Star Destroyers arecapital ships in the fictionalStar Warsuniverse. Star Destroyers were produced by Kuat Drive Yards, later Kuat-Entralla Engineering, and serve as "thesignature vessel of the fleet" for theGalactic Republic,Galactic Empire, theFirst Order, and theSith Eternal in numerous published works including film, television, novels, comics, and video games.[1][2]
A single Star Destroyer couldproject considerable influence over a star system in the name of theEmpire: each can be deployed individually as both aforward operating base and as mobileweapon systems platform responsible for safeguarding multiple planets, trade routes, and systems, and carried enough firepower to subdue an entireplanetary system or annihilate a smallrebel fleet.
Notable examples of Star Destroyers include the precursorVenator-class Star Destroyer (prequel trilogy), the ubiquitousImperial-class Star Destroyer (original trilogy), and the recentResurgent-class andXyston-class Star Destroyer (sequel trilogy). Numerous other classes of "Star Destroyers" share the basic triangular "dagger" hull; the successful v-shaped designs are explained inLegends as reflecting the Empire's "Tarkin's Doctrine" military philosophy and originating fromSith ideological influence, and have been adapted by numerous factions for a wide variety of applications.
Numerous Star Destroyer models and toys have been released. The iconic scene inStar 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-class Star Destroyer | |
|---|---|
 A pair ofImperial II-class Star Destroyers and a group ofTIE fighters pursue theMillennium Falcon inThe Empire Strikes Back. | |
| 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 | |
In draft scripts for the film that would becomeStar Wars, the term "Stardestroyer" refers to two-man fighters flown by what would become theGalactic Empire.[1] The film's second draft features four Star Destroyers chasing a single Rebel ship,[7] but the tremendous costs incurred byIndustrial 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 theTantive IV the Star Destroyer was chasing.[1] Lucas asked ILM to build a larger Star Destroyer model to match theTantive IV's scale, but ILM convinced him that theDykstraflex 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, forThe 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]
TheImperial I-class Star Destroyers are white, as shown inA New Hope,Rogue One, andSolo. TheImperial II-class Star Destroyers inThe Empire Strikes Back andReturn of the Jedi are grey.[11]
The iconicImperial-class Star Destroyer first appears in the opening scene ofStar Wars (1977), where the Imperial Star DestroyerDevastator (carryingDarth Vader) chases the CR90 CorvetteTantive IV (carryingPrincess Leia) aboveTatooine after the latter had fled fromScarif.[3][4] Background literature describesImperial-class Star Destroyers as the chief warship of the Imperial Navy and symbol of Imperial might. These enormouscapital ships are used to enforce the Emperor's will, bolster Imperial-backed governments, and act as mobile headquarters for senior Imperial commanders.[3] In addition to their powerful armament, a Star Destroyer carries troops and vehicles for ground operations and a fullwing ofTIE fighters (typically 48 fighters, 12 bombers and 12 boarding craft).[3][4] A single Star Destroyer is considered sufficient to overwhelm a rebellious planet, though major industrialized worlds may be assaulted by a fleet of six Star Destroyers with support cruisers and supply craft.[4] Deep-crust survival bunkers are regarded as a last refuge in the event of planetary bombardment by Imperial Star Destroyers.[12] At the Empire's height there were over 25,000 Star Destroyers in existence, requiring roughly 925 million crew.[13]
Darth Vader'sDevastator is the last of theImperial I-class ships to be built by Kuat Drive Yards before switching to theImperial II-class, a fleet of which take part in the Battle of Hoth as depicted inThe Empire Strikes Back (1980).[4] Designated Death Squadron, this fleet of Star Destroyers is led by Darth Vader aboard theExecutor, first in a new class ofSuper Star Destroyer.[14] Although the battle is won by Imperial forces, Vader orders his Star Destroyers to focus on capturing theMillennium Falcon rather than hunt down the escaping Rebel transports, allowing many to escape.[15] TheFalcon manages to evade this pursuit by hiding in the sensor blind spot of the Star DestroyerAvenger.[16] These ships play a major role in the Battle of Endor as depicted inReturn of the Jedi (1983). During the battle, Imperial Star Destroyers prove vulnerable to fleets ofstarfighters flown by skilled Rebel pilots, who exploit the ships' exposed bridges anddeflector shield generators to cause damage.[3] A year after their defeat at Endor, the Empire makes alast stand atJakku. During the battle, Imperial Star Destroyers use their tractor beams to dragNew Republic ships down to the planet's surface, where their wrecks form the Graveyard of Ships as seen inThe Force Awakens (2015).[17]
