Star Destroyers are iconic vessels of the fictional universe of Star Wars. Star Destroyers are depicted as large dagger-shaped and extremely well-armed warships, serving in the thousands in the immense Imperial Starfleet and elsewhere, including in the service of the Galactic Republic, the New Republic, the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances — and possibly even in the corporate war fleets of the Confederacy of Independent Systems.
Imperial-class Star Destroyer
editThe term "Star Destroyer" most often refers to the common dagger-hulled combat vessels used by the Empire in the three films of the original Star Wars trilogy. These ships are commonly referred to as Imperial-class Star Destroyers, their official designation as of a short time after the declaration of the newly formed Empire. During the earliest weeks of Imperial regime and the latter days of the Clone Wars, the class was known as the Imperator-class. This is regarded as the most common class of Star Destroyer, and one of the most important symbols of the Galactic Empire, serving the Imperial fleet for at least five decades. When the term "Star Destroyer" is used without further qualification, it usually refers to ships of this class.
All Imperial-class variants are said to be 1,600 meters (approximately one mile) long, with three large and four small engines capable of accelerating the ship with a force of several thousand g and a hyperdrive capable of carrying them across the galaxy in a matter of weeks. Imperial-class Star Destroyers carry a complement of at least 37,000 staff, including officers, technicians and computer operators, fighter pilots, and support-craft crew. These vessels also carry a full complement of 9,700 stormtroopers which brings the overall total to 46,700 men. In service with the New Republic (forged by the heroes of the Rebel Alliance after the end of the movie saga) the crews were reduced to about 28,000 men. Although some Mon Calamari Cruisers are considered equivalent to the Imperial Star Destroyers in space combat, the latter has no documented equal in its multiple roles for support and planetary assault.
There are two subtypes of Imperial-class Star Destroyers: the Mark I and Mark II designs. This distinction that seems to reflect the two distinct VFX models used in the Star Wars films; on a Mark I ship, the tractor beam array at the top of the superstructure sometimes stands up to look like a tall, X-shaped structure, while the Mark II has the same array on its side to look flat. At other times the Mark I array appears in repose, as in the Battles of Hoth and Endor. More permanent variations include differences in weaponry (discussed below), and three small baffles arranged 60° apart around the main exhaust nozzles at the stern of the ISD-I. The Mark I was the only ISD type featured in A New Hope. A mixture of Mark I and Mark II vessels appear in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
Naming debate
editWhile most Star Wars lore describes the Star Destroyer as an "Imperial-class" ship, an alternative designation Imperator-class also exists, and the priority of the two names is a source of contention between some fans.
The Imperator-class name apparently originates in a set of blueprints produced in 1978 attributed to "Geoffrey Mandel" and packaged with Lucasfilm copyright. One Geoffrey Mandel, possibly the same man, is a well-known TV and film graphic artist, perhaps best-known for his work on Star Trek. However some fans allege that in 1978 he was a nineteen-year-old fan. These fans — proponents for the second-generation "Imperial-class" literature — allege that the blueprints were a work of fan-art (albeit a high-quality piece). They also cite the differences between the drawings and the actual ISD.
However, the Lucasfilm copyright marks on the packaging undermine this theory. Further, differences between the drawing and the actual Star Destroyers seen in the films are present in other official drawings and spec sheets, as seen in the ISB or EGVV. What are these?
Copies of Mandel's blueprints continued to circulate in fandom and collector shops. Twenty years later, they were recognized as "rare but official" early material by online fans including the Star Wars Technical Commentaries website. The label was subsequently reaffirmed and reconciled in the Incredible Cross-Sections guide for Revenge of the Sith: it explains that "Imperator-class" was the original, 'correct' designation, but was politically re-dubbed Imperial-class Star Destroyer after the Jedi Purge.
The Imperial-class designation, which seems to have originated in Star Wars Role-playing game material in the later 1980s, remains the designation used in most official material. Incredible Cross-Sections allows that the type was renamed to Imperial-class following the declaration of the Galactic Empire by Palpatine, while the official Star Wars Databank leaves the exact relationship between the prototype Imperator-class and the iconic Imperial-class of the movies somewhat vague. The two names will be used interchangeably in this document, as both are official.
Features
editMain bridge
edit The main bridge of all known Imperial ships has the same basic layout. The outermost part features nine triangular viewports. The center contains two crewpits which house the control consoles for the ship; between these, the command walkway. To the right and left sides of the bridge are two alcoves containing the weapons and defense stations. Behind the bridge are the communications stations, a turbolift, and a HoloNet pod for ship-to-ship communications.
On the level directly beneath the bridge is the main navigation complex.
Weapons
editA single Imperial Star Destroyer is said to have sufficient firepower to overwhelm almost any warship deployed by enemies of the Empire, and to be capable of reducing a hostile planet to an uninhabitable ruin. Later Rebel Alliance ships, particularly Mon Calamari Cruisers, could be a match for a Star Destroyer individually - although greatly outnumbered as a class.
The ISD-I carries batteries of four massive double-barreled turrets on either side of the main superstructure, with smaller visible gun-emplacements on the centerline and in the notches on the edge of the hull. On the ISD-II, eight-barreled guns in open mountings replace the larger turrets.
Published specifications contrast with this appearance. They give the ISD-I an armament of 60 turbolasers, 60 ion cannons, and 10 tractor beam projectors. They also give the ISD-II 50 turbolasers, 50 heavy turbolasers, 20 ion cannons, and 10 tractor beam projectors.
