Super Star Destroyer/Legends

Super Star Destroyer "Concentrate all fire on that Super Star Destroyer!"

- Admiral Ackbar, referring to the Executor, during the Battle of Endor

Super Star Destroyer (SSD) was a term used by Imperial, Rebel, New Republic and Galactic Alliance personnel for many dagger-shaped warship classes larger than Star Destroyers, ranging from Star Cruisers to Star Dreadnaughts. It was often used concurrently with the term Super-class Star Destroyer.

Darth Vader's command ship, the Executor, was one such vessel and one of the most famous Super Star Destroyers fielded, as was the even deadlier Eclipse, which served as one of Galactic Emperor Palpatine's flagships.

Characteristics
Super Star Destroyers were among the largest warships ever fielded and consisted of various warship types that served primarily as command ships. All the types had a magnitude of more than 3,8 kilometers in length, to support their heavy power generators and armaments.

They were also fitted with extensive command and control suites which could handle far more naval forces than previous command ships, such as the Old Republic's Inexpugnable-class.

The smallest Super Star Destroyers were the Star Cruisers. Not to be confused with other Star Cruisers in existence, such as the Mon Calamari-produced warships or common space transports, this warship designation was the first type above Star Destroyers, yet a magnitude smaller than Star Battlecruisers and Star Dreadnaughts.

The Star Battlecruisers were among the most powerful vessels in the galaxy, with reactors capable of giving enough firepower to down multiple Star Destroyers and resist an onslaught of even bigger vessels. They were only eclipsed in capability by the Star Dreadnaughts, of which the aforementioned Executor and Eclipse were the most extreme designs, literal cityscapes fitted with gun batteries and shield generators.

In addition to the dedicated warships, there were also several support ship types built to SSD-scale. Some served as dedicated carrier vessels, others were communications ships, fitted with dozens of HoloNet tranceivers, and other still were mobile repair ships.

Super Star Destroyers were on par with or larger than most other navies' ships-of-the-line, like the Trade Federation's Lucrehulk-class battleships or the CIS's supreme battleship, the Malevolence. As command ships, they were capable of projecting power across entire Oversectors and served as command ships for galaxy-spanning campaigns. They were good expressions of the Tarkin Doctrine, which argued that galactic peace could be achieved by developing the ability to project overwhelming firepower against any enemy, rendering all resistance futile before it even began.

Origin
"From Super Star Destroyers to torpedo spheres, it has been nearly impossible to overestimate the amount of destructive force available to the average Moff or Sector Group Commander"

- Arhul Hextrophon, on the Empire's obsession with super weapons.

For tens of thousands of years, heavy warships were part of the Republic Navy's strategy for space combat. Large ships fought in the Alsakan Conflicts and the Old Sith Wars. They became obsolete for a time, at some point after 3,000 BBY, when doctrine shifted to groups of smaller cruisers that combined their firepower and were more maneuverable. These new designs were armed with better weapons and more powerful shields than the older battlecruisers and battleships.

However, in the centuries prior to the Clone Wars, heavy warships became prominent again. They were used for generations by private defensive fleets fielded by rich, industrialized star sectors. Kuat, Corellia and Humbarine were but three of the sectors that could afford to build such leviathans, which had only limited hyperdrive-range due to trade barriers that existed at the time.

During the Clone Wars, heavy warship types like Star Battlecruisers and Star Dreadnaughts were used by the resurgent Republic Navy, but it was only with the advent of the Galactic Empire that a dedicated research and development program began for a new generation of heavy warship designs, and they became a greater part of naval doctrine again.

The Clone Wars saw the beginning of development on the Cardan-class space station series which had some influence on the structuring of future naval projects, like the Super Star Destroyers and the Death Stars. The Praetor-class Star Battlecruiser, first used during the Galactic Republic, also survived the transition into the Galactic Empire, with the class continuing in limited service during the Galactic Civil War, despite being an outdated design at that point.

Begun a few months after the end of the Clone Wars, the Sarlacc Project sought to develop a new, heavy Imperial command ship. This ship, an early prototype for a new generation of heavy warships, was 12 kilometers in length and was destroyed by early rebel elements before it could be completed. Despite such an early setback, larger and more refined Star Dreadnaught designs were produced, such as the Executor-class and Eclipse-class.

When the Imperial Navy requested funds for construction of the Executor-class, it forged a profile on the vessel, calling it a Super-class Star Destroyer and making it out to be less than half its intended size. This was done to avoid arousing suspicion in the Imperial Senate about the true nature of the class as well as capitalize on the popularity of the dagger-shaped Star Destroyer type, which dated back to the Clone Wars.

