The EE-3 carbine rifle represented a model of blaster carbine that was produced by BlasTech Industries. Arguably the most well-known user of the EE-3 was the bounty hunter Boba Fett, who wielded it both during and following the Galactic Civil War, and the weapon is often seen as his signature firearm. The EE-3 also saw usage by the bounty hunters Sugi and Kiera Swan during the period of the Clone Wars. Thea Starros kept one in her armory located at the Starros family homestead. The protocol droid, Q9-0, employed one during the era of the New Republic. After transitioning from bounty hunting to becoming the daimyo of his own gotra, Fett acquired a new EE-3 and continued its use, after his original was destroyed by the Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker.
The EE-3, manufactured by BlasTech Industries, was initially conceived for use by law enforcement agencies and private security organizations, but it ultimately found its way into the hands of bounty hunters and even the Galactic Empire's formal Imperial Military. This compact and lightweight carbine was based on a previous, full-sized BlasTech rifle design. Known for its ruggedness and reliability, the EE-3 was equipped with a short, heavily shielded barrel, a pistol grip, a sturdy stock, and an optical sight. Unusually for carbines, the EE-3 featured select-fire capabilities, allowing for both single shots and bursts. While offering a substantial firepower comparable to many rifles of its time, the EE-3, like many carbines, possessed only a moderate effective range. The EE-4 carbine rifle was developed as the successor to the EE-3, with the EE-4 removing the shoulder stock but adding a vertical handgrip, and also featuring a higher rate of fire, which made it more effective in close-quarters combat than the EE-3, but at the cost of its range.
The EE-3 stood out as one of the most successful non-military armaments produced by BlasTech Industries. While its initial design targeted law enforcement and private security markets, its standard features combined with its affordable price quickly propelled the EE-3 to widespread popularity among bounty hunters and paramilitary groups throughout the galaxy. Notably, the EE-3 saw action in the hands of troopers serving both the Alliance to Restore the Republic and the Galactic Empire. The crime lord [Boba Fett](/article/boba_fett], who had previously worked as a bounty hunter, employed the EE-3 extensively throughout his career.
Within the 2015 reference publication titled Ultimate Star Wars, the EE-3 carbine rifle was erroneously identified as the "ESB carbine rifle" within its entry in the technology section. However, in the characters section, in the entry for the bounty hunter Sugi, the weapon is correctly identified by its name that originated in the now non-canon Star Wars Legends continuity, as the "EE-3 carbine rifle."