Pain is one of the worst feelings and emotions to burden.
It's agonising, unwavering, and it can change people forever.
Something much worse, however,
is the controlled method deployed to heighten such a horrific experience.
That's right, torture is the act of inflicting severe pain upon someone as a method of interrogation...
...or sheer cruelty.
And while it causes unimaginable suffering here on Earth,
the process is somehow even worse in the galaxy far, far away.
So, with that in mind, here are the top 10 gruesome torture methods that exist in Star Wars.
Number 10. Watching Torture
This entry may sound bizarre given this context of the video.
But just imagine having to sit helplessly by whilst a loved one faces excruciating torture.
Even watching the electrocution of another prisoner,
knowing you could be next,
would be utterly terrifying.
Unsurprisingly, many believed viewing torture to be just as bad -
if not worse - than facing the act itself.
And Ben Skywalker tended to agree,
for he had to watch the life of his friend Lon Shevu slip away second by second at the hands of Tahiri Veila.
Number 09. Sonic Torture
No, this torture method did not involve playing Sonic 06 -
although such a fate would be unbearable.
Instead, victims were bombarded with a chaotic roar of deafening sounds –
which would often drive them insane.
But if sleep deprivation or even the inability to think clearly wasn't bad enough,
sometimes the prisoner's cell was bathed in a blinding white light.
Number 08. Stoning
While stoning does exist here on Earth,
having heavy rocks thrown your way will always hurt no matter the setting.
And somewhat mirroring our very own planet,
it was often used to punish even the smallest of crimes.
In Gungan society, for example,
vandals were either exiled, caned, or stoned to death.
Elderly Abyssin who lost their ability to heal and regenerate effectively were also dealt a similar fate.
Number 07. Fire, Burning and Branding
You don't need us to tell you that fire is incredibly dangerous.
But what makes it so deadly are the many forms in which it can inflict damage.
Whether it be Ewoks cooking their foes alive,
clone soldiers falling to their fiery deaths in General Grievous' castle,
or as a trap for Imperials to slowly cremate rebel soldiers,
death due to fire in the galaxy far, far away was rather widespread.
Using the low power setting on a blaster or a red-hot rod, however,
was just as effective.
Either tactic could scorch the flesh of an individual's body,
leaving only blood-smeared bone.
The sessions were also very lengthy affairs,
with the torturer burning off the skin inch by inch until confession... or death.
Number 06. Chemical Torment
Chemicals are a funny thing.
If used right, they can heal any wound imaginable.
If used for ulterior motives...
well, let's just say that they can cause unspeakable damage.
For example, take Princess Serra:
she managed to subdue the legendary Darth Bane through chemicals alone,
injecting them into his bloodstream to cause body-convulsive seizures.
Other deadly compounds included truth drugs that caused throbbing rashes,
and pain-enhancing formulae which made the slightest scratch utter agony.
What's more, some torturers utilised diagnostic scanners to monitor the victim's consciousness.
This – combined with periodic stimulant injections –
kept the victim awake throughout each and every second of the painful ordeal.
Number 05. Worms and Insects
No offense to any Geonosians watching right now,
but insects are the embodiment of nightmares on far too many legs.
Put it this way,
no sane person ever should entertain the idea of sharing a room with creepy-crawlies.
Nor should they want artery worms, blood slugs, lava fleas,
muscle maggots and piranha beetles injected directly into their body.
That's right, all of the above were used as gruesome forms of torture.
And in some cases, they drove the host insane.
Just the thought of having an ever-growing live insect inside of you is bad enough -
but knowing that you're being eaten or continually sprayed with deadly toxins from within...
...is a heavy burned to take.
Number 04. Voodoo
Imagine you're going about your daily business,
or enjoying the luxuries life has to offer.
Then, out of nowhere, you feel a sudden and sharp pain.
It's incredibly intense and even unbearable at times.
But somehow the sensation vanishes just as quickly as it arrived.
A few days go by without incident,
and you truly feel like it was merely a freakish event that has come and gone.
However, the pain strikes back,
even more brutal than before.
You're left on the floor screaming at the top of your lungs,
all while the galaxy's greatest medical minds are left bewildered as they scramble for a diagnosis.
Little does anybody know - that on a planet thousands of lightyears away -
there is a vengeful Dathomirian witch poking needles into a doll of your likeness.
This is voodoo, and it's terrifying!
Number 03. The Nerve Disruptor
It should come as no surprise that the Galactic Empire used torture on a daily basis.
In fact, most of the aforementioned methods were made famous by crazed Imperial higher-ups.
And the Agonizer-6 nerve disruptor was certainly no exception.
This small, three-legged droid was specifically built by the Empire to physically...
...and mentally push the victim to his or her limits.
Injectors caused unimaginable pain and dispensed a healthy dosage of truth serum,
all while stimulants kept them alive.
By targeting sensitive nerve clusters,
the droid could induce a wide array of emotions –
from euphoria and relaxation to fear, panic and sheer terror.
Number 02. Interrogation Droids
Speaking of deadly Imperial torture devices,
the IT-O was a series of interrogation droids developed by the Department of Military Research.
They were based on an ancient Sith design,
and their sheer presence was often enough to make prisoners confess.
Sadly, for those more strong-willed,
the glossy black globes showed no mercy.
Not only that, they were extremely methodical –
using sophisticated medical science and psychiatric modules to search for any kind of weakness.
Interrogation droids essentially looked to enact excruciating pain with minimal damage.
And hey, anything with syringes, acid jets, laser scalpels, claws, joint cripplers,
bone fragmenters, needles, and torches are worth avoiding.
Number 01. Force-Augmentation
So far we've ranked some really nasty torture procedures.
But what could possibly top branding, electrocution, chemical torment, nerve disruption and voodoo?
Well, what about something that combines every single method imaginable?
You see, there were no limits when it came to the Force.
Only one's imagination and willingness to learn stood in the way.
I mean, why manufacture an expensive and limited droid...
...when you can just shoot lightning from your hands?
And who needs to negotiate when you can simply choke someone from afar?
The Force truly brought about some horrific powers...
...capable of gaining and maintaining an empire.
So do keep that in mind for when you wish to experience the galaxy far, far away...
Know of any more gruesome Star Wars torture methods?
Let us know in the comments below.
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