A Star Destroyer was a dagger-shaped type of capital ship that were used by the Galactic Republic, the Galactic Empire, the First Order, and the Sith Eternal.

Notable examples of Star Destroyers include the Imperial-class Star Destroyer and its predecessor the Venator-class Star Destroyer.

According to Everi Chalis, Star Destroyers were the most resource-intensive ships the galaxy had ever seen, and only Kuat possessed shipyards that were capable of supporting and maintaining more than a handful at a time.

During the Clone Wars, the Galactic Republic Navy fielded a fleet of Venator-class Star Destroyers. The Venator-class saw action in numerous battles against the Confederacy navy including the Battle of Coruscant. Following the transformation of the Republic into the Galactic Empire, the Republic’s Star Destroyers were incorporated into the new Imperial Navy.^[5] Aside from the Venator and Imperial-class Star Destroyers, other known models in Imperial service included the Victory and Secutor-class Star Destroyers.

During the rebellion and the Galactic Civil War, Imperial Star Destroyers took part in numerous engagements against the various rebel forces that eventually coalesced into the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Star Destroyers were deployed during the secret mission to Tatooine, Battle of Hoth, and the Battle of Endor.

Following the events at Endor, the Rebel Alliance’s successor government, the New Republic, captured and destroyed numerous Star Destroyers in several engagements including the Battle of Theed, the Rebellion on Akiva, the Battle for Kuat Drive Yards, and the Liberation of Kashyyyk. By 5 ABY, Grand Admiral Rae Sloane estimated that 75% of the Imperial Star Destroyers before Endor had either been destroyed, captured, or lost in «confirmable if curious ways.» While trawling through the archives at the Hall of Imperial Register on Coruscant, Sloane discovered that the remaining 25% had mysteriously disappeared and their purported destruction had been falsified.

Later, Sloane learned that Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax secretly commanded Imperial fleets in the Almagest, the Recluse’s Nebula, the Queluhan Nebula, the Ro-Loo Triangle, and the Inamorata. These fleets consisted of hundreds of Star Destroyers and thousands of smaller ships. Following the Attack on Chandrila, Rax ordered the Imperial fleets to assemble above the planet Jakku.^[14] Numerous Star Destroyers, including Captain Ciena Ree‘s starship Inflictor, saw action during the Battle of Jakku, the cataclysmic battle that ended the Galactic Civil War in favor of the New Republic.

Thirty years after the Battle of Endor, the barren surface of Jakku was still littered with the wreckage of countless Star Destroyers. These derelict starships were regularly targeted by scavengers such as Rey. The First Order, a remnant of the Old Empire, was also known to utilize Star Destroyers as part of its fleet, such as the First Order’s Resurgent-class Star Destroyers, which were inspired by the dagger-shaped design of the Old Empire’s vessels.