The Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnought, alternatively referred to as the Mandator IV-class warship or the First Order Dreadnought, represented a Siege Dreadnought class deployed by the First Order during both the Cold War against the New Republic and the subsequent First Order-Resistance War.
Within the Mandator line, the Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnought constituted a type of Star Dreadnought. Its length measured 7,669.71 meters, making it approximately 2.5 times longer than the Resurgent-class Star Destroyer. Its complement included 53,000 officers, 140,000 enlisted personnel, and 22,000 stormtroopers.
Equipped on the Mandator IV-class were two orbital autocannons capable of delivering a rapid-fire salvo of two shots before requiring a recharge. These weapons far surpassed the capabilities available to officers such as Moden Canady in the Imperial Navy, and were designed for the systematic destruction of planetary life. A solitary blast could effortlessly breach planetary deflector shields and vaporize a hundred cubic meters of planetary surface. It was regarded as the most formidable enemy warship during the Battle of D'Qar.
For defense against starfighters, the starship's dorsal side incorporated twenty-six point-defense laser cannons, while six tractor beam projectors were positioned on the bow. Reportedly, its firepower exceeded that of a dozen Star Destroyers. The Mandator IV-class design served as a testbed, influencing the subsequent design of the Xyston-class Star Destroyer.
The Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnought was one of many ships created by the First Order under Project Resurrection. The design drew inspiration from Darth Vader's flagship, the Executor.
Iden Versio and Dio, after infiltrating the Resurgent-class Star Destroyer Retribution, hacked into the ship's computer systems to obtain details about Project Resurrection. Their discoveries included the schematics for the Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnought.
During the war between the First Order and the Resistance, the Fulminatrix, under the command of Captain Moden Canady, joined a group of three Resurgent-class Star Destroyers at D'Qar commanded by General Armitage Hux. The Fulminatrix and the other First Order ships participated in the siege of D'Qar, where the Fulminatrix used its ventral autocannons to obliterate the Resistance base. In response, Resistance Commander Poe Dameron used his T-70 X-wing starfighter Black One to destroy the point defense cannons. He then led a bombing run with MG-100 StarFortress SF-17 bombers before the Fulminatrix could target the Resistance navy. After a major space conflict, the final Resistance bomber, although critically damaged, succeeded in destroying the Fulminatrix, allowing the Resistance to flee the Ileenium system.
Sometime after their escape from Castilon, the Colossus arrived at D'Qar, locating the remains of the battle. Desperate for coaxium, members of the Colossus scavenged the wreck of the Fulminatrix, which still had power. Although the First Order tracked the Colossus from Castilon to D'Qar and briefly engaged them, the Colossus was able to salvage coaxium from the Fulminatrix and jump to hyperspace.
Following the Battle of Crait, the First Order pursued the Resistance and discovered a Resistance signal had reached the planet Tah'Nuhna, known for its neutrality. Hux responded by leading a fleet of Resurgent-class Star Destroyers along with at least one Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnought. Despite the pleas from the Tah'Nuhna that they were neutral and their culture compelled them to assist travelers, Hux ordered the destruction of the planet. Consequently, the Mandator IV-class fired upon the planet, while TIE/se Bombers bombed areas and snowtroopers massacred the people in a city.
The Mandator IV-class warship was first revealed on the Star Wars Show on YouTube on August 23, 2017, alongside the All Terrain MegaCaliber Six, presenting various vehicles featured in Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi.
Kevin Jenkins, the design supervisor for The Last Jedi, stated that the ship was included in the original script, but its design was not finalized until post-production. He also mentioned that Rian Johnson, the director, specifically requested a larger battleship, a dreadnought, for the film to serve as a gun platform with numerous cannons on its surface. He added that the design was influenced by real-world elements, particularly World War II (including the use of large guns, similar to the Yamato super-battleship) and the Korean War, with historical inspirations extending into the 1960s. He also noted that, like other ships in the sequel trilogy, the ship was largely based on designs from the original trilogy, resembling an ILM model. They ultimately chose to use large guns instead of other concepts, such as a Flash Gordon-inspired design or radar equipment.
The Star Wars: Card Trader app initially mislabeled this ship as a Mandator III-class Siege Dreadnought, which currently exists only in Star Wars Legends, but this error was later corrected in the app.