Editing Star Destroyer (section)

=== Depiction ===
The iconic ''Imperial''-class Star Destroyer first appears in the opening scene of ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (1977), where the Imperial Star Destroyer ''Devastator'' (carrying [[Darth Vader]]) chases the CR90 Corvette ''[[Tantive IV]]'' (carrying [[Princess Leia]]) above [[Tatooine]] after the latter had fled from [[Scarif]].<ref name=USWNE314>Barr, et al. (2019), p. 314</ref><ref name=SWCVNE137>Dougherty, et al. (2020), p. 135-137</ref>  Background literature describes ''Imperial''-class Star Destroyers as the chief warship of the Imperial Navy and symbol of Imperial might.  These enormous [[capital ship]]s are used to enforce the Emperor's will, bolster Imperial-backed governments, and act as mobile headquarters for senior Imperial commanders.<ref name=USWNE314/>  In addition to their powerful armament, a Star Destroyer carries troops and vehicles for ground operations and a full [[Wing (military unit)|wing]] of [[TIE Fighter|TIE fighter]]s (typically 48 fighters, 12 bombers and 12 boarding craft).<ref name=USWNE314/><ref name=SWCVNE137/>  A single Star Destroyer is considered sufficient to overwhelm a rebellious planet, though major industrialized worlds may be assaulted by a fleet of six Star Destroyers with support cruisers and supply craft.<ref name=SWCVNE137/>  Deep-crust survival bunkers are regarded as a last refuge in the event of planetary bombardment by Imperial Star Destroyers.<ref>Lund, et al. (2016), p. 139</ref>  At the Empire's height there were over 25,000 Star Destroyers in existence, requiring roughly 925 million crew.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://whatculture.com/tv/star-wars-10-things-you-didnt-know-about-star-destroyers?page=6|title=Star Wars: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Star Destroyers - 5. There Were Thousands Of Destroyer Ships At The Height Of The Empire's Reign|last=Hornbuckle|first=Jon|date=2 December 2022|website=WhatCulture|access-date= 5 October 2024}}</ref>

Darth Vader's ''Devastator'' is the last of the ''Imperial I''-class ships to be built by Kuat Drive Yards before switching to the ''Imperial II''-class, a fleet of which take part in the Battle of Hoth as depicted in ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (1980).<ref name=SWCVNE137/>  Designated Death Squadron, this fleet of Star Destroyers is led by Darth Vader aboard the ''Executor'', first in a new class of [[Super Star Destroyer]].<ref name=USWNE330>Barr, et al. (2019), p. 330</ref>  Although the battle is won by Imperial forces, Vader orders his Star Destroyers to focus on capturing the ''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' rather than hunt down the escaping Rebel transports, allowing many to escape.<ref>Lund, et al. (2016), p. 142</ref>  The ''Falcon'' manages to evade this pursuit by hiding in the sensor blind spot of the Star Destroyer ''Avenger''.<ref>Dougherty, et al. (2020), p. 144</ref>  These ships play a major role in the Battle of Endor as depicted in ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983).  During the battle, Imperial Star Destroyers prove vulnerable to fleets of [[List of Star Wars starfighters|starfighters]] flown by skilled Rebel pilots, who exploit the ships' exposed bridges and [[Technology in Star Wars#Force fields|deflector shield generators]] to cause damage.<ref name=USWNE314/>  A year after their defeat at Endor, the Empire makes a [[last stand]] at [[Jakku]].  During the battle, Imperial Star Destroyers use their tractor beams to drag [[New Republic (Star Wars)|New Republic]] ships down to the planet's surface, where their wrecks form the Graveyard of Ships as seen in ''[[The Force Awakens]]'' (2015).<ref name=SWCL174>Lund, et al. (2016), p. 174</ref>