Examining what it would take to realistically build an Imperial Star Destroyer, it was estimated in 2016 that such a vessel would cost $636 billionUSD. Using then-current technology and naval vessels as a reference, the ship would weigh 4.44 billion kilograms, generate 146.5gigawatts of power, and its engines would produce a combined totalthrust of 3.5 millionnewtons. However getting the parts into space to construct the Star Destroyer would require an additional US$44.4 trillion in launch costs, suggesting thatasteroid mining and refining technologies would have to be developed first to make it more economical.[18][19]
Joe Pappalardo ofPopular 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 asaucer.[20]
Lego has released multiple different Star Destroyer kits over the years, from small sets with just 21 pieces to the largest versions with thousands of pieces.[21] These include two Ultimate Collector Series models, the first of which was released in 2002. Measuring 37-inch (940 mm) long and 23-inch (580 mm), it sold for $269.99 until being retired in 2007. The second UCS Star Destroyer was larger, 43-inch (1,100 mm) long and 26-inch (660 mm) wide, and sold for $699.99 between 2019 and 2022.[22][23]
ForThe 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, theExecutor'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 theDykstraflex'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]
Within theStar Wars universe, the term "Super Star Destroyer" is acolloquialism used to refer to any ship larger than an Imperial Star Destroyer.[24] The largest and most powerful of these is theExecutor, which first appeared inThe Empire Strikes Back (1980) as the personalflagship of Darth Vader.[14] The first in a line ofExecutor-class Star Dreadnoughts, the ship is over 19,000 m (62,000 ft) in length, propelled by thirteen colossal engines and a Class 1hyperdrive. Its armament includes over 5,000turbolasers,ion cannons andtractor beam projectors and it can carry more than 1,000 vessels.[24] The crew of theExecutor numbers in the hundreds of thousands.[4] Its command tower, rising above the ship's technoscape on a thick stalk, is a standard model found on other Star Destroyers – including a pair of geodesic domes containing communication transceivers, sensors anddeflector shield projectors – and allows for an unobstructed view of the battlefield.[25] At least twelve of these vessels were built by the Empire, including theExecutor,Annihilator,Ravager andArbitrator, but the exact number is unknown thanks to Imperial propaganda andblack budgets.[25]
From the bridge of theExecutor, Darth Vader leads Death Squadron during theBattle of Hoth and afterwards in pursuit of theMillennium Falcon. It later serves as the Imperial command ship during theBattle of Endor.[14] At Endor, intense bombardment by the Rebel Alliance fleet cause the ship's shields to fail, allowing Rebel starfighters to strafe the command tower. During this attack anA-wing piloted by Arvel Crynyd crashes into the command bridge, destroying the main navigation complex and causing the vessel to lose control.[25] TheExecutor is lost when thesecond Death Star's gravity well pulls the ship into its surface, destroying the vessel and damaging the Death Star itself.[24] AtJakku where the Empire made itslast stand, the Super Star DestroyerRavager is one of the wrecks which make up the Graveyard of Ships.[17]
Rhett Allain, an associate professor of physics atSoutheastern Louisiana University, examined the death of theExecutor in aStar Wars Day-themed article forWired. According to him, theExecutor impacted the second Death Star traveling at 3.5 km/s (7,800 mph), which—assuming the collision was strictly a result of gravitational interaction between the two objects—would require a super-dense Death Star to achieve such an impact velocity. Additionally, theExecutor had a near constantangular velocity of 0.159 radians/second during the scene where it rotates to face the Death Star. For the crew at the front of the ship, this would result in acentripetal acceleration of 39G.[26]
If a model of theExecutor was built to scale and placed hovering overNew York City, it would cast a shadow over the island ofManhattan.[27][28]
