The Death Star

The Death Star is a fictional space station and superweapon featured in the Star Wars space-opera franchise. Constructed by the autocratic Galactic Empire, the Death Star is capable of annihilating entire planets into rubble, and serves to enforce the Empire's reign of terror. Appearing in the original 1977 film Star Wars, the Death Star serves as a central plot point and setting for the movie, and is destroyed in an assault by the Rebel Alliance in the climax of the film. A larger second Death Star is constructed in the events of the film Return of the Jedi featuring substantially improved capabilities compared to its predecessor. It is destroyed by the Rebel Alliance while under construction, however.