Star Wars: Largest Starships, Ranked

by

Key Takeaways

  • Star Wars features a diverse range of ships for various purposes, from ancient mysterious constructions to colossal battle stations.
  • The Separatist Dreadnought and The Lucrehulk-Class Battleship are examples of massive ship designs used in combat and transport.
  • Other notable gigantic starships in Star Wars include The Fulminatrix, The Eclipse, The Vengeance, and The Supremacy, each serving different roles.

As a space-faring archaeologist with a penchant for the extraordinary, I’ve had the privilege of gazing upon many celestial wonders that defy comprehension. But none have left me quite as awestruck as these three colossal starships that grace our galaxy.

Star Wars represents a sprawling space saga within the current entertainment landscape, offering writers and creators ample room for imagination beyond the constraints of traditional hard science fiction. This flexibility allows for the conception of diverse vessels such as nimble, compact freighters like the Millennium Falcon, agile combat ships like TIE fighters and X-wings, and colossal battle stations akin to the Death Star.

A significant number of the largest vessels you’ll find here are provided by some self-centered antagonists from both the original and recent trilogies in the Empire and the First Order. Additionally, there are enigmatic, age-old structures from a long-forgotten era that surpass anything contemporary in the series. These ships can serve various purposes such as combat, transportation, colonization, storage, or smuggling, among others.

14 The Separatist Dreadnought, Providence-class

Length: 7,144 feet

  • Roles and Uses: The primary function is as a command ship, also used as an assault ship, a blockading vessel, and for planetary assault

Here are two variations of the Dreadnought type, with one being approximately half the size, which equates to around 3,500 feet or roughly 1 kilometer – still quite a substantial size. The adaptability of this model has led to it being referred to by several names such as the Providence-class carrier and destroyer, or the Providence-class cruiser-carrier. Due to its multiple designations, it’s commonly known as the Separatist Dreadnought to avoid confusion.

During the Clone Wars, this ship was frequently employed by the Confederacy of Independent Systems, even by members of the Trade Federation. Approximately 19 BBY, it joined General Grievous’ fleet and participated in numerous attacks on Coruscant. However, during the rule of the Galactic Empire, it was primarily dismantled for spare parts.

13 The Lucrehulk-Class Battleship, Lucrehulk Series

Length: 10,400 feet

  • Roles and Uses: Battleship, Command ship, Carrier

As a gamer, I can tell you that the Lucrehulk-Class Battleship isn’t built for agility in combat; instead, it serves more like an impenetrable fortress for ships sailing by. This vessel gained notoriety as a crucial part of the Trade Federation’s blockade in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

Due to its unique shape, the size of this vessel primarily revolves around its radius, facilitating the convenient partitioning of the ship into multiple zones. These zones serve diverse purposes such as storage areas, control rooms for various automated components, and residential and workspaces for crew members or guests.

12 The Mediator, Mediator Class

Length: 11,811 feet

  • Roles and Uses: Battlecruiser

This ship was fittingly titled, being agile enough for swift maneuvers yet large enough to exert significant influence in battles. It could just as effortlessly ignite a conflict as it could resolve one. The Mon Calamari were renowned for constructing larger, more practical ships within the Republic. In the aftermath of the Empire’s fall, they began enhancing these vessels with battle-ready features.

The Mediator marked the beginning of an entire series of combat-ready cruisers, and its name wasn’t just symbolic of its adaptability. Its inaugural journey served as a diplomatic initiative aimed at bridging the gap between the antagonistic planets of Rhommamool and Osarian. These celestial bodies frequently threatened one another with mutual destruction whenever their shared orbits allowed them to be within missile range.

11 The Malevolence, Subjugator Class

Length: 15,895

  • Roles and Uses: Flagship, Gunship, Star Battleship

As a gamer, I can’t help but feel awestruck by this ship – it’s not just a powerful tool in combat, but also a handy transporter and a diplomatic asset. Yet, the Malevolence hasn’t made its grand debut on the silver screen… not yet, anyway. With all the galactic action happening during the Clone Wars, I can only imagine this beast of a ship being present at some of the most pivotal battles, even though it was never shown in the prequels.