Both models can house a full wing of 72 Imperial TIEs organized into 12-fighter squadrons. At the time of the Battle of Yavin, a standard wing included 4 TIE fighter squadrons, 1 TIE Interceptor squadron, and 1 TIE Bomber squadron. By the Battle of Endor, one of the fighter squadrons was replaced with an interceptor squadron. At least one ship, NRS Rebel Dream, featured an enlarged hangar bay, but it is unknown if a greater number of fighters were carried.
Star Destroyers also carry ground forces. Expanded Universe literature places several thousand troops, a prefabricated base for rapid subjugation of rebellious territories, 20 AT-ATs, and 30 AT-STs. According to such sources, Imperial Star Destroyers also carried support craft and drop ships, including the Y85 Titan Dropship and the Sentinel-class Shuttle. They also had 8 Lambda-class shuttles.
Sensor globes or shield generators
editThe geodesic domes located on and around the bridge superstructure of Star Destroyers and related ships are a topic of debate among some fans. Some say they are sensor globes; some say they are shield generators.
When the Executor's globe exploded during the Battle of Endor, a crewman said that the shields were down. Some fans said the two events happening at the same time linked them canonically; others disagreed, saying the timing was coincidental.
Official literature has affirmed both sides of this argument.
Inside the Worlds of Star Wars shows the bridge area of the Executor and declares the globes to be sensor globes. However, it also places backup bridge shield generators in the base of the domes. This would neatly explain why the bridge was vulnerable to being rammed by an errant A-Wing after the attack on the globes, while favoring the sensor globe explanation.
Many older reference books such as The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels and The Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology label the pair of globes on top of the bridge as "Deflector Shield Generators".
The use of the globes as shield generators is also evident in LucasArts' X-Wing and TIE Fighter computer games, where the shields of a Star Destroyer are knocked out if the two generators above the bridge are destroyed. This strategy is also used during combat against Star Destroyers in Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader for Nintendo Gamecube, where the globes are referred to as shield generators - along with the hemisphere on the ship's underside. In the MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies, the globes are clearly labeled in the targeting system as "Shield" and "Secondary Shield"
Richard Edlund, who was in charge of visual effects for Return of the Jedi, described the spheres as "radar domes" in a 1983 interview by Cinefex magazine in which he discussed the demise of the 'Executor'.
Vulnerable underbelly
editIn the Thrawn Trilogy written by Timothy Zahn, when Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Garm Bel Iblis, Talon Karrde, Mara Jade, Wedge Antilles, and Leia Organa Solo were trying to capture the Katana Fleet, Imperial Star Destroyers were involved in a battle. It was said that the forward ventral sensors were knocked out, thus giving the pirates "free rein of the Star Destroyer's underside". This implies that there are only two sensor stations that are solely responsible for targeting and detection.
Areas of service
editImperial service
editImperial-class Star Destroyers had a distinguished career in the Imperial Starfleet, where they symbolized the Empire's military might, for better or worse. The name of the prototype Imperator, bestowed in the last years of the Old Republic, is in the real-world the Latin word for commander as well as emperor, and later names such as Imperial and Empire (the name of the lead ship of the Mark II subclass) stressed the role of the class as primary instruments of military autocracy.
The exact number of these ships in service is disputed among fans. No more than about forty are seen on-screen in Return of the Jedi. According to official literature, the Imperial Fleet had a peak strength of "over 25,000 Star Destroyers."
This official figure is accepted by the majority of fans. A small but vocal minority prefer fanon figures giving the Empire millions of Imperial Star Destroyers. Another small but vocal minority of fans suggest that no more than a few thousand of the 25,000 were Imperial-class ships, with the majority being smaller types such as Victory-class ships.
Some Star Destroyers were destroyed in the fractious warfare that followed the death of Emperor Palpatine at Endor. Others heeded the summons of Palpatine's clone, and rallied secretly in the Deep Core. Others defected to (or were captured by) Rebels. The majority of the surrendered vessels were decommissioned, but some remained in service in the New Republic's navy; (see below).
Imperial-class star destroyers are identified as the centerpiece of Superiority Fleets, used by local sector-level forces to scour Imperial space clear of enemy warships (i.e., Rebel ships). Within each Superiority Fleet, six ISDs served as the command ships for component formations known as "Battle Squadrons."
ISDs have also been observed to operate more or less independently, or in pairs as guard ships on important worlds. By the time of the final peace between the remnants of the Empire and the heirs of the Rebellion, the eight remaining sector fleets of what was left of Imperial Space still centered around the Imperial-class Star Destroyer, with around a dozen such ships per Sector, but they often operated as battle lines without support from smaller vessels, and may have been refitted to carry more defensive weaponry on their own hulls, making them more capable of fending off fighter and gunship attack.
Some fans claim the ships were light warships, equating them with real-life destroyers. Much larger ships appear within the Star Wars saga; these would then be Star Cruisers, and Star Dreadnaughts. Some warships smaller than Star Destroyers would then be Star Frigates. However, even the largest of the bigger warships are often called "Star Destroyers," as Admiral Ackbar refers to the 'Executor' in the Battle of Endor. Further irking these fans is the fact that frigates and cruisers a small fraction of the size of a Star Destroyer are also present in Star Wars.
Scores of Imperial-class ships are shown as forming the vanguard of Imperial battle-fleets. At the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi, there were about forty Imperial-class destroyers and one Super Star Destroyer.
