Editing Death Star (section)

==Depiction==
The original Death Star was introduced in the original ''Star Wars'' film,{{EpIV}} which later had elements of its backstory explored in the prequel films ''[[Attack of the Clones]]'' and ''[[Revenge of the Sith]]'', the animated series ''[[Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series)|The Clone Wars]]'', ''[[Star Wars Rebels|Rebels]]'' and ''[[Star Wars: The Bad Batch|The Bad Batch]]'', the 2016 [[Star Wars#Anthology films|anthology film]] ''[[Rogue One]]'', and the series ''[[Andor (TV_series)|Andor]]''. The second Death Star appears in ''Return of the Jedi'', and a similar superweapon, Starkiller Base, appears in ''[[The Force Awakens]]''. Both the original and second Death Star were [[Natural satellite|moon]]-sized and designed for massive [[Power projection|power-projection]] capabilities, capable of destroying an entire planet with a 6.2×10<sup>32</sup> J/s power output blast from their superlasers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/movies/g1638/death-star-physics-how-much-energy-does-it-take-to-blow-up-a-planet/|title=Death Star Physics: How Much Energy Does It Take to Blow Up a Planet?|first=John|last=Brandon|website=[[Popular Mechanics]]|date=October 13, 2014|access-date=November 23, 2016|archive-date=January 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101234835/http://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/movies/g1638/death-star-physics-how-much-energy-does-it-take-to-blow-up-a-planet/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Original Death Star===
The original Death Star's completed form appears in the original ''Star Wars'' film, known as the '''''DS-1'' Orbital Battle Station''', or '''Project Stardust''' in ''Rogue One''; before learning the true name of the weapon, the Rebel Alliance referred to it as the "Planet Killer".<ref name="rogue-one-film">{{cite AV media|title=[[Rogue One|Rogue One: A Star Wars Story]]|date=December 16, 2016|people=Edwards, Gareth (Director)|publisher=[[Lucasfilm]]}}</ref> Commanded by [[Grand Moff Tarkin|Governor Tarkin]], it is the [[Galactic Empire (Star Wars)|Galactic Empire]]'s "ultimate weapon",{{efn|The space station is also called "Ultimate Weapon" by the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS), who commissioned the original designs.}} a huge spherical battle station {{convert|160|km}} in diameter capable of destroying a planet with one shot of its superlaser.

[[File:Vaderrots.jpeg|thumb|left|[[Emperor Palpatine]] (left) and [[Darth Vader]] (right) oversee the construction of the first Death Star in ''[[Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith]]''.]]
The film opens with [[Princess Leia]] transporting the station's [[schematics]] to the [[Rebel Alliance]] to aid them in destroying the Death Star.<ref name="star wars 4-quote">{{cite AV media|title=[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope]]|date=May 25, 1977|people=Lucas, George (Director)|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|quote='''General Tagge:''' If the Rebels have obtained a complete technical readout of this station, it is possible, however unlikely, that they might find a weakness and exploit it.}}</ref> To mark the Death Star being fully operational, Tarkin orders the Death Star to destroy Leia's home world of [[Alderaan]] in an attempt to press her into giving him the location of the secret Rebel headquarters; she gives them the location of [[Dantooine]], which housed a now-deserted Rebel base, but Tarkin has Alderaan destroyed anyway as a demonstration of the Empire's resolve. Later, [[Luke Skywalker]], [[Han Solo]], [[Chewbacca]], [[Obi-Wan Kenobi]], [[C-3PO]], and [[R2-D2]] (who were intended to arrive at Alderaan on board the ''[[Millennium Falcon]]'') are pulled aboard the station by a [[tractor beam]], where they discover and manage to rescue Princess Leia.  As they make their escape, Obi-Wan sacrifices himself whilst dueling [[Darth Vader]], enabling the others to flee the station. Later, Luke returns as part of a fighter force to attack its only weak point: a ray-shielded particle exhaust vent leading straight from the surface directly into its reactor core, discovered previously from the stolen schematics. Luke is able to successfully launch his [[X-wing fighter]]'s torpedoes into the vent, impacting the core and triggering a catastrophic explosion, which destroys the station before it can annihilate the Rebel base on [[Yavin 4]].<ref name="star wars 4">{{cite AV media|people=Lucas, George (Director)|title=[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope]]|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|date=May 25, 1977|medium=DVD|edition=2004}}</ref>

