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Revision as of 21:12, 19 April 2013
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Warning: This infobox has missing parameters: protection, heritage, destroyed, creators, purpose, markings, owners, value, inscription, culture, locations, crew, material, width, length, diam, height, created, shape, discovered and unrecognized parameters: era
- "I ain't afraid of Wookiees. It's their bowcasters that scare me."
- ―Anonymous Trandoshan slaver
The bowcaster (sometimes called the Wookiee Crossbow) was a Wookiee projectile weapon that fired a metal quarrel enveloped in energy. Some bowcasters were modified to fire pure energy. Some variants had a capacity of twenty-four shots.
Characteristics
- "I've always admired these Wookiee bowcasters. Artistry and firepower in one package."
- ―RC-1138
A Wookiee with a bowcaster.
In use as early as the Jedi Civil War, the bowcaster could unleash a bolt with impressive stopping power essential to defend Wookiees against the fierce predators of Kashyyyk's forests.
The bowcasters were magazine-loaded with usually six explosive bolts per magazine. However some Wookiees developed a bowcaster that fired pure blaster bolts and no magazine was required.[1]
A polarizing orb sat at each end of the bow, generating a magnetic field used to accelerate the quarrels.[5] After cocking the weapon, a simple trigger sped the quarrel forward and charged it in an envelope of plasmoid. To generate the requisite potential energy for conversion into kinetic energy, the cocking spring required the strength of a Wookiee to draw back, although some modern bowcasters featured automatic cocking mechanisms for use by other species..[1][5]
While decreasingly effective beyond 30 meters, the bowcaster was more powerful and accurate than typical blaster weapons. Some bowcasters could load multiple quarrels to create a spread-fire effect, further enhancing their close range effectiveness, while others could fire specially charged bolts that could ricochet off certain surfaces. They also shot pure bolts that were not engulfed in energy. These would sometimes have poison tips or explosive tips.
Embo with his bowcaster variant
Chewbacca with a bowcaster.
Bowcasters appeared huge to many non-Wookiees and even Jedi such as Olee Starstone doubted she could lift one, much less fire it. The weight of the weapon, however, was no impediment to the massive strength of the Wookiees. One non-Wookiee individual who used a bowcaster was the Kyuzo bounty hunter Embo.
Variants
Behind the scenes
Bowcaster schematics.
The bowcaster was originally inspired by an illustration by John Schoenherr for George R.R. Martin's novelette "And Seven Times Never Kill a Man", published in the July 1975 issue of Analog, on which Ralph McQuarrie's final Chewbacca concept art was based.[6].
Most sources, including Revenge of the Sith, depict bowcasters firing green bolts. However, in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Chewbacca's weapon fires red bolts and in Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds, Chewbacca's weapon fires yellow bolts. This is due to the retcon that Chewbacca made his out of a stormtrooper rifle.
In Republic Commando: Hard Contact, Darman Skirata states that the bowcaster is his favorite weapon.
In all Jedi Knight series of games, the bowcaster made an appearance. There, the user had two fire functions: one that could launch one to five bolts (depending on the amount of time spent charging up the shot) and one that launched a single, bouncing bolt. The latter was more accurate at far ranges, and could be fired at a faster pace.
In both Jedi Knight/Dark Forces and Knights of the Old Republic games Wookiees are not the only bowcaster users. Many non-Wookiee mercenaries, bounty hunters, smugglers were equipped with this weapon in games, so did both Kyle and Jaden. Players are given the option of equipping Revan and the Jedi Exile with bowcasters.
All Wookiee player characters in Star Wars Galaxies start with the ability to craft bowcasters.
Appearances
Non-canon appearances
- LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
- LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
- Star Wars Infinities: A New Hope
- LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
- Planet of the Dead Template:Am
- Ghosts of Hoth
- Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back
- Into the Great Unknown
- Tall Tales Template:Am (In flashback(s))
- LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
Sources
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Template:WEG, p. 52
- ↑ Star Wars: Behind the Magic
- ↑ Battlefront II: Prima Official Game Guide
- ↑ The Official Star Wars Fact File
- ↑ 5.0 5.1
Wookiee bowcaster in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ George Lucas Stole Chewbacca, But It's Okay at The Binary Bonsai