10 Talk

Carbon freezing

"To freeze a being solid, then hang him on a wall like some trophy?"

―Han Solo, expressing his disdain with the Galactic Alliance's carbon freezing methods^[src]

Carbon freezing was the process of freezing stored tibanna gas in carbonite to preserve it while it was being transported over long distances.

1 Overview
2 Appearances
- 2.1 Non-canon appearances
3 Sources
4 Notes and references
- 4.1 In other languages

OverviewEdit

"Oh, they've encased him in carbonite. He should be quite well protected. If he survived the freezing process, that is."

―C-3PO^[src]

In the freezing process, the gas was pumped into a freezing chamber where it was mixed with molten carbonite into a solid block. The gas was released later at its destination or at the processing center.

Darth Vader ordered the modification of a freezing chamber on Bespin's Cloud City so that he could freeze Luke Skywalker—eliminating any chance of escape—to transport him to the Emperor. As a test, the process was tried on Han Solo, who survived the freezing process and was eventually freed from his trap.^[1] Other people unfortunate enough to be frozen in carbonite include Trioculus, Chihdo, Czethros, Keto, Roni von Wasaki, Sintas Vel, Valin and Jysella Horn, Grees, and Mathal.^[2]

During the Galactic Civil War, a large number of Sith Troopers and possibly a Sith Master, frozen in carbonite, were discovered by the Nightsister Silri with the help of a Sith Holocron stolen from Jabba the Hutt by Tyber Zann.

Additionally, bodies were sometimes preserved in carbonite, as in the case of the Senatorial Tombs on Coruscant.

Carbon freezing could induce hibernation sickness after being released, as was the case with Han Solo.^[3]