The Death Star's schematics are visible in the scenes on [[Geonosis]] in ''[[Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones]]'', evidently designed by [[Geonosian]]s led by Archduke [[Poggle the Lesser]], a member of the [[Confederacy of Independent Systems]],<ref name="star wars 2">{{cite AV media|people=Lucas, George (Director)|title=[[Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones]]|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|date=May 16, 2002}}</ref> and is shown early in construction at the end of ''Episode III – Revenge of the Sith''.<ref name="star wars 3">{{cite AV media|people=Lucas, George (Director)|title=[[Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith]]|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|date=May 19, 2005}}</ref> ''The Clone Wars'' Legacy story reel from the unfinished ''Crystal Crisis on Utapau'' episodes reveals that [[General Grievous]] went to [[Utapau (Star Wars)|Utapau]] prior to ''Revenge of the Sith'' in order to acquire an enormous [[kyber crystal]] to power the Death Star's superlaser.<ref>{{cite web|title=Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Story Reel: A Death on Utapau - Star Wars: The Clone Wars|url=https://www.starwars.com/video/star-wars-the-clone-wars-story-reel-a-death-on-utapau|access-date=October 22, 2016|archive-date=October 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161024170526/http://www.starwars.com/video/star-wars-the-clone-wars-story-reel-a-death-on-utapau|url-status=live}}</ref>

As depicted in ''[[Rogue One]]'' and ''[[Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel]]'' (2016), the Death Star was worked on by a team of engineers sequestered on the rainswept world of [[Eadu]], overseen by [[Orson Krennic]], the Director of Advanced Weapons Research for the Imperial Military. Under Krennic's supervision, the project was beset by constant delays, and he forcibly recruited weapons designer [[Galen Erso]] (the father of [[Jyn Erso]], the film's protagonist) to complete the design. The Death Star scientists sought to fuse [[kyber crystal]] shards into larger structures and used those crystals to amplify energy into a stable beam powerful enough to destroy an entire planet.<ref name="rogue-one-film" /><ref name="rogue-one-catalyst-novel">{{cite book |last=Luceno |first=James |date=November 15, 2016 |title=Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel |publisher=Del Rey Books |isbn=978-0-345-51149-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/catalystrogueone00luce }}</ref>{{Pages needed|date=April 2019}} In the [[Disney+]] series, [[Andor (TV series)|''Andor'']], set after the novel but before the film, prisoners of the Imperial Prison Complex in Narkina 5, including [[Cassian Andor]], who got sent to the prison during his time as Keef Girgo, worked on Imperial equipment during their shifts, which was revealed in the post-credits scene of the first season's final episode, ''Rix Road'', to be parts built for the superlaser.

The 2014 book ''[[Star Wars: Tarkin]]'' details the life of Grand Moff Tarkin and prominently features the Death Star. ''Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel'' tells the story of the development of the Death Star's superweapon by Galen Erso and Krennic's deception of him. It also reveals how Poggle worked with Krennic on the project but then turned on him.<ref>{{cite news|date=September 1, 2016|title=Rogue One Prequel Book Reveals Secret Origins of the Death Star|agency=MovieWeb.com|url=http://movieweb.com/star-wars-rogue-one-prequel-novel-death-star-origins/|access-date=September 21, 2016|archive-date=September 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923041848/http://movieweb.com/star-wars-rogue-one-prequel-novel-death-star-origins/|url-status=live}}</ref> In the animated series ''Star Wars Rebels'', the two-part episode "Ghosts of Geonosis" hints that the Geonosians were nearly wiped out to extinction out of the Empire's need for secrecy. [[Saw Gerrera]], having been sent to Geonosis to investigate, deduces that the Empire possesses a superweapon and resolves to discover the Death Star as depicted in the two-part episode "In the Name of the Rebellion". Though it is a dead end, Saw learns that the weapon is powered by kyber crystals taken from the [[Jedha]] system.

