Stun / Legends Stun was a type of attack designed to leave a target incapacitated yet unharmed for a set period of time by overloading the target ' s nervous system . This overload generally caused unconsciousness although it could cause an almost catatonic state . Its main use was for capturing those wanted as prisoners . Technological description . The setting was built into many different handheld blasters , including the E - 11 blaster rifle . Some mounted weapons also had this feature but to a higher degree . Stun blasts , known as paralysis beams , were visually different from regular blaster bolts ; the most common type of stun blast — that used by the Imperial Military — appeared as a ring of blue energy that highlighted the target upon contact . Some blasters , called stun blaster s or stingbeams , were built to only fire stun shots instead of full - powered bolts ; some pacifists , such as Bail Organa , carried these exclusively . Other non - blaster stun weapons employed electric pulses to incapacitate ; stun batons and stun cuffs fall into this category . The Force and stun . Force - users could use Force powers called Force Stun , Force Stasis , and Force Stasis Field to stun enemies . Because these uses did not employ technology , they can only be compared to the devices used commonly by the effect they produced and not the means by which it was achieved . The physiological effects experienced by someone stunned by the Force would therefore not necessarily be the same as those experienced by someone stunned by a blaster . Some Force - users , such as Corran Horn and his ancestors , could use the Force to absorb the energy output from blasters set on stun , as well as that of stun batons and cuffs . This ability served the Jedi Knight well during his quest to recover his wife , who had been kidnapped by Admiral Tavira ' s Invids in 11 ABY . Other Jedi could train themselves to resist the effects of stun weaponry outright . Those who trained as Jedi Sentinel s generally practiced varying levels of Force immunity , allowing them to withstand the effects of Force - based mental effects that included stun . It was difficult to block a stun blast with a lightsaber . Admiral Daala used this to her advantage against Callista Ming on the dying ship " Knight Hammer " . However , it was possible for a skilled lightsaber wielder to dissipate the stun beam , as demonstrated by Ahsoka Tano using her lightsaber to deflect approximately ten stun shots fired at her by clone troopers while she was on the run , being falsely accused of murder . Physiological effects and dangers . Depending on the design of a stunning device and the biology of the target , various physiological effects could occur upon being stunned . Some victims of a stun blast would remain conscious afterward , keenly aware of their surroundings but unable to move any limbs . Other types would knock a target completely unconscious , for easy transport or to keep a target unaware of movements through an area . Healthy humanoids could recover from a stun blast in as little as ten minutes or as long as several hours , depending on the strength of the stun blast . Most victims of a stun blast merely experienced nausea , dizziness and body aches for a short time , but the stun setting was not entirely without its dangers . Setting the stunning power to a high enough level could kill the target , especially a Wookiee . Stun shots could also induce heart palpitations , and the stun tentacles of the JK - 13 security droid could cause irregular heart rhythm . Stun weapons had a greater than fifty percent chance of sparking a miscarriage in pregnant humans . The stun guns carried by Tatooine ' s Jawas were reputed to cause temporary color blindness and minor dehydration upon recovery .