Star Destroyer
Star Destroyers are capital ships in the fictional Star Wars universe. Star Destroyers were produced by Kuat Drive Yards, later Kuat-Entralla Engineering, and serve as "the signature vessel of the fleet" for the Galactic Republic, Galactic Empire, the First Order, and the Sith Eternal in numerous published works including film, television, novels, comics, and video games.[1][2]
A single Star Destroyer could
Notable examples of Star Destroyers include the precursor Venator-class Star Destroyer (
Numerous Star Destroyer models and toys have been released. The iconic scene in Star Wars (1977) featuring the Imperial Star Destroyer's first appearance where it pursues a Corellian corvette has been called a milestone in special effects history.
Imperial Star Destroyer
Imperial-class Star Destroyer | |
---|---|
First appearance | Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) |
Information | |
Affiliation | Galactic Empire |
Made by | Kuat Drive Yards[3][4] |
Combat vehicles | |
Auxiliary vehicles | |
General characteristics | |
Class | Battleship[3] |
Armaments | |
Defenses | |
Propulsion | |
Mass | 40 million tons[6] |
Length | 1,600 m (5,200 ft)[3][4] |
Population volume |
Concept and design
In draft scripts for the film that would become Star Wars, the term "Stardestroyer" refers to two-man fighters flown by what would become the Galactic Empire.[1] The film's second draft features four Star Destroyers chasing a single Rebel ship,[7] but the tremendous costs incurred by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) when production began helped lead Lucas to use a single "terrifyingly large" Star Destroyer instead of four.[8] ILM built a 91-centimeter (36 in) shooting model that was about half the size of the model for the Tantive IV the Star Destroyer was chasing.[1] Lucas asked ILM to build a larger Star Destroyer model to match the Tantive IV's scale, but ILM convinced him that the Dykstraflex camera invented for the film made this unnecessary.[9] Nevertheless, they added additional hull details to the Star Destroyer model.[9] The 13-second opening shot was the first special effects piece ILM completed,[9] and its success was an essential test for the Dykstraflex.[9]
ILM built a 259-centimeter (102 in) Star Destroyer, equipped with internal lighting to provide a better sense of scale, for The Empire Strikes Back (1980).[1] According to chief model maker Lorne Peterson, the new Star Destroyer model was scaled to appear two and a half miles long, though their official length was revised in later sources.[10]
The Imperial I-class Star Destroyers are white, as shown in A New Hope,
Depiction
The iconic Imperial-class Star Destroyer first appears in the opening scene of
Darth Vader's Devastator is the last of the Imperial I-class ships to be built by Kuat Drive Yards before switching to the Imperial II-class, a fleet of which take part in the Battle of Hoth as depicted in
Analysis
Examining what it would take to realistically build an Imperial Star Destroyer, it was estimated in 2016 that such a vessel would cost $636 billion
Joe Pappalardo of Popular Mechanics argues that the Imperial Star Destroyer is a poorly-designed spaceship, being asymmetrical with its superstructure jutting out in one direction. Additionally, while its wedge shape would make sense for atmospheric travel, it serves no purpose in space. He argues a more realistic and effective design would be symmetrical and bowl-shaped like a saucer.[19]
Cultural impact
Lego has released numerous Star Destroyer kits, including a 110-centimetre (43 in) 4,784-piece Imperial-class Star Destroyer.[20]
Super Star Destroyer
Concept and design
For The Empire Strikes Back, George Lucas wanted Darth Vader's new flagship, Executor, to be huge and to play a greater role in the film. According to chief model maker Lorne Peterson, the Executor's model was 6 feet (1.8 meters) long and constructed with over 150,000 individual lights. The resulting model was so heavy it required additional support to keep from overwhelming the Dykstraflex's mechanical structure. The ship was originally scaled to appear 16 miles (26 km) long according to Lorne, though later sources would amend this figure.[10]