In other Star Wars lore, a battlefleet charged with defending the Imperial Core Worlds had one Super Star Destroyer and fifty-seven other capital ships, while Grand Admiral Josef Grunger's fleet consisted of one Super Star Destroyer, thirty Star Destroyers, and almost 200 smaller ships, and the fleet assembled by Admiral Daala included one Super Star Destroyer, more than forty Imperial-class ships, and more than a hundred Victory-class ships. A fleet at the center of the Empire's strategies for defending the Outer Rim, Black Sword Command, contained about forty Imperial-class and Victory-class Star Destroyers and three Super Star Destroyers, but one of these SSDs was simply fitting out at a shipyard within the command's jurisdiction, and it is not impossible that at least one of the others was merely under construction.
New Republic service
editThe Imperial-class (or Imperator-class) Star Destroyer has also appeared in the forces of other space-defense navies. A number were commissioned into the private defense-fleet of the shipyard system of Kuat where they were initially designed, while the independent monarchy that ruled the Hapes Star Cluster was able to seize some vessels during their war against Imperial occupation. After the fall of the Empire, Star Destroyers were most visible in the armadas of the New Republic, the successor-state formed by the heroes of the Rebellion such as Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, and Han Solo. The refits implemented by that government often involved structural modifications, and generally required a much smaller crew. These revisions resulted in a lack of capability to deploy planetary-assault soldiers and greatly reduced endurance, as the New Republic Defense Force doctrine operated ships on relatively short patrols and deemphasized armies of occupation.
The New Republic initially chose to focus on Mon Calamari Star Cruisers instead of the Imperial-class, which was apparently too much of a symbol of Imperial might to deploy in large numbers. Many of those used by the heirs of the Rebellion were symbolically high-profile prizes of war, such as the Accuser and Adjudicator captured at the Battle of Endor, the Avarice which defected during the Bacta War, and the Tyrant which had once been part of Darth Vader's personal fleet; renamed Emancipator, Liberator, Freedom and Rebel Dream respectively
Some Victory-class Star Destroyers were used during the early years of the New Republic, perhaps because the Victory was a symbol of the Old Republic's military machine, or perhaps more simply because its designer had joined the Rebellion as opposed to the creators of the Imperial-class design which remained loyal to the Empire.
In later years, however, after the end of the Galactic Civil War, the use of Imperial-class ships apparently became regarded as much more acceptable to the heirs of the Rebellion, with many new ships like the Mon Mothma being named for former heroes of the Rebel Alliance.
Private service
editWithin the Expanded Universe, one Imperial-class Star Destroyer is in private hands, the Errant Venture (formerly the HIMS Virulence), captained by the smuggler and rogue Booster Terrik. It was captured several years after the Battle of Endor during the Bacta War against Ysanne Isard, but was in poor condition for many years owing to the great cost of maintaining such a large vessel, and it had been stripped of the vast majority of her armament: only ten turbolasers were permitted, and even those were not always functional. Years later, she received a comprehensive refit in exchange for use in a New Republic special-operations raid on an Imperial base, including a deep red paint job to replace the classic Imperial white. While Captain Terrik was not permitted to keep all of his weapons after the operation, they were reinstated during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, and, according to rumor, were augmented by a ship-killing superlaser. During the Vong invasion, the Errant Venture served as a temporary Jedi sanctuary and also as squadron flagship in the forces that rallied to defeat the Yuuzhan Vong. No other demilitarized and nominally civilian Star Destroyers in are known to exist, although in practice, some ex-Imperial ships like the pirate flagship Invidious were little different in their capabilities than the Errant Venture at some stages of her career.
Individual ship names
editSee List of capital ships in Star Wars: X-wing for the names of some of the Imperial-class Star Destroyers in service before the Battle of Hoth.
Other Star Destroyers
editOf course, the iconic Imperial-class Star Destroyer is not the only "Star Destroyer" in Star Wars: in the movies alone, the Venator-class attack cruisers of Revenge of the Sith, Darth Vader's massive command ship Executor, and even the cigar-shaped Separatist flagship The Invisible Hand @mdash; all could be said to be "Star Destroyers".
Beyond a simple physical description, it has proven hard to find a precise definition of the term "Star Destroyer" that satisfies all of the franchise's fans. Most official products call the Imperial-class Star Destroyer, arguably the most famous of the group, a cruiser. Some fans believe that a "Star Destroyer" is a destroyer in the traditional naval sense, and that such a destroyer must be a relatively medium-sized ship. Translations of Star Wars literature into non-English languages generally support this definition. Both of these claims are questioned by other fans, but it must be admitted that the largest battleships are many times larger than the commonplace Imperial-class. Some of the largest warships are known in recent Expanded Universe materials as Star Dreadnoughts.
In the original draft scripts of the movie that would become Star Wars, it can be noted that the term "Stardestroyer" (as a compound word) referred to two-man fighters flown by what would become the Galactic Empire in later versions. During the classic era of Star Wars merchandising (1976–1983), preproduction artworks and some published literature perpetuated the compound word as a reference to the large, movie versions of Imperial warships.
Confederacy of Independent Systems Star Destroyers
editThe cigar-shaped Separatist cruisers seen in Revenge of the Sith have been called Star Destroyers by some fans, even though no canonical sources refer to them as such. While their capabilities and power levels are comparable to Old Republic and Imperial Star Destroyers, they are depicted solely as components of the CIS starfleet. For purposes of this article, such ships are considered to be Star Destroyers.
