Star Wars is no stranger to the theme of torture. It’s a practice many follow throughout the galaxy—whether by the Jedi or the Sith. This involves severe pain and suffering, which can either be mental or physical.
Torture can be used to obtain information or as a punishment for someone’s wrongdoing. However, others also use it to intimidate, discriminate, or as a form of revenge.
For example, Star Wars: The Acolyte shows how the Jedi use a parasite to subdue a prisoner. Though it looks gory, it’s creative.
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This is just one of the many methods both the Jedi and the Sith use, and here are the five most creative torture in the Star Wars universe.
Dybbuk
Dybbuk is a parasitic species the Jedi use to subdue violent criminals in the High Republic Era.
It’s first seen in The Acolyte Episode 1, Lost / Found, after Osha (Amandla Stenberg) sees a prisoner immobilised by a parasite attached to his mouth while onboard a transfer ship bound for Coruscant.
Dybbuk can affect the user’s mind. The other two prisoners explain that it does “weird stuff” to the brain.
True enough, after Osha helps remove the parasite from the inmate’s mouth, he displays wild behaviour—far different from the inmate that Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) questions.
Dark Illusion
The Force power of dark illusion allows its user to manipulate Force visions by attacking the target.
Dark illusion can be summoned through an ancient Sith ritual using a Force bond and reciting a Sith incantation in the old Balc language.
This can even be used from a distance. With the blood of the bonded, Force lightning, and the dark side of the Force, dark illusions can reach their victim from the other side of the galaxy.
Darth Sidious uses the dark illusion to attack Grand Master Yoda. The Sith even reached Yoda on Moraband while he was on Coruscant to perform this attack.
Tunqstoid Steel
Tunqstoid Steel is a grey steel tile used in the Imperial Prison Complex on the moon Narkina 5, but this isn’t just a simple flooring.
The floor can be electrified, unleashing extreme heat that can cause immense pain to the barefooted prisoners of the facility, and the result can be fatal.
Tunqstoid Steel was first seen in Andor Episode 8, Narkina 5, where Andor was imprisoned.
Neural Scrambler
A neural scrambler is a device that can permanently wipe a person’s memory.
In the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic, The Shroud secretly implanted a neural scrambler in Lieutenant Evie Bo’s head after betraying him as part of the first digital expansion pack, Star Wars: The Old Republic: Rise of the Hutt Cartel.
After just uttering the code word “asunder,” it triggers the neural scrambler that renders her unconscious and has wiped all of her memories and personality when she regains consciousness.
This way, the Empire can use her and prevent her from revealing The Shroud’s secrets.
Scan Grid
The Scan Grid, or the Imperial torture device, is a mechanism used to torture and interrogate.
The person will be strapped down in front of different torturing instruments and slowly lowered down toward spikes, needles, and other nasty electronic parts.
It was first seen in Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, where Darth Vader tortured Han Solo and lured Luke Skywalker to Cloud City.
Which one of these is the most brutal but creative way of torture in the Star Wars universe? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.