The name was shortened to "Super Star Destroyer", and both it and the fake designation of Super-class, remained in colloquial use even long after the real name and designation had been revealed and the first vessel made operational. The terms later carried over to other warship classes in the following decades, with Rebel Alliance and Imperial officers simply referring to anything bigger than a Star Destroyer as a Super Star Destroyer or a Super-class Star Destroyer. Most SSDs were usually classified as star dreadnaughts as well, in contrast to Star Destroyers being classified as star cruisers (lower-case).

Early service
Before the Battle of Yavin, most Super Star Destroyer production lines were still undergoing construction, and the few partially constructed ships were only used as command centers.

Once the Empire realised the threat posed by an organized rebellion with the downfall of the first Death Star battlestation, the Super Star Destroyers began to be mass-produced, with an average Moff or Sector Commander estimated to have at least one or two such superweapons in their arsenal throughout the course of the Galactic Civil War. The Executor-class alone was made with over a dozen ships, their combined bulk equating to that of thousands of individual Star Destroyers. Such heavy warships served both as sector as well as regional command centers.

In addition to mass-production, influential individuals could afford customized designs at the height of the Empire. The Dark Jedi and Inquisitor Jerec had Kuat Drive Yards build a grandiose flagship for himself, replacing his Imperial-class Star Destroyer as a sign of his growing ambitions.

While more conventional armaments were fitted to most ships, the two Eclipse-class Star Dreadnaughts had a superlaser as their primary weapon. The bulk of the ship was built around its reactor and support systems, making it the most powerful conventional warship in history, and causing the design to attract unwanted attention from criminal third parties.

Their construction took almost over a decade, with the Emperor's downfall leading to delays and shifts in logistics. They were estimated to be powerful enough to allow whoever controlled them a real chance at taking power in the galaxy. This also made them high-profile targets by both the Rebel Alliance, and later, the New Republic. As a symbol of its status, the Eclipse was escorted by smaller Super Star Destroyers during the Battle of Pinnacle Base.

After Endor
Following the collapse as a result of the Battle of Endor, it became increasingly difficult to maintain gargantuan warships, with the gradual breakdown and fractionalization of the Galactic Empire. Despite dozens of active battlegroups being led by SSDs immediately after Endor, the lack of cooperation between various parts of the Empire and the gradual rise to power of the New Republic, led to many Super Star Destroyers being destroyed or captured outright.

The focus switched to Star Destroyers or smaller vessels for the various Imperial warlords. Former support ships like the Strike-class medium cruiser saw a renewed service period as more mainline warships in the fleets of the Imperial Remnant.

Concurrent with the warlordism, some fleet elements were recalled to the Deep Core, where scores of heavy warships became part of the "Dark Empire" ruled over by the clones of Palpatine. Here, he plotted their use as tools of conquest for 6 years after Endor, unleashing them alongside his fleets of World Devastators during his attempt at regaining his former glory in 10 and 11 ABY.

The last major SSD known to have been commissioned by legitimate Imperial forces, was an Executor-class ship known as the Razor's Kiss. It was, however, destroyed by the New Republic soon after her launch from Kuat in 7.5 ABY.

With the years passing, the number of Super Star Destroyers dwindled as the older ships left in service were either destroyed, captured or kept in isolated Imperial enclaves. By the time Grand Admiral Thrawn took command of the Empire five years after Endor, his naval forces could not gain access to anything bigger than individual Star Destroyers.

During the rise of the resurrected Palpatine, at least four 15 kilometer-long Sovereign-class Star Dreadnaughts underwent construction, while the two Eclipse-class vessels were completed and fielded. These six vessels were meant to be the beginning of a new era of superlaser-armed warships, but with the destruction of Byss and the final death of the Emperor, they were all destroyed.

The power having shifted to the New Republic, the threat of SSDs decreased. Despite this, the Republic constructed a counterpart to the Empire's Super Star Destroyers, with the Mon Calamari-produced Viscount-class Star Defender and Mediator-class battle cruiser filling out holes in the Republic's naval forces.

Apart from the Republic's new designs, several SSDs remained in the hands of foreign powers. One 8 kilometer long SSD was observed in the fleet of the Imperial Remnant during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion and at least one Executor was part of rogue Imperial pirate forces just prior to the start of this conflict.

Further service


During the events surrounding the Swarm War, the Megador, a Super Star Destroyer equipped with sixteen engines, was used as flagship for the then-supreme commander of the Galactic Alliance Defense Force, Gilad Pellaeon.

