Han Solo is shown here, encased in carbonite.
Carbonite was a substance in liquid form, created from carbon gas, that could be solidified rapidly by freezing. It was used to encase items for preservation, a process called carbon-freezing. A notable application was the condensation of tibanna gas for transportation, achieved through carbon-freezing.
Furthermore, carbonite blocks served as a means of inducing hibernation in individuals. Prior to the development of the hyperdrive, early spacers employed carbonite to survive extended journeys. However, this method resulted in severe adverse effects known as hibernation sickness. Certain droids, such as the DLC-13 mining droid, were constructed using heat-resistant carbonite.
The discovery of carbonite's unique stasis properties by scientists from the planet Koros Major led to the decline of generation ships and the rise of sleeper ships. Carbonite freezing became integral to ancient sleeper ships, preserving crews in prolonged hibernation during interstellar voyages, thus beginning a new era of exploration that expanded the pre-Republic borders.
As hyperdrives advanced, the need for extended voyages decreased, and bio-entropic field generators became commonplace for medical stasis, the utilization of carbon freezing waned. Its primary application shifted to industrial purposes, mainly for freezing volatile cargoes like coaxium and tibanna for transport. Nevertheless, industrial-grade freezing chambers could be adapted, albeit crudely and painfully, into a form of bio-stasis often described as "a big wide-awake nothing." Groups such as Imperials, bounty hunters, and underworld figures were known to employ this harsh yet effective technique. The earliest recorded instance of using carbon freezing on living beings as trophies dates back millennia to the ancient Krath and their conquest of the carbonite mines in the Empress Teta system.
Legend has it that Darth Siberus encased herself in carbonite, fabricating a tale of a wealthy princess to entice treasure hunters to her tomb. These hunters, seeking the princess's empire's riches, would instead awaken Siberus from her carbonite "imprisonment," allowing her to drain their life force. Siberus aimed to achieve immortality and preserve her beauty through this method. According to the legend, the archaeologist Loreth discovered the tomb and became increasingly fascinated by Siberus's carbonite slab. Believing it to be the princess upon touching its controls, Loreth fell victim to Siberus and was struck by lightning from the awakened Sith Lord.
During the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and the clone troopers under their leadership undertook an extraction mission to the Citadel on Lola Sayu. They utilized a large facility within the Jedi Temple to freeze themselves in carbonite, enabling them to bypass the prison's life-form scanners.
During the Galactic Civil War, Skywalker, now known as Darth Vader, planned to trap his son Luke in carbonite on Bespin. He coerced Baron Administrator Lando Calrissian into allowing him to use Cloud City's rudimentary industrial carbon-freezing facility. To ensure the chamber's safety, he first tested it on Han Solo. After confirming Solo's successful hibernation, his carbonite block, later nicknamed the "Hansicle," was handed over to Boba Fett for delivery to Jabba's Palace. Jabba intended to display it as a trophy in his main audience chamber. Solo later recalled the experience of being frozen in carbonite, describing the haunting silence and darkness, and the claustrophobic sensation of being trapped within his own body.
Days after Solo's capture, Leia Organa, along with several Cloud City residents, were also carbon-frozen after returning to Bespin and being captured by the Empire. Skywalker and Calrissian rescued Leia and the prisoners before they could be transported off-world. Although Lady Qi'ra of Crimson Dawn orchestrated the theft of Solo to use him as bait, Fett reclaimed possession and delivered the carbonite block to crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure. Eventually, Organa freed Solo as part of a rescue effort.
Around 9 ABY, Din Djarin, a bounty hunter, utilized a compact carbon-freezing unit aboard his gunship to transport multiple prisoners, including a Mythrol. After gaining freedom and entering the service of Magistrate Greef Karga to settle his debts, the Mythrol experienced vision issues in his left eye as a result of his time in carbonite. Upon reuniting with Djarin, the Mythrol made it clear he wanted to avoid being frozen again.