14

I am wondering if a Star Destroyer has actually destroyed a sun/star before?

If so, then why was the Death Stars made so big to destroy planets if The Empire already had ships that destroy suns?

Is not then why are they named Star Destroyers if they haven't/can't destroy Suns?

Improve this question
8

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
15

No. It seems to me OP's question is based on simply lacking the knowledge that the term destroyer bears a meaning in naval contexts more than simply that which destroys. See here

In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast maneuverable long-endurance warship

So that the term Star Destroyer is just intended to mean "a destroyer which travels among the stars".

Improve this answer
3
  • 2
    If we use Legends, Star Destroyer was actually coined by some ancient businessman who envisioned a new series of starships that could destroy stars. It was just a marketing gimmick. The naval destroyer classification is more of a much later afterthought, and isn't applied to all Star Destroyers either. Most are cruisers or dreadnoughts.
    – thegreatjedi
    Apr 5, 2016 at 4:47
  • 1
    exactly. Does a starfighter do battle against any star it comes across?
    – NKCampbell
    Mar 2, 2020 at 22:17
  • IRL, "destroyer" was shortened from "torpedo boat destroyer".
    – Spencer
    May 31, 2020 at 13:24
14

No, as far as we know, the current Empire lacks the ability to easily destroy stars. A star destroyer is just a name. Even the most powerful weapon on the former platforms of the previous Deathstars I and II, would have been unable to destroy a star. The size of stars means they are simply too large to be affected by the Empire's weaponry.

enter image description here

While the Legendary Empire does have gravity well projectors, the technology appears to need a great degree of power and would be vulnerable to the inhospitable environment of a star. Too vulnerable to be used as a weapon. Stars are too large, capable of putting off more energy in a second than even the Deathstar is capable of sustaining for 1,000 years.

  • While immensely powerful on Human scales, even the largest Star Destroyer, the Eclipse-class super-dreadnought star destroyer would have difficulty destroying a planet using its "super-laser" capacity.

  • Super-dreadnought class Star Destroyers are fully capable of assaulting a planet, destroying that planet's infrastucture or defense posture single-handedly or with a light escort. But to actually physically destroy the planet (ala Deathstar) would be beyond its formidable capabilities.

  • The Eclipse-Class Star Destroyer was the largest ship of its class ever built. So large it could house two Victory Class Star Destroyers within it. But even the smallest of stars would be far beyond the scale of the destructive capacity of the Empire's largest ship. Their energy output would be minuscule compared to the energy output of a star.

Problematic movie moments:

  • Destroying Stars Directly: Unless the Empire used a technology to create artificial singularities capable of destabilizing the natural energy output of stars, such as the the star draining system used on the Starkiller planet, stars should be out of their ability to completely destroy.

  • Destroying Stars Indirectly: The latest movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens uses a planetary-sized weapon called the Sunkiller, draining the energy FROM a star to fire it and destroy multiple planets at faster than light speeds. Could this weapon be used to destroy a star? Unknown, we don't know how much of a star's energy is required to fire this weapon.

Improve this answer
2
  • I remember hearing somewhere that the 'main weapon' on the largest star destroyers could penetrate a planet's crust, is this not so?
    – user45549
    Apr 4, 2016 at 21:45
  • Yes it could. If it was as powerful as a thirty percent blast of total Death Star capacity, then it could bore a deep hole into the crust of a planet, making it less capable of sustaining life similar to a major volcanic event. Enough such attacks would turn a planet into a ice ball as the vaporized crust of the planet obscures light from the nearest star driving the planet into an ice age.
    – Thaddeus Howze
    Apr 4, 2016 at 23:19
0

"Star Destroyers" draw their name from the classic naval hierarchy of ship nomenclature via size and tonnage. Like real naval hierarchy

  1. Corvette
  2. Frigate
  3. Destroyer
  4. Cruiser
  5. Battlecruiser
  6. Battleship/Dreadnought

In the expanded universe "Star Destroyer" is a trademark name for Kuat Drive Yards brand of angular/daggar shaped warships.

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.