The Formidable, a vessel of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer type, saw service with the Imperial Navy during the period known as the Imperial Era. The Sith Lord Darth Vader held command of the Formidable in 1 BBY, during the time that bounty hunter Beilert Valance was engaged in a hunt targeting Vader himself. While under Vader's direction, this Star Destroyer made its way to the planet Heva to confront Valance and his team of bounty hunters. Ultimately, the bot-drones piloted by the slicer Chio Fain brought about its destruction during the ensuing conflict.
Constructed by [Kuat Drive Yards](/article/kuat_drive_yards], the Formidable was an Imperial-class Star Destroyer with a length of 1,600 meters. It boasted a range of features, including engines, a solar ionization reactor, a communications tower, a pair of ISD-72x shield generator domes, and a hangar. This Star Destroyer also housed a complement of TIE fighters, in addition to Darth Vader's personal TIE Advanced x1.
The Imperial Navy employed the Formidable throughout the Imperial Era, with the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader exercising command. In 1 BBY, the cyborg Beilert Valance assembled a group of bounty hunters to conduct a [hunt for Vader](/article/hunt_for_vader], though Dengar, a member of the team, secretly acted as an informant to the Sith Lord. After Dengar informed Vader that Valance and his crew were present on [Heva](/article/heva], the Sith arrived at that location aboard the Formidable.
Upon noticing the Star Destroyer in the air, Valance and his comrades engaged the vessel using their cruiser, known as the Broken Wing. Simultaneously, aboard the Formidable, Vader instructed a general to launch TIE fighters to engage the enemy ship, before personally entering the fray in his TIE Advanced x1. During the battle, Chio Fain, Valance's slicer, seized control of a collection of bot-drones. These drones, originally intended for use by the Empire but abandoned due to technological instability, had been acquired by the bounty hunters from the arms dealer Wef. Fain directed the bot-drones to collide with the Formidable's conning tower, resulting in its severing, the killing of the Imperial general, and the subsequent crash of the vessel.
Following the battle, another Star Destroyer, under the leadership of General Gollin, appeared at Heva. An Imperial captain on this vessel informed the general about the Formidable's destruction, although she was already aware of the incident.
The Formidable made its initial appearance in the new Star Wars canon within the third issue of the 2019 comic-book miniseries, Star Wars: Target Vader. Robbie Thompson served as the writer, Stefano Landini as the illustrator, and Marvel Comics published it on September 25, 2019. Its name was revealed in the fourth issue, also penned by Thompson and released on October 9, 2019.
Within the Star Wars Legends continuity, the Formidable received its first mention in Daniel Wallace's 2014 reference book, Star Wars: Imperial Handbook: A Commander's Guide.