Star Destroyer / Legends Star Destroyer was a term used to describe both a certain type of medium - sized capital ship used by the Galactic Republic , the Galactic Empire , the New Republic , the Imperial Remnant , the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances , the Alliance - in - exile , the Fel Empire and Darth Krayt ' s Galactic Empire , as well as heavily armed warships in general . The term originated with the idea of a warship powerful enough to destroy entire star systems , and did not necessarily indicate a destroyer type vessel . Despite this , Star Destroyers were sometimes referred to as destroyers themselves . One such Star Destroyer was the " Venator " - class Star Destroyer of the Galactic Republic . In the Anaxes War College System , any warship that was between 1 and 2 kilometers in length qualifies as a Star Destroyer , excepting cases where the vessel , despite its length matching that of a heavy cruiser or battlecruiser , had less or more armaments than their class or role . Examples include the 900m " Victory " - series of Star Destroyer and the 2 . 2km " Secutor " - class Star Destroyer . Ships with a dagger profile that fall into the Battlecruiser or Dreadnaught classes are referred to as Super Star Destroyers . Characteristics . The term originated within the Old Republic and referred to ships capable of destroying entire star systems with their heavy firepower . The dagger - shape was said to facilitate the ease of this by focusing the firepower forward . Any vessel that conformed to this design , could be considered a class of Star Destroyer . Even so , many models were designed with their heavy guns aimed to the sides of the vessel , obstructing each other ' s line - of - sight in other directions . In stricter terms , Star Destroyers were the relatively common warships that dwarfed the frigates and cruisers of one of the Galactic Empire ' s standard warship scales , and were smaller than Imperial Star Cruisers . Based on descriptions of the Star Dreadnought " Executor " , the Imperial Star Destroyer / Star Cruiser cut - off point lay somewhere around a length of 3 . 8 kilometers . Destroyers could usually carry 10 , 000 or more people aboard it . During the Clone Wars , Star Destroyers were considered medium - weight warships . With the increase in warship - sizes during the time of the Empire , Star Destroyers were sometimes denoted as smaller vessels in the Imperial Navy . In combat , Star Destroyers usually surpassed contemporary destroyer designs , similar to how the star frigates eclipsed most contemporary frigate classes . The Star Destroyer designation was usually used for warships ranging from about 500 meters to about 3 . 8 kilometers in length , but the general term was used for much larger vessels as well . After the formation of the Anaxes War College System during the early stages of the Galactic Empire , Star Destroyers were classified as generally being between 1000 to 2000 meters in length . However , if the ship in question has fewer weapons than its standard class and the ship is larger ( eg , the 2 , 200 meter " Secutor " - class Star Destroyer ) , that ship will be classified as a Star Destroyer . In the time of the second Galactic Empire , Star Destroyers were described as some of the largest and most powerful warships of the time , taking some design - cues from Star Dreadnoughts like the " Executor " - class and performing the roles of large battleships despite their compact frame . Many Star Destroyer classes throughout the various eras doubled as carriers . In these cases , they often contained one or several wings of starfighters . History . Early designs . The use of wedge - shaped warships seems to be an ancient trend , dating as far back as over four millennia before the rise of the Galactic Empire . The designs were not limited to any one culture , having been observed frequently in both Galactic Republic and Sith Empire navies . During the Mandalorian Wars 3 , 963 years before the Battle of Yavin , a " Venator " - like warship was used by the fleets of the Mandalorian Neo - Crusaders . During the same conflicts , the wedge - shaped " Interdictor " - class cruiser and the " Centurion " - class battlecruiser were employed by Galactic Republic and later served in the navy of the Sith Empire established by Darth Revan . Examples of these ships included the " Leviathan " and the " Ravager " . The first design explicitly referred to as a " Star Destroyer " , was the Harrower - class dreadnought of the resurgent Sith Empire . This design originated with Grand Moff Odile Vaiken as part of the Empire ' s military build - up in the 1 , 300 years that preceded the Great Galactic War . These ships eventually fought in this 28 - year long conflict against the Republic . Clone Wars - developments . Star Destroyers that bore the distinctive wedge - shape , which came to be associated with the ship type , were in the service of the later Republic Navy around the time of the Clone Wars . The two most famous designs at the time were the " Victory I " - and " Venator " - classes , which were considered massive . Other Republic Star Destroyers , like the " Imperator " - and " Tector " - classes , became infamous for their service in the Imperial Navy . The new Star Destroyer designs were born from the success of the " Acclamator " - class assault ship . In addition , then - Supreme Chancellor of the Republic and future Galactic Emperor Palpatine mentioned in his Sith compendium , the Book of Sith , that the Star Destroyers developed during this time also shared similarities with the " Harrower " - class dreadnought . Imperial and New Republic usage . During the time of the Empire , many smaller and less independent dagger - shaped ships , such as the Immobilizer 418 cruiser and the " Broadside " - class cruiser , were often compared to small Star Destroyers without being classified as one themselves . In