Bowcaster/Legends



The bowcaster was a Wookiee short-range projectile weapon that fired a metal quarrel enveloped in energy and had a capacity of twenty-four shots.

In use as early as the Jedi Civil War, the bowcaster could unleash a bolt with impressive stopping power essential to defend Wookiees against the fierce predators of Kashyyyk's endless forests.

A polarizing orb sat at each end of the bow, generating a magnetic field used to accelerate the quarrels. After cocking the weapon, a simple trigger sped the quarrel forward and charged it in an envelope of plasmoid. To generate the requisite potential energy for conversion into kinetic energy, the cocking spring required the strength of a Wookiee to draw back, although some modern bowcasters featured automatic cocking mechanisms for use by other species.

While decreasingly effective beyond 30 meters, the bowcaster was more powerful and accurate than typical blaster weapons. Some bowcasters could load multiple quarrels to create a spread-fire effect, further enhancing their close range effectiveness, while others could fire specially charged bolts that could reflect off certain surfaces.

Behind the scenes

 * Most sources, including Revenge of the Sith, depict bowcasters firing green bolts. However, in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Chewbacca's weapon fires red bolts and in Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, Chewbacca's weapon fires yellow bolts.

Appearances



 * Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * ''Star Wars: Battlefront
 * ''Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Star Wars: Republic Commando
 * Republic Commando: Hard Contact
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * When the Domino Falls
 * The Farlander Papers
 * Star Wars: Empire at War
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * LEGO Star Wars
 * LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
 * A Bitter Winter
 * The Star Wars Holiday Special
 * Star Wars: Galaxies
 * Ghosts of Hoth
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Shadows of the Empire novel
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * Into the Great Unknown
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II
 * Children of the Jedi
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
 * Vector Prime
 * Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial
 * Star Wars: Epic Duels