Providence-class destroyer
editA type of ship used by the Trade Federation and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, this class was not the standard and more effective "dagger" shape favored by the Republic and later Empire. Instead it was a tapered cylinder, looking more like a Coruscanti skyscraper laid on its side then a warship. At 1,088 meters in length it was larger then the Republic's Victory class but smaller than Star Destroyers later fielded by the Republic. The standard ships apparently had limited hangar facilities, a limitation corrected in some variants. The variants had extended hangars at the expense of engine space, but were capable of 2,500 Gs in open space and 2,000 kph in atmosphere. It has been claimed that these craft lacked direct power feeds from the reactor to the guns. However their offensive armament included a large number of proton torpedo launchers.
The reactor power of the Invisible Hand (12,000 tons per second fuel annihilation) is within the band of vessels classed as Destroyers (e.g. between Venator with 40,000 tons/s and Recusant-class with 8,600 tons/s), rather than the lower power of Star Frigates (e.g. Munificent with 2,300 tons/s).
There is some dispute as to whether this class is to be considered a "Star Destroyer". Critics claim that it was only called such "in passing" and raise the possibility of it being slang. Nevertheless, since there is no clear evidence against this designation, canon policy mandates we accept it as true, and the page will assume thus until proven otherwise.
Invisible Hand-type
editWith a known production run of 3 ships, this Providence variant saw limited use in the Clone Wars. When Viceroy Gunray commissioned this ship, he had them remove the aft reactors, fuel stores, and some of the engine components to make room for a massive hangar. The result was a significant weakening of the ship in return for an extravagant hangar facility. When General Grievous assumed command of Confederacy's armed forces, he seized this ship as his personal vessel to insult the Viceroy, who had previously and repeatedly insulted him. Two sister ships were commissioned, the Lucid Voice and Collicoid Swarm, and they were used in a disinformation campaign to keep Republic spies unable to pinpoint Grievous' exact location.
The modifications to this ship left it with a reduced and weakened armament. It now carried only 14 quad turbolaser turrets, 34 dual laser cannons, 2 ion cannons, 12 point-defense ion cannons, 102 proton torpedo launchers, and an unknown number of point-defense flak cannons. It carried 240 droid starfighters, 160 Mobile Troop Transports, and 280 assorted droid vehicles. For infantry duty it caried up to 1.5 million deactivated droids, and had a crew of 600.
In Revenge of the Sith: Incredible Cross-Sections, it is called in what is apparently intended to be a technical capacity a "Modified Providence-class carrier/destroyer". This class has a similar basis for its claim as a Star Destroyer as the Providence-class, and as such is similarly disputed by others.
Galactic Empire Star Destroyers
editThis section will obviously disclude the previously analyzed Imperial- or Imperator-class Star Destroyer (the two being one and the same).
The most renowned user of Star Destroyer-type ships was the tyrannical Galactic Empire. The menacing profile of a huge Star Destroyer became a symbol of Imperial might and domination, and many Rebel convoys and even militarized armadas were punished by Imperial-class warships acting as sector defense ships and blockade enforcers, either with impoundment or total destruction (and sometimes both, as evidenced by the off-record capture and annihilation of the Tantive IV, consular ship of Princess Leia Organa). At nearly all major engagements of the war, Star Destroyers were present. The Navy's standard Imperial-class ship was 1,600 meters long, but the term "Star Destroyer" was also loosely applied as slang to larger ships, including massive star battleships stretching more than ten miles from bow to stern. For the purposes of this particular section, only sub-Imperial-class or ships roughly equal to the Imperial-class will be overviewed.
Tector-class Star Destroyer
edit The existence of the Tector-class is established in the Revenge of the Sith Incredible Cross-Sections fact book.
A Tector-class Star Destroyer may have been seen during the Battle of Endor. The alleged Tector-class vessel appeared similar to the Imperial-class, but lacked the ventral hangar bay and visible reactor-bulb. For this reason, it is hypothesized that it is a dedicated attack ship, and not a hybrid carrier/transport/attack ship like the Imperial-class.
The Millennium Falcon can be seen flying over this ship's belly in a scene in Return of the Jedi, also showing the only clear example of a capital ship being upside-down relative to nearby ships in a Star Wars movie.
It is never explicitly stated whether this ship shown is a Tector-class Star Destroyer or not, and there are no officially identified images of a Tector-class Star Destroyer.
In the Roman army, Tector referred to a type of cavalry trooper equipped with a large shield, or befitting a warship with extra armor. In less common, civilian contexts, the word described an artisan who applied plaster finish to walls, the Roman equivalent of a house-painter.
Harrow-type
editA Star Destroyer featuring Victory-like "wings" but an Imperial-class grade of hangar bay (fairly large) as well as several other cosmetic differences, the Harrow measured about the length of a Victory-class vessel (900 meters or thereabouts) and may have been a Kuat Drive Yards attempt to shoo competitor Rendili StarDrive's still-successful Victory out of the market with their own niche-fitting light Star Destroyer. Rogue Squadron encountered the Harrow, which seems unlikely to be a one-of-a-kind vessel, in orbit of Tatooine some months after the Battle of Endor, though with the confusion and chaos in the Imperial war machine following the Emperor's death, it would appear doubtful that the Harrow was constructed and put into service in the time following the Battle of Endor (meaning that it likely was introduced to the fleet during or before the height of the Galactic Civil War).
The starship Harrow possessed two main sub-light engine drives and then two smaller ones between them stacked vertically. It was commanded as of the Tatooine mission by Captain Semtim, and judging by its mission (to recover supplies hidden by Grand Vizier Sate Pestage on Tatooine), size, and design similarities to the Victory-class Star Destroyer, was probably capable of travel through a planet's atmosphere. However, as with the conjecture on when it was introduced, there is no solid proof in one direction or the other.
Dominator-type
editCharacterized by its four gravity-well projectors as well as its "double bridge" tower, the Dominator was the command ship of Loka Hosk and its main body bore similarities to the standard Imperial-class line of warship. The Binder of Delak Krennel's forces was also of this type, as was an anonymous Interdictor in Thrawn's fleet. As with the Harrow, it seems possible - maybe even probable - that this is a Kuat Drive Yards response to a ship developed by a rival manufacturer - in this case, the Immobilizer-418 built by Sienar Fleet Systems.
The ship's true classification remains unknown, though it has been described as both a "cruiser" and a "dreadnaught". While "cruiser" seems to be a catchall terminology for any starship larger than a starfighter (having been used in the Jedi Quest series of books to describe Mol Arcasite's ship, from context appearing to be something between being an assault starfighter on the smaller side or a larger, freighter-sized attack ship on the bigger), its size is similar to the 1,600-meter Imperial-class Star Destroyer, which fits the role of cruiser. As previously observed, though, attempts to class Star Wars warships by Earth sea navy standards are almost certainly doomed to failure. It can best be described, probably, in terms of naval role as a heavy interdiction cruiser.
Some might refer to the Dominator-type as an Interdictor-class Star Destroyer, which may very well be the closest to an official name that we have. For now, it's listed as a Dominator-type interdictor Star Destroyer, but Dominator certainly isn't the only ship observed of this class. In the post-Endor period, however, it seems to be reasonably common (and as with the Harrow, its first sighting was mere months after the Imperial catastrophe over the Forest Moon, meaning that it was probably at least commissioned prior to then) though they haven't been overtly said to be used as of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion. New Republic/Galactic Alliance ships such as Elegos A'Kla and Mon Mothma, modified Imperial-class Star Destroyers Mark II with gravity-well projectors, seem to be filling their role quite admirably, and it seems that this as-yet anonymous interdictor Star Destroyer may have been phased out by that time, or at least too rare to be of much real value.
New Republic Star Destroyers
editThe defeat at Endor did not lead to the immediate destruction of the Imperial fleet, but it did mark the end of the Empire as the galaxy's dominant superpower. The victorious Rebel Alliance became the New Republic, and it began to build new Star Destroyers of its own. Although considerably more compact than Imperial-class Star Destroyers, these new ships rivaled them in firepower, armor, and combat capability.
Republic-class Star Destroyer
editThe Republic-class Star Destroyer was designed and built by Rendili StarDrive for the New Republic as a lower-cost destroyer. She only required a fifth of the crew, yet had firepower twenty percent greater than that of an Imperial. Fighter complement remained similar at six squadrons. However, the design almost certainly had much inferior endurance, with only about half of the armor of an Imperial , and the extensive ground-assault complement of the Imperial was probably eliminated. The design had much more in common with the Victory-class Star Destroyer than the Imperial.
In the Star Wars: Visionaries graphic novel, in the Battle of Coruscant, one Republic-class Star Destroyer is seen right above General Grievous's flagship. This can likely be dismissed as artistic license, error, or otherwise deviance, since Republic-class Star Destroyers were nonexistent as of the end of the Clone Wars, and were for a good thirty-five or so years afterwards.
Nebula-class Star Destroyer
editThe Nebula-class Star Destroyer was designed by Republic Engineering Corporation as a relatively low-cost line warship for the New Republic as part of the New Class modernization program.
Unlike most Star Destroyers, the Nebula deletes the large dorsal superstructure that had exemplified the design of most major warships for decades; instead, it had what appeared to be a small navigation bridge thus making the lines much smoother. In addition, the firepower was considered equal to that of the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer; its fighter complement consisted of one wing. Like most New Republic designs, the Nebula probably had endurance on the order of six months and virtually no ability to land troops.
Defender-class Star Destroyer
edit Like the Nebula-class Star Destroyer, the Defender follows a design philosophy of sleekness, largely eliminating the protruding bridge tower and mostly internalizing shield generators. Defender-class vessels served with distinction during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of the galaxy, participating in battles including the Battle of Ebaq 9 and the Battle of Yuuzhan'tar. They became favorites of New Republic military commanders and continued to gain in popularity through the formation of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances under Cal Omas.
Defenders measure a standard 1,040 meters in length, making them shorter than the elderly, long-retired Venator-class Star Destroyers, but have enough firepower to challenge ships as large and renowned for power as the Imperial-class and Tector-class Star Destroyers.
It should be noted that some factions believe that the Defender- and Nebula-class Star Destroyers are actually one in the same, and oppose one another on what its formal name and designation is or should be.
Galactic Alliance Star Destroyers
editAfter the dissolution of the New Republic following the doctored election of Cal Omas into office as Chief of State, the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances was formed under a new constitution. After finally defeating the despicable Yuuzhan Vong Empire and retaking their seat of government at Coruscant, they began to build a more modern and more flexible military arsenal, drawing on new technologies developed and provided for them by such companies as Tendrando Arms. By the time of the Battle of the Murgo Choke, the GFFA was ready to face the Killiks with a newly updated and equipped fleet. Among this fleet's components numbered new Star Destroyer types.
It is likely that, as the Expanded Universe ventures further into the future with the Legacy of the Force 9-book series beginning release in spring 2006, more ships will be added to this category.
Admiral Ackbar-type
editNamed after Ackbar, deceased former Supreme Commander of the New Republic Armed Forces, the Admiral Ackbar seems to be a Victory-class Star Destroyer with extensive modifications, probably enough to push it into being at least a subtype, not the least of which is a giant turret-mounted tractor beam generator sufficient enough to seize ships at a considerable distance and tow them in for handling by smaller and more precise beam generators capable of guiding them to the hangar bay, as well as fifty turbolaser batteries. Commanded by Admiral Nek Bwau'tu, it captured the Millennium Falcon with Jedi and renowned heroines Leia Organa Solo and Saba Sebatyne aboard and impounded them for attempting to run a blockade against Killik-held worlds on the edge of the Unknown Regions. The Gorog Dark Nest of Killiks attacked and overwhelmed the Ackbar, using carefully planted assassin bugs inside the ship to incapacitate much of her crew during the assault, and Raynar Thul, ex-Jedi and leader of the "Colony" of Killiks, came aboard the ship to take personal command. Though Bwau'tu, Organa Solo, and Sebatyne escaped along with many crew members, a large fraction of the ship's personnel was not so lucky. Crew members unlucky or stupid enough to get in the assassin bug swarms' way were usually badly wounded, sometimes sickened, and often killed, and the Ackbar came under Killik control.
Although the class of Ackbar is unstated as of The Unseen Queen, it seems that this flagship is not a unique vessel. Noghri bodyguard Cakhmaim identifies the Victory-class update as "one of the new pirate hunters" upon seeing it, implying that Admiral Ackbar isn't the only ship of this class.
Chiss Ascendancy Star Destroyers
editRecently, it has been revealed that the Chiss Ascendancy, too, has begun building their own Star Destroyer designs. Some of these vessels saw action in the Swarm War against the Killik Colony.
Unnamed Chiss Star Destroyer
editAn unnamed example of a Chiss-built Star Destroyer was sighted at Qoribu and Kr in The Joiner King. It is said to be somewhat larger than a Victory-class Star Destroyer, to which class Jaina Solo at first thought this ship belonged. However, its lines are notably more organic than the Victory-class', and it is slightly more tapered, among other cosmetic dissimilarities. This ship carries an unknown complement of Chiss Clawcraft and is armed with conventional turbolaser weaponry. It appears that they can also be fitted with cloaking devices, which were noted as protruding from their hulls at the battle for Kr.
Super Star Destroyers
editThe term "Super Star Destroyer", often abbreviated SSD, is a general term used to refer to any ship in the Galactic Empire's Starfleet using the wedge/dagger design aesthetic which is larger than the 1,600m long Imperial-class. As such, several ships can be termed as a "Super Star Destroyer", whatever its more formal designation, and this is the most commonly taken path by Star Wars characters regardless of their alignment.
Other variants
editAt least one other class of dagger-shaped vessel other than Executor, Imperial and Tector was represented during the Battle of Endor. It was a large Star Cruiser of unknown class with multiple bridges in its command-tower, which was identified in the ROTJ novel as being an Imperial Communications Ship. According to the novel, it suffered heavy fire from a Mon Calamari Star Cruiser, which knocked out its shields and made it defenseless against a fighter onslaught. In the movie, its multi-bridged tower can be clearly seen in the center of one scene.
Han Solo's comment in A New Hope about outrunning Imperial ships, like the "big, Corellian ships", could be extrapolated to hint at one or more large warship designs originating from the Corellian Engineering Corporation. In the old Marvel Star Wars comic, there were several issues depicting an Admiral Giel, whose command ship had a hammerhead-shaped bridge-section. The "hammerhead"-bridge is a trademark of the CEC, and can be seen on its Corellian Corvettes and Gunships. Another ship in the Admiral´s fleet looked like a carrier-version of his wedge-shaped command ship. These two designs could be connected to Solo's on-screen dialog, but a "canon"-connection has not yet been made.
The EX-F of the Black Sword Command was stated to be a "dreadnaught" in the Black Fleet Crisis. This ship cannot be a Dreadnaught-class Cruiser, as it is stated that the Black Sword Command consists of no ships smaller than a Star Destroyer. The smallest known Star Destroyer is the Victory-class at 900m long. A Dreadnaught-class Cruiser, is a mere 600m long, some 200m shy of being equal in length to any Star Destroyer. This coupled with the fact that it is escorted by 5 Imperial-class Star Destroyers, and that its experimental antimatter engines contaned enough antimatter to consume not only itself but 5 ISDs, suggests it is a very large vessel. One explanation for the EX-F is that it is a Star Dreadnaught, such as those from the Clone Wars era. It was probably a new class of warship, given its experimental engines, however, other options cannot be ruled out. It may be of the old Mandator-class, or yet another unknown class of warship. Alternatively, "dreadnaught" may refer to its role in the space navy, as would "destroyer", "frigate", "cruiser", or "battleship".
Some later Interdictor Cruisers are based on Star Destroyer hulls, including the Mon Mothma, the Elegos A'Kla, and the Admiral Ackbar.
Predecessors and relatives
editMany ships similar to the Star Destroyers existed, either predating the line (and probably influencing it) or accompanying it in similar form, though officially not classed as Star Destroyer-type vessels.
Leviathan-type
edit Formerly an Old Republic flagship, Admiral Saul Karath took the Leviathan with him when he defected to the forces of the Sith Lord Darth Malak almost four thousand years BBY. A 600-meter-long interdictor with probably the first known example of gravity-well projector devices in the known galaxy, the Leviathan was the pride of the Republic until its defection, which was taken as a crushing blow to fleet morale. At the Battle of the Star Forge, the Forge produced replicated Leviathan-type warships to combat the huge Republic war fleets assaulting it. The Leviathan itself was attacked by the crew of the Ebon Hawk prior to the engagement, but the fate of the legendary cruiser is unknown.
