List of Star Wars weapons
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The fictional Star Wars universe features an intricate array of weapons that have uses and powers ranging from interpersonal combat to destroying entire space stations or even planets and solar systems in single sweeps. Some of them resemble stereotypical science fiction weapons, while others, perhaps most notably the lightsaber, are uniquely associated with the franchise. While the original trilogy's weapons were, in essence, classic space opera armaments, the Expanded Universe has some semblance of a consistent, detailed weapons technology.
Note: The items and ideas discussed in this article are fictional and only hold relevance in the scope of any piece of work relating to Star Wars© (Lucasfilm ltd.) and what is known as the Star Wars© Expanded Universe
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[edit] Ship-mounted weapons
Ship-mounted weaponry in the Star Wars universe is often found on combat craft, though some merchant vessels and other non-combat spacecraft may have armaments to deter raiders. Ship-mounted weapons range from offensive weaponry, such as Laser cannons and powerful turbolasers, to defensive emplacements such as rapid-fire quad turrets.
[edit] Personal ranged weapons
The ray gun, the standard weapon of classic science fiction, is also the most common weapon in the Star Wars universe under the name "blaster". There are many variations of blasters: pistols, carbines, cannons, assault rifles and even machine guns. For example, Princess Leia Organa wielded a sporting blaster when her ship was boarded by Darth Vader's forces, while Han Solo prefers his heavily modified blaster pistol (a BlasTech DL-44). One of the most common and well-known blasters is the E-11 blaster rifle, the standard weapon of Imperial stormtroopers. Several of the Star Wars films' fictional weapons are modified from real-life blank firing prop guns: Han Solo's pistol is a customized Mauser C96, while the stormtroopers carry Sterling submachine guns of the World War II-era German MG34 general purpose machine gun, most easily seen in the detention center break-in in Episode IV.
The average output of a blaster is about the same output the modern firearms possess or sometimes lower (Notice- as seen in ROTS) .[citation needed] The blasters supposedly operate on a Tibanna gas cartridge and a power pack, with the weapon magnetically "bottling" the Tibanna gas and then exciting it as it is fired. This is similar to the actual operation of real-world gas lasers.
[edit] Melee weapons
Sith Swords - "An alchemically-altered blade attached to an ordinary sword hilt, the Sith Sword was a match for a lightsaber when wielded by a trained Sith warrior. The alterations allow the blade to deflect blaster bolts and lightsabers, just as lightsabers themselves do. The blade also focuses the Force-energy of the user, giving the edge an unnatural sharpness. As the wielder grows more proficient in the power of the dark side, the blade becomes more deadly. In addition, Sith Swords are effective against lightsabers because of the way their alchemically altered metal refracts a lightsaber’s energy. Sith Swords do not require power cells, as lightsabers do." -From the Star Wars Dark Side Sourcebook. In Knights of the Old Republic 2 the sith blades are said to be made of cortosis, therefore making them lighsaber-resistant
Training Saber - A type of weapon used for Sith Lords, as well as temple younglings, in training. They are made out of metal and lined with microscopic, paralyzing spines from pelko bugs. Their purpose is to nonlethally simulate actual lightsaber combat, but rather than slicing skin and removing limbs, the Training Saber tears cloth and paralyzes any skin it comes in contact with. Although used for training, however, a training saber can be used to kill.
Vibroblade - Melee weapons which utilize a generator to produce high-speed sonic vibrations through the blade. Their sonic vibrations can turn a regular object into a deadly weapon, a feature not utilized in similar weapons. In Knights of the Old Republic, vibroblades can block lightsabers, although they can't deflect blaster bolts.They are unable to withstand lightsabers built during the clone wars which are of a higher quality
Force Pike - Generally used by Senate Guard and Imperial Royal Guard. The two meter long pike is used to keep any person away from important figures. But most of all it is a status weapon that in practice is hardly used.
The tip of the pole is a vibro-edged head that can knock a full-grown Wookiee unconscious and when set to maximum can rip through steel bulkheads and easily dismember most organic beings. The control settings and power generator are located at the Pike's grip. While most prominently displayed by the Emperor's Royal Guard, Force Pikes are employed by a wide variety of planetary militias and police forces. They are excellent for crowd control. Force pikes are often employed during boarding actions because they allow attackers to slice through bulkheads and airlocks and can be operated in small hallways.
Vibro-axes - Varies widely in quality and power output, although all of them have the same basic function: A power cell supplies energy to an ultrasonic vibration generator, which propels the cutting blade through thousands of microscopic vibrations per second. The result is a hand weapon that is significantly more dangerous than its unpowered counterparts.
Despite the availability of better weapons, Jabba's nine Gamorreon guards stubbornly insisted on carrying crude vibro-axes.
The vibro-axe's wooden shaft holds a hollow axe head that contains both the ultrasonic generator and the power cell. A tremendous amount of vibration is transferred down the wooden handle, and Gamorreans are among the few creatures with enough strength to handle these difficult devices.
