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Click here for Wookieepedia's article on the Canon version of this subject.  This article covers the Legends version of this subject. 
For other uses, see Vibroblade (disambiguation).

"I'm not afraid of Darth Vader. I don't really believe in the 'Force' and all that. I always found a nice vibroblade to be much more useful."
―Anonymous commoner[3]

Vibroblades were a type of bladed melee vibroweapon that used ultrasonic vibrations to increase cutting effectiveness.

Description[]

"Please put that vibroblade away. Those devices can be terribly dangerous in the wrong hands!"
C-3PO, to a RA-7 protocol droid information specialist[4]

A vibroblade resembled a short sword with a high-tech look and feel and consisted of the same basic design as other vibroweapons: the weapon's hilt or handle usually contained a compact ultrasonic vibration generator, causing the blade to vibrate at an incredible speed, making even the slightest glancing blow become a gaping wound. Vibroblades were dangerous to use against electrical weapons, as they conducted electricity. Electrocution, however, would be the wielder's last concern. Traveling up the length of the blade, the electricity would connect with a vibroblade's energy cell and ultrasonic vibration generator. The result would be a miniature explosion with enough force to take off a hand.

A vibroblade could be fitted with cortosis-weave, allowing it to parry the blows of lightsabers and energy swords. The cortosis-weave became less common when the probability of fighting a lightsaber-wielding opponent decreased. By the time of the Galactic Civil War, knowledge of the cortosis-weave had faded, and the cortosis mineral itself had become exceedingly rare. A highly adaptable variant of the vibroblade, the prototype vibroblade, could be fitted with a number of weapon enhancements.[5]

Larger variants of the vibroblade included the dire vibroblade, vibrosword, Sith Tremor Sword, and vibro double-blade, while smaller variants included the vibrorapier, vibrodagger, vibroknife, vibro-shiv, and hand-sized vibroknuckler and knuckle plate vibro blade. Variant vibroblades created and used by other cultures included the Zabrak vibroblade used by the Zabrak and the Echani vibroblade used by the Echani.

History[]

"The hum of the vibroblade gives it away. That's the only reason I still have my face."
Captain Nym, after a bounty hunter attack on Lok[6]
Shady characters with vibroblades

Vibroblades in the hands of criminals.

Vibroblades were favored by soldiers,[2] mercenaries,[2] assassins,[2] and pirates[7] throughout the galaxy. They were also used as backup melee weapons by bounty hunters,[7] crime lords,[7] and privateers.[7] Since they were popular among criminals, vibroblades were banned on many worlds, especially in urban areas.

Vibroweapons were common prior to, after, and during the Jedi Civil War, because as personal energy shields became more common, blasters, of course, became less viable as a sound weapon. Vibroweapons on the other hand could cut through energy shields (and their users) with ease. Vibroblades were carried as melee weapons by Mandalorian Neo-Crusader Shock Troopers[8] as well as officers of the Republic Military.[8] The Twi'lek computer slicer Mission Vao crafted her own custom-made vibroblade which she used to defend herself in the rough Undercity of Taris around the time she met Revan.[5]

Jerec3

Vibroblades were used even by high ranking imperials such as Jerec

During the Clone Wars, the bounty hunter Sugi carried this weapon.[9] Clone assassins used vibroblades as their primary weapon.[10] Vibroblades were also used as backup weapons by Imperial Dungeoneers.[11]

Vibroblades were still being used during the first galactic civil war, even by High Ranking imperials such as the inquisitor Jerec, who sometimes used it over his lightsaber for mundane tasks like beheading uncooperative prisoners.

Despite widespread banning, the use of vibrobladed weaponry continued on isolated, less civilized worlds, such as Tatooine. Jabba the Hutt's skiff crew used pikes with vibrobladed cutting edges. Vibroblades were also carried by officers of the Alliance Special Forces[12] and later by Core Fleet Elite Commandos of the Galactic Alliance Defense Forces.[13]

Around 40 ABY, Lumiya, a Dark Lady of the Sith, carried a vibroblade in her boot. While entertaining the Twi'lek Dark Jedi Alema Rar at her asteroid home, Lumiya used it to plunge into her own cybernetic thigh, without the slightest quiver of pain, to prove the extent of her prosthetic limb replacements. To Rar's astonishment, the blade had absolutely no effect on the Dark Lady, as all of her limbs were prosthetic.[9] Around the same time, Mara Jade Skywalker gave her son Ben Skywalker a vibroblade with a concealed tracking device. Mara used it to find him whenever she was unable to sense him with the Force. It was because of Ben's possession of the vibroblade that Mara learned that he was on Vulpter when the Corellian Prime Minister, Dur Gejjen, was assassinated by a Galactic Alliance Guard assassin, Ben Skywalker himself. Mara later used the tracking device again while she was following Lumiya; however, Ben had left it in Lon Shevu's apartment, and was in fact following Mara.

Appearances[]

Sources[]

Notes and references[]

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