Depiction
Within the Star Wars universe, the term "Super Star Destroyer" is a
From the bridge of the Executor, Darth Vader leads Death Squadron during the
Analysis
If a model of the Executor was built to scale and placed hovering over New York City, it would cast a shadow over the island of Manhattan.[24][25]
Cultural impact
Like the Imperial Star Destroyer, the Super Star Destroyer has also been merchandised. Lego released a 125-centimetre (49 in) 3,152-piece model of the Executor.[26] Kenner wanted to use a less ominous name than Executor for the toy playset of Darth Vader's meditation chamber.[27] An advertisement agency's list of 153 alternatives included Starbase Malevolent, Black Coven, Haphaestus VII, and Cosmocurse;[27] ultimately, the toy was labeled "Darth Vader's Star Destroyer".[27] In 2006, Wizards of the Coast created an Executor miniature as part of its Star Wars Miniatures Starship Battles game.[28] An electronic Super Star Destroyer toy released by Hasbro "is the rarest among Hasbro's Collector Fleet".[29]
Venator Star Destroyer
Venator-class Star Destroyer | |
---|---|
First appearance | Star Wars: Clone Wars (2005) |
Last appearance | Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021-2023) |
Information | |
Affiliation |
|
Launched | 22 BBY[a] |
Decommissioned | 19-14 BBY[a][b][31] |
Made by | Kuat Drive Yards[30] |
Combat vehicles |
|
Auxiliary vehicles | |
General characteristics | |
Class | Battleship/Carrier[32] |
Armaments | |
Defenses | Deflector shields[30] |
Propulsion | |
Length | 1,137 m (3,730 ft)[30] |
Width | 548 m (1,798 ft)[30] |
Height | 268 m (879 ft)[30] |
Population volume | 7,400[30] |
Concept and design
The design of the Venator-class Star Destroyers appearing in
Depiction
The Venator-class Star Destroyer makes its first theatrical appearance in
During the Clone Wars these Star Destroyers, referred to also as Republic attack cruisers or
Cultural impact
In 2009, in conjunction with the then ongoing TV show Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Lego released a 1,170 piece model of the Venator. For the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, noted modder Sander van der Velden created a custom-built PC made to look like a Venator Star Destroyer. Built around a fully-functional, liquid-cooled PC, the surrounding case was constructed in the shape of a Venator using aluminum and 3D printed material. The final product required 400 hours of work to complete.[35][36][37][38]
Resurgent Star Destroyer
In
Mega Star Destroyer
The Mega-class Star Dreadnought Supremacy made its first appearance in
Sith Star Destroyer
In
List of other Star Destroyers
- Victory Star Destroyer: The Victory-class Star Destroyer originally featured only in Star Wars Legends novellas (see below). It first appeared in the new Star Wars canon in the 2014 novel Tarkin, written by James Luceno, and was first depicted in Darth Vader 6: Vader, Part VI, a 2015 comic book written by Kieron Gillen and illustrated by Salvador Larroca. The Victory Star Destroyer is the Imperial Navy's starting vessel in the core set of Fantasy Flight Games's Star Wars: Armada, a table top miniatures game released on March 27, 2015.[46][47]
Star Wars Legends
In April 2014, most of the licensed Star Wars novels, games, and comics produced since 1976 (and prior to 2014), were rebranded by
Star Destroyers feature in numerous Legends publications, with a considerable amount of additional notable information. According to
Though the Imperial Navy also has smaller capital ships like Nebulon-B Escort Frigates and CR90 Corvettes (the films show these vessels being used exclusively by the Rebel Alliance), Imperial-class Star Destroyers are usually the default choice for frontline deployments. At the
Described in A Guide to the Star Wars Universe (1984) as being 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) long, Executor-class Super Star Destroyers were later described as being 19 kilometers (12 mi) long.
