List of Star Wars weapons
Encyclopedia
Ship-mounted weapons
Ship-mounted weaponry in the Star WarsStar 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...
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 ....
is often found on combat craft, though some merchant vessels and other non-combat spacecraft may have armaments to deter pirates. Ship-mounted combat weapons such as laser cannons and turbolasers are used for offensive and defensive purposes, roughly analguous to thear modern equivalents.
Small ships, like the Rebel Alliance
Rebel Alliance
The Alliance to Restore the Republic is an interstellar faction of the fictional universe of Star Wars....
X-wing
X-wing
X-wings are fictional starfighters from the original Star Wars trilogy and the expanded universe. They are depicted as the primary interceptor and dogfighter of the Rebel Alliance and the New Republic...
and Y-wing
Y-wing
Y-wings are fictional Rebel Alliance and New Republic starfighters in the Star Wars universe. They appear in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, as well as the Clone Wars TV series and the Expanded Universe's...
space-fighters are often armed with proton torpedoes, which deliver a devastatingly powerful blast; the they were used to attack the main reactor of the Death Star
Death Star
The Death Star is a fictional moon-sized space station and superweapon appearing in the Star Wars movies and expanded universe. It is capable of destroying a planet with a single destructive super charged energy beam.-Origin and design:...
.
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 OrganaPrincess Leia Organa
Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe...
wielded a sporting blaster when her ship was boarded by Darth Vader
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
's forces, while 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...
prefers his heavily modified blaster pistol (a BlasTech DL-44
Blaster (Star Wars)
Blasters are ranged weapons in the Star Wars fictional universe. This category of plasma bolt-firing rayguns includes various pistols, rifles, and other powerful weapons.-Production:...
). One of the most common and well-known blasters is the E-11 blaster rifle, the standard weapon of 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. 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
Mauser C96
The Mauser C96 is a semi-automatic pistol that was originally produced by German arms manufacturer Mauser from 1896 to 1937...
, while the stormtroopers carry 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:...
s or the World War II-era German MG34 general purpose machine gun, most easily seen in the detention center break-in in Episode IV.
The bowcaster is a crossbow-like weapon carried by Chewbacca
Chewbacca
Chewbacca, also known as Chewie, is a character in the Star Wars franchise, portrayed by Peter Mayhew. In the series' narrative chronology, he appears in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
. Canonically, bowcasters were developed by the Wookiees and were a favorite weapon of theirs; other races were generally not strong enough to operate the cocking mechanism. They purportedly fired an explosive magnetically energized metal bolt called a quarrell.
Heavy ranged weapons
The Star Wars universe makes use of fictional weapons that correspond in class to those of real-world armaments, those include mortarMortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
s, grenades, land mines, missile launchers
Shoulder-launched missile weapon
A shoulder-fired missile, shoulder-launched missile or man-portable missile is a projectile fired at a target, small enough to be carried by a single person, and fired while held on one's shoulder...
, shotguns, sniper rifles, and remote explosives.
In Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. It is the third film released in the Star Wars saga, and the sixth in terms of the series' internal chronology...
, a disguised Princess Leia used a thermal detonator to help free 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...
from his carbonite prison inside Jabba the Hutt
Jabba the Hutt
Jabba the Hutt is a fictional character in George Lucas's space opera film saga Star Wars. Designed as a large, slug-like alien, his appearance has been described by film critic Roger Ebert as "Dickensian," a cross between a toad and the Cheshire Cat....
's palace, by threatening to release the fail-deadly
Fail-deadly
Fail-deadly is a concept in nuclear military strategy which encourages deterrence by guaranteeing an immediate, automatic and overwhelming response to an attack. The term fail-deadly was coined as a contrast to fail-safe.-Military usage:...
trigger if her demands were not met, impressing Jabba. The weapon has also been used in various Star Wars computer games
Star Wars computer and video games
Star Wars has spawned over one hundred computer and video games, dating back to some of the earliest home consoles. Some are based directly on movie material, with the remaining games heavily involved in the Expanded Universe.-Early history:...
, where it functions as a grenade. (i.e., Lego Star Wars II and Star Wars Battlefront II). Another weapon featured is the E-WEB heavy turret, a large, tripod mounted blaster seen in Hoth Battle, resembling a large machine gun.
