Star Wars blasters come in all shapes and sizes. They range from hidden pistols to ship-mounted cannons, but these practical weapons appear in most conflicts. Committed fans could catalog each designated blaster in every scene. Stormtroopers carry E-11s, Han Solo favors the DL-44, and Boba Fett loves his EE-3 Carbine, but some sharpshooters wield a weapon with even more destructive potential. Disruptors are so much fun they're illegal.
Weapons tell a story in genre fiction. Fantasy is often the best venue for that type of narrative theming. A warrior with a massive battle ax is rarely a soft-hearted poet when the blades are sheathed. Star Wars uses similar tricks with various blasters, lightsabers, and outdated melee tools. Bringing a disruptor to a fight establishes a willingness to kill, a disinterest in the law, and a preference for practical solutions.
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Chewie's famous weapon looks a bit outdated, but its unique design conveys more than just an old-fashioned sense of style.
How do Disruptors work in Star Wars?
Disruptors are projectile weapons similar to blasters. They deliver considerably more destructive force than blasters of the same size or design. That benefit comes with drawbacks. Disruptor bolts are disharmonious. They can't travel as far or fly as accurately as those fired from a blaster. Disruptor sniper rifles exist but tend to be larger, longer, and less convenient than their cousins. Most disruptor weapons can't fire rapidly, requiring a few moments between shots to recharge. These traits come from the weapon's construction. Blasters fire plasma bolts they generate by superheating energy-rich fluid from a cartridge. Disruptors activate the same chemical reaction but pull considerably more fluid with each blast. The increased usage makes them impractical for ship-based conflict. That adaptation makes a disruptor shot extraordinarily powerful. Disruptor victims are swiftly and painfully atomized, torn into a shower of sparks by the sudden influx of energy.
Disruptors sacrifice the more varied options of a blaster for a sole destructive purpose. A shot from a blaster can incapacitate or kill a person, but a disruptor bolt is considerably more lethal. Stormtrooper armor, for example, can repel glancing or low-power blaster fire. A disruptor will tear cleanly through armor at any range. There are no weaker settings on a disruptor. They don't generally have stun functions or additional armaments, though exceptions exist. Disruptors can also be overloaded, while blasters can generally only overheat. An overloaded disruptor will fire a shot capable of downing a starship. It will also usually explode. Disruptors are appropriately dangerous to all involved in their use.
Who uses Disruptors in Star Wars?
Bounty hunters love disruptors. Though their job title suggests they spend most of their time bringing in convicts warm, they frequently lay them to rest, and their most efficient method tends to be a disruptor. Boba Fett used to use disruptors, leading Darth Vader to give him the immortal order "Remember, no disintegrations" before sending him after Luke Skywalker and his friends. Din Djarin, the franchise's new favorite bounty hunter, wields the Amban phase-pulse sniper rifle. Mando's rifle is heavily modified. It can deliver a powerful electric shock to incapacitate his foes, but its most lethal setting reduces targets to ash. He's used the weapon across the galaxy, but it's far from his first option. Since disruptors are illegal, none who operate on the right side of the law carry them. There is, however, a massive industry in trading these weapons to illicit sources. To quote the dangerous crime lord Tyber Zann:
Ahh... Disruptors, finally. Disintegrates durasteel, wood, flesh, just about anything really
In 5 BBY, the intrepid rebels of the starship Ghost worked to intercept and destroy a shipment of illegal disruptors. The Rebels, led by Kanan Jarrus, initially planned to sell the weapons to the crime lord, Cikatro Vizago. The operation required invading a commuter transport shuttle, causing a distraction, and pulling off a heist. They discovered a Minister on the ship working to capture the weapon shipment for the Empire and C-3PO and R2-D2 trying to destroy them for Senator Leia Organa. The rebels mislead the Minister, stealing the shipment and making for Lothal to sell them off. The Empire launched an attack, leading to a firefight. Though Vizago stole some of the weapons, the Rebels wielded disruptors to defeat their foes. They agree to overload the weapons and push them toward Stormtroopers. With the disruptors destroyed, the Rebels celebrated taking dangerous armaments out of their enemy's hands.
Disruptors are lethal weapons that come up infrequently in Star Wars stories. Only the lowest wield these deadly enhanced blasters. Obi-Wan Kenobi called a lightsaber "a more elegant weapon for a more civilized age." He was mocking the inaccuracy and unreliability of a Stormtrooper's blaster, but the disruptor has a certain elegance as well. It's not pretty, pleasant, or civil, but the disruptor gets the job done, as long as that job is disintegration.
Weapons That Should Be In Star Wars Outlaws
Putting the player in the boots of smuggler Kay Vess, Star Wars Outlaws will put a focus on blasters, and there are a few that need to be in the game.