The description "Star Destroyer" and "Super Star Destroyer" are applied to several another massive dagger/triangle-shaped warships in Star Wars, such as the Pellaeon-class Star Destroyer in the Legacy comic series (2006–2010), and the reborn Emperor Palpatine's flagships Eclipse and Eclipse II Super Star Destroyers in the Dark Empire series (1991–1995). The Eclipse-class was perhaps the ultimate Super Star Destroyer or Star Dreadnought in the Expanded Universe, incorporating a Death Star-type superlaser but miniaturized and more advanced, and gravity well projectors to prevent enemies from jumping to hyperspace, and having strong enough shields/armor to be able to ram enemy vessels. Curtis Saxton, in the unofficial Star Wars Technical Commentaries (he has since been the author of the official Star Wars: Attack of the Clones Incredible Cross-Sections and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Incredible Cross-Sections), has advocated using the term Imperator-class in lieu of Imperial-class. Saxton argues that "Imperial Star Destroyer" is a somewhat generic term, as the vast majority of Star Destroyer types are operated by the Galactic Empire's Imperial Navy which technically means they are all "Imperial Star Destroyers", although the Imperator/Imperial-class Star Destroyers are by far the most common type. Similarly, the "Super Star Destroyer" moniker has been used for numerous unrelated vessels of varying sizes and classes, so fans have suggested labeling the class instead of by the lead ship such as Executor-class and Eclipse-class, with some referring to them instead as a "Star Dreadnought" (sometimes spelled "Star Dreadnaught") to emphasize their massive size relative to Star Destroyers.[56] Author Jason Fry introduced the "Anaxes War College System" which specifically divide warships into different types depending on their size and power, which explain all the differently sized "Super Star Destroyers" appearing in the Expanded Universe (now Star Wars Legends), supplementing the contradictory classification systems used in Star Wars lore previously, becoming reference material in the Star Wars Sourcebooks by West End Games.
The Victory-class Star Destroyer first described in the early Star Wars novella, was initially designed as a direct predecessor to the Imperial-class during the development of A New Hope, which would make it a follow-up to the Venator-class seen in Revenge of the Sith. The Victory appears very similar in appearance to the Imperial-class which succeeded it; albeit the Victory being considerably smaller in scale (900 meters in length versus 1600 meters), adds atmospheric maneuvering "wings" on the port and starboard sides (according to Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game sourcebooks, the Victory I-class can enter a planetary atmosphere which is a unique attribute not found in the Victory II and Imperial-class Star Destroyers), and a shorter conning tower with different elements on the command bridge. The Victory-class was developed from a prototype Star Destroyer model created by Colin Cantwell for A New Hope, with the final design being used for the basis of the Imperial-class.[57][58]
See also
Notes
- ^ Battle of Yavin
- Galactic Civil War, but in a reduced role.
Bibliography
- Barr, Patricia; Bray, Adam; Jones, Matt; Horton, Cole; Wallace, Daniel; Windham, Ryder (2019). Ultimate Star Wars New Edition. United States: DK Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4654-7900-6.
- Dougherty, Kerrie; Fry, Jason; Hidalgo, Pablo; Reynolds, David West; Saxton, Curtis; Windham, Ryder (2020). Star Wars Complete Vehicles New Edition. United States: DK Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7440-2057-1.
- Luceno, James; Reynolds, David West; Windham, Ryder; Fry, Jason; Hidalgo, Pablo (2018). Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary. United States: DK Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4654-7547-3.
- Lund, Kristin; Beecroft, Simon; Dougherty, Kerrie; Luceno, James; Fry, Jason (2016). Star Wars: Complete Locations. United States: DK Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4654-5272-6.
- OCLC 889674238.
- Walker, Landry Q. (2018). Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles. United States: DK Publishing. ISBN 9781465482716.
References
- ^ a b c d "Star Wars: Databank: Imperial Star Destroyer". Lucasfilm. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
- ^ Battlefront: Twilight Company
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Barr, et al. (2019), p. 314
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Dougherty, et al. (2020), p. 135-137
- ^ Lund, et al. (2016), p. 143
- ^ Aaron, J. (2017). Star Wars Vol. 4: Last Flight Of The Harbinger. United States: Marvel Entertainment. Pg. 3
- ^ Taylor, p. 115
- ^ Taylor, pp. 121-22
- ^ a b c d Taylor, p. 171-73
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4197-3633-9.
- ^ "Why the Star Destroyer looks different in the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story trailer". 7 April 2016.
