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Chewbacca's bowcaster with its alternating polarizers balanced on each end of the weapon.
An alternating polarizer,[1] also known as a polarizer sphere[2] or polarizing orb,[1] was a type of magnetic device used to energize metal blaster projectiles known as quarrels in bowcasters. A bowcaster contained a positive-default and negative-default alternating polarizer, along with a conductive bowstring,[3] balanced on each end of the weapon.[1] The polarizing orbs would charge a quarrel and envelope it in plasma[4] energy before firing a destructive blaster bolt from the barrel of the bowcaster,[3] boosting its power with its magnetic field.[1]
Appearances
- Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
- Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (First appearance)
- Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
- Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
- Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens
Sources
- Ultimate Star Wars (First identified as polarizing orb)
- Star Wars: The Force Awakens: The Visual Dictionary (First identified as alternating polarizer)
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi: The Visual Dictionary (First identified as polarizer sphere)
- Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary, New Edition
- Star Wars Day-at-a-Time Calendar 2021
Bowcaster in the Databank (backup link) (Picture only)
Notes and references
In other languages