Blaster (Star Wars)
Encyclopedia
Blasters are ranged weapons in the Star Wars
fictional universe
. This category of plasma bolt-firing raygun
s includes various pistol
s, rifle
s, and other powerful weapons.
ed versions of real world rifles, machine gun
s, submachine gun
s, and pistols. For example, the E-11 blaster carbine used by Imperial stormtrooper
s was based on the Sterling submachine gun
, and Han Solo
's DL-44 blaster pistol was based on the German Mauser C96
. Functional Sterlings firing blank cartridges were used in some scenes with the laser bolt added later in post-production
. These blank cartridges are responsible for the muzzle flash seen on screen and, in some scenes, the cartridges themselves can be seen being ejected from the guns, or the actual sound of the blank cartridge is not dubbed over by a sound effect.
made the sound for the blaster by smacking his wedding ring on a taut metal cable.
and the New Republic
. The A295 blaster rifle was seen in the hands of Rebel Alliance soldiers during the Battle of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. A similar weapon, the A280 blaster rifle, was seen in the hands of Rebel Alliance commandos during the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi. Link to image
The BlasTech A295 blaster rifle prop that was seen in The Empire Strikes Back was built from the World War II
-era German Sturmgewehr 44
assault rifle. The A280 blaster rifles used by the Rebel Alliance commandos in Return of the Jedi were built from parts and components from the M-16/AR-15
/M4
series rifles, especially parts and components from Colt Commando rifles, with cosmetic features added to simulate the appearance of the A295 blaster rifles from The Empire Strikes Back. This blaster appeared on Star Wars Battlefront series for the Rebel alliance.
/New Republic Navy officers. It is primarily designed for ship use, where it can pierce blaster armor although not a ship's hull.
In the films, the DH-17 prop, like the E-11 prop, was based on the Sterling submachine gun
.
and Luke Skywalker
carried this weapon.
This weapon is based on the German Mauser C96
. Link to image
s based on Tatooine
. Due to its greater shooting range it is known to be used as an anti-aircraft weapon to shoot down such vehicles as the swoop bike, or even light airspeeders. The DLT-19 is based on the German MG-34
machine gun. In the Star Wars Battlefront series, it is used as a sniper rifle more than a normal rifle. Link to image
.
The E-11 blaster rifle is the standard-issue weapon for Imperial stormtrooper
in the film series. It is a usable weapon in all games of the Dark Forces series
Link to image
clone troopers. This was seen being carried by a majority of clone troopers in Attack of the Clones
and Revenge of the Sith. It is unusual in that it is one of the only blasters that fire blue laser beams which cause an electromagnetic pulse
to kill droids; the majority fire red or green laser beams. The DC-15A blaster rifle that the majority of the Clone Troopers carry in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith is based on parts from the German MG-34 General Purpose Machine Gun from World War II, which was used as the basis weapon for the BlasTech DLT-19 Heavy Blaster Rifle in the Original Trilogy, and components from the BlasTech E-11 Blaster Rifle that were carried by the Imperial Stormtroopers from the original Star Wars trilogy. The DC-15A is the longer blaster that can be seen carried by standard clones in the Battlefront series as well as in several of the movies. The DC-15A is a true rifle, while the DC-15 is more of a carbine style weapon. it can be seen in heavy use in the Clone Wars TV episodes.Link to image: DC-15A blaster pistol Link to image: Dc-15 blaster rifle
. There is also another DC-17 hand blaster, which is a pistol. It can be seen used by Captain Rex, also known as CC-7567, in most if not all of the Clone Wars episodes he appears in.
is known to carry at least one disruptor.
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
fictional universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
. This category of plasma bolt-firing raygun
Raygun
Rayguns are a type of fictional directed-energy weapon. They have various alternate names: ray gun, death ray, beam gun, blaster, laser gun, phaser, etc. They are a well-known feature of science fiction; for such stories they typically have the general function of guns...
s includes various pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
s, rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
s, and other powerful weapons.
Production
Blaster props in the Star Wars movies are redressRedress
In film, a redress is the redecoration of an existing movie set, so that it can double for another set. This saves the trouble and expenses of constructing a second, new set, though they face the difficulty of doing it so the average viewer does not notice the same set is reused...
ed versions of real world rifles, machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s, submachine gun
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
s, and pistols. For example, the E-11 blaster carbine used by Imperial stormtrooper
Imperial stormtrooper
The Imperial Stormtroopers are fictional soldiers from George Lucas' Star Wars universe. Stormtroopers are the soldiers of the imperial army under the leadership of the evil Sith Lord and Emperor Palpatine and his commanders, most notably Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin.They are shown in...
s was based on the Sterling submachine gun
Sterling submachine gun
The Sterling submachine gun is a British submachine gun which was in service with the British Army from 1944 until 1994, when it was phased out with the introduction of the L85A1 assault rifle.-History:...