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 theExecutor.[29]Kenner wanted to use a less ominous name thanExecutor for the toy playset of Darth Vader's meditation chamber.[30] An advertisement agency's list of 153 alternatives included Starbase Malevolent, Black Coven, Haphaestus VII, and Cosmocurse;[30] ultimately, the toy was labeled "Darth Vader's Star Destroyer".[30] In 2006, Wizards of the Coast created anExecutor miniature as part of itsStar Wars Miniatures Starship Battles game.[31] An electronic Super Star Destroyer toy released byHasbro "is the rarest among Hasbro's Collector Fleet".[32]
| Venator-class Star Destroyer | |
|---|---|
 AVenator-class Star Destroyer as depicted inStar Wars: The Clone Wars | |
| 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][34] |
| Made by | Kuat Drive Yards[33] |
| Combat vehicles |
|
| Auxiliary vehicles | |
| General characteristics | |
| Class | Battleship/Carrier[35] |
| Armaments |
|
| Defenses | Deflector shields[33] |
| Propulsion | |
| Length | 1,137 m (3,730 ft)[33] |
| Width | 548 m (1,798 ft)[33] |
| Height | 268 m (879 ft)[33] |
| Population volume | 7,400[33] |
The design of theVenator-class Star Destroyers appearing inRevenge of the Sith (2005) are meant to bridge the appearance of theAcclamator-class transports inAttack of the Clones (2002) and theImperial-class in the original trilogy. This included making use of the Imperial Star Destroyer bridge set for interior shots of the Venator as a connecting theme. Additionally, the changing coloration of the Star Destroyers is meant to represent the downfall of theRepublic and rise of the Empire. At the start of the film they are given a red paint scheme first established inThe Phantom Menace (1999) as representing the Republic, but by the end they are colorless.[36]
TheVenator-class Star Destroyer makes its first theatrical appearance inRevenge of the Sith during the openingBattle of Coruscant. Within theStar Wars setting, these ships are regarded as the most powerful capital ships of theRepublic Navy during theClone Wars, serving double duty as battleships and starfighter carriers.[35] These massive ships require a relatively small crew to operate, a deliberate feature compensating for the fact that theSeparatists can producebattle droids faster than the Republic can growclone troopers.[33] As a true warship, theVenator-class can feed nearly its entire reactor output (which at maximum power consumes 40,000 tons of fuel per second) into its heavy turbolasers to devastating effect.[33] As a carrier, the Star Destroyer can rapidly deploy hundreds of starfighters, includingARC-170s,V-wings,Z-95 Headhunters andJedi interceptors, from a .5 km (0.31 mi)-long dorsal flight deck. While strongdeflector shielding is employed around the armored bow doors, they are slow to open or close, presenting a weakness in the vessel's design.[35][33][37]
During the Clone Wars these Star Destroyers, referred to also as Republic attack cruisers orJedi cruisers, play an important role combating Separatist fleets and providing supporting fire for ground forces.[35] Thanks to their superior firepower, theVenator-class has a strong advantage against Separatist warships, and a small flotilla of attack cruisers can easily blast through the deflector shields of aTrade Federation Battleship.[33] At the Battle of Coruscant, over a thousand attack cruisers are deployed to defend the planet,[37] one of which (the Star DestroyerGuarlara) delivers a devastating barrage to theInvisible Hand atpoint-blank range.[33] After the end of the Clone Wars and creation of theGalactic Empire, these Star Destroyers will continue to serve for decades in the Imperial Navy until eventually replaced with theImperial-class Star Destroyer.[33]
There have been five different Lego sets of the Venator released since 2009, with the most recent one revealed in 2023.[38] This version of the Venator, part of the Ultimate Collector Series, was released in celebration of the 20th anniversary of theStar Wars: The Clone Wars TV show. Measuring 43-inch (1,100 mm) long, 21-inch (530 mm) wide and 12.5-inch (320 mm) tall, the set consists of 5,374 pieces and comes with a commemorative plaque, at an original retail price of $649.99.[22][39][40]
For the 2016Consumer Electronics Show, noted modder Sander van der Velden created acustom-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 and3D printed material. The final product required 400 hours of work to complete.[41][42][43][44]
| Resurgent-class Star Destroyer | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) |
| Information | |
| Affiliation | First Order |
| Made by | Kuat-Entralla Engineering[45][46] |
| Combat vehicles | |
| Auxiliary vehicles |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Class | Capital Ship[45] |
| Armaments | |
| Defenses | |
| Propulsion | |
| Length | 2,916 m (9,567 ft)[46] |
| Population volume | |
