In Marvel's Darth Vader comic, we run into an officer who talks to Vader about the Death Star. He calls it Tarkin's folly, and wonders how many super star destroyers could have been built using the same resources.
Was this a very small minority? Were there any other officers opposed to the Death Star(s)?
Various loyal Imperials were opposed to the Death Star. For example, Jylia Shale, one of the Empire’s top strategists:
“The strategy of the Galactic Empire,” Shale begins, “was not under my supreme control. I’ll make it clear yet again that I disagreed with both implementations of the Death Star. I opposed its creation from the very beginning—and in fact, that opposition marginalized my input going forward."
Star Wars: Aftermath
As well as Grand Moff Pandion:
Moff Pandion—Grand Moff Pandion, apparently—stands up, begins to pace a semicircle around his end of the table. “I for once agree with Jylia Shale. Not just that the Death Star was our greatest mistake, but also that no truce will suffice.
Star Wars: Aftermath
Shale’s statement suggests that Tarkin (and Palpatine) intentionally ignored the advice of those who opposed the Death Star’s creation. They were both heavily invested in its development, whether as a symbol of the power of the Empire (Tarkin) or that of the Dark Side (Palpatine).
One thing to keep in mind is that opposition to the Death Star could not have been widespread around the time of its construction, simply because knowledge of its existence was not widespread. But the presence of doubts among several of the Empire’s top command suggests that opposition may have been fairly common among those who knew about it.
