Disruptor

A disruptor is a crudely built but extremely powerful blaster. Utilizing oversized, overpowered versions of a normal blaster's internal components, disruptors can produce blasts so powerful that they can vaporize human-sized targets in a single shot. This coupled with their low range mean that such weapons can be nearly as dangerous to their users as to their victims. They are also useful for blowing through armor and moderate shielding.

Due to the brutal nature of such weapons, they are outlawed for civilian use. They are, however, popular with criminals of various sorts.

Descriptions of disruptors in Star Wars almost always call attention to their ability to 'disintegrate matter on a molecular level.' This is a peculiar statement, because any high-energy weapon (e.g. blasters, turbolasers) would also cause matter to break up at the molecular level - in other words, causing it to vaporize. Yet this feature is repeatedly underscored as being somehow unique to disruptors, and is never mentioned in association with blasters, lasers, turbolasers, or any other Star Wars weapon.

This makes no sense given that the damage mechanism of a blaster fits exactly the same description; so it is often speculated that disruptors actually are exerting some sort of more fundamental force, something that goes beyond simply superheating the matter in a target. What this force may hypothetically be is unknown. That disruptors use oversized blaster components speaks against any special subatomic energies, yet some sources (i.e. Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast) portray disruptors as causing a non-direct-energy-transfer reaction, causing the target to disappear without explosively vaporizing. This further adds to the enigma.

Record 811 - technology - Last update 18 Nov 2007, 08:39:52

Entry written by: Torvus

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