In the animated series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” this colossal vessel frequently graced our screens. Initially considered more myth or exaggeration than reality, the main characters got to witness it firsthand. Its design drew inspiration from the historic World War II German ship, the Bismarck, another behemoth of the sea. Just like the Malevolence, this ship met its end in a fiery explosion following an act of sabotage.

10 The Fulminatrix, Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnought Class

Length: 25,164 feet

  • Roles and Uses: Mainly orbital bombardment

The Fulminatrix was a vessel engineered by the First Order, designed for standoff engagements during blockades or to provide protection in major battles or planetary invasions on a grand scale. It was approximately double the size of the common Dreadnaughts that dominated their fleet.

On the hull of the colossal vessel, there were two gigantic orbital cannons installed – weapons so large they could pierce through a planetary defense shield. The final voyage of the Fulminatrix was at the Battle of D’Qar, where it destroyed numerous resistance bombers and primarily targeted the Resistance ship, the Raddus, before a solitary bomber brought about the ship’s downfall with an impressive chain reaction of detonations.

9 The Executor, Star Dreadnought Class

Length: 26,247 feet

  • Roles and Uses: Command ship, Flagship

Throughout the mid-to-late 2010s, Marvel’s Darth Vader comic book series frequently featured a vessel called The Executor. After the iconic Battle of Yavin, this ship was deployed to command the Death Squadron. Despite its age, it can reach an impressive speed of 62 miles per hour and holds a top-tier Class 1 hyperdrive rating.

During the legendary Battle of Endor, the ominous starship met its destructive demise. An Alliance pilot named Arvel Crynyd deliberately crashed his A-wing fighter into the vessel, resulting in an explosive collision. Crynyd, a skilled Green Squadron leader and exceptional flyer, likely perished instantly. However, his selfless act proved crucial, as it crippled the starship’s power and forced it to collide catastrophically with Death Star II, bringing a fittingly violent end to this notorious warship in the final act of this famous conflict.

8 The Krakana, Viscount-Class Dreadnaught

Length: 55,775 feet

  • Roles and Uses: Star Defender

The colossal vessels composing the majority of the Imperial Fleet served as a source of inspiration for the Visount-class ships of the Mon Calamari. Unlike their predecessors, which emphasized offensive power or intimidation, these new designs prioritized defense and transportation. However, they retained remarkable capabilities in battle, and many of them were deployed in combat situations.

The Mon Calamari’s most renowned and colossal ship ever constructed is known as the Krakana, bearing the name of fearsome sea creatures native to their planet. Similar to these creatures, the Krakana was designed to be both formidable and massive, serving a crucial role in the Galactic Alliance Defense Force.

7 The Eclipse, Star Dreadnought Class

Length: 57,415 feet

  • Roles and Uses: Battlestation, Command ship, Carrier, Battleship

For individuals who found Palpatine’s unexpected comeback in “The Rise of Skywalker” puzzling, the Legends universe offers an attempt at clarification. It seems that cunning Darth Sidious had a plan before his death and started producing clone bodies to inhabit later on. Some of these clones even received unique vessels for space travel.

The Eclipse was an example of such a spacecraft, functioning as the personal starship of the Empire’s malevolent leader following his initial defeat in “Return of the Jedi”. This foreboding ship didn’t escape criticism from those within the remaining Empire, who saw it as an unnecessary drain on resources. However, despite the opposition, Palpatine authorized the construction of a second identical vessel after the destruction of the original during a battle involving the Force between the ruthless Sith Lord and Luke and Leia.

6 The Vengeance, Dreadnought Class

Length: 62,336 feet

  • Roles and Uses: Dreadnought, Command ship

The Dark Jedi Jerec enjoyed an especially extravagant ride through the cosmos with this colossal space vessel. He uses this ship in his all-consuming obsession with locating the legendary Valley of the Jedi.

A Jedi who managed to avoid Order 66 because he was traveling at the time, Jerec later plunged into the dark side upon his return and took on the position of Inquisitor. His fierce rivalry with Kyle Katarn, a self-taught Jedi and popular character from Star Wars video games, culminated tragically in Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II. In the end, it was his colossal spacecraft that outlived him.

