"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will feature Stormtroopers and other remnant forces from the Empire, now called the First Order, and while they may not have a Death Star, they will have something even more powerful. According to a report from StarWars7News, they will have a weapon known as the Starkiller Base.
The official Star Wars Databank, an encyclopedia for all things Star Wars, has added some new official entries, with the Starkiller Base being one of them.
"An ice planet converted into a stronghold of the First Order and armed with a fiercely destructive new weapon capable of destroying entire star systems," reads the official description for the base.
The Death Star in the original trilogy was capable of destroying an entire planet with a single blow, but was destroyed twice in the course of three films. The Starkiller Base, on the other hand, is literally a star destroyer which can destroy a star and the planets surrounding it, making it the most powerful destructive weapon in Star Wars lore. This icy planet is shown prominently in several promotional images and in the trailers as well.
According to a report from Screen Rant, the Starkiller Base is similar in design to the Sun Crusher, a mobile weapon in "Star Wars Legends" lore with the same capabilities. However, as "Star Wars Legends" — the former Expanded Universe — is no longer canon, it appears that the Starkiller Base has taken over the role of the Sun Crusher.
"Starkiller" is also a nod to the original character names for the franchise. Before George Lucas filmed the original 1977 "Star Wars," the main character was named "Annikin Starkiller" before officially being named Luke Skywalker. Starkiller then became the name of the main character in "The Force Unleashed" games which are no longer considered canon.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" opens in theaters this Dec. 18.