During both the Yuuzhan Vong invasion and the Swarm War, some of the alien warships were compared with some type of 8km long Super Star Destroyer. It is unknown if this referred to the ships of old, or vessels in current service with the New Republic.



Super Star Destroyers were also used in the Second Galactic Civil War, with the Megador and the Dominion participating on the side of Darth Caedus's faction of the Galactic Alliance.

By 137 ABY, the reborn Galactic Empire had constructed at least one Super Star Destroyer analog, the Advanced Star Destroyer Alliance, built at the reconquered Mon Calamari Shipyards. The vessel was much larger than the contemporary Pellaeon-class Star Destroyer, and was stolen by the Galactic Alliance Remnant, which added it to their ragtag fleet in order to gain more firepower. The main-line Pellaeon-class Star Destroyer itself had some of its systems based on achievements made on the Executor-class Star Dreadnaughts.

Admiral Giel's flagship
This Super Star Destroyer had a similar design to the Imperial-class Star Destroyer, only much bigger. It had a bridge tower that extended towards the stern of the vessel. Here, it was fitted with a massive holding cage to be able to transport a Teezl across the galaxy, to be used as an instant communications device at Imperial Center. Despite being damaged in an attack by Rebel fighters, the vessel continued to function and even attempted to down enemy fighters.

The Allegiance
The Allegiance was a SSD that acted as a communications vessel at the Battle of Mon Calamari during Operation Shadow Hand. It resembled the Imperial-class SSD and had no visible launch bays.

The Aramadia
The Aramadia was an Imperial SSD that was captured by the Yevethans and acted as one of Nil Spaar's flagships during the Yevethan Purge in 16-17 ABY. Following the Battle of N'zoth and the end of the Purge, it was towed to N'zoth and used as a museum. In top-down profile, it resembled the Imperial-class Star Destroyer.

The Arc Hammer
At least 9.6km long, almost half as long as an Executor-class Super Star Destroyer, the Arc Hammer was essentially an armed factory ship that also served as a command ship for the Dark Trooper Project. The design was very sleek compared to other Super Star Destroyers (similar only to Jerec's ship), and noteworthy for a large quadruple tower structure protruding from the dorsal and ventral side in the general area of the bridge structure. Dorsal bays could launch the ship's complement of Dark Troopers onto a target in a combat drop. The Arc Hammer was destroyed from within by Kyle Katarn's sabotage.

The Dominion
The Dominion was a Super Star Destroyer that served in the Imperial Remnant around 41 ABY. It participated in the First Battle of Roche and was defeated by a fleet of starfighters.

Eclipse-class Star Dreadnaught
The Eclipse-class was designed as flagships for Galactic Emperor Palpatine and were constructed in relative secrecy. They were 17.5 kilometers in length, with much of their interiors taken up by generators, used to power the ship's main weapon, a scaled-down superlaser. The class's design was meant to invoke ancient sea-going warships.

The Eclipse
The Eclipse was the lead ship of its class. It took almost 10 years to finish, with its construction beginning around the time of the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY. It was hijacked by Zann Consortium forces at the Second Battle of Kuat in 4 ABY and later recovered. Construction was moved to Byss, where it stayed in orbit for years, serving as a space station and meeting ground for various groups. When finally commissioned during the return of Emperor Palpatine, it gained some notority with New Republic personnel, thanks to its devastating superlaser. The Eclipse was lost above Pinnacle Base in 10 ABY, a victim of Palpatine's runaway Force powers.

The Eclipse II
The Eclipse II was built in parallell with the Eclipse and served as Palpatine's flagship after the loss of the first vessel. It fought in the Battle of Onderon in 11 ABY, was hijacked by a New Republic task force, and sent to the Beshqek system. Here, it crashed into the Galaxy Gun orbiting Byss, and was lost when the planet exploded.

The Enforcer
The Enforcer was a Super Star Destroyer commanded by Admiral Kohrin that fought a Rebel fleet near Bespin. It was damaged and sent to Phaylenn for repairs, but was ambushed while in drydock and destroyed.

Executor-class Star Dreadnought
The Executor-class Star Dreadnought was the first class associated with the SSD moniker. It was 19 kilometers in length, was powered by a central reactor underneath its command tower, had over 5,000 various weapons-systems, and could carry over a thousand starfighters in its multiple hangar bays. Its design was meant to overwhelm any opposition, sending the enemy into retreat or resignation by its mere presence. The class became popular within the Imperial Navy, and officers desired such ships as a status symbol. Since the Super-class designation originated with this ship, it was often called Super-class Star Destroyer interchangably with other terms.

