Superweapon/Legends

A superweapon was a weapon capable of destroying entire planets or star systems.

These weapons, inspired by the Tarkin Doctrine of "rule through fear of force", were primarily the brain-children of Tol Sivron and Bevel Lemelisk at the Maw Installation. However, the first superweapon of the Imperial era was constructed as part of an elaborate power-play by the then-most-powerful gangster in the Galaxy, Sise Fromm.

Weapons and devices of similar destructive power were created at other periods in galactic history, such as the Mass Shadow Generator used during the Mandalorian Wars. World-devastating weapons were also created by alien civilizations, such as the ancient builders of Centerpoint Station and the extra-galactic Yuuzhan Vong.

It should also be noted that large capital ships, such as the Confederacy of Independent Systems' Providence-class carrier/destroyers, the Empire's Imperial-class Star Destroyers, or even ancient ships such as Leviathan, Darth Malak and Saul Karath's flagship, were capable of rendering entire planets lifeless. Unlike the use of superweapons, this usually required a sustained bombardment, a combined assault from a fleet of ships, the sabotage of planetary shields, or some combination thereof.

List of Tarkin-inspired superweapons and those who commissioned their construction

 * The Trigon 1&mdash;The Fromm Family of Crime.
 * The Death Star I&mdash;Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin.
 * The Death Star Prototype&mdash;Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin.
 * The Tarkin&mdash;Emperor Palpatine.
 * The Death Star II&mdash;Emperor Palpatine.
 * The Sun Crusher&mdash;Emperor Palpatine.
 * The Eclipse I&mdash;Emperor Palpatine.
 * The Eclipse II&mdash;Emperor Palpatine.
 * The World Devastators&mdash;Emperor Palpatine.
 * The Galaxy Gun&mdash;Emperor Palpatine.
 * The Imperial Two-Wave Gravshock Device.
 * The Darksaber&mdash;The Besadii Hutt kajidic.
 * The Orbital Nightcloak&mdash;Zsinj.

Other superweapon-like inventions unrelated to the Tarkin Doctrine

 * Star Forge&mdash;Rakata and Sith.
 * Centerpoint Station&mdash;Celestials, later Corellia.
 * Infinity Gate&mdash;Kwa and Nightsisters.
 * Naga Sadow's Flagship&mdash;Sith Empire, later Brotherhood of the Sith.
 * The Dark Reaper&mdash;Sith, later Confederacy of Independent Systems.
 * The Starkiller&mdash;Confederacy of Independent Systems.
 * The Ultimate Weapon&mdash;Confederacy of Independent Systems.
 * The Planet Killer&mdash;Confederacy of Independent Systems.
 * The Shawkenese universe destroyer&mdash;unknown Shawkenese scientist.
 * The Mass Shadow Generator&mdash;Bao-Dur.
 * The electromagnetic torpedo&mdash;Rokur Gepta.
 * Dovin basals&mdash;Yuuzhan Vong.
 * The Legacy of Torment&mdash;Yuuzhan Vong.
 * Sh'rip Sh'pa Spawnship&mdash;Yuuzhan Vong.