In its nearly 5 decades of existence, theStar Warsfranchise has only now shown a key function of blasters in a live-action property. Blasters are among the most common weapons in the galaxy, and they come in many varieties. What nearly all blasters have in common, however, is their basic function of firing pulses of irradiated explosive gas – blaster bolts – which explode on contact with solids.
As shown throughout the variousStar Warsproperties across a multitude of mediums and two main continuities, blasters have different firing modes, with “kill” being the most commonly used, while “stun” is occasionally employed for incapacitating beings. Blasters also vary in effectiveness, with most blasters – especially civilian models – struggling against body armor (like the suits used by clone troopers andstormtroopers) and reinforced droids (such as Super Battle Droids), though powerful military and underworld blasters can easily burn through them.
One of the most important – albeit rarely acknowledged – features ofblasters istheir ability to have their power adjusted. A blaster set to kill can leave small singe marks or shallow pockets in walls on a low power setting, yet higher power settings can melt strong materials or cause massive explosions. Some of the most illustrative examples of different blaster power settings against the same materials (or targets) can be found inThe Empire Strikes BackandStar Wars: The Clone Wars.
Despite the effects of this feature being visible in nearly everyStar Warsproperty that includes blaster combat,it is extremely rare for aStar Warsproperty to acknowledge blaster power settings. The 1976 novelization ofA New Hopeby Alan Dean Foster (ghostwriting for George Lucas) describes them in great detail, and they are mentioned on occasion in Marvel’s classicStar Warscomics as well. More recently,The Mandalorianseason 1, episode 4 “Chapter 4: Sanctuary” has Din Djarin directly reference blaster power settings in a conversation with Cara Dune.
Skeleton Crew Makes Star Wars History By Showing Power Settings In Action
Star Wars: Skeleton Crewepisode 4“Can’t Say I Remember No At Attin”is the first live-actionStar Warsproperty to show blaster power adjustment. While test-firing blasters for the Troik, Wim dials the weapon to one of its highest power settings, with the weapon’s kickback knocking him down. This might, of course, remind viewers who read the originalStar Warsnovelization of a moment in which Luke Skywalker sets a stormtrooper blaster to maximum power to destroy a locked cell door, making the weapon too hot to hold after only one shot.
August 07, 2025
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