''Rogue One'' focuses on a band of Rebels stealing the Death Star plans just prior to the events of ''A New Hope''. The Death Star is first used to destroy Jedha City, both as a response to a violent insurgency on the planet and as a display of the Death Star's operational status. Tarkin assumes control over the Death Star while Krennic investigates security breaches in the design project. It is subsequently revealed that Galen discreetly sabotaged the design by building a vulnerability into the reactor. After the Death Star plans are stolen from the Scarif vault, Tarkin fires the Death Star's superlaser on the base, killing Krennic, as well as Jyn Erso and her small band of rebels.<ref name="rogue-one-film" /> ''Rogue One'' also reveals that the Death Star's superlaser is powered by multiple reactors, allowing it to vary its destructive power depending on the target; both the attack on Jedha City and the Scarif base used a single reactor.

According to ''Star Wars'' reference books, the population of the Death Star was 1.7 million military personnel, 400,000 maintenance droids, and 250,000 civilians, associated contractors and catering staff.<ref name="Star Wars: Complete Locations">Star Wars: Complete Locations</ref><ref name="Star Wars: Death Star Battles">{{cite book |last1=Beecroft |first1=Simon |url=https://archive.org/details/starwars0000beec |title=Star Wars: Death Star Battles |date=2010 |publisher=Dorling Kindersley |location=London, UK |url-access=registration}}</ref>
The Death Star was defended by thousands of turbolasers, ion cannons and laser cannons, plus a complement of seven to nine thousand TIE fighters, along with tens of thousands of support craft. It also had several massive docking bays, including dry docks capable of accommodating [[Star Destroyer]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=01. Star Wars Incredible Cross Sections - The Ultimate Guide to Star Wars Vehicles and Spacecraft [David West Reynolds] [1998] |url=https://archive.org/details/02.starwarsincrediblecrosssectionstheultimateguidetostarwarsvehiclesspacecraftdavidwestreynolds1998/page/n7/mode/2up |website=Internet Archive |access-date=September 27, 2021 |pages=8–9 |format=PDF file |date=March 1, 2020}}</ref>

A hologram of the original Death Star is briefly visible in a scene at the Resistance base in ''The Force Awakens'' and used as a means of comparison with one from the [[First Order (Star Wars)|First Order]]'s own superweapon, Starkiller Base.<ref name="star wars 7">{{cite AV media|title=[[Star Wars: The Force Awakens]]|date=December 18, 2015|people=Abrams, J.J. (Director)|publisher=[[Lucasfilm]]}}</ref>

===Second Death Star===
[[File:DeathStar2.jpg|thumb|alt=The second Death Star|The second Death Star]]

The 1983 film ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' features the '''''DS-2 Orbital Battle Station''''' under construction as it orbits the forest moon [[Endor (Star Wars)|Endor]], which houses a shield generator protecting the station. The second Death Star is substantially more advanced and more powerful than its predecessor, and the critical weakness found in the first Death Star has been removed—the Rebel Alliance's only hope is to destroy it prior to its completion. [[Palpatine|The Emperor]] and Darth Vader [[Counterintelligence|send the Rebels false information]] that the station's weapons systems are not yet complete in order to lure the Alliance fleet into a trap, resulting in the decisive Battle of Endor. In fact, the station's superlaser is fully operational, and it begins firing on and destroying Rebel [[capital ship]]s during the battle.

A ground assault team led by [[Han Solo]] with the help of the Endor-native [[Ewok]]s successfully manages to disable the shield generator, allowing Rebel pilots [[Wedge Antilles]] and [[Lando Calrissian]] to fly into the station (using Han's ''[[Millennium Falcon]]'') and fire on its reactor, destroying the station in another catastrophic explosion.<ref name="star wars 6">{{cite AV media|people=Marquand, Richard (Director)|title=[[Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi]]|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|date=May 25, 1983|medium=DVD|edition=2004}}</ref>

