10 Stupidest Ever Things Done In Star Wars Movies
2. Many Bothans Died To Lay This Trap
The Bothan spynet is responsible for bringing the news to the Rebel Alliance that the Death Star II is at Endor, and that the Emperor is on board. This knowledge forms the basis of the Rebel Alliance's plan to attack and destroy the half-built battle station and kill the Emperor. It leads directly to the climactic battle at the end of Return Of The Jedi. As Mon Mothma gravely states, many Bothans died to bring the Rebels this information.
Those many Bothans failed to notice the Death Star was actually fully operational, and capable of swatting the Rebel fleet out of space with its main laser.
This is a pretty horrendous intelligence failure for the supposedly first-rate Bothan spynet. In fact, if the Emperor's plan was to use himself as bait to get the Rebels to attack the Death Star II, the Bothans played their part in it perfectly.
If it wasn't for an equally total failure to adequately defend the shield generator on the moon of Endor, the spynet's information would have helped the Empire wipe out the Rebel Alliance for good.