Electrostaff

For other uses, see electrostaff.

"This is an electrostaff, Nobody's Padawan. A useful tool—and one designed to kill Jedi."

―Sarco Plank, to Luke Skywalker^[12]

An electrostaff, also known as shock staff,^[11] or an electro-pole^[13] was a staff-like melee weapon manufactured by Baktoid Armor Workshop and Holowan Mechanicals. They were used by the Confederacy of Independent Systems' IG-100 MagnaGuard^[2] by the Galactic Republic's clone shock troopers during the Clone Wars,^[5] and by Imperial Purge, riot, and Heavy Troopers leading up to and during the Galactic Civil War.

Design

An electrostaff was able to counter a Jedi's lightsaber

Electrostaffs were designed for single combat against lightsaber-wielders, such as Jedi, and had the ability to block lightsaber strikes.^[2] They were mechanically complicated, double-ended, and able to incapacitate most organic beings, powerful enough to stop a being's heart after five seconds of contact. They could also be used to send bolts of energy along a laser line.^[14] Each end of the staff was usually tipped with either purple^[3] or yellow^[15] electricity^[12]

Electrostaffs were often plated in phrik alloy, which made them resistant to lightsabers. Even with that, however,^[16] such electrostaffs were not totally invulnerable to lightsaber strikes, meaning the staff could still be destroyed.^[17]

History

High Republic Era

In 232 BBY,^[18] pirate Taborr Val-Dorn wielded an electrostaff. It was double sided, but it also had the ability to spilt in half. The electrostaff gave Taborr the opportunity to counter a Jedi's lightsaber, leaving him with a better opportunity to steal without much repercussion.^[19]

Republic Era

IG-100 MagnaGuards wielding electrostaffs.

During the Clone Wars, the IG-100 MagnaGuards of the Confederacy of Independent Systems wielded electrostaffs, which they often used against the Jedi.^[17] Major Separatist leaders like Count Dooku^[20] and General Grievous kept electrostaff-wielding IG-100s as bodyguards.^[3] Droid mercenary AD-W4 utilized an electrostaff in his duel with Mace Windu.^[21] During the mission on Tatooine while in a fight with three MagnaGuards, Ahsoka Tano, after charging one of the two remaining droids, which knocked it to ground and, taking its electrostaff, rammed the weapon through the other droid's power core before quickly bisecting its head and torso with her lightsaber.^[2]^[20]

Pirate King Hondo Ohnaka of the Ohnaka Gang wielded an electrostaff to fight Anakin Skywalker during the skirmish on Felucia,^[4] Ahsoka Tano during the Raid on the Crucible,^[22] and fought rival pirate captain Lassa Rhayme.^[23]

The Dug cavalier of Malastare^[24] and the slavers of Zygerria^[25] made use of a unique single-sided variant that could fold out its end when in use, producing an electrical charge that could harm both droids and living creatures.^[24] Captain Rex used one of these to fight off the Zygerrian royal guards and to kill Keeper Agruss.^[25]

Mandalorian Duchess Satine's Mandalorian Protectors also wielded electrostaffs. Due to the pacifist nature of the New Mandalorians, their electrostaffs were non-lethal to deflect blaster bolts and applying stun pulses that were effective against the B2-series super battle droids.^[26]

The bounty hunter Aurra Sing utilized several IG-series assassin droids as her own security droids when she met up with Asajj Ventress at the Doric Prime power plant who then gave her a list of Galactic Republic Ghost Agents to kill for her. Sing’s security detail wielded electrostaffs and fought Clone Force 99 before Sing contacted the lead droid, Elkew-Nine and discovered her security droids were destroyed.^[27]

The MagnaGuards were able to use their electrostaffs with deadly effects such as when they captured Jedi Council member Eeth Koth and tortured him. Later, after defeating one MagnaGuard after taking its electrostaff, Obi-Wan Kenobi temporarily used it to duel Grievous, but he destroyed it, leaving Obi-Wan with only his lightsaber.^[17] The MagnaGuards also used electrostaffs to activate an electroguillotine and behead a person. This was used during the execution of Ramsis Dendup.^[28] Grievous used an electrostaff whilst fighting Obi-Wan Kenobi on his TSMEU-6 personal wheel bike on Utapau during the late stages of the war. He later attempted to kill Kenobi with it, whilst he was hanging on a platform over a Pau Sinkhole, but failed as Kenobi shot him in the torso, instantly killing the Kaleesh cyborg.^[3]

Imperial Era

Emperor's Royal Guards who wielded electrostaffs were known as Electrostaff Guards.^[29] Some Purge Troopers active under the Inquisitorius's Purge division^[30] during the Great Jedi Purge carried electrostaffs, which enabled them to engage the lightsabers of surviving Jedi. During the secret mission to rebuild the Jedi Order, former Padawan Cal Kestis fought several such Purge Troopers.^[8] Five years later, more electrostaff-wielding Purge Troopers crossed weapons with Kestis during the quest for Tanalorr.^[30]

Former clone commando Gregor handed Ezra Bridger two electrostaffs to get the joopa Big Bongo, who was caught on the laser line.^[31]

Thrawn's assassin and bodyguard, Rukh, carried a custom electrostaff. One end had a built-in blaster, which is similar to a Lasat bo-rifle. He used this electrostaff to fight against a seasoned Ezra Bridger^[32] and his master Kanan Jarrus.^[33]

The scavenger Sarco Plank wielded an electrostaff during the Galactic Civil War, and fought Luke Skywalker with it on Devaron while the young Jedi was exploring the Temple of Eedit. Plank proved almost a match for the Jedi-in-training, coming close to killing Skywalker several times. Skywalker destroyed Plank's control box, however, and sent him and his electrostaff hurtling into a pit leading to the temple's underlevels.^[12] Sixth Kin-turned-Crimson Dawn agent Gallin Crae made use of an electrostaff.^[9]

New Republic Era

Gideon makes use of an electrostaff against the Darksaber

During the New Republic Era, the Imperial Remnant warlord Gideon owned an electrostaff that he used during the conflict on Mandalore against the united Mandalorian people. He made use of the weapon against the Mandalorian leader Bo-Katan Kryze, who herself wielded the Darksaber. While Gideon expressed an interest in reclaiming the Darksaber, he ultimately destroyed it, although he was then killed by the battle's end.^[34]

Around the same time, the Nightsister Morgan Elsbeth had HK-87 assassin droids use electrostaffs for melee combat against Ahsoka Tano,^[35] who by that time was a Ronin^[36] former Jedi^[2] looking for leads about the rumored return of Grand Admiral Mitth'raw'nuruodo "Thrawn."^[35]