Ravager-type
edit - See Ravager
This starship was used by the Old Republic around four thousand years BBY, most notably at the Battle of Malachor V. The only known ship of this type seen, the Ravager, was destroyed during the final battle of the Mandalorian Wars. The Sith Lord Darth Nihilus later used the Force to rip the Ravager from its graveyard orbit, and used it as his mobile command center during the Sith's shadow war against the Republic until the ship was was destroyed above Telos. A dagger-shaped warship, it seems to have been the design inspiration for the Victory-class Star Destroyer. From in-game cinematic evidence, the Ravager was about twice the length of Leviathan-class destroyers.
Acclamator-class assault ship
edit- See Acclamator
While not a Star Destroyer itself, the 752-meter-long Acclamator-class assault ship is a relative of later Star Destroyers. The Acclamator was the first capital ship designed for use by the Grand Army of the Republic, and is sometimes referred to simply as the "Republic assault ship." Unlike the Star Destroyer, the Acclamator was not designed as a space combat starship or even a cruiser; rather, it was designed as a heavily armored and armed troop transport for planetary bombardments and surface landings.
Rand Ecliptic-type
edit- See Rand Ecliptic
This Imperial frigate was a variant of the Acclamator-class assault ship, intended primarily for patrol and space combat rather than planetary assault. They could be distinguished visually from Acclamator-class ships by their four ventral hangar bays. The most notable of these ships was the Rand Ecliptic, which defected to the Rebel Alliance after a mutiny by Rebel sympathizers including Derek Klivian and Biggs Darklighter. nerf.
Procurator-class Star Battlecruiser
editBattlecruisers of this kind were stated to be part of the Kuat Sector Defense Fleet at the start of the Clone Wars, according to the AOTC Incredible Cross-Sections factbook. A Procurator´s reactor was large enough to be visible from outside the hull, protruding with a ventral bulb.
Its name bore several meanings, including "[a viceroy]; under the empire, [a financial agent or under-governor]." This could indicate the Procurators were used as command ships for smaller fleets.
Praetor-class Star Battlecruiser
editSome of the reactor equipment used to power Echo Base on the planet Hoth was scavenged from a Star Battlecruiser of this class. It was stated in the Inside the Worlds of the Original Trilogy factbook that this equipment was larger and more powerful than similar equipment taken from a Star Destroyer which was used to help power the Yavin Base on Yavin IV, thus indicating a much more powerful class of warship.
Its name held several meanings possibly hinting at its role(s): A) "Senior Roman magistrate. During republic, commander of minor military forces." B) "Commander of allied contingent." Like the Procurator, it could have had a command role for smaller space forces.
Mandator-class Star Dreadnaught
editThese massive dreadnaughts helped form the Kuat Sector Defense Fleet, working alongside Procurator-class Star Battlecruisers (according to the AOTC ICS book.) The main reactor was large enough to have a ventral bulb protruding from the "belly" of the ship, differentiating it from the smaller Acclamator-class Assault Ships. There is known to be a Mandator-class Mark II model developed for the Republic Starfleet by the time of the Battle of Coruscant. It was powerful enough to be challenged only by 1,000 of the Confederacy's Recusant-class light destroyers, according to some sources. The Mandator-class Mark II model under Republic service is established in the Revenge of the Sith Incredible Cross-Sections fact book. Another postulation of fans is that Emperor Palpatine forced a demilitarization of Kuat to have the Mandator-class ships either ceded to the Empire or destroyed. This is also not embraced by canon and remains a simple fan-based theory.
Since the Executor-class were said to be the largest ships at the time of Hoth, it can be inferred that the Mandators were either slightly smaller or completely extinct.
Vindicator-class Heavy Cruiser
editThe Vindicator-class heavy cruiser was the standard 600 meter-long "heavy cruiser" of the Imperial Starfleet. It was intended for use in situations in which Imperial-class Star Destroyers were unavailable, and smaller ships were not powerful enough. The ship was manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems, and designed by Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin himself.
The ship's armament consisted of 25 light turbolasers, 20 light quad turbolasers, 10 point-defense laser cannons, 20 light point-defense ion cannons, and 3 tractor beam projectors. The Vindicator was equipped with a class 2 hyperdrive. It carried 400 troops and a crew of 2,551. Most Vindicators were specifically configured so that they could carry a full TIE starfighter wing and operate independently without the need for support ships.
Although the Vindicator was designated as a "heavy cruiser," it was smaller than the Acclamator-class assault ship as well as the Munificent-class frigate.
The Immobilizer-418 Interdictor cruiser was designed using the same basic hull as the Vindicator. In addition to manufacturing new Immobilizer-418s, the Empire converted a number of Vindicators into Interdictor cruisers. The Vindicator hull was used again to build the Enforcer-class picket cruiser, a patrol ship used by the Pentastar Alignment.
Immobilizer-418 Interdictor
edit A favorite of Imperial commanders during the Galactic Civil War, Im-418 Interdictors were commonly used to trap ships, pulling them out of hyperspace with a gravity-well projector imposing a virtual "mass shadow" similar to those created by heavenly bodies, such as planets, moons, comets, asteroids, stars, black holes, and neutron stars.
Interdictor cruisers are 600-meter-long cruisers built on the standard Vindicator-class heavy cruiser hull. They are a valuable addition to the Imperial Navy.