5 The Eye of Palpatine, Modified Dreadnought Class

Length: 62,336 feet

  • Roles and Uses: Battleship

In the popular novel “Children of the Jedi” by Barbara Hambly, one of Darth Sidious’ notorious death ships, known as the Eye of Palpatine, functioned as his main battlecraft. This novel delves into one of Emperor Palpatine’s cruelest plots during the era of the Galactic Empire.

Discovering a fortress for Jedi children on the planet Belsavis, Palpatine uses his new ship in a failed bid to wipe them out. The Eye of Palpatine’s destructive power is ultimately undone by the heroic Jedi Callista who, in one of the wildest moments in the Legends stories, transcends her life force into the ship to shut its systems down.

The Eye of Palpatine matches the Vengeance-class Star Dreadnought in terms of length. However, due to its unusual shape, accurately measuring its width can be challenging. Given its dual function as a spaceship and battlemoon, it’s evident that this colossal vessel is one of the thickest, largest, and heaviest ever constructed in the galaxy.

4 The Supremacy, Star Dreadnought Mega Class

Length: 196,850-foot wingspan, 42,650 feet in length

  • Roles and Uses: Mobile headquarters, flagship, command ship

Underneath Supreme Leader Snoke’s ornate robes, distinctive ring, and haughty way of speaking, it was his enormous flagship space vessel, The Supremacy, that truly showcased his inflated ego. This colossal starship not only housed Snoke’s operations but also witnessed his dramatic downfall.

In a treacherous turn of events orchestrated by his disciple Kylo Ren, Snoke was deceitfully killed in his throne room. This act paved the way for the thrilling scene where Ren and Rey confronted Snoke’s guards, making it one of the most significant moments featuring Andy Serkis’ character as the antagonist.

3 The Baanu Rass Worldship

Length: Approx. 400,000 feet

  • Roles and Uses: Battleship, Carrier, Colony ship

Among the ancient Yuuzhan Vong spacecraft that made it through the intergalactic migration, the Baanu Ross stands out as the eldest. Primarily utilized for travel and colonization, this vessel was uniquely designed to encapsulate an entire ecosystem. During times of conflict, such as the Yuuzhan Vong War, these ships also served as cloning and defense facilities.

Following the war, the Baanu Ross was deserted and circling Myrkr like a small satellite, having not landed. When Jacen Solo explored its remnants in 40 ABY, it was a decaying carcass that had been exposed to open space for nearly two decades.

2 DS-1 Death Star Mobile Battle Station

Length: Diameter of approx. 100 miles

  • Roles and Uses: Battle station

The colossal Death Star, renowned for its infamy, was approximately the scale of a moon in our sky. Despite being labeled as a space station, it possessed the ability to move at a leisurely pace and boasted a Class 4 hyperdrive, granting it the mobility and functionalities akin to those of a typical starship.

In the movie “Rogue One”, we follow the tale of who constructed the Death Star and the events that led to its plans being stolen and given to the Rebel Alliance. This story unfolds just before the original “Star Wars” timeline begins, but ends just minutes before it starts. The Empire managed to use the Death Star to destroy Alderaan, and if not for Mon Mothma and her brave X-wing squadron using the stolen plans to strategize a successful attack, Yavin would have been next in line to be destroyed.

1 Centerpoint Station

Length: 220 miles in length, 62 miles at its widest point.

  • Roles and Uses: Acts as a dock for virtually every starship in the galaxy, capable of moving planets and creating whole star systems.

The Centerpoint Station isn’t merely the largest spacecraft in the galaxy; it’s also one of the oldest, with much of its creation shrouded in enigma. By the time of the Battle of Yavin, it was approximately 100,000 years old and is thought to have been constructed by the extinct Killik species at the behest of beings called Celestials.

Centerpoint Station, once utilized by the Celestials, was instrumental in forming the entire Corellian star system and the black hole referred to as ‘The Maw.’ This cosmic structure remains active and can be found in certain Star Wars media productions. It’s strategically positioned between the twin planets, Talus and Tralus.

Read More

2024-10-08 06:54