Swoop/Legends

"Swoop jockeys have the brains of a blister gnat&mdash;and about the same life expectancy."

- Han Solo to Anakin Solo

A swoop was a repulsorlift vehicle similar to a speeder bike; in fact, it was in essence simply an overpowered speeder bike, "an engine with a seat." Swoops were often used by gangs. After the Galactic Empire outlawed podracing, swoop racing became the favored alternative.



Swoops were capable of traveling at over 600 km per hour. While some had the ability to travel several kilometers above a planet's surface, they generally kept a low altitude. Due to their power and uncontrollability, they had many flaps and control vanes to aid in controlling the vehicle. But due to the unpredictable nature of swoops few used them.

During the Jedi Civil War, the some of the earliest swoop bikes could be found on Taris. Archaeologists theorize that swoop racing originated on Taris, though given the near-total destruction of the planet, this is difficult to prove; Lhosan Industries was referred to as "the birthplace of the swoop bike." In any case, Taris was the hub of swoop racing during the time of the Jedi Civil War, and its destruction was a severe blow to the circuit, which nevertheless survived on such planets as Tatooine, Manaan, Telos, Onderon, and the moon Nar Shaddaa.



The planet Zonju V was one plagued by swoop mercenaries. In 14 ABY, when Jaden Korr went there to meet up with a spaceport worker, he had to be faster than the local mercenary gangsters to get to a safe outpost and get out alive.

Many racing swoop bikes had their brakes removed to reduce weight thus making the swoop bike faster. They also had deflector shields to protect them against impact. However, due to high speeds, many riders were thrown off and killed upon crashing into an object.

Known swoop models

 * Air-2 racing swoop
 * Asteroid-3 racing swoop
 * Flare-P swoop
 * Flare-S swoop
 * JR-4 swoop
 * KV swoop
 * Nebulon-S racing swoop
 * Pirate Racing Swoop
 * Zephyr-G swoop

Appearances

 * Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Commencement
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Jedi Apprentice: The Mark of the Crown
 * Podracing Tales
 * The Bounty Hunters: Aurra Sing
 * Star Wars Republic: Emissaries to Malastare
 * Outbound Flight
 * The Way of the Warrior
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars: Clone Wars
 * Star Wars: Obsession
 * Star Wars Dark Times 3: The Path to Nowhere, Part 3
 * Evasive Action: Prey
 * The Last of the Jedi: Return of the Dark Side
 * Star Wars Droids: The Protocol Offensive
 * Falling Star
 * Han Solo's Revenge
 * Ringers
 * Underworld: The Yavin Vassilika
 * Star Wars: Empire at War
 * A Hunter's Fate: Greedo's Tale webstrip
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * Star Wars Missions 7: Ithorian Invasion
 * Star Wars Missions 10: Showdown in Mos Eisley
 * Allegiance
 * Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
 * Star Wars Empire 23: The Bravery of Being Out of Range
 * River of Chaos
 * Stele Chronicles
 * Shadows of the Empire comic
 * Skreej
 * The Jabba Tape
 * Sand Blasted
 * The Mandalorian Armor
 * Tatooine Ghost
 * A Day at the Races
 * A Credit for Your Thoughts
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
 * Vision of the Future
 * Star Wars: Union
 * Dark Tide I: Onslaught
 * The Unifying Force
 * Star Wars Legacy 3: Broken, Part 3