An early draft of ''Return of the Jedi'' features two Death Stars at various stages of completion.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://io9.gizmodo.com/10-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-star-wars-ret-1383276948|title=10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Star Wars: Return of the Jedi|last=Anders|first=Charlie Jane|website=[[Gizmodo]]|date=September 25, 2013|access-date=April 16, 2019|archive-date=May 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512060419/https://io9.gizmodo.com/10-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-star-wars-ret-1383276948|url-status=live}}</ref> According to the ''[[Star Wars Encyclopedia]]'', the second Death Star had at its "north pole ... a heavily armored 100-story tower topped by the Emperor's private observation chamber."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sansweet|first=Stephen J.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/36960986|title=Star Wars Encyclopedia|publisher=Ballantine|year=1998|isbn=0-345-40227-8|edition=1st|location=New York|page=70|oclc=36960986|authorlink=Steve Sansweet}}</ref> The size of the second Death Star has not remained consistent among the various writers for the ''Star Wars'' franchise, with some stating it shared the first Death Star's {{convert|160|km|adj=on}} radius and others claiming it was much more massive with a {{convert|900|km|adj=on}} radius.<ref>{{cite book |title=Inside the Worlds of Star Wars Trilogy |date=2004}}</ref> The most recent figure established in 2017 by Ryder Windham gives the second Death Star a radius of {{convert|200|km}}.<ref>{{cite book |last=Windham |first=Ryder |date=2017 |title=Star Wars: Rogue One: Death Star Deluxe Book and 3D Wood Model |publisher=Insight Editions }}</ref>

The second Death Star is featured on the cover of the book ''[[Star Wars: Aftermath]]'' (2015), which also features many flashbacks to the destruction of the second Death Star, as well as the events directly after its destruction. One of the main characters in the story personally escaped the explosion of the Death Star. The destruction of the second Death Star was also shown in holograms in the book.{{citation needed|date=June 2017|reason=Star Wars Aftermath novel}} The 2015 comic book ''[[Star Wars: Shattered Empire]]'' also explores the days following the destruction of the second Death Star from the perspective of [[Poe Dameron]]'s parents, who were pilots during the event. The video game ''[[Star Wars: Uprising]]'' also takes place during the aftermath of the second Death Star's destruction, and features a hologram of its description on multiple occasions in and out of cutscenes.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

Part of the wreckage of the second Death Star appears in ''[[The Rise of Skywalker]]'' (2019), on the ocean moon [[Kef&nbsp;Bir]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Bankhurst |first=Adam |title=Star Wars: Location Where Death Star II Crashed Identified |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/10/23/star-wars-location-where-death-star-ii-crashed-identified |access-date=October 23, 2019 |date=October 23, 2019 |archive-date=October 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191023231239/https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/10/23/star-wars-location-where-death-star-ii-crashed-identified |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Rey (Star Wars)|Rey]] visits the wreckage to obtain the Emperor's wayfinder, a device that points the way to his hidden lair on [[Exegol]].<ref name="star wars 9">{{cite AV media|title=[[Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker]]|medium=[[Blu-ray]]|publisher=[[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]]|location=Los Angeles, California|date=December 20, 2019}}</ref>

