5 Superweapons That Make The Death Star Look Like A Peashooter

It might be “no moon,” but the Death Star is a truly formidable weapon in the Star Wars universe. Capable of destroying entire planets at the command of any Hammer Horror legend. But while Tarkin and his allies may think this technological terror is the peak of power for the Empire, it does indeed pale in the power of not only the force but these five other superweapons in the Star Wars Universe.

n.b. – we won’t be counting Starkiller base as an additional weapon as it’s just a Death Star 3.0.

The Infant Of Shaa

The Infant of Shaa was a small weapon of mass destruction – capable of fitting in the palm of your hand. You can see the Death Star coming and plan a counterattack – but how do you defend against something that could fit in your robe pocket? The statuette was a receptacle for force-energy that, when explosively released, would cause a disturbance in the force so powerful that it would literally rip a world into pieces. Such was the idol’s power that terrorists once attempted to use the idol to euthanise Coruscant- very nearly succeeding if it wasn’t for the intervention of Jango Fett.

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The World Devastator

World Devastators were a weapon so powerful, so to be feared, that even Admiral Ackbar described them as “The greatest scourge the galaxy has ever seen. Far more lethal than the Death Star.” The World Devastators would land on the surface of a planet and systematically tear the planet apart from beneath. Deconstructing all-natural and man-made resources and converting them into machinery and ships for the risen Palpatine’s renewed Empire.

While on paper, this might not seem as powerful as the Death Star, the fact that these could be unleashed and mean that every fallen foe and facility is not only affecting the resistance but actively bolstering the ranks of the Empire, makes these machines the zombie plague of the Star Wars Universe.

Sun Crusher

Another devious creation from Grand Moff Tarkin’s Maw Facility. The Sun Crusher was a single pilot ship, indestructible to all conventional weapons, and capable of destroying not only a planet but an entire solar system. Firing its specially designed resonance torpedoes into the sun of a system triggers a chain reaction that forces the sun to explode into a supernova – wiping out every planet in its system and all life contained on them. As if to prove its place on this list, the Sun Crusher once survived a partial blow from a Death Star primary laser, with only minor damage to its engine. Mind you, it was Han Solo flying it at the time - so extra points for that.

Star Forge

Anyone who played Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic will remember the Star Forge as the climactic battle between master and apprentice, as player-controlled Revan fights and defeats his old pupil Darth Malak – probably while spamming force lightning and med packs.

However, the Star Forge is so much more than that. Like a World Destroyer on steroids, this giant weapon of conquest was designed to create and maintain an unstoppable army – one capable of taking over the universe. The Star Forge is an evil combination of dark dide force energy and Machiavellian technology, draining energy from nearby stars and unwilling victims to create implements of war on a scale hitherto unseen in the galaxy. On top of that, using force-sensitive enslaved people and prisoners, an evil user could rip the force from their body and channel it into themselves.

Darksaber

What happens if you combine the Death Star’s destructive power with a Hutts’ greed and arrogance? You get the Darksaber. A captured Bevel Lemelisk ( the Legends architect of the Death Star) is captured and forced by Durga the Hutt and forced to build a streamlined version of the Death Star, stripped of all non-essential elements. No hangers, no turrets, no troop bays. Only a giant planet-destroying laser that he could use to hold enemies, rivals, and governments to ransom. Being shaped like a perversion of the Jedi Lightsaber, the dastardly duo christened their device – the Darksaber. Fortunately, the Hutt’s greed provided its own karmic retribution. By using outdated materials, unskilled slave labour, and unending time pressure, the Darksaber blew up in its first attempted firing.

The concerning thing is that this list is only the tip of the iceberg for the galaxy-shaking weapons in the Star Wars Universe. This doesn’t even begin to touch upon Infinity Gates, Null Cannons, Thought Bombs, or…well, just Thrawn, really.

Maybe just take five minutes, guys. Then, go for a walk and calm down. Jeez.

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Written by Sean Kelly

Syndicated from Culture Slate

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