tractor beam

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

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From the Movies

A tractor beam is an invisible force beam that drags objects from place to place. Tractor beams are used for cargo handling, starport traffic control and for capturing starships. Also known informally as grappling rays or magnetic beams, tractor beams are common armaments aboard military vessels.

A tractor beam itself usually cannot disable a ship, but it can reduce target maneuverability, increasing the likelihood of gunnery attacks connecting with vital systems. A ship attempting to break free of a tractor beam lock may suffer crippling engine damage due to system strain.

Imperial vessels such as Star Destroyers and the Death Star were equipped with powerful tractor beam projectors used to capture and reel in craft suspected of subversive affiliation.

From the Expanded Universe

Tractor beams are among the most common of ship-mounted weapon since the laws governing them are loose enough to allow commercial use. Large freighters and container ships use tractor beam projectors in the handling of cargo and in the maneuvering of crowded ports. Small service vessels designated as tugs have extremely powerful tractor beam generators to tow damaged craft or hazardous materials.

Offensive tractor beams are generally mounted on large vessels, as they have tremendous power requirements and large crews. The huge Phylon Q7 tractor beams found aboard Imperial Star Destroyers require a crew of ten to properly operate.

Tractor beams mounted on small vessels generally cannot arrest the momentum of a moving target, but can inhibit maneuverability. Later generation advanced TIE craft, such as the Avenger and Defender models, employed experimental beam weaponry for use in starfighter dogfights. The Geonosian starfighters employ an array of tractor beams to aid in maneuverability, but these can also be used offensively.

Behind the Scenes

C-3PO's expository dialogue explaining the Death Star's tractor beam power configuration was a last-minute addition to Episode IV. As such, it did not make all versions of the release print, and was left off of certain video releases for years.