The Aggressor
Patrolled the Inner Rim Territories, before being appropriated by Grand Admiral Josef Grunger for use as his flagship shortly after the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY. Destroyed at the Battle of Tralus in 6 ABY.

The Annihilator
Flagship of Admiral Gaarn. Destroyed at the Second Battle of Kuat in 4 ABY.

The Executor
Lead ship of its class and Darth Vader's flagship. Served as Vader's private headquarters for years until its completion six months after the Battle of Yavin, in 0.5 ABY. Participated in many battles before being destroyed at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY.

The Guardian
Originally served in the home fleet of Imperial Center under Fleet Admiral Gaen Drommel. After Endor, he took the ship to Oplovis and became a warlord. After a New Republic task force captured it, the Guardian became part of the New Republic Third Fleet and served with the Republic and the Galactic Alliance for decades.

The Intimidator
Built for Black Sword Command, it was captured by the Yevetha during their uprising in 5 ABY. The Intimidator became one of their flagships, but was recaptured by Imperial slaves using its slave circuit, at the Battle of N'zoth in 17 ABY. Years after their escape, it was found adrift in the Unknown Regions in 21 ABY, a derelict hulk.

The Iron Fist
Originally named the Brawl, it was one of the first Executor-class vessels and was given to Zsinj upon his promotion to Admiral. He later used it in his campaigns against the New Republic as a warlord. The Iron Fist was finally destroyed over Dathomir in 8 ABY.

The Knight Hammer
The Knight Hammer, formerly Night Hammer, was an Executor-class Star Dreadnaught equipped with black stealth armor and a slave circuit. It was built in secret by Imperial warlord Delvardus and used by Admiral Natasi Daala in an assault on the Jedi Praxeum in 12 ABY, where it was sabotaged and destroyed.

The Lusankya
Originally named the Executor II, the Lusankya was built in secret by KDY and contained less heavy batteries, substituted for more point-defense guns and an increased amount of automation. It was buried underneath the surface of Imperial Center after its commissioning. For years it stayed underground, acting as a prison facility, until 6 ABY, when it was used by Ysanne Isard as an escape vehicle and later command ship in the Bacta War. The vessel was captured by the New Republic and served in its navy until the Second Battle of Borleias during the Yuuzhan Vong War, where it was used as a giant projectile and destroyed.

The Razor's Kiss
Built at Kuat Drive Yards, the Razor's Kiss was destroyed by the New Republic before it could be taken by warlord Zsinj. He later used the remaining debris in a ruse to make it appear that his command ship, the Iron Fist, was destroyed in battle in 7 ABY. The remains were collected and assembled into the Second Death for this purpose.

The Reaper
The Reaper was the flagship of Grand Moff Ardus Kaine. He used it as a command ship for his Scourge Squadron, hunting Rebel groups in the Outer Rim Territories. After Endor, Kaine struck out as a warlord and used the Reaper as the meeting place where the Pentastar Talks were held. It later fought in Operation Shadow Hand, where Kaine lost his life. It was then used as a command ship by Admiral Gilad Pellaeon of the Imperial Remnant and ultimately fell during Pellaeon's successful counterattack against a New Republic invasion force.

The Second Death
This vessel was assembled from the remains of the Razor's Kiss and used as a substitute for the Iron Fist, making it appear that the vessel had been destroyed. As such, it had no shields or weapons, but was fitted with a nightcloak to make it appear invisible until needed in battle.

The Terror
The Terror was the flagship of Admiral Sarn. It was fitted with a stygium cloaking device, and used as a carrier for the first squadrons of TIE Phantom starfighters. It was meant to spearhead renewed assaults on the Rebel Alliance, but was destroyed over Imdaar Alpha in 3 ABY.

The Vengeance
This Vengeance was an Executor-class ship that served as Admiral Senn's command vessel. It led Task Force Vengeance in an attempt to quell a Rebel expansion in the Airam sector and was believed destroyed at the Battle of Nocto.

Imperial-class Super Star Destroyer
The Imperial-class was a small Super Star Destroyer used as escorts for larger vessels like the Eclipse-class, and had a design reminicent of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer, only larger. The class had a ventrally protruding reactor core and no visible launch bay.

Imperial communications ship
The communications ship was a type of SSD used to communicate and coordinate the actions of other warships. To facilitate this, each vessel was fitted with dozens of hyperspace transceivers.

Imperial Star Cruiser
At least one class of Imperial Star Cruiser was fielded during the Galactic Civil War. It was well-known to the Rebel Alliance, and was lumped into the SSD-category when speaking of them. These vessels were smaller in size than the Imperial Star Dreadnaughts.

