The Obi-Wan Kenobi series offers fans many iconic moments, bringing elements from Star Wars comics to life, like the Fortress Inquisitorius.
Originally introduced in the Star Wars: Darth Vader comic series, this underwater stronghold is heavily fortified and hidden within the black seas of the moon Nur.
But there’s a scene that feels odd: a single blaster bolt shatters the fortress’s glass windows.
How does a “heavily fortified” structure suffer damage from a single shot?
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How A Heavily Fortified Fortress is Damaged with A Blaster Bolt
Actually, the Fortress Inquisitorius isn’t as “heavily fortified” as it appears.
The fortress was built to prevent prisoners from escaping, not necessarily to withstand heavy external attacks.
Its design focuses on containment, with a complex network of bridges, gates, and partitioned sections controlled by the Empire to secure each area quickly.
If needed, the Empire could even compromise or flood parts of the fortress to prevent any attempted breakouts.
Here’s a breakdown of the layout:
Citadel Tower: This central structure towers over the rest of the fortress, with its peak visible above sea level.
Inner Fortress: The inner areas contain surveillance control stations that monitor both the facility and its underwater entry points. This area includes notable sections like the meeting room and the Jedi tomb.
Defensive Perimeter: Positioned on the outer edge of the fortress, this perimeter holds partitioned sections that can be flooded in emergencies, with structural shields designed to withstand external breaches or pressure changes at depth.
In Obi-Wan Kenobi, as Obi-Wan rescues young Leia, we see him moving through these areas. Before reaching Leia, he passes the Jedi tomb, eventually facing stormtroopers in the Defensive Perimeter.
During this scene, he deflects blaster bolts with his lightsaber, and one stray bolt hits the fortress’s glass, causing it to shatter.
Despite the Defensive Perimeter’s reinforced shielding, the glass wasn’t designed to withstand internal blaster fire, exposing a key flaw in the Empire’s approach to fortress design.
Since the Defensive Perimeter was really just set up to flood in emergencies, you can see why the Empire wouldn’t bother investing in the most durable glass.
They probably saw it as something cheap and replaceable, ready to be reset after a flood. But this cost-saving mindset also created a big vulnerability.
When Obi-Wan deflects those blaster bolts, it only takes one hit for the glass to shatter—proving that cutting corners sometimes backfires in a major way.
Obi-Wan’s Fortress Inquisitorius Flood Scene Isn’t the First Time It’s Happened
In Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Cal Kestis infiltrates the Fortress Inquisitorius to rescue his ally Cere Junda, who’s held captive in the underwater facility.
As Cal moves through the fortress, he engages in an intense lightsaber duel with the Second Sister, Trilla Suduri.
During this confrontation, Cal manages to breach one of the main glass walls within the submerged structure.
This damage causes water to pour into the base, rapidly flooding parts of the fortress.
Cal and Cere narrowly escape as the Empire struggles to contain the breach, and the base’s compartmentalized design triggers to prevent further flooding and structural collapse.
Reasons Why Stormtroopers With Blasters Keep Patrolling Under Water
As we covered in the layout of the Fortress Inquisitorius, the base’s lowest level houses the Prison Block.
This is where captured Jedi and Force-sensitive individuals endure intense interrogation, torture, and experimentation.
With high-value prisoners, the Empire needs stormtroopers on constant patrol to secure every possible access point.
In the Defensive Perimeter, each wing ends in an airlock leading to a spacious chamber filled with water.
These areas include balconies equipped with consoles and are guarded by stormtroopers, scouttroopers, and their commanders, ensuring no escape goes unnoticed.