===Similar superweapons===
The 2019 comic ''[[Star Wars (2015 comic book)|Star Wars]]'' #68 reveals that the Rebels considered creating their own version of a Death Star by luring Star Destroyers to a [[Plate tectonics|tectonically]] unstable planet and setting it off with proton detonators.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dyce |first=Andrew |title=Star Wars Reveals The REBELS' Version of The Death Star |url=https://screenrant.com/star-wars-rebels-death-star-planet-comic/ |website=Screen Rant |access-date=October 6, 2019 |date=August 7, 2019 |archive-date=August 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808204614/https://screenrant.com/star-wars-rebels-death-star-planet-comic/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Starkiller Base====
''[[Star Wars: The Force Awakens|The Force Awakens]]'' features '''Starkiller Base''', a Death Star-like superweapon built by the [[First Order (Star Wars)|First Order]], an autocratic regime considered to be the successor of the Empire. Significantly larger than both previous Death Stars, the superweapon was constructed out of an existing planet called [[Ilum (Star Wars)|Ilum]] instead of being assembled in deep space. The base draws its raw firepower by [[Star lifting|harnessing energy directly from a nearby star]]. Unlike its predecessors, Starkiller Base is capable of firing on and destroying multiple planets at once from extreme range—in the film, the First Order obliterates the five planets in the [[Hosnian Prime]] system, at that time the [[Capital city|capital]] of the [[New Republic (Star Wars)|New Republic]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Starkiller Base |url=https://www.starwars.com/databank/starkiller-base |access-date=September 22, 2019 |website=StarWars.com |language=en |archive-date=September 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190909200235/https://www.starwars.com/databank/starkiller-base |url-status=live }}</ref> Starkiller Base is protected by a defensive [[Force field (technology)|shield]] that blocks all objects traveling at slower-than-light speeds; [[Han Solo]], [[Chewbacca]], and [[Finn (Star Wars)|Finn]] exploit a vulnerability by bypassing the shield at [[Hyperdrive (Star Wars)|faster-than-light]] speeds, successfully infiltrating the base and sabotaging its shields. Subsequently, an [[X-wing fighter|X-wing]] assault led by [[Poe Dameron]] and [[Nien Nunb]] destroys the superweapon by damaging the base's thermal oscillator and fuel cells, resulting in a catastrophic release of energy from the planet's core. As Resistance forces flee, the planet implodes and forms a star.<ref>{{cite web |last=Veekhoven |first=Tim |date=May 2, 2016 |title=It's the Resistance! |url=https://www.starwars.com/news/its-the-resistance |access-date=April 14, 2019 |website=StarWars.com |archive-date=April 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414091213/https://www.starwars.com/news/its-the-resistance |url-status=live }}</ref>

The name Starkiller Base pays homage to the early drafts of the original ''Star Wars'' film, referring to Luke Skywalker's original surname.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/star-wars--a-new-hope/chewbacca-peter-mayhew-original-script/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/star-wars--a-new-hope/chewbacca-peter-mayhew-original-script/ |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=The Adventures Of Luke Starkiller': Peter Mayhew releases pages from his 1976 Star Wars script|last=Hawkes|first=Rebecca|date=February 18, 2016|website=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=February 13, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://time.com/3914183/star-wars-original-script/|title=Original Star Wars Script Found, Solves Long-Running Mystery|last=Locker|first=Melissa|date=June 9, 2015|magazine=Time|access-date=February 13, 2018|archive-date=February 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217184414/http://time.com/3914183/star-wars-original-script/|url-status=live}}</ref> Coincidentally, the name "Starkiller" is an alias given to Galen Marek by Darth Vader in the 2008 game, ''[[Star Wars: The Force Unleashed]]''. During early concept development, artist [[Doug Chiang]] envisioned the superweapon's gun as set inside a volcano, which X-wings would have to enter in a maneuver similar to the trench run on the Death Star in the original film.<ref>{{cite book|last=Szostak|first=Phil|title=The Art of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'|year=2015|publisher=[[Abrams Books]]|isbn=978-1-4197-1780-2|page=58}}</ref>

====Sith Star Destroyers====
In ''The Rise of Skywalker'', the ninth installment in the series, the resurrected Darth Sidious is revealed to have constructed the [[Sith#Sith Eternal|Sith Eternal]]'s fleet of ''Xyston''-class Star Destroyers, the Final Order, over the Sith planet [[Exegol]]. Each warship is armed with an axial superlaser capable of destroying planets; Sidious uses one of the Star Destroyers to destroy the planet [[Kijimi]] as a [[show of force]]. At the end of the film, the Resistance launches an offensive against the Sith Eternal forces, including the Sith fleet. Aided by reinforcements from across the galaxy, the Resistance defeats the remaining Sith forces by destroying the onboard superlasers, which ignited the ships reactors and destroyed them one by one. The Resistance also destroyed the  ''Resurgent-''class Star Destroyer ''Steadfast'' and the navigation signal that the fleet needed to exit the planet due to the unstable nature of the atmosphere.<ref name="star wars 9" />

===Expanded Universe===
Both Death Stars and similar superweapons appear throughout the non-canonical [[Star Wars expanded to other media|''Star Wars'' Legends]] continuity.
[[National Public Radio]]'s [[Star Wars (radio series)|''Star Wars'' adaptation]] (1981) portrays Leia (Ann Sachs) and [[Bail Organa]]'s ([[Stephen Elliott (actor)|Stephen Elliott]]) discovery of the Death Star's existence and how Leia obtained its schematics. The [[Star Wars (1983 video game)|1983 ''Star Wars'' arcade game]] and numerous [[LucasArts]] titles recreate the films' attacks on the Death Stars.

