Sonic detonator
- "Sonic screamers aren't too bad, either. Just don't use 'em on a Bith. Makes their head explode like a melon. And don't do it to a Sullustan, either. Makes their ears bleed, and they gibber twice as fast."
- ―Mira
Sonic detonator referred to a variety of sonic-based grenades used throughout galactic history to inflict damage and/or stun.
Description
As their name suggests, they used intensely strong visible or invisible waves of sound to incapacitate their targets. Typically producing a sudden burst or 'squeal' of very high frequency sound, they were used to incapacitate organic enemies by causing piercing, intense pain in hearing organs. They could render most species helpless by inflicting deafness temporarily or even permanently on an unlucky target. Some models were loud and strong enough to damage materials tougher than hearing organs and not limited to organics.
History
This type of grenade was commonly used during the Jedi Civil War and afterward, employed by groups such as Czerka Corporation and Mandalorian warriors as well as the companions of Revan and the Jedi Exile. Sonic detonators were also used by mercenaries and security guards to stun foes before closing in with a restraining or lethal device. Most soldiers tended to stick to more lethal weapons such as frag grenades or thermal detonators, valuing kill over capture in the field of battle; however, they could sometimes be found in use when embarking on missions in urban zones, thus reducing the possibility of collateral damage to civilians, or when facing an enemy such as the Bith, whose extremely sensitive hearing left them highly vulnerable to such weaponry, as the bounty hunter Mira noted.
Models
Jedi Civil War Era
This model of sonic detonator used famously by both Revan and the Jedi Exile was designed primarily for temporarily stunning a target. It featured a four meter blast radius.
Clone Wars Era
This model of sonic detonator was used during the Clone Wars by various factions, most notably by clone commandos. It featured a large blast radius and damaged both organics and droids. After being thrown, and before detonation, it stuck to a surface and emitted an oscillated pulse. It detonated automatically after ten seconds or was tripped by proximity to a moving target. Though the overall blast radius of this device was small, it was capable of being lethal within the entire volume of said blast radius. The explosion that this weapon would emit could crack or spiderweb thick glass, blow apart organic targets, decimate mechanized beings, and penetrate through solid matter and walls (including other enemies) to deliver continued energy from the explosion to a standing target.
Appearances
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
- Star Wars: The Old Republic
- Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil
- Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil audiobook
- Star Wars: Republic Commando
- Republic Commando: Hard Contact
- Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
- Young Jedi Knights: Diversity Alliance (First appearance)
- Young Jedi Knights: Jedi Bounty
- Young Jedi Knights: The Emperor's Plague
Sources
- Galaxy Guide 5: Return of the Jedi (as sonic grenade)
- The Movie Trilogy Sourcebook (as sonic grenade)
- Han Solo and the Corporate Sector Sourcebook (as sound grenade)
- Galaxy Guide 5: Return of the Jedi, Second Edition (as sonic grenade)
- Star Wars Trilogy Sourcebook, Special Edition (as sonic grenade)
- Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords: Prima Official Game Guide
Star Wars Republic Commando on LucasArts.com (content now obsolete; backup link)- Star Wars: Republic Commando: Prima Official Game Guide
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia (As "sonic grenade")
- Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook