Melee weapon

The Tusken Raiders employed gaderffii sticks, which functioned as weapons in hand-to-hand combat. Weapons used in close combat, or melee weapons, were designed for engagements at short to medium distances. Examples include clubs like the gaderffii wielded by the Tusken Raiders on Tatooine, in addition to swords, and vibro-axes. Grand Admiral Thrawn maintained a collection of melee weapons within the sparring gym aboard his flagship, the Chimaera, an Imperial I-class Star Destroyer; he utilized these weapons against DT-series sentry droids as a method of honing his combat skills.

During the era of the Cold War, the preference shifted toward engaging in combat from greater distances, with the utilization of blaster rifles and pistols becoming more common. Consequently, the treatment of injuries resulting from melee weapons, such as lightsabers, was an area where physicians lacked extensive experience.