[[Kevin J. Anderson]]'s [[Jedi Academy trilogy|''Jedi Academy'' trilogy]] (1994) introduces the Maw Cluster of [[black hole]]s that protect a laboratory where the DS-X Prototype Battle Station was built (consisting of the superstructure, power core, and superlaser).<ref>{{cite book|last=Anderson|first=Kevin J.|title=Jedi Search|year=1994|isbn=0-553-29798-8|page=271|publisher=Random House Worlds |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jSbTCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA271}}</ref> The first level of LucasArts' ''[[Dark Forces]]'' (1995) gives mercenary [[Kyle Katarn]] the role of stealing the plans that are subsequently given to Leia. [[Steve Perry (author)|Steve Perry]]'s novel ''[[Shadows of the Empire (novel)|Shadows of the Empire]]'' (1996) describes a mission that leads to the Rebels learning of the second Death Star's existence, and that mission is playable in LucasArts' ''[[X-Wing Alliance]]'' [[Space flight simulation game|space flight simulator]] (1999). The Death Star itself is a controllable weapon for the Empire in the ''[[Star Wars: Rebellion (video game)|Rebellion]]'' (1998) and ''[[Empire at War]]'' (2006) strategy game.{{efn|In ''Empire at War'', if the Imperial fleet defending the Death Star is defeated and the hero unit of Red Squadron is present, the Death Star will be destroyed.}} In ''[[Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005 video game)|Battlefront II]]''  (2005), the player participates in a mission to secure crystals used in the Death Star's superlaser.<ref name="battlefront-ii-2005">{{cite video game |title=[[Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005 video game)|Star Wars: Battlefront II]] |developer=Pandemic Studios|publisher=LucasArts |date=November 1, 2005 |level=Fall of the Old Republic - 501st Journal - Mygeeto: Amongst the Ruins|quote=What Ki-Adi-Mundi didn't know, however, was that our unit of the 501st was really after an experimental Mygeetan power source, that the Chancellor [Palpatine] wanted for his superlaser.}}</ref> Another mission in the game tasks the player with acting as a [[Imperial stormtrooper|stormtrooper]] or Darth Vader in an attempt to recover the plans and capture Leia.<ref name="battlefront-ii-2005-leia">{{cite video game |title=[[Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005 video game)|Star Wars: Battlefront II]] |developer=Pandemic Studios|publisher=LucasArts |date=November 1, 2005 |level=Rise of the Empire - 501st Journal - Tantive IV: Recovering the Plans|quote=Vader concluded that the stolen plans have been given to Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan. [...We] boarded the ship, the Tantive IV over Tatooine, began looking for the plans, and waited for Lord Vader's arrival.}}</ref> The first Death Star under construction acts as the final stage in the video game ''[[The Force Unleashed]]'' (2008).<ref name="the-force-unleashed">{{cite video game |title=[[Star Wars: The Force Unleashed]] |developer=LucasArts |date=September 16, 2008}}</ref>

The first Death Star's construction is the subject of [[Michael Reaves]] and Steve Perry's novel ''Death Star'' (2007),<ref>{{cite news |last=Stuever |first=Hank |date=November 11, 2007 |title='I've always thought that Luke felt pretty bad for a few days after it was over.': Good Morning, Mr. Vader! Author Michael Reaves Ponders the Death Star as a Truly Hostile Workplace |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/09/AR2007110900610.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 13, 2019 |archive-date=January 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130111132656/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/09/AR2007110900610.html |url-status=live }}</ref> which depicts the many politics and hidden agendas behind the massive project, from its construction up until its final destruction.

