Imperial gunner
From Wookieepedia, the Star Wars wiki.
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| Imperial gunner | |
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| General information | |
| Other information | |
| Era(s) |
Rise of the Empire era |
| Affiliation | |
Imperial gunners were members of the Imperial Navy who manned the various weapons of the Empire's capital ships, military bases, and, most famously, the Death Stars.
Niclara Varnillian served as a gunner aboard the first Death Star and the Pulsar a Imperial II-class Star Destroyer.
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[edit] History
Imperial gunners were recruits from the Imperial Navy's piloting program that were either still in training or washed out. They were tasked to use their skills with weapons to handle the powerful turbolasers and ion cannons of Imperial vessels, such as Star Destroyers and World Devastators.
On both Death Stars, the gunners, often called Death Star gunners, had the additional job of maintaining a careful balance of energy in the battle station's superlaser.
The most distinguishing part of the gunners was their large black helmets with a slit-like visor, designed to protect their eyes from the bright flashes of light from turbolaser and superlaser fire. Many gunners regarded this helmet as useless, as it limited peripheral vision and caused them to knock their heads into things. Their helmets remained almost exactly the same throughout the post-remnant Empire, while their uniforms gained more armor than before.
Imperial gunners used a ranking system similar to that of starfighter pilots, with commissioned ranks such as Captain, Major, and Colonel. Some would be deployed as battlefield engineers, operating on damaged vehicles and wounded soldiers, and lay down defenses. [1]
[edit] Behind the scenes
In land battles in Star Wars: Battlefront II, Imperial gunners are called "Imperial engineers" and were armed with a shotgun, charges, ammo containers and bacta.
Industrial Light & Magic modelmakers Grant McCune and Joe Johnston played Imperial gunners in A New Hope.
Imperial Gunners appear in the final level of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
[edit] Appearances
- Death Star
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
- Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (First appearance)
- Star Wars Infinities: A New Hope (Non-canonical appearance)
- Star Wars: Battlefront
- Star Wars: Battlefront II
- Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron
- Star Wars: X-wing
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
- Dark Empire
- Dark Empire II
- Crimson Empire
- Children of the Jedi
- Star Wars Legacy 17: Claws of the Dragon, Part 4
"Wanted by Cracken" - Star Wars Adventure Journal 4
- "Wanted by Cracken" - Star Wars Adventure Journal 8
[edit] Sources
- Imperial Sourcebook
- Imperial Sourcebook, Second Edition
- Death Star Technical Companion
"A New Hope Limited" - Star Wars Customizable Card Game (Card: Death Star Gunner)
- Star Wars: The Action Figure Archive
Imperial gunner in the Databank
- Alliance and Empire Preview
[edit] References
- ↑ Battlefront II Prima Official Strategy Guide
