Planet Killer The Planet Killer was a large , spherical superweapon designed to destroy the planet it was detonated upon . In the year 22 BBY , during the Clone Wars , the Planet Killer ' s designer attempted to sell the superweapon to the Confederacy of Independent Systems . Count Dooku , the leader of the Separatist movement , arranged for the Planet Killer to be tested on a planet home to a number of living organisms . However , unbeknownst to the Separatists , Jedi Master Mace Windu disabled the Planet Killer before it could be activated , and Dooku , considering the Planet Killer to have failed its test , had the superweapon ' s designer taken prisoner . Description . The Planet Killer was a large , spherical superweapon and bomb that was theoretically powerful enough to destroy the entirety of the planet it was detonated upon . Upon explosion , the Planet Killer would supposedly generate a bright light and huge blast as it obliterated the planet . However , the superweapon ' s shell was not lightsaber resistant , and if the Planet Killer ' s detonator was removed , it could not be successfully activated . Set on top of a flat base , the Planet Killer stood several meters tall and wide . Four cone - shaped protrusions extended from and around the superweapon ' s midsection , and each ended in a smaller sphere . The Planet Killer was colored orange , gray , and white , and had yellow light originating from small slits that encircled the weapon ' s perimeter . History . The Planet Killer was created by a non - Human designer during the waning years of the Galactic Republic . In 22 BBY , five months after the Battle of Geonosis and the start of the Clone Wars , the Planet Killer ' s designer attempted to sell his creation to Count Dooku , the leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems . To test the weapons ' capabilities , Dooku arranged for the Planet Killer to have its power demonstrated on Omphalos , a world teeming with a variety of living organisms . Dooku had the Planet Killer deployed on the planet , with several of his B1 battle droids and a pair of B2 super battle droids guarding the superweapon . Meanwhile , Dooku and the weapon ' s designer observed the planet aboard a starship in orbit and waited for the weapon to be activated . However , the Republic discovered that the Separatists were going to decimate the planet , and dispatched Jedi Master Mace Windu and a number of clone troopers to prevent the Planet Killer ' s detonation . Despite having his LAAT / i gunship shot down and all of his troopers killed , Windu was able to singlehandedly fight past the Separatist battle droids guarding the Planet Killer . With his lightsaber , Windu cut into the Planet Killer and removed its detonator right before it was activated and disabled the superweapon . Unaware that the Republic had interrupted the test , Dooku believed that the Planet Killer was in fact inoperable after the planet failed to explode , and had the weapon ' s designer taken prisoner in retaliation . With the Planet Killer proven to be a failure , Dooku instead continued to pursue other means of developing an " Ultimate Weapon . " Behind the scenes . The Planet Killer ' s first and only appearance in " Star Wars " canon was in the comic " Run Mace Run " , published in " " on November 17 , 2004 .