The first Death Star's hangars contain assault shuttles, blastboats, Strike cruisers, land vehicles, support ships, and 7,293 [[TIE fighter]]s.<ref name="dstc">{{cite book|title=Death Star Technical Companion|publisher=[[West End Games]]|first=Bill|last=Slavicsek|date=June 1, 1991}}</ref> It is also protected by 10,000 turbolaser batteries, 2,600 [[ion cannon]]s, and at least 768 tractor beam projectors.<ref name="dstc" /> Various sources state that the first Death Star has a [[diameter]] of between 140 and 160 kilometers.<ref name="dseu">{{cite web|url=https://www.starwars.com/databank/location/deathstar/?id=eu|title=Death Star (Expanded Universe)|work=Star Wars Databank|publisher=[[Lucasfilm]]|access-date=August 9, 2007|archive-date=September 12, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912091937/http://www.starwars.com/databank/location/deathstar/?id=eu|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57380925-1/finally-a-cost-estimate-for-building-a-real-death-star/|title=Finally, a cost estimate for building a real Death Star|last=Mack|first=Eric|date=February 19, 2012|work=[[CNET]]|access-date=August 5, 2013|archive-date=September 13, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130913021151/http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57380925-1/finally-a-cost-estimate-for-building-a-real-death-star/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Incredible Cross-Sections of Star Wars, Episodes IV, V & VI: The Ultimate Guide to Star Wars Vehicles and Spacecraft|first=David|last=Reynolds|isbn=0-7894-3480-6|publisher=DK Children|date=October 5, 1998}}</ref> There is a broader range of figures for the second Death Star's diameter, ranging from 160 to 900 kilometers.<ref>{{cite book |last=Slavicsek |first=Bill |author-link1=Bill Slavicsek |title=A Guide to the Star Wars Universe |date=1994 |publisher=Ballantine Books |isbn=9780345386250 |edition=rev. and expanded |page=120}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Inside the Worlds of Star Wars, Episodes IV, V, & VI: The Complete Guide to the Incredible Locations|publisher=DK Children|date=August 16, 2004|isbn=0-7566-0307-2}}{{page needed|date=April 2020}}</ref>

====DS-X Prototype Battle Station====
In the ''Legends'' works ''Death Star'' (2007), ''[[Dark Empire II]]'', ''Jedi Search'' and ''[[Champions of the Force]]'', an experimental Death Star prototype, '''DS-X''' (a durasteel frame surrounding a reactor core, superlaser, engines and a control room) was conceived by Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin as a test bed for the first Death Star. It was constructed by Bevel Lemelisk and his engineers at the Empire's secret Maw Installation. The prototype measured 120 kilometers in diameter. Its superlaser was only powerful enough to destroy a planet's core, rendering it an uninhabitable "dead planet". The targeting system on the prototype was never calibrated and the superlaser was inefficient, leaving the weapon's batteries drained - Engineers in the control room claimed it would take 10-15 minutes to recharge batteries after the first shot was fired. The prototype had no interior except a slave-linked control room, hyperdrive engines and other components; the station operated with skeleton-crew of 75 personnel.  The prototype was later destroyed when it was drawn into the black holes surrounding the Maw cluster itself.

====Death Star III====
In the Disney attraction ''[[Star Tours – The Adventures Continue]]'', guests can travel inside an incomplete Death Star during one of the randomized ride sequences. In the original Star Tours, a '''''Death Star III''''' is seen and destroyed during the ride sequence by the New Republic. [[Leland Chee]] originally created the third Death Star to explain why a Death Star is present on the ''[[Star Tours]]'' ride when both of the stations in the film were destroyed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.starwars.com/news/convenient-daily-departures-the-history-of-star-tours|title=Convenient Daily Departures: The History of Star Tours - StarWars.com|date=August 22, 2013|access-date=October 22, 2016|archive-date=March 1, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301165134/https://www.starwars.com/news/convenient-daily-departures-the-history-of-star-tours|url-status=live}}</ref> The station being built near the Forest Moon of Endor like the second Death Star before. It is similar to an original concept for ''Return of the Jedi'', where two Death Stars would have been built near Had Abbadon (then the Imperial capital world). The ''Habitation'' spheres, based on the Imperials' spurious claims that they were designed strictly for peaceful purposes, were suggested by some fans to have been the origin for the Death Star III. This was later revealed to be the case in Part 2 of the StarWars.com Blog series ''The Imperial Warlords: Despoilers of an Empire''. In the Expanded Universe game ''[[Star Wars: Tiny Death Star]]'', a random HoloNet entry states that one of the residents of the Death Star is simply staying there until he can afford to stay at the third Death Star.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