Mandator-class Star Dreadnaught
The Mandator-class Star Dreadnaught consisted of two models built by KDY. The first provided protection for the Kuat sector prior to the Clone Wars, while the second served in the Republic Navy during the war.

The Megador
The Megador was a sixteen-engined SSD that served in the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances. It was armed with long-range turbolasers during the Second Galactic Civil War.

Mobile repair base
The mobile repair base was a type of SSD dedicated to repairing and servicing other warships. As such it did not serve as command ships, which was typical for Super Star Destroyers.

Praetor-class Star Battlecruiser
The Praetor-class Star Battlecruiser was a heavy warship with reactor-systems powerful enough to feed weapons-systems that could withstand a fleet of Star Destroyers. They were produced during the time of the Galactic Republic, but were gradually replaced in the Galactic Empire. Despite this, some ships were still in service during the Galactic Civil War. The Rebel Alliance stole reactor equipment from a derelict Imperial Praetor and used them to power its defenses at the Battle of Hoth.

The Quaestor
The Quaestor was a Republic Star Battlecruiser that destroyed the Separatist Pammant Docks in a hyperspace accident, which sent the ship plunging into Pammant itself, shattering the world to its core and flooding the planet with radiation.

Sovereign-class Star Dreadnaught
The Sovereign-class was a 15 kilometer long, scaled-down version of the Eclipse-class, meant for mass-production. Like the Eclipse, the Sovereign was armed with a superlaser as its primary weapon. None of the four initial ships survived the fall of the resurrected Palpatine, and were destroyed before completion.

The Autarch
One of the first four Sovereign-class ships under construction at the time of Operation Shadow Hand. Destroyed when Palpatine's resurrected Empire collapsed.

The Despot
One of the first four Sovereign-class ships under construction at the time of Operation Shadow Hand. Destroyed when Palpatine's resurrected Empire collapsed.

The Heresiarch
One of the first four Sovereign-class ships under construction at the time of Operation Shadow Hand. Destroyed when Palpatine's resurrected Empire collapsed.

The Sovereign
Lead ship of the Sovereign-class. Destroyed when Palpatine's resurrected Empire collapsed.

Starfighter carrier
The starfighter carrier was a type of SSD primarily used as a carrier vessel.

Super Star Destroyer (12.8km)
This SSD class was 12.8 kilometers long and built at some point during the Imperial period.

Super Star Destroyer (8km)
This type of SSD, referred to as Super-class Star Destroyer, was referenced during the Yuuzhan Vong War and Swarm War in comparison to Yuuzhan Vong and Killik warships.

Super Star Destroyer (Bastion)
A Super Star Destroyer 8 kilometers long served in the Imperial Remnant during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, where it was stationed at Bastion.

Super Star Destroyer (Black Sword Command)
This vessel was one of three SSDs known to be part of the naval forces of Black Sword Command, at some point around the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY.

Super Star Destroyer (Byss)
This Super Star Destroyer was seen in the forces of the resurrected Emperor Palpatine in 10 ABY. It was escorted by a Star Destroyer in orbit of Byss.

Super Star Destroyer (Death Star)
This vessel was seen undergoing construction or repairs onboard one of the Death Star battlestations. The Sith Lord Darth Vader was present at the time.

Super Star Destroyer (Derricote)
This vessel was used to bring the Imperial scientist Evir Derricote from Borleias to Coruscant in 6 ABY.

Super Star Destroyer (pre-Yavin)
This production line of SSDs, referred to as Super-class Star Destroyers, was being constructed prior to the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY. They were between 8 and 10 times the length of an Imperial-class Star Destroyer and were armed with one heavy battery and a multitude of other weapons.

Super Star Destroyer prototype
This ship, developed in the Sarlacc Project, was 12 kilometers long, had a central reactor and was meant to be covered in armaments and serve as the Imperial Navy's symbolic flagship. It was destroyed while partially unfinished during the Battle of Byss. Despite its destruction, it served as a precursor to later classes, like the Executor.

The Vengeance
This Vengeance was a KDY Super Star Destroyer built to the specifications of the Dark Jedi Jerec. It served as his command ship and had similar specifications to other Super Star Destroyers, apart from being visually distinct. The vessel was thinner and less wide than the Executor-class, with a smaller command tower and had a different set of engines.

The Whelm
The Whelm was a Super Star Destroyer that served as part of Azure Hammer Command in the Core.

Non-canonical appearances

 * Star Wars Infinities: A New Hope
 * Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Star Wars Infinities: Return of the Jedi

Notes and references
Supersternzerstörer