InStar Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), set 30 years after the fall of the Empire, a new class of Star Destroyer is introduced in service to theFirst Order. TheFinalizer, the first of theResurgent-class Star Destroyers built in secret by Kuat-Entralla Engineering, serves as the flagship for bothKylo Ren andGeneral Hux.[45][46]
Various concept art for a new class of Star Destroyers was created in the development ofThe Force Awakens, with a finalized designed — drawn by VFX art director James Clyne — approved in July 2014. Clyne had experimented with using negative spaces in creating the Star Destroyer, similar to his earlier work onStar Trek Into Darkness. He said he had fun fun working on it as directorJ. J. Abrams was heavily involved in the process and offered suggestions.[47] Clyne also drew concept art for theFinalizer's hangar, and when it came time to build the set atPinewood Studios, he relocated there for a month to supervise the construction.[48]
Resurgent-class Star Destroyers are described in background literature as a clear violation of the treaties between theNew Republic and the First Order. The development of such capital ships was kept a secret for many years by the First Order and were constructed deep within theUnknown Regions, but once they became awareGeneral Leia and theResistance went to great lengths to track and report on such vessels to the New Republic. However, Leia was considered a warmonger by many in the Senate and so her warnings were dismissed until it was too late.[45][46]
While evoking the traditionalImperial-class Star Destroyer, theResurgent-class is said withinStar Wars literature to incorporate a number of fixes to the former's design flaws. These include a less-exposed command bridge with an emergency backup in case it is destroyed; better-defended shield generators; and a larger fighter complement that can be more quickly launched from dorsal flight decks and side hangers.[45][46] The ship's turbolasers, powerful enough to slug it out with capital ships or reduce planetary surfaces to molten slag, have greater firepower and faster recharge rates than Imperial models thanks to the use ofKyber focusing crystals.[46] For planetary assaults, the ship carries a full legion of over 8,000 stormtroopers and over a hundred assault vehicles, includingwalkers. While lacking the resources to produce as many of these ships as once served the Empire, theResurgent-class is nevertheless meant to symbolize the First Order's power and return to Imperial glory.[45][46]
TheFinalizer features as the command ship for both Kylo Ren and General Hux during their journeys inThe Force Awakens andStar Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). However, sometime before as the events ofStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), Resistance heroFinn managed to sneak aboard and severely damaged the ship. This forced Ren to transfer his command over to a newResurgent-class Star Destroyer, theSteadfast, and reduced Hux to a junior member of the First Order Supreme Council.[49]
When theFinalizer's name was first revealed, Brent McKnight of MovieWeb felt like it was both silly and frightening, saying "[i]t sounds like something a little kid would come up with, but it’s also super ominous and intimidating at the same time." He also observed the design was instantly recognizable as a Star Destroyer while having appropriate differences to represent the thirty years that took place between its introduction in the story and the original.[50] B. Alan Orange of MovieWeb also felt the design of theFinalizer was intimidating and scary while still being instantly recognizable as a Star Destoyer. They also believed it had the "perfectpulp name", keeping in theme with the movie's new superweapon,Starkiller Base.[51]
YouTube content creator "LegoSpencer" was inspired to build a model of the TIE fighter hangar bay on theFinalizer, a process which took six weeks to complete.[52]
| Mega-class Star Destroyer | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) |
| Information | |
| Affiliation | First Order |
| Made by | Kuat-Entralla Engineering[53][54] |
| Auxiliary vehicles | |
| General characteristics | |
| Class | Dreadnought[53][54] |
| Armaments | |
| Defenses | |
| Propulsion | |
| Length | 13,234 m (43,419 ft)[54] |
| Width | 60,543 m (198,632 ft)[54] |
| Height | 3,975 m (13,041 ft)[54] |
| Population volume | |
TheMega-class Star DreadnoughtSupremacy made its first theatrical appearance inStar Wars: The Last Jedi (2017). Described as the command ship forSupreme Leader Snoke, it was stated to be 60 km (37 mi) wide, making it significantly larger than any previousSuper Star Destroyer.[55]
DirectorRian Johnson came up for the idea of basing theSupremacy on aflying wing, picking the final exterior look from concept art created by design supervisor Kevin Jenkins. "It's a big flying city," said Jenkins. "Vader'sExecutor is simply a headquarters, but Snoke doesn't have a planet, so he lives on the ship."[56] TheSupremacy's bridge was also designed by Jenkins, who wanted it to mirror the wideness of the ship itself.[57]
Described as the onlyMega-class Star Destroyer in the galaxy,[58] theSupremacy served not only as the flagship but as the capital of the First Order. Rather than choosing one of the settled planets claimed by the First Order, this decision for a mobile headquarters was said to represent the Order's dream of restoring the Empire and expanding upon it. Built at a staggering cost within the Unknown Regions, the existence of "Snoke'sboudoir" was only a rumor among Resistance personnel until it finally revealed itself.[53][54]
Thousands of heavy turbolasers, antiship missile batteries, heavy ion cannons and tractor beam projectors gives the ship firepower equivalent to an entire fleet. The vessel also possesses an industrial capacity that would rival most planets, with asteroid mining complexes, foundries, production lines, research labs and training centers. Six external and two internal stations allowResurgent-class Star Destroyers to dock with theSupremacy. A majority of the ship's 2,225,000 crew are adolescents still in training to become stormtroopers and officers.[53][54]
TheSupremacy reveals itself inThe Last Jedi at the head of the fleet pursuing the Resistance after their flight fromD'Qar, having used the immense processing power of its vast number of computer arrays to track them through hyperspace. This pursuit continues in realspace, with theSupremacy destroying the majority of the Resistance fleet while theRaddus continues to survive thanks to its experimental deflector shields. However, running low on fuel, the Resistance hatches a plan to secretly escape aboard cloaked U-55 Orbital Loadlifters to nearbyCrait. The plan is foiled when the cloaked ships are revealed byDJ (Benicio del Toro) and theSupremacy turns its cannons on the helpless shuttles. Desperate,Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo (Laura Dern) turns theRaddus around and rams theSupremacy at lightspeed, splitting the vessel in two.[53][54]
Martin Docherty of Space.com looked at the possible physics behind the scene inThe Last Jedi where Vice Admiral Holdo destroys theSupremacy by ramming it at lightspeed with theRaddus. Using the estimate that theRaddus massed 8.88 billion kilograms and was traveling at 99.9% of thespeed of light, it would have aLorentz factor of 22.366 and impact with a finalkinetic energy of 17x1027joules. Such an impact would create shrapnel which, while moving slower than lightspeed, would still cause immense damage, as was seen in the movie.[59]
Rhett Allain, an associate professor atSoutheastern Louisiana University, examined the turbolaser shots fired by theSupremacy inThe Last Jedi and observed how these shots arced through space as opposed to flying straight as in previous movies. Noting that these shots took 1.58 seconds to reach theRaddus, he estimated they were traveling 100,000meters per second with an apparent vertical acceleration of 2.4 x 104meters per second squared.[60]
Upon the first reveal of theSupremacy, B. Alan Orange noted that, despite the ship's unique design, it still retained a familiar shape which immediately identified it as belonging to the First Order.[61] Corey Larson of Screen Rant believed that, regardless of the film's wider reputation, the introduction of theSupremacy and its subsequent destruction duringThe Last Jedi represented one of the coolest additions to the franchise from theStar Wars sequel trilogy.[62] John Orquiola meanwhile felt the ship represented an ongoing superweapon problem with the franchise. While crediting Rian with not introducing another Death Star-like weapon, it still showed that the First Order, like the Empire before it, was obsessed with equating size with power and creating "unbeatable" superweapons which are eventually destroyed.[63]
| Xyston-class Star Destroyer | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) |
| Information | |
| Affiliation | Final Order |
| Made by | Kuat-Entralla Engineering[64] |
| Combat vehicles | TIE daggers[64] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class | Star Destroyer[64] |
| Armaments | |
| Defenses |
|
| Propulsion | |
| Length | 2,406 m (7,894 ft)[64] |
| Height | 682 m (2,238 ft)[64] |
| Population volume | 29,585[64] |
InStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), a resurrectedDarth Sidious unveils a new class of Star Destroyer as part of theSith Eternal's fleet, the Final Order.
Identified by in-universe sources asXyston-class but referred to informally as Sith Star Destroyers, these ships resemble the olderImperial I-class Star Destroyers but much larger and with more automation to reduce crew requirements. They are built onExegol by automated factories described as dating back to the old Sith Wars, but which Darth Sidious modernized upon the creation of the Empire. The distinguishing feature of these Sith Star Destroyers is an axialsuperlaser powerful enough to shatter a planet. Such power is made possible by a solar ionization reactor channeling the energy of a miniature sun throughkyber crystals. However, hangar space and storage are sacrificed to make room for the superlaser, and the connection between superlaser and reactor presents a vulnerability should the vessel lose its deflector shielding.[64][65]
In April 2014, most of the licensedStar Wars novels, games, and comics produced since 1976 (and prior to 2014), were rebranded byLucasfilm asStar Wars Legends; and therefore declared non-canon to the franchise.[68][69]
Star Destroyers feature in numerousLegends publications, with a considerable amount of additional notable information. According toWest End Games'Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game sourcebooks and other texts,Imperial-class Star Destroyers are constructed by Kuat Drive Yards and hold a distinguished place in theImperial Navy, symbolizing the Empire's military might with a peak number of more than 25,000 vessels.[70] Like theVenator andVictory-class ships that precede it, theImperial-class is amulti-role capital ship combining the roles of abattleship,starfighter carrier, andtroopship. Notable for its massive size and overwhelming firepower compared to its fore-bearers; a singleImperial-class ship is capable of singlehandedly taking on a fleet of enemy vessels or "reducing the surface of a planet to a slag" (known as "Base Delta Zero"), and its mere presence is often enough to deter rebellion.[70] At 1,600 meters (5,200 ft) long,Imperial-class Star Destroyers are crewed by 9,235 Officers, 27,850 enlisted personnel, and 275 Gunners. TheImperial I is armed with 60 turbolasers, 60 ion cannons, and 10 tractor beam projectors for space combat.[70] The standard complement is 72TIE fighters (including 12 TIE Bombers and 12-24 TIE Interceptors), and a variety of support craft including shuttles and transports. Unlike other comparable capital ships like the Mon Calamari MC80 Star Cruiser of the Rebel Alliance (later New Republic), anImperial-class Star Destroyer carries a full array of ground forces (including 9700stormtroopers, 20AT-ATs and 30AT-STs) with dropships for rapid deployment to planetary surfaces, plus a prefabricated base if a permanent planetary garrison is required.[70]
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 theBattle of Endor theRebel Alliance captured twoImperial-class Star Destroyers and added them to the New Republic fleet; they serve alongside Mon Calamari Cruisers in GeneralHan Solo's task force as told in theX-wing series of novels andDark Empire comics.[71] Although the New Republic eventually upgrades its starfleet with newer ship types, theImperial-class Star Destroyer remains in service well into theNew Jedi Order era and fights during theYuuzhan Vong War.[72]
Described inA 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.[73] In addition to Vader's command shipExecutor,Star Wars novels introduce the prison shipLusankya and stealth-armored Knight Hammer as other in the class.[74][75]Kevin J. Anderson's novelDarksaber describes a Super Star Destroyer as being "worth twenty Imperial Star Destroyers".[75]
TheForces of Corruption expansion pack to the gameStar Wars: Empire at War introduced theAggressor-class Star Destroyer. Its plans were kept aboard the first Death Star, where they were studied along with other ship designs, including theVengeance-class frigate. Following the Battle of Yavin, the Zann Consortium stole the designs stored in a data pod amidst the wreckage of the battle station, as well as a prototype that Tyber Zann took as his flagship; it was heavily modified over three years and was christened theMerciless. TheAggressor-class featured two fire-linked cannons fixed on its forward hull that fired an ion blast that disabled shields, followed by a plasma blast for maximum damage.
The description "Star Destroyer" and "Super Star Destroyer" are applied to several another massive dagger/triangle-shaped warships inStar Wars, such as thePellaeon-class Star Destroyer in theLegacy comic series (2006–2010), and the reborn Emperor Palpatine's flagshipsEclipse andEclipse II Super Star Destroyers in theDark Empire series (1991–1995). TheEclipse-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 unofficialStar Wars Technical Commentaries (he has since been the author of the officialStar Wars: Attack of the Clones Incredible Cross-Sections andStar Wars: Revenge of the Sith Incredible Cross-Sections), has advocated using the termImperator-class in lieu ofImperial-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 theImperator/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 asExecutor-class andEclipse-class, with some referring to them instead as a "Star Dreadnought" (sometimes spelled "Star Dreadnaught") to emphasize their massive size relative to Star Destroyers.[76] AuthorJason 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 (nowStar Wars Legends), supplementing the contradictory classification systems used in Star Wars lore previously, becoming reference material in theStar Wars Sourcebooks byWest End Games.
TheVictory-class Star Destroyer first described in the earlyStar Wars novella, was initially designed as a direct predecessor to theImperial-class during the development ofA New Hope, which would make it a follow-up to theVenator-class seen inRevenge of the Sith. TheVictory appears very similar in appearance to theImperial-class which succeeded it; albeit theVictory being considerably smaller in scale (900 meters in length versus 1600 meters), adds atmospheric maneuvering "wings" on the port and starboard sides (according toStar Wars: The Roleplaying Game sourcebooks, theVictory I-class can enter a planetary atmosphere which is a unique attribute not found in theVictory II andImperial-class Star Destroyers), and a shorter conning tower with different elements on the command bridge. TheVictory-class was developed from a prototype Star Destroyer model created byColin Cantwell forA New Hope, with the final design being used for the basis of theImperial-class.[77][78]
