What “Stops” Lasers In This Universe? Couldn’t Luthen’s Beam Easily Slice The Star Destroyer In Half?

In Andor, one of the standout moments was watching Luthen Rael escape an Imperial patrol with some surprising firepower: a spinning double beam that shredded TIE Fighters like paper.

That scene got a lot of people wondering—what actually stops lasers in Star Wars? And if his beam was that strong, why couldn’t it just cut through the Star Destroyer chasing him?

Shields Are The First Wall To Get Through

First off, it always comes down to shields. In this universe, ships have deflector shields, but these come in different types. You’ve got ray shields that stop energy weapons, like blasters and laser beams, and particle shields that stop physical stuff like debris or missiles.

Remember the Death Star’s reactor shaft was protected by ray shields? That’s why Luke had to fire proton torpedoes into the shaft in A New Hope.

And remember that scene in Revenge of the Sith when Anakin and Obi-Wan got trapped in a ray shield? They couldn’t walk through it without getting fried.

Big ships like Star Destroyers run both kinds of shields at the same time. That’s why Luthen’s beam wasn’t just going to cut right through the ISD’s hull. Its ray shields were still active and would’ve blocked most of the beam’s energy.

Now, there’s an important detail: tractor beams don’t work through ray shields. When a tractor beam is used, the shield in that area has to drop or shift. That’s exactly what happened during that scene—Luthen waited until they started pulling him in and then launched those spikes right at the tractor dish when the shields were down.

That Wasn’t Your Standard Laser Cannon

Another thing to understand: Luthen’s beam wasn’t a typical laser like what we usually see on Star Wars ships. It’s officially listed as a short-range laser beam designed for slicing ships at close range.

It behaves more like a lightsaber blade than a regular turbolaser bolt. Once deployed, it puts out a sustained and stable beam that cuts through anything it touches—great for light targets like TIE Fighters.

But it’s not something Luthen can use all the time. The beam takes a long time to charge. That’s why he allowed himself to get caught first—he needed time to prepare the weapon before he could fire it.

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Range Matters More Than You Think

Even if the beam could reach further, it wouldn’t stay effective at long distances. In both real-world physics and Star Wars tech, plasma beams and lasers lose power over distance. They spread out and become less focused, which makes them weaker.

You can actually see this concept elsewhere. Think about Qui-Gon cutting through the blast door in The Phantom Menace—that took time, and the energy wasn’t infinite. Luthen’s beam is no different. It’s built for close combat, not long-range sniping.

Star Destroyers Aren’t Soft Targets

Another key part of the puzzle is the Star Destroyer itself. These things are flying fortresses. They’ve got layered armor and strong shields designed to handle hits from heavy weapons.

TIE Fighters, on the other hand, are paper-thin in comparison—no shields, no real armor. That’s why Luthen could cut them apart so easily, but trying the same move on a Star Destroyer? Even without shields, it would take multiple passes and lots of time to get through that kind of armor.

The Beam Is Meant For Quick Fights, Not Ship Duels

Bottom line: Luthen’s beam is a situational weapon. It’s amazing for ambushes, for clearing out small fighters, and for making a fast getaway. But it’s not designed to take down a capital ship.

You’ve actually seen similar tech before. In Rebels, the B-wing prototype used a beam weapon that could cut through a light cruiser—but it needed a special reactor, and it wasn’t practical for normal combat. Luthen’s beam works the same way—great in the right moment, but very limited.