Summary

I recollect I ’ve in conclusion realized why Palpatine ’s Empire was always destined to lose the Galactic Civil War inStar Wars- and it ’s nothing to do with the Force at all . On the face of it , Star Wars is a tale of light versus drab , dependable versus evil ; a binary in which two cosmic spirtual military force engage unending war against one another . And yet , there ’s so much more to it all than that .

The first struggle of the Galactic Civil War was win when a moonshine - sized battle place was destroyed . Even the Battle of Endor would have been a rebel victory even without the buyback of Darth Vader , because Palpatine would have been killed when the Second Death Star was destroyed . Yes , there ’s a spiritual dimension to it all , butthis is a war - and it ’s won with weapon . amazingly , for all theEmpire possessed unnumberable superweapons , the Rebel Alliance had the advantage .

Hyperspace Technology Changed In The Century Before TPM

I began to realize this watchingThe Acolyte , aStar WarsDisney+ boob tube show that ’s correct about a 100 beforeStar Wars : Episode I - The Phantom Menace . This was a sentence when hyperspace applied science was a lot less advanced , and many ships left their hyperspace locomotive in orbit around a major planet while they flew in to bring down . The melodic theme amuse me , because I wondered just how many of these were orbiting the galactic capital of Coruscant at any one time . There surely had to be spaceports dedicated to keeping these hyperspace drives in piazza , forbid them drifting .

The Jedi are the peacekeeper of the extragalactic nebula , which mean they have to travel to get around - and they ’ve had a astonishing numeral of starships !

By the sentence of theStar Warsprequel trilogy , hyperspace technology has advanced a little more . Hyperspace drive are still cumbersome , but now there are Jedi designs for starfighters that have them - more advanced variation that acquire organically fromThe Acolytedesigns . Now , Jedi starfighters dock with hyperspace rings in place , and expend them to travel across the Star Wars galaxy . It ’s not until the original trilogy era that we really begin to see common starfighters using hyperdrives … but even that does n’t quite work out as you ’d have expected .

Anakin Skywalker, the T-6 Jedi Shuttle, and the Polan from The Acolyte

The Empire Didn’t Pursue Smaller-Sized Hyperdrive Technology

It ’s always seemed a little odd to me that Imperial starfighters did n’t have their own hyperdrives . Instead , the Empire be given to ferry vast fleets of TIE Fighters around on capital ships , or to operate them from planetary bases . I commemorate watchingThe Mandalorianseason 3 , and quickly deducing the Empire was on Mandalore just because TIE Fighters suddenly come along behind Din Djarin ’s ship after he left his homeworld - and they had to have come from somewhere .

The Acolyteand the prequels explain this , though . This was likely the traditional approach when it came to starfighters , because - until as latterly as the Clone Wars - hyperdrives were too cumbersome to attach to such pocket-sized ship . Even during the Clone Wars , only the Jedi come out to have starfighters that could bob with hyperdrive band ; that technology was likely expensive , and even the Empire only had so many credit to go with . After all , the Empire had Death Stars to build . Why reinvent starfighter combat at the same time ?

The Empire had Death Stars to progress . Why reinvent starfighter combat at the same time ?

Emperor Palpatine laughing maniacally in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.

The Rebel Alliance Was A Whole New Type Of Military

The leaders of the Rebel Alliance took a different approach . They saw the potential of one - man starfighters , and they deliberately focused on learn ships with hyperdrive capability . These would have been incredibly expensive , especially for a rebellion struggling to grow funds , but they were a worthwhile tactical investment . What ’s more , to ensure they were n’t wasted , they also spent recognition control their starfighters had cuticle . The Empire could give to lose TIE Fighters , but every X - annexe destroy was prohibitively expensive for the rebellion .

But think about how this modify war . Imperial loss leader were used to being able to focus on capital ships , but now the nimble starfighters were the genuine threats . What ’s more , when the rebels were support into a corner , their squadrons could dissipate into hyperspace before meeting together at a distant pre - arranged rendezvous point . Even if the Empire manage to track one of these X - wings , it would be useless , because they ’d be sink out of hyperspace somewhere before jumping on to their true destination .

The Empire double down on size and scale . Imperial Star Destroyersbecame the symbol of the Empire ’s might , and every figure seems to have gotten larger , with Darth Vader ’s Executor serving as a particularly impressive example . The Rebel Alliance , however , took the polar approach . A focus on minuscule ships meant they could fight as a guerrilla force out , waging warfare in a very dissimilar way .

Sidious, Tyranus, Maul, and Vader.

Grand Admiral Thrawn Was The Only One To Spot The Problem

The problem , though , was that Thrawn found himself competing with the Death Star for resources . He lost out , and neither project ’s potential was ever realized ; TIE - cholecalciferol product was shut down , and only a few Interdictors were ever create . Thrawn was lose before the Galactic Civil War truly began , stranded in a distant galaxy by theend ofStar Wars Rebels , and his successors never used the Interdictor in effect . Even Darth Vader fail to apprise the Interdictor ; had he used one at Hoth , none of the rebels would ever have bunk .

The only alien to ever climb up to the rank of Grand Admiral , Thrawn is a strategic superstar who hail from an isolationistic race known as the Chiss . Thrawn ’s motives are enigmatic , but his tactical splendour made him a vital plus for the Empire . Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger successfully defeat Thrawn during the Battle of Lothal , resulting in Thrawn ’s exile to the aloof planet Peridea in another galaxy , but the Grand Admiral has now retort .

The Rebellion Fought A New Kind Of Warfare, Unlike Anything The Empire Had Seen Before

The Galactic Civil War was unlike any conflict the Empire had ever fought before . regal drawing card were used to maneuver that focalise on majuscule ships , with starfighters just serving to supply cover version and additional firepower , but the Rebel Alliance made hyperdrive - equipped starfighters their focus . The Imperial military plainly did n’t know how to handle the irregular tactic that were enabled by this new technology .

In Charles Soule , Ramon Rosanas , and Rachelle Rosenberg’sStar Wars#7 , Palpatine notes that only two of his tacticians could have defeated the Rebel Alliance ; Tarkin and Thrawn . He ’s right about Thrawn , who was already adapting before the Galactic Civil War even get down , but even Tarkin demonstrate no signs of being ahead of the curve in the same way . The truth is that the Rebel Alliance was waging war in a way the Empire plainly could n’t understand , let alone deal with , giving the Hero a monumental vantage even in the face of overwhelming firepower . And so the fate of the entireStar Warsgalaxy was decided in such a surprising way .

Palpatine, X-wings and TIE Fighters

Custom image by Simone Ashmoore

A Polan in The Acolyte

Custom Image by Sam MacLennan

Star Wars TIE Fighter Fleet Shot

X-wing and a TIE fighter flying past a planet

Custom Image by Sam MacLennan

Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn in Ahsoka Textless Poster

The only alien to ever ascend to the rank of Grand Admiral, Thrawn is a strategic genius who hails from an isolationist race known as the Chiss. Thrawn’s motives are enigmatic, but his tactical brilliance made him a vital asset for the Empire. Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger successfully defeated Thrawn during the Battle of Lothal, resulting in Thrawn’s exile to the distant planet Peridea in another galaxy, but the Grand Admiral has now returned.

A Star Wars X-Wing and a couple other rebel starships are being chased in a dogfight by Imperial ships. Other skirmishes are in the background, including one where a TIE Fighter is being blown up. The aerial fight is located over a city in a desert, where Imperial AT-ATs are attacking.

Star Wars

Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious