As seen in Rogue One. Doesn't that make the whole "waiting for Yavin 5 to be in range" moment at the end of Star Wars kinda stupid? They could have simply traveled in an instant to the right spot and fired.
It always could. It does in this movie as well.
shareI haven't seen Rogue One in a while. But that is a forced retcon on a New Hope. So it's more the fault of the writers of Rogue One than it is the writers of a New Hope which was made over 30 years prior.
shareIt's not a retcon. The Death Star does light speed in both movies.
shareI don't recall it doing that. I guess it would have had to though to get from Alderon to the planet the rebel base was on.
shareIt's not explicitly stated, but it is implied. Also, all the source materials have always stated that the Death Stars have lightspeed capabilities. It wasn't a new idea for Rogue One....
shareCommander #1 : We've analyzed their attack, sir, and there is a danger. Should I have the Death Star jump to lightspeed?
Governor Tarkin : Jump to lightspeed? In our moment of triumph? I think you overestimate their chances... Although, now you mention it, maybe we could just jump through Yavin IV RIGHT NOW to destroy it rather than wait for that rather redundant lazer to get in range...
“Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, boy! Without precise calculations we could fly right through a star or bounce too close to a supernova and that'd end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?”
Basically the explanation is that hyperspace is more like flight lanes lying outside their dimension. It requires careful precision, and initiating warp speed probably requires a large open space pointed away from any planetary bodies. Trying to hyper-speed their way a few thousand miles to another point in orbit would end very badly for them or wind up placing them in a wrong location entirely.