The Interdictor Cruisers were first manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems two years before the Battle of Yavin though these costly cruisers were produced in very limited quantities prior to the Battle of Hoth. Interdictor cruisers, also known as Immobilizer-418 cruisers, have the appearance of small Star Destroyers.
However, they have four large globes that house gravity well projectors which mimic a large mass in space, restricting hyperspace travel. Other ships which make use of gravity well projectors are the Dominator-class, the Eclipse-class, and the Sovereign-class. Nearby vessels are automatically prevented from engaging Hyperspace engines, and any ship passing through the area via hyperspace are forced into real-space.
Immobilizers are also equipped with 20 quad-laser cannons for short range combat against other ships. The Interdictor's hull is nearly identical to that of the Vindicator-class heavy cruiser and can support several additional weapons depending on mission profile. Enemy fire is absorbed by more than a dozen shield generators.
Since they were rare and costly to produce, Imperial tacticians often placed them on the edge of a battle area to prevent enemy ships from escaping. The Interdictors were also used to blockade planets or moons, such as Yavin 4. The only opportunity to evade them is in the minute or so it takes for the gravity well projectors to recharge, though this was rarely enough time for an entire fleet to make the jump to hyperspace. Producing an entire fleet of such cruisers proved a time-consuming and delicate project and by the time of the Battle of Endor, Sienar Fleet Systems had manufactured only a few Interdictors which were mainly under the command of Grand Admiral Thrawn in the Outer Rim.
These vessels would not realize their potential until several years after the Empire's death, when they became a key component in Thrawn's attempt to defeat the New Republic. The Grand Admiral would deploy such ships to ambush New Republic forces. He once used an Interdictor in conjunction with his flagship the Chimaera, in an attempt to capture Luke Skywalker. However, the Jedi eluded capture, by reversing his X-wing's acceleration compensators and firing two proton torpedoes, confusing his pursuers. With the tractor beams of Chimaera focused on the incoming torpedoes, Luke made a quick jump into hyperspace, eluding the Grand Admiral.
After Thrawn's defeat, the New Republic confiscated the remaining ships. New Republic technicians redesigned the Interdictor's gravity-well projectors, improving both their range and recharge rate. These new Interdictors, designated "Immobilizer-418A", became one of the key components of the New Republic Defense Fleet's navy during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion. During the Battle of Fondor, the New Republic supplied 4 Interdictors to the Hapan fleet.
Detainer CC2200
editAnother Interdictor cruiser, complete with gravity-well projectors. It appears in Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, in which Imperial troops under Lord Vader's command, very soon after his loss to Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar, attack the Wookie homeworld of Kashyyyk. The Detainer is used to prevent merchants, and especially escaped Jedi, from escaping the planet. It is eventually destroyed by the self-destruct of a robotic Separatist ship reactivated by the Jedi.
Enforcer-class picket cruiser
editA lighter starship based on the Vindicator-class hull used by the Pentastar Alignment splinter group in the aftermath of the Battle of Endor. Presumably, Enforcers are about 600 meters in length.
Appearances
editMovies
editImperial/Imperator-class Star Destroyers were seen in all three movies of the original trilogy. However, the Imperial Star Destroyer had been slightly redesigned for "The Empire Strikes Back", and that variant is known as the Imperial-II, making the "A New Hope" vessels the Imperial-I. The "Super Star Destroyer" Executor was seen in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. A Tector-class Star Destroyer and the Communications Ship were briefly seen in Return of the Jedi.
The Acclamator-class assault ship was seen in Attack of the Clones. The Venator-class Star Destroyer was seen in Revenge of the Sith.
Expanded Universe
editStar Destroyers of various other classes occur throughout Expanded Universe material, most notably in Dark Empire. All Executor-class ships listed after the Executor itself, had their origins in the Expanded Universe. There is a small amount of controversy, especially over a large number of ~1600m long Star Destroyer classes seen in comic books; some believe them to be separate classes, others believe them to be poorly-drawn Imperial-class ships. Even in Star Wars:Empire #55 the Victory-class Star Destroyer is seemingly too big and a few details remain un-depicted.
In the Thrawn Trilogy written by Timothy Zahn, when Skywalker, Solo, Bel Iblis, and Leia Skywalker were trying to capture the Katana Fleet, Imperial Star Destroyers were involved in a battle. it was said that the forward ventral sensors were knocked out, thus giving the pirates "free rein of the Star Destroyer's underside". This implies that there are only two sensor stations that are solely responsible for targeting and detection.
Games
edit
Star Destroyers have featured prominently in many Star Wars computer games, primarily as targets to be destroyed by starfighters, as in the X-Wing computer game series. The Doomgiver in the second Jedi Knight game can also be presumed to be a "Super Star Destroyer" of an as yet unnamed class. In the game Star Wars: Empire at War, Star Destroyers are controllable on the Empire Faction. In Star Wars: Battlefront II, Star Destroyers serve as spawnpoints for Imperials during space battles. Star Destroyers are prominent in several Star Wars real-time strategy games.
Lego
editIn 2002 the Lego Group released the Imperial Star Destroyer. The model is made up of 3,104 pieces and at more than three feet long, the scale is roughly 1/1600. At the time of its release it was, piece-wise and length-wise, the largest set Lego had ever produced. Its piece count has since been surpassed by a model of the Death Star II released in 2005. A second, smaller Star Destroyer that opens up to reveal a playset is due to be released in the summer of 2006.
External links
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