# Coolest sci-fi weapons?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [December 20, 2004, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763 "2004-12-20T08:38:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 4
### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2004, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/61 "2004-12-21T02:40:07Z")
> [@QuizCustodet](#):
>
> This is the essence of it - to expand a little… these are Jedi. They pride themselves on finesse, non-violence wherever possible and (judging from their combat techniques) just looking damn cool at all times.
U.S. Marines wear swords with their dress uniforms for the sake of looking cool (and honoring tradition), but they don’t carry them into combat. If for some reason you need to slash or stab something, you can use your bayonet.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2004, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/62 "2004-12-21T02:42:11Z")
> [@Ogre](#):
>
> Plus, can you imagine the close-combat advantage of having a sword-length weapon whose entire mass is concentrated in your hand, and whose (effectively ultra-sharp, indestrucible) blade weighs _nothing_?
Now that makes sense. Provided, as noted above, that the situation allows you the luxury of "close-combat, i.e., your opponent does not have a weapon of greater range.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/63 "2004-12-21T02:46:46Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#):
>
> Another point, on the lightsaber…Jedi seem to be able to use them to _deflect energy weapon fire_, even back towards whoever was shooting at them.
>
> That, and they can be used for the only thing they let Wolverine use his claws for in cartoons…cutting through doors and walls.
>
> And for lopping hands off.
That makes sense too. But, if I were a Jedi, I would never think of going into any situation armed **only** with a lightsaber. Remember, when Luke boarded the Death Star to rescue Leia, he got a lot more use out of his blaster than his lightsaber. Whereas we get the impression that old-school Jedi like Qui-Gon Jinn and young Obi-Wan Kenobi would not even know how to aim or fire a blaster.
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### Author:  [@Ninja\_Pizza\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ninja_Pizza_Guy)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2004, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/64 "2004-12-21T03:03:27Z")
A few entries:
The abdiatic bomb (from _Killing Star_): turns heat into mass - instant freeze.
The microscopic “kill anyone instantly, without a trace” gizmo Worsel dreamed up for Kimball Kinnison.
Gray goo.
And a shameless plug: the _Shiva_: The Shiva (SWT29.1) is a C-fractional weapon. It has a 2,000 ton AM warhead, subdivided into 20,000 sub-munitions, each weighing 100 kg. It is launched from the outer reaches of the system and accelerates to about 0.9 C. Just before impact, the warhead splits and the sub-munitions spread wide enough to cover the entire facing hemisphere of the targeted planet.
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### Author:  [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2004, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/65 "2004-12-21T03:10:08Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> Maybe not, but if Luke Skywalker, armed only with a lightsaber, tried to go up against Bobba Fett or an Imperial stormtrooper, armed with a blaster, he would die before getting withing ten yards of his enemy – unless he used the Force to disarm him.
Well, yeah, duh. But the Jedi do have the Force to call on, which is why it doesn’t matter that the lightsaber isn’t a long-range weapon.
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2004, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/66 "2004-12-21T03:10:29Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> Maybe not, but if Luke Skywalker, armed only with a lightsaber, tried to go up against Bobba Fett or an Imperial stormtrooper, armed with a blaster, he would die before getting withing ten yards of his enemy – unless he used the Force to disarm him.
Like hell. The guy with the blaster would never come close to even touching a Jedi. Lightsabers can parry blaster bolts, and a talented enough Jedi can bounce them right back where they came from. A stormtrooper could get off maybe three shots before his first shot came back and pegged him 'tween the eyes.
Also, keep in mind that when Luke went to rescue Leia from the Death Star, he’d had maybe two weeks of Jedi training, max. But by _Return of the Jedi_, he’s stopped wearing a blaster altogether, IIRC.
In with you on the Klingon bat’leh, though. Stupid looking, impractical weapon. The daggers are a bit more plausible, as there is a real-world analogue. Can’t recall the name of it off the top of my head, but there was a type of dagger that had the two spring-loaded extensions like the Klingon knife. Except that it was specifically designed as a defensive weapon to counter the rapier. You’d catch the blade between the two extensions, then twist your arm and either disarm the other guy or snap his blade in two. Don’t really see that working against at bat’leh…
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### Author:  [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2004, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/67 "2004-12-21T03:18:32Z")
The Pulse rifles in Aliens were pretty cool. 90 rounds in a little magazine and an ammo counter? Nice.
The Sister Ray in FF7 was sweet, even if pretty damn useless.
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### Author:  [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2004, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/68 "2004-12-21T03:22:14Z")
A couple of thoughts:
The Shrike, if you count it as a “weapon”.
The Hammer’s Slammers’ hovertanks/communication/IFF/aiming equipment.
The Gauss rifle and super sledgehammer from Fallout 2. God, I loved those things.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2004, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/69 "2004-12-21T03:24:00Z")
> [@Hunter Hawk](#):
>
> A couple of thoughts:
>
> The Shrike, if you count it as a “weapon”.
