K-16 Bryar Pistol

▶️ to a preview of K-16 Bryar Pistol firing
(info)

The K-16 Bryar Pistol was a model of Bryar pistol used by the soldiers of the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War against the Galactic Empire as well as criminals such as Khel Tanna and Akko. Deceptive by design, the K-16 appeared to be a regular blaster pistol; however, it featured a modified power unit capable of releasing its entire heat source in one powerful blast as secondary fire.

Description

▶️ to a preview of K-16 Bryar Pistol releasing a power blast
(info)

The K-16 Bryar Pistol looked like a common blaster pistol.

The K-16 Bryar Pistol was a model of Bryar pistol that was capable of firing red-colored blaster bolts,^[1] although it was not as powerful as other blaster pistols.^[5] While it appeared to be a fairly ordinary pistol, the black-colored K-16 actually possessed a modified power unit, which enabled the weapon to discharge its entire heat source in one lethal power blast as secondary fire. The larger middle section of the K-16's barrel contained cooling vents on either side of the weapon's frame. Additionally, the blaster pistol featured a trigger guard.^[1]

History

"Y'know, you were right—I did promise to blast you. So? You gonna pilot us out of here or do I make a mess of my cockpit?"

―Khel Tanna threatens to kill Han Solo^[2]

Khel Tanna holds Han Solo at gunpoint with a K-16.

The K-16 Bryar Pistol was used by soldiers of the Alliance to Restore the Republic,^[5] who fought the Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War.^[1] At some point between around 8 BBY and 2 BBY,^[6] the scoundrel Khel Tanna wielded a K-16 Bryar Pistol against the smuggler Han Solo aboard the former's starship,^[2] the Enigma Catalyst,^[7] while Tanna's crew was extracting the criminal Corbus Tyra from the Benelex Marshal Service Headquarters on the astronomical object Paqualis III. Although Solo managed to take Tanna's blaster from her hand before she could shoot him, the bounty hunter Greedo intervened and shot Solo down, leaving the smuggler lying unconscious on the ground.^[2]

Some time later, Solo's partner, the Wookiee warrior Chewbacca, came into possession of a K-16 Bryar Pistol, which he used to halt Marshal Buck Vancto while the Marshal was apprehending Tanna and two of her crew members aboard his starship on the moon Nar Shaddaa. Regardless, Chewbacca and Vancto managed to reach a compromise—the Marshal would be allowed to arrest Tanna after saving the Wookiee's friends aboard the freighter Millennium Falcon, Solo and the young criminal Phaedra, who were being chased by Tanna's crew member Akko piloting Tanna's ship. Meanwhile, Solo and Phaedra were forced to crash their vehicle on a nearby astronomical object, where Akko reached soon after. Before he could shoot Phaedra, however, Chewbacca arrived on the scene with his Bryar pistol and shot Akko's blaster—another K-16—out of the enemy's hand, saving his friends.^[3]

Chewbacca saved the young Phaedra with a K-16 Bryar Pistol.

Years later, around 3 ABY,^[8] Tanna carried her K-16 Bryar Pistol when she traveled to The Haven, a space station in orbit of Kligson's Moon, as part of a group of bounty hunters led by T'onga. While the latter hunter hoped Tarr Kligson, a cyborg fixer who resided in the station along with its droid inhabitants, could repair her damaged cyborg friend, Beilert Valance, Kligson wiped Valance's memories instead and turned him into a mindless killing machine. In the ensuing firefight, Tanna used her Bryar pistol against The Haven's droid residents that were corrupted by an entity known as the Scourge.^[4]

Behind the scenes

Creation and development

"In contrast to the [TL-50] Heavy Repeater, the Bryar Pistol represents the Rebellion and the clever surprises they use to take on the Empire. Digging into Star Wars gaming history for inspiration, the obvious choice was to pay homage to the Star Wars Legends fan-favorite, Kyle Katarn through his signature Bryar Pistol. While it's not as powerful as other blaster pistols, its' [sic] Secondary Fire mode charges up and delivers a Power Blast capable of taking out soldiers in one shot."

―Official Electronic Arts website^[5]

Concept art of the K-16 Bryar Pistol by Erik Rading

The K-16 Bryar Pistol first appeared in the current Star Wars canon in the Death Star expansion pack for the video game Star Wars Battlefront, released in 2016.^[5] The pistol is unlockable via an in-game challenge titled "Dark Enforcer." Although the K-16 can be wielded by troopers of all factions—including the Galactic Empire, the Rebel Alliance, and the New Republic—like all other blasters in the game,^[1] the weapon's description on the official Electronic Arts website suggests that it is a Rebel Alliance weapon.^[5]

The K-16 was designed by 3D artist Erik Rading^[9] and was based on the Bryar pistol, featured in the Star Wars: Jedi Knight video game series from the Star Wars Legends continuity.^[5] It was introduced in the 1995 video game Star Wars: Dark Forces as the signature sidearm of Kyle Katarn, the series' protagonist. Justin Chin, the game's lead artist and story writer,^[10] named the weapon after composer Gavin Bryars.^[11]

Inspiration for Andor

"I had this idea that maybe it's the fact that as you use a blaster in a gunfight, you pull the trigger, the blaster's getting hotter and hotter and hotter, eventually it's not going to work. And with a little flick of the wrist, this whole center section flips over and installs a new cool, cold barrel into the front end of the blaster."

―Martyn Doust, on the purpose of the Bryar pistol's large middle section^[12]

Andor's MW-20 Bryar pistol (pictured) was inspired by the K-16. — *Andor*'s MW-20 Bryar pistol (pictured) was inspired by the K-16.

Star Wars Battlefront's K-16 Bryar Pistol also inspired the MW-20 Bryar pistol carried by the titular character Cassian Andor in the first season of Star Wars: Andor,^[13] a 2022 live-action Disney+ original series.^[14] While searching through pre-existing Star Wars blasters to find inspiration for Andor's sidearm, the prop team discovered the K-16, which prop master Martyn Doust found cool-looking and small enough to conceal.^[12]

Andor's Bryar pistol, however, was given a new model number due to the extra features and design elements added to the weapon by the prop designers,^[13] including a rotating middle section that installed a new, cold barrel into the front end of the weapon, which justified the Bryar pistol's large center section in Doust's mind.^[12]

Star Wars: Hunters

A 2023 update for the Star Wars: Hunters arena-combat game introduced many new cosmetics to the game, including "weapon wraps" that change the appearance of in-game weapons.^[15] One of these items, named "Huttballer Set," gives the Pulse Blaster a new design that partially resembles the K-16 Bryar Pistol along with an orange and white livery. The blaster is used by a pair of Jawa scavengers collectively known as Utooni, a playable character in the game.^[16] The game closed on on October 1, 2025.^[17]