Pyro denton explosive Pyro denton explosives , usually referred to as just dentons , were a model of explosive charge which played a pivotal role in the Resistance ' s success in destroying the First Order ' s Starkiller Base superweapon around thirty years after the Battle of Endor . The First Order deserter Finn packed them on board the " Millennium Falcon " , a YT - 1300 light freighter captain ed by Han Solo and his co - pilot Chewbacca , while it was at the Resistance base on the planet D ' Qar . After the three traveled to Starkiller Base and completed their objectives there , Solo then suggested they use the explosive to help damage the base ' s thermal oscillator , as the Resistance ' s aerial forces were having trouble doing so . Solo and Chewbacca managed to set the charges inside the oscillator , but during the process Solo was killed by his son Kylo Ren , leaving Chewbacca to detonate the devices and punch a hole in the oscillator large enough for Resistance pilot Poe Dameron to fly in and destroy it , leading to the destruction of the entire base . Description . Pyro denton explosives were a type of spherical model of explosive charge which were sometimes referred to as just dentons . They could be stuck to shear surfaces and would show red lights when activated . The could be programmed to detonate on command from a remote detonator . The charges were heavy enough that carrying a full satchel of them took the full strength of a Wookiee . History . Around thirty years after the Battle of Endor , the First Order deserter Finn packed a case of pyro denton explosives onto the YT - 1300 light freighter known as the " Millennium Falcon " at the Resistance base on the planet D ' Qar in preparation for a mission to destroy the First Order ' s Starkiller Base superweapon . He was not aware of what it was he was packing until Han Solo , captain of the " Falcon " warned him to be careful with the explosives . Upon reaching Starkiller base , Solo ' s co - pilot Chewbacca brought the pyro denton explosives with him around the base in a bag , in case they were needed . After Solo , Finn and Chewbacca disabled the base ' s shields and located their friend Rey , Solo realised that the other Resistance forces attacking the base would need more support , and suggested that they use the explosives to damage the superweapon ' s thermal oscillator . The group split up , with Finn and Rey leaving to find a way to give Solo and Chewbacca access to the oscillator . Once they had managed to open the doors , the two pilots rushed inside and headed in different directions to place the explosives on each support column around the inside of the oscillator . Solo gave Chewbacca the detonator , but as the captain was placing his portion of the explosives , he recognized his son , Kylo Ren , who had betrayed his family and joined the First Order , on the oscillator ' s central walkway . Solo attempted to persuade Ren that he should return with him to the Resistance , but Ren could not be persuaded , and killed his father . In rage at his friends death , Chewbacca shot Ren and then activated the explosives , fleeing as large hole was blown in the side of the oscillator . This allowed Poe Dameron , one of the Resistance ' s pilots , to fly into the oscillator and destroy it using his T - 70 X - wing fighter " Black One " . With the oscillator destroyed , Starkiller Base soon followed suit and exploded as forces from both sides of the battle retreated to safety . Behind the scenes . Pyro denton explosives first appeared in the film , which was released in 2015 . Despite playing an important role in the film , the explosives were not named , only being fully identified in the reference book " " , which was written by Pablo Hidalgo and released in conjunction with the film . The explosives were also mentioned in the various adaptations of the film including the by Alan Dean Foster and " " by Michael Kogge , which included additional dialogue concerning the explosives not included in the film . In both novelisations , Solo explains to Finn that he did not inform him that he was packing explosives because he did not want to scare him . Later , Solo and Chewbacca decide they do not have enough denton explosives to place one on every support column in the oscillator and instead place all of them on the single nearest column . As these scenes contradict the film , this article assumes that the film is correct and these interpretations are not canon .