysts noticed a small thermal exhaust port below its equatorial trench that led directly to the main reactor. Although ray-shielded, a precise hit down the exhaust port could set off a chain reaction and destroy the station. The port was only two meters wide, requiring a very accurate proton torpedo shot. The analysts concluded this vulnerability gave the Rebels a chance to destroy the Death Star.
The Rebel attack plan
General Jan Dodonna devised an attack plan he believed could exploit this weakness. He briefed Rebel starfighter pilots on hitting the exhaust port with proton torpedoes. The Rebel fleet would exit hyperspace near the Death Star while a squadron of X-wing and Y-wing fighters flew down the trench. Dodonna warned the port was so narrow, the pilots would have to rely on computer targeting systems.
| Squadron | Lead Pilot |
|---|---|
| Red Squadron X-wings | Garven Dreis |
| Gold Squadron Y-wings | Jon Vander |
| Blue Squadron X-wings | Unknown |
The Rebels knew Imperial TIE fighters would move to defend the Death Star. Pilots were told to ignore enemy ships and focus solely on hitting the exhaust port. Luke Skywalker, now an X-wing pilot, volunteered for the attack despite having little combat experience.
The Death Star battle
The Imperials were unaware of the Rebel plan when their fleet dropped out of hyperspace near the Death Star. TIE fighters were quickly deployed as the Rebels began their trench run. Intense dogfighting ensued between the TIEs and Rebel fighters providing cover. Darth Vader himself flew against the Rebels in an advanced TIE fighter.
The initial Rebel attack waves were unsuccessful at hitting the exhaust port. Many pilots were shot down by TIE fighters and surface turbolasers. Gold Squadron’s Y-wings attempted a torpedo bombing run but suffered heavy losses. Red Squadron was picked off until Luke and his wingman Wedge Antilles remained.
With Luke in range to fire, Darth Vader appeared behind him. As Vader prepared to open fire, the Millennium Falcon suddenly blasted one of Vader’s wingmen. Han Solo and Chewbacca had returned to aid the Rebels despite claiming they would leave to pay a debt. The surprise attack forced Vader’s fighter off course, allowing Luke to maintain his targeting computer lock. Guidance systems were then switched off as Luke instead used the Force. His proton torpedoes successfully entered the port and impacted the main reactor. Luke peeled away as the Death Star exploded in a massive blast. Against overwhelming odds, the Rebels had won the day by destroying the Empire’s fearsome superweapon.
Who deserves the credit?
The destruction of the Death Star was a monumental team effort by the Rebel Alliance. While luck was certainly involved, it could not have been accomplished without the contributions of several key individuals:
- Princess Leia Organa – Had the foresight to intercept the Death Star plans and get them to Alliance High Command, setting the entire attack in motion.
- R2-D2 – Trusted with transporting the Death Star plans, which were vital to identifying its fatal weakness.
- Obi-Wan Kenobi – Sacrificed himself so that Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 could escape the Death Star with the stolen plans.
- Luke Skywalker – Trusted his abilities and made the one-in-a-million proton torpedo shot that detonated the Death Star.
- Han Solo & Chewbacca – Arrived in the Millennium Falcon at the critical moment to save Luke from Darth Vader’s attack.
While any of these contributors failing in their role could have doomed the mission, it was ultimately Luke who took the shot that delivered the final blow. He overcame enormous doubt and pressure to expertly deliver two proton torpedoes into a narrow two-meter target. For this exceptional feat of marksmanship and belief in using the Force, Luke deserves significant credit for single-handedly destroying the Death Star.
The importance of the Death Star’s demise
The Death Star’s explosion marked the Rebellion’s first major victory over the Empire. The Imperial leadership suffered a devastating loss of prestige, resources, and manpower. Their claims of military superiority were shattered along with their planet-killing battle station. News of the Death Star’s destruction spread quickly, showing tyranny could be defied. This swelled the ranks of the Rebel Alliance with new star systems joining the fight.
No longer able to rely on fear of the Death Star to maintain control, the Empire was forced to employ more systems and resources for starfleet and stormtrooper deployments. The Death Star’s loss also made the Imperial Navy realize it could no longer underestimate the Rebel threat. From a strategic standpoint, the Death Star’s demise signaled the shift of momentum in the Galactic Civil War to the Rebellion. The Battle of Yavin was a turning point that put the Empire firmly on the defensive.
The Death Star destruction saved untold billions of lives across the galaxy. Planets that might have faced annihilation under Tarkin’s doctrine could now harbor hope that Imperial rule could be overthrown. While the Empire went on to build even deadlier Death Stars, none inspired the same terror as the original. For the first time since Emperor Palpatine seized power, the Empire appeared vulnerable while the Rebellion gained legitimacy. By proving the Empire was not invulnerable, the Death Star’s obliteration marked the beginning of its eventual downfall.
Conclusion
The first Death Star’s destruction was an unprecedented defeat the Empire never fully recovered from. This incredible triumph by the Rebel Alliance might not have occurred without several key contributions. Princess Leia’s capture of the secret plans, analysis of the exhaust port weakness, and development of an attack strategy provided the opportunity. Luke Skywalker then seized this opportunity by successfully firing the proton torpedoes that eliminated the Imperial superweapon. Word of the Death Star’s obliteration gave hope to oppressed worlds while destabilizing the Emperor’s iron grip on the galaxy. This monumental event was a pivotal moment in the Galactic Civil War and the beginning of the Empire’s decline.