Luthen’s Ship in Andor Explained: How Is It So Strong?

We know that ships have always been a huge part of the entire Star Wars universe because the characters travel from one planet to another on spaceships. There are also different types of ships in Star Wars, as not all ships have the same specs and functions. In Andor, we saw a seemingly innocent ship in the form of Luthen Rael’s spacecraft that turned out to be a beast on its own. So, what is Luthen’s ship, and how is it so strong?

Luthen’s ship is called a Fondor Haulcraft. However, while it was supposed to be a ship used for hauling, Luthen had it modified to such a degree that it could hold its own against an entire Imperial cruiser. And it is possible that it is so strong because Luthen heavily modified it in case of an Imperial attack.

It was surprising to see just how strong Luthen’s ship was in episode 11 of Andor, as it did things that were quite surprising and unusual for a ship that’s supposed to simply haul things. In that regard, it is clear that the ship was made to mirror the character in the sense that he could also be more than what meets the eye. That said, let’s look at what we know about Luthen’s ship in Andor.

What Is Luthen’s Ship In Andor?

While Cassian Andor may be the central character of the Andor series, it can be argued that Luthen Rael is the most important character of the storyline at this point in time. And that’s because he is the character that acts as the axis point for all of the other characters in the series, as he is the one who has been gathering different people who want to fight the Empire.

Of course, Luthen himself is a well-traveled man that has been around the galaxy. We saw him in the first few episodes of Andor when he traveled all the way to Ferrix to rescue Cassian from Pre-Mor because he wanted to personally recruit him into the operation against the Imperial garrison over at Aldhani. That was when we first saw his ship.

While he commuted on his way to Ferrix, Luthen clearly had an escape plan because his ship was already on that planet. As such, after rescuing Andor, he took him to his ship so that they could flee the planet safely. He also traveled to Aldhani using that ship. So, what is Luthen’s ship in Andor?

Luthen Rael’s ship is called a Fondor Haulcraft, which is a type of ship that was used during the time of the Empire’s rule over the galaxy. As the name of the ship suggests, it could be used for commercial purposes and is quite possibly a ship that is often used to haul objects from one place to another. That could mean that it was never intended for combat purposes, as Luthen often only used it to move from one planet to another.

While the ship itself doesn’t have a name yet, unlike some of the other popular and powerful ships in the Star Wars galaxy, it is possible that it is a ship that is quite special to Luthen as it has its own personal AI installed in it. And there are also a lot of things that are surprising about this seemingly unassuming ship that was originally intended for transport and hauling purposes.

Why Is Luthen’s Ship So Strong?

The thing about the ship is that it is actually more than what meets the eye, and the Imperial forces learned that the hard way in episode 11. During the episode, Luthen is about to return to Coruscant after meeting with Saw Gerrera. However, he gets flagged by an Imperial cruiser that was designed to investigate certain ships that could actually be rebels. 

Luthen, of course, tried his best to convince the captain of the Imperial cruiser that he was simply an innocent traveler that was on a ship registered in Alderaan. But the ship used its tractor beam on Luthen’s Haulcraft. Meanwhile, the captain said to prepare a boarding party that would investigate the ship. And that was when Luthen showcased the true abilities of this ship.

On top of the fact that this ship has a built-in AI that allowed Luthen to easily use the ship’s functions in any kind of situation without much difficulty, it boasted a set of unique abilities that surprised the Imperial forces manning the cruiser. There are many powerful ships in the Star Wars universe, and Luthen’s own Haulcraft could be one of them due to how surprisingly strong it is.

In episode 11, Luthen showcased its ability to resist a tractor beam when the AI droid was able to access all of the information needed to find a countermeasure against the tractor beam. It also has a hyperdrive system that is not only used for traveling at hyperspeed but at incredibly fast speeds through space.

The combat abilities are impressive as well because there are a lot of different modifications that were done to the ship to make it capable of defending itself. It was able to use a projectile system that shot a series of projectiles that destroyed the tractor beam of an entire Imperial vessel. And when the cruiser sent fighters after Luthen’s Haulcraft, it was able to use turrets that were powerful enough to destroy the Imperial fighters. These turrets were also quite precise, as it is possible that the AI drone was the one controlling them.

But the most surprising weapon was the laser that was mounted on the ship’s flanks, as it could fire a straight laser beam that could cut through any incoming attack. This laser is reminiscent of a lightsaber in terms of its effects, as Luthen was able to use this weapon to cut through two different fighters.

It is now clear that Luthen’s Haulcraft is a powerful beast that can take on an entire cruiser on its own and defeat a few fighters along the way. The ship is nothing short of a beast. But how is it that Luthen’s Haulcraft is so strong?

Well, we don’t know the exact answer to that but what we do know is that Luthen obviously had the ship modified to the degree that made it a formidable craft that he could use to defend himself when he was in a tough situation. Of course, this ship was never meant to be a maneuverable and offensive-minded fighter but it was able to showcase its ability to surprise the Imperial forces with its maneuverability and firepower.

As such, it is likely that the Imperial cruiser was not aware that a Haulcraft was capable of doing what Luthen’s ship could do, and that means that Luthen had the element of surprise. Had that been a ship that was made for combat, the Imperial cruiser would have approached it with its defenses up instead of underestimating it.

Of course, Luthen’s ship mirrors the character himself in the sense that he could also be someone that’s more than what meets the eye. We know that Luthen is a mysterious person that could be a Jedi or some other important person in the Star Wars galaxy. And the fact that his ship was seemingly just as unassuming as he is but eventually showcases its amazing capabilities could be a foreshadowing of Luthen’s own nature as well.