Jango and Boba Fett’s ship, Slave I, is equipped with powerful options. While the twin rotating blaster cannon could be its most distinguishing feature, the seismic charges could potentially destroy a capital ship. Yet, we can identify two main reasons why that’s not the case, both having to do with strength.
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Capital Ship Shields Are Too Strong
We can refer to this video for a brief review of the “awesome but deadly” seismic charges on Jango’s Slave I. With the main example of his battle with Obi-Wan, Jango launched his seismic charges in an asteroid field to deliver “broad, destructive power.” Yet, despite their power, seismic or sonic charges would not be effective against capital ship shields.
As fans acknowledge here, “capital ships have robust shields that would protect them” from Fett’s seismic charges. We can see these shields demonstrated in the Clone Wars Season Two episode “Cat and Mouse”, easily dispersing Anakin’s direct hits.
In another discussion, a post drew a similar conclusion about how powerful shields are even against seismic charges. The deflector shields on capital ships would be strong enough to counteract the fiercest of attacks. Even the Void-7 seismic charge, “the height of ‘seismic’ weapon technology,” would not penetrate capital ship shields.
However, we have witnessed capital ships destroyed. Posts here discuss a couple of those moments, such as the Ion cannon shots from Hoth in Empire Strikes Back. So, maybe the reason is not so much that capital ship shields are impenetrable, but more that seismic charges are not strong enough.
Seismic Charges Are Not Strong Enough
Taking a slightly different viewpoint, we may emphasize that seismic charges are just not strong enough to obliterate a Star Destroyer. While they are alternately called seismic bombs with their “concussive waves of brilliant blue light,” they may at best damage a Star Destroyer or other capital ship.
Although “outright destroying a Star Destroyer” is unlikely, seismic charges could severely cripple a capital ship, especially with a shot to the hangar bay or bridge. Just to inflict damage would require a repeated “contact detonation”, and then the impact would most likely be isolated.
Yet, we may be jumping to conclusions too quickly. In this fan video, we see a clear example of how Boba Fett’s seismic charges destroyed a Star Destroyer. And, a response to the video here indicates that, based on the Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology, deflector shields would not actually protect against “this shock wave.”
Then again, the video is well done and entertaining; it appears to be speculative, while the Essential Guide contradicts Wookieepedia. So, it depends on what sources you wish to believe.
In between these two outlooks, we may conclude that seismic charges “seem to be most useful against small ships”, such as fighters and bombers. One reason is that smaller ships tend to have weaker deflector shields. So, our explanation circles back to the shields.
Seismic Charges and Capital Ships
Looking at two sides of the same coin, we could say that the deflector shields on capital ships stop seismic charges from destroying them, and that seismic charges do not seem to be strong enough to obliterate a capital ship. While we can make a counterargument, the blast appears to fall short of taking out a Star Destroyer.