Jabba's other guards, including a number of Weequay and Nikto warriors were considerably more practical, favouring modern weapons such as the SoroSuub DB-1 Cutter vibro-axe. This weapon has a hollow durasteel shaft with internal dampeners that absorb vibrations from the axe blade. The high-powered axe head can slice through armour plating as if it were rotting cloth, while the quick-release switch allows the user to replace a damaged axe blade in seconds. Six power cells permit up to eight hours of continuous use, while the intensity switch gives the wielder the ability to determine precisely how much damage the blade will cause. These weapons are sturdy enough to take rough handling, with superior weight distribution to make them easy to handle in combat.
Blastsword-A sword used on Adumar as a dueling sword. When activated, the weapon has a damaging region on the tip of the blade
Cortosis Staff-A staff produced by Morgukai Warriors for use in combat against Jedi. The top of the staff can produce a small plasma blade, just like a lightsaber, and the bottom has a powerful electrical generator which powers the plasma blade and emits powerful electric shocks on contact with an object. It is 1 meter tall and is very similar to the electrostaffs used by the IG-100 Magnaguards during the Clone Wars.
Amphistaff-A weapon wielded by the the Yuuzhan Vong against the new republic that was organic.It was wielded by elites against the jedi. It could transform into a snakelike creature.
[edit] Special weapons
Lightcane - a long staff-like body that was made of a material that appeared less like a metal than a type of coral or wood fiber. A red blade protruded from one end, while the opposite end had a ringed, ovoid protrusion.
Lightclaws - Similar in design to the Jedi Wrist Saber, Light Claws takes this idea a step further by adding extra blades which help the weapon to do more damage. The short blades may do as much damage as a full lightsaber, but they are inferior in combat, making it one difficulty level higher to parry attacks with them due to their short length. This has not stopped the weapon achieving popularity with Dark Jedi and Sith Assassins, who love its small size, the fact it can be hidden easily and most of all the surprise on an opponents face when the blades pop into existence from the darkness of the Assassin's sleeve.
Lightreaper - The Light Reaper is a development of the Light Saber, and was used by a number of Jedi who liked the fact that it could be used as a normal staff as well as a lightsaber, and therefore used for non-lethal combat. However the image of the weapon was also popular with Dark Jedi who liked the death implications of the Scythe to strike terror into their victims hearts. Although a Scythe is slightly harder to handle than a light saber, this is offset by the reduced chance of striking yourself with the blade, and a much increased reach with the blade.
Lightsaber - (reference material: Star Wars ep. I-VI) Elegant and sophisticated armament of the Jedi. When deactivated, a lightsaber appears as a polished metallic handle, about 30 centimeters long, lined with control studs. Once activated the energy contained within is released and forms as a shaft of pure energy about a meter long. The saber emits a distinct hum and scintillates with power. Its "blade" is capable of cutting through almost anything, save for the blade of another lightsaber.
Lightsai - Designed to be better at parrying LightSabers, the Light Sai does less damage and is harder to attack with than a normal LightSaber. Often used by Jedi Teachers to parry the random attacks of unskilled students, the Light Sai also became popular as an off hand weapon when fighting other Light Saber using opponents such as Dark Jedi. However as the weapon is more complex to construct with the energy being reflected into the three blades, Light Sai's have now become a lost art, and the only ones still used were constructed many millennia ago
Lightwhip- A lightsaber, but in the form of a whip. Silri, a nightsister, and Lumiya, the so-called "Dark Lady of the Sith." Githany, a former Jedi who turned Sith during the time of Darth Bane, also used a Lightwhip weapon. This weapon was also utillized by bounty hunter Ona Nobis in the Jedi Apprentice series.
Wrist Saber - Although easier to use without harming yourself, the Wrist Saber is a smaller less damaging version of the Light Saber. Designed and used by Dark Jedi who liked the fact that this saber was always ready for action, and was easily concealable, the design was soon adopted by Jedi undercover agents for exactly the same reasons. Like most Jedi weapons the Wrist Saber has become extremely rare after the Jedi purges, but the fact it is not an easily recognisable Jedi weapon has led to its adoption by at least one Jedi Knight attempting to avoid Imperial attention.
[edit] References
- Sansweet, Stephen J. (1998). Star Wars Encyclopedia. The Ballantine Publishing Group. ISBN 0-345-40227-8.
- Slavicsek, Bill, Collins, Andy, and Wiker, JD (2002). Revised Core Rulebook (Star Wars Roleplaying Game). Lucas Books. ISBN 0-7869-2876-X.
- Grubb, Jeff and Stephens, Owen K.C. (2002). Arms and Equipment Guide (Star Wars Roleplaying Game). Lucas Books. ISBN 0-7869-2782-8.
- Stephens, Owen K. C. (2001). Starships of the Galaxy (Star Wars Roleplaying Game). Lucas Books. ISBN 0-7869-1859-4.
- Star Wars.com (2008). Databank: Lightsaber.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Turbolaser Commentaries - a study and quantitative assessment of Star Wars turbolasers
- The Parts of Star Wars - a detailed website on the weapons of the Star Wars saga