- ^ Lund, et al. (2016), p. 139
- ^ a b c Barr, et al. (2019), p. 330
- ^ Lund, et al. (2016), p. 142
- ^ Dougherty, et al. (2020), p. 144
- ^ a b Lund, et al. (2016), p. 174
- ^ "How Much Would It Realistically Cost to build an Imperial I-class Star Destroyer". Forbes. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
- ^ "How Much Would It Cost To Build A Star Destroyer". Slate. 21 January 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
- ^ "The Problem with The Last Jedi's New Star Destroyer". Popular Mechanics. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
- ^ "Imperial Star Destroyer™ - 75252". Lego Shop. Lego. Retrieved 2019-12-30.
- ^ a b c Walker (2018), p. 197
- ^ a b c Lund, et al. (2016), p. 170-171
- ^ Allain, Rhett. "Happy May the 4th! Let's Break Down a Super Star Destroyer's Death". Wired. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
- ^ "Here's What a Super Star Destroyer Would Look Like Parked Over Manhattan". Popular Mechanics. 24 August 2015. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
- ^ "The biggest Star Wars ship casts a shadow the size of Manhattan". The Verge. 25 August 2015. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
- ^ "Super Star Destroyer™ - 10221". Lego Shop. Lego. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
- ^ a b c "Super Star Destroyer". Star Wars Databank. Lucasfilm. Archived from the original on 2007-12-13. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
- ^ "Starship Battles Preview 1". Wizards of the Coast. 2006-10-19. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
- ^ "Star Wars: Cargo Bay – Electronic Super Star Destroyer". Archived from the original on 18 June 2013. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Dougherty, et al. (2020), p. 78-80
- ^ Respawn Entertainment (2019-11-15). Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (1.0 ed.). Electronic Arts. Scene: Bracca.
- ^ a b c d Barr, et al. (2019), p. 303
- ^ "Star Wars: Databank: Republic attack cruiser". Lucasfilm. Archived from the original on 2008-02-08. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
- ^ a b Walker (2018), p. 194
- ^ "CES 2016: Star Wars Star Destroyer PC Case Mod is Jaw-Dropping". IGN. 10 January 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- ^ "Modder builds 'Star Destroyer' model containing working PC". UPI.com. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- ^ "Up Close with the Star Wars Destroyer Case Mod at CES 2016". GamersNexus. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- ^ "3D Printing Used in Creating This Amazing Star Wars Star Destroyer PC Case, Will Be at CES 2016". 3DPrint.com. January 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- ^ a b c Barr, et al. (2019), p. 338
- ^ a b c d e Dougherty, et al. (2020), p. 192-197
- ^ Walker (2018), p. 202
- ^ a b c Dougherty, et al. (2020), p. 222-227
- ^ a b c Barr, et al. (2019), p. 341
- ^ Dougherty, et al. (2020), p. 254-255
- ^ "Star Wars 9: The Secret Empire Star Destroyer Fleet Explained". Screen Rant. 31 August 2019.
- ^ "Review: Star Wars Armada, Wave 2 - Shut up & Sit Down".
- ^ "Star Wars: Armada - Victory-class Star Destroyer Tactics | Holo Writing". 7 June 2015.
- ^ McMilian, Graeme (April 25, 2014). "Lucasfilm Unveils New Plans for Star Wars Expanded Universe". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
- StarWars.com. April 25, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
- ^ ISBN 0-87431-210-8.
- ISBN 0-87431-194-2.
- ISBN 0-7869-2777-1.
- ^ "Super Star Destroyer". StarWars.com. Lucasfilm. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
- ^ "Isard, Ysanne (Expanded Universe)". Star Wars Databank. Lucasfilm. Archived from the original on 2007-12-12. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
- ^ ISBN 0-553-57611-9.
- ^ "TheForce.Net - Jedi Council - Interviews | Curtis Saxton".
- ISBN 978-0-307-79548-9.
- ISBN 0-87431-199-3.
Sources
External links
- Imperial Star Destroyer in the StarWars.com Databank
- Super Star Destroyer in the StarWars.com Databank
- Executor in the StarWars.com Databank
- Finalizer in the StarWars.com Databank
- Star Destroyer on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki
- Super Star Destroyer on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki
- Venator Star Destroyer on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki
- Resurgent Star Destroyer on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki
- Sith Star Destroyer on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki
- Category:Star Destroyers on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki