10 Star Wars Superweapons Even More Dangerous Than The Death Star

The Death Star is one of the most terrifying and powerful weapons in all of Star Wars. It was the centerpiece of the story of the very first film set in a galaxy far, far away and went on to appear again in other forms in future movies (and shows).

The Death Star hasn’t just reappeared, but has actively inspired other super weapons in the space series. There are tens of weapons, many of which are even grander in terms of their destructive power, that exist in Star Wars Legends alone. There are some in canon, too, that appeared in Return of the Jedi and beyond, and these similarly pose an even greater threat than its predecessor, proving that the Death Star itself was only the beginning.

Death Star II

The Death Star II appeared in 1983’s Return of the Jedi during the film’s final act. Billed as a more successful version of the first Death Star, the second iteration of the super weapon served as a correction of the earlier design flaw purposely put in place by Galen Erso.

This makes Death Star II not only more destructive but harder to stop than its predecessor as well, meaning it’s even more dangerous. It also serves as a psychological test for the Rebels as Palpatine attempts to lure his enemies in for one final battle, adding to the danger it poses to Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo, and the rest of the team.

Death Star II also signified an advance in technology for the Empire. Its super laser had the capacity to fire more rapidly than the last one and its accuracy was improved even as construction wasn’t fully finished at the time of the Battle of Endor. Rapid firing and better accuracy meant that the second Death Star was not only a threat to planets, but to Rebel capital ships in closer-range space combat as well, meaning that it was an effective weapon on two fronts.

Starkiller Base

Starkiller Base debuted in The Force Awakens, the first film in the sequel trilogy, and is very similar to the first Death Star. Designed to be the weapon to wipe out the New Republic and confirm the First Order’s control of the galaxy, the Starkiller Base wasn’t the size of a moon like the Death Star, but instead was as big as a planet.

The planetary size is because the First Order turned the kyber-rich planet Ilum into a weapon, using its unique atmosphere to fuel the weapon’s destructive capabilities. Unlike the Death Star, which could destroy one planet at a time, the Starkiller Base could destroy multiple planets all at once and did so when the New Republic was all but wiped out in The Force Awakens.

The Starkiller Base absorbs energy from surrounding stars to power the weapon, meaning that its range is vastly improved from the Death Star. The Base could fire across hyperspace and destroy entire star systems, making it almost impossible for the Resistance to hide from its power.

Sun Crusher

In Star Wars Legends, many weapons even more powerful than the Death Star exist. A prime example is the Sun Crusher, which appeared in the Jedi Academy trilogy of novels written by Kevin J. Anderson. The Sun Crusher differs greatly from the Death Star in its size, as it was the size of a single starfighter with just one pilot and designed by the Empire at the same time as

the Death Star.

Despite being small, the Sun Crusher was capable of mass destruction. The ship had resonance torpedoes which, when launched, were capable of triggering a star to go supernova. The impact of this was huge, as it would then destroy every single planet in the entire system, thus ending billions of lives in an instant.

Making this weapon an even bigger threat was its armor, which was nearly indestructible. Fire from nearby ships and even destruction from supernovas couldn’t penetrate the shields, meaning that not only could this ship move quickly, covertly, and annihilate almost anything in its path, but it could withstand extreme firepower as well.

Centerpoint Station

The Corellian Trilogy of novels introduced the Centerpoint Station, a weapon built before the Republic was established and done so by ancient celestials. In the story, it’s said that the weapon is so technologically advanced that the Empire didn’t even fully understand it or the potential it held.

Centerpoint Station differs from many of the weapons on this list in that it didn’t just destroy a planet. Rather, the Station could use its power to manipulate hyperspace and gravitational forces at play. Interestingly, this is less of a traditional weapon and more of a piece of technology giving someone god-like power, as it could move stars, thus putting entire planets way off orbit, and ripping worlds apart through this manipulation.

Galaxy Gun

The Galaxy Gun first appeared in the comic book series Dark Empire, a fan favorite storyline of Star Wars Legends similar to The Rise of Skywalker in that Emperor Palpatine returned as the primary villain. Like the Starkiller Base, this weapon was built to be a more successful successor to the Death Star. Whereas the Empire’s original super weapon was a mobile station that traveled to the area of its primary target, the Galaxy Gun was almost always stationary.

This weapon was designed to fire missiles across the galaxy while the station itself remained in the same place. With this, the Empire could destroy entire planets without putting the weapon in harms way, unlike the Death Star, which was destroyed because it had to travel to the Yavin IV system, where Rebels were waiting to attack and take advantage of its core weakness.

The greatest strength of the Galaxy Gun, and the element that made it so powerful, was its capacity for long-range assaults. This meant that the Imperials never had to put their creation anywhere near their enemies and kept it at a safe distance.

World Devastators

Another set of weapons from Dark Empire are the World Devastators, which are automated warships that consume planets for their raw materials. From there, the Empire turned what it found into a series of weapons, such as warships and AT-AT Walkers, which could then add to their Imperial army.

The World Devastators represent a terrifying loop; the Empire could destroy a planet and then immediately harvest it to make their forces even larger and stronger. They did so with Dac, the home planet of Admiral Ackbar, in Dark Empire, leaving the planet ravaged and needing an intelligent plan from Luke Skywalker to rescue their world. Still, billions of lives were lost in the process, showing the Devastator’s power.

This is a weapon very different from the Death Star, which provided instant destruction, as it instead offered a slow suffocation for enemies of the Empire. The Imperials weren’t just destroying their enemies and their planets — they were profiting from it all, too. Interestingly, the World Devastators aren’t just in Legends, as the animated series Star Wars Rebels brought them back in a way, albeit far less powerful.

Star Forge

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is one of, if not the most famous stories in all of Legends, and it feels as if it’s only a matter of time before it’s adapted into live action in some way. Set thousands of years before the prequel trilogy, Knights of the Old Republic introduced the Star Forge, a weapon powered not by raw materials like kyber, but by the dark side of the Force itself.

Like the World Devastators, the Star Forge was used not to destroy planets, but instead to produce a seemingly endless number of fleets, weapons, and armies. It represented an everlasting army for whoever used it, meaning that all enemies could do was to buy time as they became overwhelmed by the sheer number of forces on display.

Both versions of the Death Star and the Starkiller Base all had their weak points, but no glaring error existed with the Star Forge, which not only provided unlimited military resources, but long-term sustainability as well. This is a weapon only in Legends (as of now), but it’s possible that the Star Forge makes a comeback in canon at some point.

Darksaber

Not to be confused with the lightsaber once wielded by Din Djarin, the Darksaber appeared in the novel Darksaber by Kevin J. Anderson and was built by the Hutt crime lord Durga. He envisioned it as a cheaper and more efficient version of a Death Star, and designed it to hold a rotating super-laser. Like the Death Star, the Darksaber was designed to destroy planets, but in a more efficient and cost-effective way, which would have made it an even more dangerous entity.

The downfall of the Darksaber ended up being its efficiency, as it crumbled due to structural instability and operational flaws. Despite its relatively brief existence, this is a weapon that represents extreme power because it was developed by non-Imperial forces, thus proving that the Empire weren’t the only ones capable of creating planet-destroying weapons.

Abeloth

Abeloth is arguably the most unique weapon on this list, as she exists as an entity of the Force rather than a weapon made by the Empire or similar entities. Abeloth first appeared in the novel series and proved to be destructive on a galactic level, making her a threat both physically and psychologically.

Abeloth had a variety of unique powers, from warping reality, corrupting the minds of whomever she chooses, and even consuming entire worlds. Entire populations of people and planets were controlled by her, and she did so without firing a single blaster or weapon of any kind.

She, too, didn’t have a clear weak point like the Death Star did. She was not a droid and was instead a sentient being, meaning that she couldn’t be turned off, destroyed, or contained in the same way the Empire’s first super weapon was. The only way to defeat her was through unifying the Jedi and Sith, historically an almost impossible feat that proves the threat Abeloth posed.

Abeloth exists only in Legends, but some fans theorize that she may become canon in Ahsoka season 2, which promises to dive deeper into the Force than any Star Wars project has before.

Hyperspace Ram

The hyperspace ram was introduced in Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi in 2017. Although not a direct super weapon, this maneuver, conducted by Vice Admiral Holdo, provided destruction not unlike the Death Star or Starkiller Base, albeit not quite as large scale, but without the meticulous planning or finances needed for such a weapon.

Holdo showed that accelerating a massive ship, such as the one she was piloting, to lightspeed directly through an enemy fleet could destroy entire armies in an instant, just as the Death Star could. Holdo tore through First Order ships that were unable to react or defend themselves at all.

It’s a moment that has proven to be incredibly divisive in the years since (just as most of The Last Jedi has), but its potential remains undeniable. Interestingly, this moment was actually teased in Star Wars Legends, paving the way for Holdo’s biggest moment in Star Wars.