Well, it does move outside time. Tough to beat that.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2004, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/70 "2004-12-21T05:52:28Z")
> [@Miller](#):
>
> In with you on the Klingon bat’leh, though. Stupid looking, impractical weapon. The daggers are a bit more plausible, as there is a real-world analogue. Can’t recall the name of it off the top of my head, but there was a type of dagger that had the two spring-loaded extensions like the Klingon knife. Except that it was specifically designed as a defensive weapon to counter the rapier. You’d catch the blade between the two extensions, then twist your arm and either disarm the other guy or snap his blade in two. Don’t really see that working against at bat’leh…
[Trident Main Gauche?](http://www.silvermane.com/Trident%20Main%20Gauche.html)
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### Author:  [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2004, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/71 "2004-12-21T06:17:13Z")
I always thought the ferengi electric whips were cool (if impractical, what do you do in close quarters?)
Borg Nanoprobes, eating you up from the inside is neat
R2D2’s ewok roaster was kinda fun (Used for a good purpose)
The Batleth!
Can you tell I’m a star trek fan?
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### Author:  [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2004, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/72 "2004-12-21T06:19:18Z")
Ooh! Another Trek weapon.
Annorax’s weapon that erased civilizations from time. This was in a few Voyager episodes. It literally erased species from history.
Thats a cool weapon.
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### Author:  [@Gerome\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gerome_K)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2004, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/73 "2004-12-21T11:59:54Z")
> [@Cynical Optimist](#):
>
> Ever read the book “Snow Crash”?
>
> _“I’m sure they’ll listen to Reason.”_
On a related note, I’m going to nominate the Skull Guns from
_The Diamond Age_. A tiny, undetectable cannon surgically implanted in your forehead that fires minute nanotechnological ammunition. I mean, come on, it’s a gun that goes in your _head_ .
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2004, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/74 "2004-12-21T13:09:09Z")
I’m surprised we’ve got this far with no mention of Ice-9. Of course, there are some disadvantages to using it, say, in a combat situation.
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### Author:  [@RandomLetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandomLetters)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2004, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/75 "2004-12-21T14:02:31Z")
Just make sure that when you cast Ice-9, your opponet is in a parallel universe, or stuck in a bag of holding, and you won’t have a problem.
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### Author:  [@Heller\_Highwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heller_Highwater)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2004, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/76 "2004-12-21T14:07:44Z")
Ice-9 is fine in a combat situation, as long as you’ve got a bag of holding. (Preferably one not stuffed with more riches than actually exist.)
And on preview, I see that **RandomLetters** has beaten me to the punch. Curses! Foiled again!
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### Author:  [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2004, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/77 "2004-12-21T15:58:12Z")
My favorite is the Shadow planet killer from Babylon 5. Gotta love a show where you have to specify **which** planet killer you’re talking about. 😃
Either that or the n-space planetoids in Doc Smith’s Lensman series. Basically, you put a big ass engine on a suitably large chunk of rock, switch it over to n-space, where the laws of physics no longer apply, accelerate it to hundreds of multiples of c, and then switch it back to normal space, aimed at your target. Target then dies in a spectacularly non-Euclidian fashion.
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2004, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/78 "2004-12-21T16:18:32Z")
> [@Mr. Miskatonic](#):
>
> [Trident Main Gauche?](http://www.silvermane.com/Trident%20Main%20Gauche.html)
That’s the one!
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### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2004, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/79 "2004-12-22T03:09:44Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> Maybe not, but if Luke Skywalker, armed only with a lightsaber, tried to go up against Bobba Fett or an Imperial stormtrooper, armed with a blaster, he would die before getting withing ten yards of his enemy – unless he used the Force to disarm him.
You are forgetting that Luke is basically a novice Jedi. He did not get the years of training that most Jedi’s get so don’t base the weapon on his skill with it. I hate to say this but look at what the Jedi in the first two films can do.
Heck look at Vader in ESB. Han, who is pretty good with a blaster, draws and fires on Vader to no effect. Vader uses the force to CATCH the balster fire. He doesn’t even have to deflect it.
For me the coolest weapons are the phaser from TOS, the light saber, and that gun from the movie Looker that made hot chicks freeze.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2004, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-sci-fi-weapons/280763/80 "2004-12-22T04:17:21Z")
> [@Ninja Pizza Guy](#):
>
> And a shameless plug: the _Shiva_: The Shiva (SWT29.1) is a C-fractional weapon. It has a 2,000 ton AM warhead, subdivided into 20,000 sub-munitions, each weighing 100 kg. It is launched from the outer reaches of the system and accelerates to about 0.9 C. Just before impact, the warhead splits and the sub-munitions spread wide enough to cover the entire facing hemisphere of the targeted planet.
Whaddaya mean, “plug”? Got one for sale?
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