Melee weapons
The Star Wars universe also makes extensive use of melee weapons, such as staffs, swordsSwords
A sword is a cutting/thrusting weapon made of metal. Sword or swords may also refer to:* Swords, County Dublin, Ireland* Suit of swords, a suit in Latin-suited playing cards and Tarot decks* SWORDS, a ground-based military robot...
, baton
Baton (law enforcement)
A truncheon or baton is essentially a club of less than arm's length made of wood, plastic, or metal...
s and whip
Whip
A whip is a tool traditionally used by humans to exert control over animals or other people, through pain compliance or fear of pain, although in some activities whips can be used without use of pain, such as an additional pressure aid in dressage...
s. The most notable of those is the Lightsaber
Lightsaber
A lightsaber is a fictional weapon in the Star Wars universe, a "laser sword." It consists of a polished metal hilt which projects a blade of light about 1.33 metres long. The lightsaber is the signature weapon of the Jedi order and their Sith counterparts, both of whom can use them for close...
. The presence of those types of weapons allows for dramatic combat sequences such as lightsaber combat.
A Gaffii Stick or Gaderiffi is a durable bladed metal staff with a heavy end which appears similar to the medieval flanged mace. It is used as the primary weapon of the Tusken Raiders
Tusken Raiders
Tusken Raiders are fictional creatures in the Star Wars universe. They are characterized as a nomadic warrior race that lives on the planet Tatooine.-Appearances in Star Wars media:...
, and is known to non-Raiders as a "Gaffii stick".
An electrostaff is a melee weapon which looks like a staff, but conducts energy fields at its ends which can cause severe damage to living tissue and inanimate objects alike. It is often utilized by General Grievous
General Grievous
General Grievous is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, an antagonist in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. He was voiced by Matthew Wood...
's bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
s, the IG-100 MagnaGuards. They are impenetrable to most weapons, including lightsaber
Lightsaber
A lightsaber is a fictional weapon in the Star Wars universe, a "laser sword." It consists of a polished metal hilt which projects a blade of light about 1.33 metres long. The lightsaber is the signature weapon of the Jedi order and their Sith counterparts, both of whom can use them for close...
s, because they are supposedly made of the rare Phrik alloy. The appearance of this weapon in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the sixth and final film released in the Star Wars saga and the third in terms of the series' internal chronology....
marked the first time a non-lightsaber weapon that could withstand the cutting power of a lightsaber in a Star Wars film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
was used.
Other Star Wars media has extended the types of those weapons known to be used. The amphistaff is the primary anti-personnel living
Organism
In biology, an organism is any contiguous living system . In at least some form, all organisms are capable of response to stimuli, reproduction, growth and development, and maintenance of homoeostasis as a stable whole.An organism may either be unicellular or, as in the case of humans, comprise...
weapon of the Yuuzhan Vong
Yuuzhan Vong
The Yuuzhan Vong are a group of fictional characters from the Star Wars Expanded Universe. They rise as a threat to the New Republic in the New Jedi Order series of novels....
. Amphistaff scales can produce an edge harder than a diamond's that can stop a lightsaber. In addition to its default staff/spear
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
configuration, an amphistaff can be wielded as a whip or flail
Flail (weapon)
The flail is a hand weapon derived from the agricultural tool.The handle is attached to the striking part of a weapon by a flexible chain or cord...
by selectively hardening parts of its body.
Vibroweapons are a highly lethal class of melee weapon that utilize a generator, usually located on the weapon's hilt, to create supersonic
Supersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
vibrations. Many variations of vibroweapon exist; due to the adaptable nature of vibroweapon generators, vibroweapons can be made out of axes, pikes, knives, and swords. Vibroweapons have been used by characters in various media, such as Lando Calrissian
Lando Calrissian
Lando Calrissian is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He is portrayed by Billy Dee Williams in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
from the Star Wars movies and Mission Vao from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by LucasArts. It was released for the Xbox on July 15, 2003, for Microsoft Windows on November 19, 2003, and on September 7, 2004 for Mac OS X. The Xbox version is playable on Xbox 360 with its...
.
Lightsabers
External links
- The Parts of Star Wars - a detailed website on the weapons of the Star Wars saga