, and Han Solo
Han Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise played by Harrison Ford. Introduced in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca , become involved in the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire...
's DL-44 blaster pistol was based on the German Mauser C96
Mauser C96
The Mauser C96 is a semi-automatic pistol that was originally produced by German arms manufacturer Mauser from 1896 to 1937...
. Functional Sterlings firing blank cartridges were used in some scenes with the laser bolt added later in post-production
Post-production
Post-production is part of filmmaking and the video production process. It occurs in the making of motion pictures, television programs, radio programs, advertising, audio recordings, photography, and digital art...
. These blank cartridges are responsible for the muzzle flash seen on screen and, in some scenes, the cartridges themselves can be seen being ejected from the guns, or the actual sound of the blank cartridge is not dubbed over by a sound effect.
Depiction
Blasters come in a variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from handheld to shipmounted weapons. Ben BurttBen Burtt
Benjamin "Ben" Burtt, Jr. is an American sound designer who has worked on various films including: the Star Wars and Indiana Jones film series, Invasion of the Body Snatchers , E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial , and WALL-E...
made the sound for the blaster by smacking his wedding ring on a taut metal cable.
Technology
Common blaster weapons use high-energy gas as ammunition, activated by a power cell and converted into plasma. The plasma is released from a magnetic bottle effect to fire through collimating components as a coherent energy bolt. Inherent instabilities limit the ability to precisely aim a blaster bolt, but knowing one's weapon well can strengthen marksmanship. Plasma energy is dissipated as the bolt travels, limiting range as the energy becomes incoherent. Longer range is developed by longer collimating tubes, which align the plasma energy carrier waves more closely through additional galvan circuitry.Examples of Star Wars blasters
These are some types of blasters shown or described in the Star Wars stories.A295/A280 blaster rifle
The BlasTech A295 blaster rifle is the standard-issue blaster rifle among the soldiers of the Rebel AllianceRebel Alliance
The Alliance to Restore the Republic is an interstellar faction of the fictional universe of Star Wars....
and the New Republic
New Republic (Star Wars)
The New Republic is a government in the fictional Star Wars universe.When the Rebel Alliance re-established the Old Galactic Republic after the downfall of the Galactic Empire, it became known as the New Republic, just as the original Galactic Republic had become known as the Old Republic by that...
. The A295 blaster rifle was seen in the hands of Rebel Alliance soldiers during the Battle of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. A similar weapon, the A280 blaster rifle, was seen in the hands of Rebel Alliance commandos during the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi. Link to image
The BlasTech A295 blaster rifle prop that was seen in The Empire Strikes Back was built from the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
-era German Sturmgewehr 44
Sturmgewehr 44
The StG 44 was an assault rifle developed in Nazi Germany during World War II and was the first of its kind to see major deployment, considered by many historians to be the first modern assault rifle...
assault rifle. The A280 blaster rifles used by the Rebel Alliance commandos in Return of the Jedi were built from parts and components from the M-16/AR-15
AR-15
The AR-15 is a lightweight, 5.56 mm, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed semi-automatic rifle, with a rotating-lock bolt, actuated by direct impingement gas operation. It is manufactured with the extensive use of aluminum alloys and synthetic materials....
/M4
M4 Carbine
The M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,...
series rifles, especially parts and components from Colt Commando rifles, with cosmetic features added to simulate the appearance of the A295 blaster rifles from The Empire Strikes Back. This blaster appeared on Star Wars Battlefront series for the Rebel alliance.
DH-17 blaster pistol
The BlasTech DH-17 is used by both the Imperial Navy and Rebel AllianceRebel Alliance
The Alliance to Restore the Republic is an interstellar faction of the fictional universe of Star Wars....
/New Republic Navy officers. It is primarily designed for ship use, where it can pierce blaster armor although not a ship's hull.
In the films, the DH-17 prop, like the E-11 prop, was based on the Sterling submachine gun
Sterling submachine gun
The Sterling submachine gun is a British submachine gun which was in service with the British Army from 1944 until 1994, when it was phased out with the introduction of the L85A1 assault rifle.-History:...
.
DL-44 blaster pistol
The BlasTech DL-44 is a civilian issue weapon very popular among space traders and smugglers. Han SoloHan Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise played by Harrison Ford. Introduced in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca , become involved in the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire...
and Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
carried this weapon.
This weapon is based on the German Mauser C96
Mauser C96
The Mauser C96 is a semi-automatic pistol that was originally produced by German arms manufacturer Mauser from 1896 to 1937...