====Other superweapons====
In the original Marvel [[Star Wars (1977 comic book)|''Star Wars'' comic series]] (1977–1986), a superweapon called "The Tarkin" is built. It is described as being similar to the Death Star but with more energy. Darth Vader commands it and Luke, Leia, Chewbacca, {{nowrap|C-3PO}}, and R2-D2 sabotage it with Lando's help. It is finally destroyed by an Imperial officer attempting to use an ionic weapon to both attack the escaping Rebels and assassinate Vader. Later in the series, a nihilistic group attempts to use a weapon to dislodge a planet from its orbit and cause others to do the same in a chain reaction, thereby destroying the entire universe.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/759178840|title=Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago.... Vol. 5|publisher=Dark Horse Books|year=2012|isbn=978-1-59582-801-9|edition=1st|location=Milwaukie, OR|pages=45, 47|oclc=759178840|access-date=May 31, 2021|archive-date=June 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612173417/http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/759178840|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the ''[[Dark Empire]]'' comic series (1991–95), the reborn Emperor Palpatine's flagships ''Eclipse'' and ''Eclipse II'' Super Star Destroyers (Star Dreadnoughts) have a miniaturized version of the Death Star superlaser.<ref>{{Cite web|title=TheForce.Net - Jedi Council - Interviews {{!}} Curtis Saxton|url=https://www.theforce.net/jedicouncil/interview/saxton.asp|access-date=August 1, 2020|website=www.theforce.net|archive-date=August 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801162018/https://www.theforce.net/jedicouncil/interview/saxton.asp|url-status=live}}</ref> The first ''Eclipse'' was under construction at the time of the Emperor's death at Endor; shortly thereafter, it was briefly captured by pirates, who quickly abandoned it as an obvious target for the Rebels. The vessel was retrieved by remnants of the Empire and completed, and later served as the flagship of the resurrected Palpatine. It was destroyed by a Force storm enhanced by Luke and Leia, who had been brought aboard by the Emperor in hopes that they could be converted to the dark side. The ''Eclipse II'' was mostly identical to its predecessor save for a handful of visual changes, and fulfilled the same purpose. It was later destroyed when an errant projectile from the destroyed Galaxy Gun, another superweapon developed under the returned Palpatine, fell onto the ship and caused a massive explosion that destroyed not only the ship and its accompanying fleet, but also the nearby Imperial citadel of [[Byss]].

In Kevin J. Anderson's novel ''[[Darksaber (novel)|Darksaber]]'' (1995), Death Star designer Bevel Lemelisk is recruited by the Hutts to build a superlaser weapon. Due to their refusal to sufficiently fund and supply the project, the resultant 'superweapon' is quickly destroyed by a combination of the tumultuous Hoth asteroid field in which it was built and the efforts of the New Republic. Lemelisk is captured and incarcerated by the Republic, and is later executed for his hand in the design and construction of Imperial superweapons.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sansweet|first=Stephen J.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/36960986|title=Star Wars Encyclopedia|publisher=Ballantine|year=1998|isbn=0-345-40227-8|edition=1st|location=New York|pages=66–67, 177|oclc=36960986}}</ref>

The novel ''[[Children of the Jedi]]'' (1995) involves the return of ''Eye of Palpatine'', a "colossal, asteroid-shaped" super dreadnaught constructed at the behest of Emperor Palpatine during the second year of the Galactic Civil War. The Imperials lose control of the ''Eye'' when a Jedi uses the Force to hijack the main computer with their spirits.