the " Broadside " case , it was downgraded from ' Star Destroyer ' to ' cruiser ' , due to its lack of defensive power and mobility . In large part because of a Star Destroyer ' s capabilities , Mon Mothma , the leader of the Rebel Alliance , noted that if the Empire fragmented after Endor , it would pose the risk of any Imperial commander with access to a Star Destroyer becoming a warlord . While Star Destroyers served as the heaviest combatants in many fleets composed of frigates and down - scaled cruisers , they performed an escort role when in the presence of specialized battleships found in the Republic Navy , or larger Imperial warships such as the " Executor " - class . Both the Republic and the Empire maintained a higher - tier system of vessels heavier and more powerful than Star Destroyers , categorized from Battlecruisers to Star Dreadnoughts . Building on the popularity the Star Destroyers gained in the Clone Wars , and the name of the " " Super " - class Star Destroyer " , many of these heavy vessels were referred to in military colloquialism as " Super Star Destroyers " ( sometimes omitting the " Super " prefix ) . The Imperial Navy had around 25 , 000 ISDs alone throughout its existence . The New Republic also used the dagger - shape in their later Star Destroyer designs . However , not all vessels known as Star Destroyers adhered to the dagger aesthetic . Notable Star Destroyer - manufacturers through the ages included Kuat Drive Yards , Rendili StarDrive , and the Republic Engineering Corporation . Later iterations . Even though the Galactic Alliance continued to use and produce Star Destroyers , they later decided to name their new ships " battle carriers " in order to avoid reminding people of the old Imperial terror symbols . By the time of the Sith – Imperial War , the resurgent Empire utilized the " Pellaeon " - class Star Destroyer , which was described as one of the largest and most powerful warships of its time , with unparallelled weapons - systems . The Sith Empire led by Darth Krayt later constructed the much bigger and heavily armed Imperious - class Star Destroyer , the " Imperious " , which was stolen by the Galactic Alliance Remnant led by Gar Stazi when it became operational . Known designs . " Aggressor " - class Star Destroyer . The " Aggressor " - class Star Destroyer was an experimental design , whose plans and prototype vessel was stolen by the Zann Consortium and modified . The Consortium used the " Aggressor " - class vessels as one of their most powerful capital ships . " Bakura " - class destroyer . The " Bakura " - class Star Destroyer was created by Bakura after the Invasion of Bakura in 4 ABY . It was built around an " Imperial II " - class Star Destroyer ' s annihilation reactor and was 850 meters long . Three destroyers participated in the Battle of Centerpoint Station in 18 ABY . Chiss Star Destroyer . Chiss Star Destroyers were needle - shaped warships 1 , 000 meters long , built by the Chiss and armed with maser s . They participated in the Swarm War against the Killik s in 36 ABY . The Empire of the Hand utilized Chiss Star Destroyers in the Battle over Exodo II in 44 ABY . " Gladiator " - class Star Destroyer . The " Gladiator " - class was a small Star Destroyer class used to subjugate outlying systems and enforce order on Outer Rim worlds not justifying the need for larger vessels . It was 500 meters long , and had a large hangar area towards the front of the vessel , with a hangar bay opening at the bow . " Imperial " - class Star Destroyer . The " Imperial " - class consisted of several Star Destroyer models built by Kuat Drive Yards over several decades . " Imperator / Imperial I " - class Star Destroyer . The 1 , 600 - meter - long " Imperator " - class was created early in the Clone Wars , but only saw widespread deployment after the rise of the Galactic Empire . Following the Jedi Purge , the class was renamed to " Imperial " , but the original name was used in some official documents . It came to symbolize the tyranny of Imperial rule and was used throughout the galaxy for many decades , even long after the fall of the Empire and the establishment of both the New Republic and later the Galactic Alliance , who appropriated many vessels and used them in their own navies . " Imperator II / Imperial II " - class Star Destroyer . The " Imperial II " - class was fielded years after the first model , with some cosmetic differences . It became the norm for the Imperial Navy , with some " Imperial I " s retrofitted to be more similar to the second generation . " Imperious " - class Star Destroyer . The " Imperious " - class Star Destroyer " Imperious " was built by the Mon Calamari Shipyards for Darth Krayt ' s Galactic Empire . It was later stolen by the Galactic Alliance Remnant upon completion and turned into their flagship . " Interdictor " - class Star Destroyer . The 1 , 600 - meter - long " Interdictor " - class Star Destroyer comprised several designs of Star Destroyers fitted with gravity well projectors based on the ones from the smaller Immobilizer 418 cruiser . " Nebula / Defender " - class Star Destroyer . The " Nebula " - class , also known as " Defender " - class , was a class of expensive and powerful warships . They were only 1 , 040 meters long , but their firepower was strong enough to dominate any known Star Destroyer class at the time and could take on some Super Star Destroyers as well . While smaller than other Destroyers they were packed with armament , at the expense of crew endurance . Because of their power requirements , they were very expensive and had a relatively small production run . Despite this , they performed well as core fleets during the Yuuzhan Vong War . " Pellaeon " - class Star Destroyer . The " Pellaeon " - class was built over 100 years after the Battle of Endor and the beginning of the downfall of the first Galactic Empire . It was made by KDY for the Fel Empire , and was based on the " Imperial " - class and also incorporated some elements of the " Executor " - class Star Dreadnought . It later served as the signature vessel of Darth Krayt ' s Empire . Procursator . The " Procursator " - class was a class used by the Galactic Empire and the New Republic . " Rejuvenator " - class Star Destroyer . The " Rejuvenator " - class was a class that fought during the tail - end of the Yuuzhan Vong War in 29 ABY . " Republic " - class Star Destroyer . The " Republic " - class had a long design phase , beginning as a new warship project early on in the New Republic but only fielded in limited amounts after Operation Shadow Hand . Ships were distributed to several task forces at some point before the Black Fleet Crisis . They were 1 , 250 meters long and despite being bigger than the " Nebula " - class , were weaker than them , being less powerful than an " Imperial II " - class Star Destroyer . " Secutor " - class Star Destroyer . The " Secutor " - class served the Galactic Empire at Naval Station " Validusia " and the Dark Empire at Byss as a support ship for the larger Imperial warships . Although its size technically qualified it under the Star Cruiser subclass of Star Battlecruiser under length requirements , its comparative lack of heavy armaments and carrier - like qualities had it retain the Star Destroyer classification . " Sorannan " - class Star Destroyer . The " Sorannan " - class was a weapons and engine testbed for the Galactic Empire . The only known representative of the class , the " Rakehell " , originally known as the " EX - F " , was attached to Black Sword Command before being captured during the Yevethan Uprising in 4 ABY . During the climax of the Black Fleet Crisis in 17 ABY , the captured Imperials of Camp Pa ' aal Squadron seized control of the Black Fleet , including the " EX - F " , and fled to the Deep Core . Upon learning of the destruction of Byss six years earlier , Camp Pa ' aal Squadron scattered , with the newly renamed " Rakehell " ending up in the Outer Rim , and ultimately being destroyed during the Battle of Anx Minor later that year . " Tector " - class Star Destroyer . The 1 , 600 meter " Tector " - class was a hangarless design that was built during the Clone Wars , but only widely fielded during the reign of the Galactic Empire . Like the " Imperial " - class , it saw service for decades . " Turbulent " - class Star Destroyer . The " Turbulent " - class was a small type of Star Destroyer built by the Imperial Remnant in 40 ABY and was fielded towards the end of the Second Galactic Civil War . " Venator " - class Star Destroyer . The " Venator " - class was 1 , 137 meters long , and had the dual role of warship and carrier during the Clone Wars . They served as Jedi flagships during the Wars , and were thus heavily linked to them , leading to their gradual abandonment by the Galactic Empire . Their other weakness was long hangar bay doors , which were vulnerable while opening and closing . " Victory " - class Star Destroyer . The " Victory " - class consisted of several Star Destroyer models initially built by Rendili StarDrive during the Clone Wars . " Victory I " - class Star Destroyer . The " Victory I " was rushed out of development as part of the Victor Initiative Project between KDY and Rendili StarDrive . They were 900 meters long and were not as well - made as other Star Destroyer designs , despite early successful campaigns like the hunt for the Bulwark Fleet during the Clone Wars . The " Victory " - class still managed to serve for many decades and for successive galactic governments despite its flaws . " Victory II " - class Star Destroyer . The " Victory II " - class was made right after the establishment of the Galactic Empire , and was produced in even fewer numbers than the " Victory I " . Behind the scenes . In , a Stardestroyer is a small , two - man craft . The final film used this term for large capital ships , and all contemporaneous written sources spelled it as two words . Nonetheless , the subtitles on the " " and " " DVDs transcribed the term as " stardestroyer . " The sounds for the Star Destroyer came from a broken air conditioner in a hotel room in White Sands Proving Range , New Mexico . Sounds from the Goodyear blimp were mixed in to create the iconic rumble of a Star Destroyer . According to " Star Wars and History " , Star Destroyers were comparable to the , which dropped more bombs during the Vietnam War than all the bombs dropped during World War II . On the commentary track of the " " DVD , George Lucas referred to General Grievous ' s ship , a " Providence " - class carrier / destroyer , as a " Star Destroyer . " This might mean that the term " Star Destroyer " is not supposed to be restricted to dagger - shaped warships , which fits with the existence of the " Bakura " - class . Or this might have been just a generalization . The term " Star Destroyer " is used both for different classes of destroyers and as a general term for most dagger - shaped warships in use by the Empire , from smaller frigates like the " Demolisher " to giant dreadnoughts like the " Executor " and the " Eclipse " . This has created some ambiguity , as many sources describe ships only as a " Star Destroyer " or " Imperial Star Destroyer . " Since many stories have historically focused on the 1 , 600 - meter - long " Imperial " - class , it is used as a default reference unless stated otherwise . In the endnotes for " The Essential Guide to Warfare " , Jason Fry mentioned that he initially had trouble coming up with a class for the various Star Destroyers , until he eventually settled on making Star Destroyer a ship class , due to it being used synonymously with a big capital ship , which likewise implied a ship class . Lego has released a set featuring the Star Destroyer . It includes stormtroopers , Darth Vader , R2 - Q5 , Grand Moff Tarkin , Imperial Officers , and Royal Guards .