. Link to image
DLT-19 heavy blaster rifle
The BlasTech DLT-19 is the standard-issue heavy blaster rifle carried by Imperial stormtrooperImperial stormtrooper
The Imperial Stormtroopers are fictional soldiers from George Lucas' Star Wars universe. Stormtroopers are the soldiers of the imperial army under the leadership of the evil Sith Lord and Emperor Palpatine and his commanders, most notably Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin.They are shown in...
s based on Tatooine
Tatooine
Tatooine is a fictional planet and setting for many key scenes in the Star Wars saga, appearing in every Star Wars film except The Empire Strikes Back, although it is mentioned at the end of the movie...
. Due to its greater shooting range it is known to be used as an anti-aircraft weapon to shoot down such vehicles as the swoop bike, or even light airspeeders. The DLT-19 is based on the German MG-34
MG 34
The Maschinengewehr 34, or MG 34, is a German air-cooled machine gun that was first produced and accepted into service in 1934, and first issued to units in 1935. It accepts the 8x57mm IS cartridge....
machine gun. In the Star Wars Battlefront series, it is used as a sniper rifle more than a normal rifle. Link to image
E-11 blaster rifle
In the films, the E-11 prop was made from the British Sterling submachine gunSterling submachine gun
The Sterling submachine gun is a British submachine gun which was in service with the British Army from 1944 until 1994, when it was phased out with the introduction of the L85A1 assault rifle.-History:...
.
The E-11 blaster rifle is the standard-issue weapon for Imperial stormtrooper
Imperial stormtrooper
The Imperial Stormtroopers are fictional soldiers from George Lucas' Star Wars universe. Stormtroopers are the soldiers of the imperial army under the leadership of the evil Sith Lord and Emperor Palpatine and his commanders, most notably Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin.They are shown in...
in the film series. It is a usable weapon in all games of the Dark Forces series
Star Wars: Dark Forces (video game series)
Star Wars: Jedi Knight, originally known as Star Wars: Dark Forces, is a first-person shooter video game series based on the fictional Star Wars universe. The series primarily focuses on Kyle Katarn, a character from the Star Wars Expanded Universe...
Link to image
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DC-15
The DC-15 blaster rifle is a common weapon used by the RepublicGalactic Republic (Star Wars)
The Galactic Republic is the name of the interplanetary State used in the fictional Star Wars universe prior to the establishment of the Galactic Empire. The form of this government, created by the Senate, was introduced in the Prequel Trilogy. By the time of the original Star Wars trilogy, it is...
clone troopers. This was seen being carried by a majority of clone troopers in Attack of the Clones
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales. It is the fifth film to be released in the Star Wars saga and the second in terms of the series' internal chronology...
and Revenge of the Sith. It is unusual in that it is one of the only blasters that fire blue laser beams which cause an electromagnetic pulse
Electromagnetic pulse
An electromagnetic pulse is a burst of electromagnetic radiation. The abrupt pulse of electromagnetic radiation usually results from certain types of high energy explosions, especially a nuclear explosion, or from a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field...
to kill droids; the majority fire red or green laser beams. The DC-15A blaster rifle that the majority of the Clone Troopers carry in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith is based on parts from the German MG-34 General Purpose Machine Gun from World War II, which was used as the basis weapon for the BlasTech DLT-19 Heavy Blaster Rifle in the Original Trilogy, and components from the BlasTech E-11 Blaster Rifle that were carried by the Imperial Stormtroopers from the original Star Wars trilogy. The DC-15A is the longer blaster that can be seen carried by standard clones in the Battlefront series as well as in several of the movies. The DC-15A is a true rifle, while the DC-15 is more of a carbine style weapon. it can be seen in heavy use in the Clone Wars TV episodes.Link to image: DC-15A blaster pistol Link to image: Dc-15 blaster rifle
DC-17
The DC-17m rifle is a modified DC-15 rifle. Differences include RPG anti-armor rounds and intensified plasma rounds. It is the primary player weapon in Star Wars: Republic CommandoStar Wars: Republic Commando
Star Wars: Republic Commando is a first-person shooter Star Wars video game, released in the US on March 1, 2005. It was developed and published by LucasArts for the Microsoft Windows and Xbox platforms. The game uses Epic Games' Unreal Engine...
. There is also another DC-17 hand blaster, which is a pistol. It can be seen used by Captain Rex, also known as CC-7567, in most if not all of the Clone Wars episodes he appears in.
Disruptors
Disruptors are a very powerful special form of blaster. They are illegal in most systems due to their extreme power. Disruptors destroy matter at a molecular level, so with some models, getting your finger shot off will result in the instant disintegration of your hand, and your body will eventually become disintegrated as well. Boba FettBoba Fett
Boba Fett is a character in Star Wars. A bounty hunter hired by Darth Vader to find the Millennium Falcon, he is a minor villain in both Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi....
is known to carry at least one disruptor.