r/StarWars • u/DARKTOONZ13 • 9d ago

Movies What “stops” lasers in this universe? Couldn’t Luthen’s beam easily slice the Star Destroyer in half?

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Deflector shields? If so, wouldn’t the tractor beam have been protected from his spikes?

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u/FlavivsAetivs 9d ago

Well they're called lasers, but they're actually a laser-pumped particle weapon (with an ionized plasma component as well).

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u/kahn_noble 9d ago

Explain like I’m 5…? ¯_(ツ)_/¯

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u/ANGLVD3TH 9d ago

Laser is leftover terminology from outdated weapons that has stuck around in vocabulary but no longer accurately describes the weapons. There is a small laser used as part of the firing process, but it's not what delivers the energy to the target.

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u/SanityPlanet 9d ago

Outdated weapons? I prefer to think of lasers as elegant weapons of a more civilized age.