Resurgent-class Star Destroyer

The Resurgent-class Star Destroyer (also known as Resurgent-class Battlecruiser, Resurgent Star Destroyer, or First Order Star Destroyer), nearly double the length of the Old Empire's Imperial-class Star Destroyers, measured 2,915.81 meters in length and mirrored the dagger-like shape of its earlier Imperial-class counterparts. A single Mega-class Star Dreadnought could accommodate eight Resurgent-class vessels docked with it.

It was engineered with cutting-edge ship-to-ship combat capabilities, representing the might of the First Order, fostering both fear in its enemies and pride among its personnel. Improving upon the design of Imperial Era ships, it incorporated hull structural reinforcement in its central section. Much of the bow area was divided into two along the sides, creating open spaces supported by a truss framework.

Resurgent-class Star Destroyers had a crew of 19,000 officers and 55,000 enlisted personnel. To maintain the operation of such a large vessel, crew members were required to collaborate closely and divide each standard day into six four-hour shifts, distributed across three crew sections. This promoted a strong sense of unity and team identity. Enlisted personnel were denied access to command systems and other areas of First Order vessels and installations, necessitating the use of properly coded rank cylinders worn by officers. Many young fleet officers had spent their entire lives training aboard these new battlecruisers, leading them to regard these warships as their homes.

Resurgent-class ships featured a recreation zone for the crew located in the lower portion of the midsection. The upper living quarters near the main command bridge were reserved for senior command staff. First Order Special Forces personnel stationed on the ship used barracks located near the senior command living areas. Living quarters for First Order pilots contained four cupboards and four beds arranged as two bunkbeds. Each pilot had a designated cupboard for their weapons, with their serial number inscribed in Aurebesh on the door. Ladders were present in the living quarters to assist pilots in reaching the upper bunk. The ship's medical bay was situated above the stormtrooper barracks in the bow section, ahead of the forward heavy turbolaser batteries. Meeting rooms were also included on the ships, allowing high-ranking officials, such as the First Order Supreme Council, to convene and address important matters.

Resurgent-class ships accommodated over 8,000 stormtroopers (a full legion) who had access to a training facility below their barracks. While stormtroopers adhered to their chain of command while aboard fleet vessels—with a captain of the guard having ultimate authority over the troopers—during alerts, stormtroopers were instructed to follow orders from any officer, regardless of their branch of service. First Order Special Forces personnel were also stationed on the vessel. A TIE pilot training and briefing complex was located adjacent to the lateral port hangar, while engineering personnel living areas were situated at the bottom of the ship, near the reactor core. The ship incorporated a detention center in its upper midsection, slightly closer to the bow. Similar to its predecessors, the Resurgent-class employed Rebaxan Columni MSE-6 series repair droids as messengers, repair technicians, and custodial staff.

While its size evoked memories of Imperial I-class Star Destroyers, the design also resembled the Republic's Venator-class Star Destroyers. The dorsal flight deck, side hangars, and elongated keel were inherited from the Clone Wars. The Resurgent-class was able to launch its full complement of fighters much more rapidly than Imperial warships due to more efficient flight decks and hangar bays. Other design flaws in Imperial ships, such as the exposed bridge, were also rectified.

Equipped with over 1,500 turbolasers and ion cannons, Resurgent-class ships were designed for orbital assaults and prolonged engagements with enemy vessels. The powerful turbolaser batteries could overwhelm enemy shields and penetrate heavy armor, as well as conduct orbital bombardments capable of reducing planetary surfaces to molten rock. The Resurgent-class, which was upgraded from Imperial Era turbolasers, delivered greater firepower and had a faster recharge rate. Other captains requested upgrades to their warships using kyber focusing crystals obtained from a secret location deep within the Unknown Regions, but these requests were denied because military-grade crystals were scarce. Only the most prestigious and vital ships, along with the Order's highest-ranking personnel, were granted access to this advanced weaponry. Similar to its Imperial predecessors, the Resurgent destroyer featured eight dorsal heavy turbolaser turrets arranged in pairs of four on each side of its main tower, as well as two triple-barreled heavy turbolaser cannons on its underside in front of its main hangar.

Smaller point-defense turrets and missile emplacements supplemented the heavy weapons, enabling them to track and destroy smaller, more agile ships. Standard turbolaser batteries were located on both the starboard and port sides of the stern, while heavy turbolaser turrets and an axial defense turret were positioned at the bow. The ship's turret firing control center was located at the aft, protected beneath the larger rear section of the ship. Ion cannon targeting was situated on the ship's port side near the front. Multi-spectrum sensor towers were located near the primary command bridge, aiding in target acquisition.

The ship's tractor beam projector was located at the very tip of the bow, while the flight deck deflector shield projector was positioned a short distance behind it. The ship's main hull deflector shield projectors were located on both the port and starboard stern sections, while a single domed bridge deflector shield projector encased the command bridge and its occupants, assisted by a bridge deflector augmenter further up the ship's keel line. A bridge point-defense turret also provided additional defense for the bridge against starfighter attacks.

Resurgent-class Battlecruisers typically carried two starfighter wings consisting of both TIE/fo and TIE/sf space superiority fighters.

The ship had lateral starboard and port hangar entrances, with hangar flight control bridges overseeing activities in both bays. Unlike older Imperial-class Star Destroyers, TIE fighters were retrieved from storage deeper within the vessel using launching racks, from which they would then enter space. The main hangar was located on the vessel's underbelly, where a docking claw assisted vessels in landing and departing. The logistics hangar reception bay and ground vehicle storage were situated near the main hangar. Another lateral flight deck was located in the ship's bow and served as a staging area for full-scale invasion operations. Overall, the Resurgent-class could launch its full complement of starfighters and assault ships much more quickly than its counterparts in the Imperial Navy.

For ground assault, a Resurgent-class Battlecruisers carried 100 Atmospheric Assault Landers, several speeders, many self propelled artillery piece, at least some ground troop transports, numerous Xi-class and Upsilon-class shuttles, one prefabricated ground base, and more than 8,000 stormtroopers.

The Resurgent-class was powered by a single, large III-a1a primary hypermatter-annihilation reactor housed within a dome-shaped reactor containment vessel on the ship's underbelly. The massive reactor was supported by a reinforced reactor superstructure and hull chassis. The reactor engineering control deck oversaw reactor-based activities. The large atmospheric processing complex and reactant ducts were located behind the reactor containment vessel.

The ship was propelled by eleven engines, including three large KDY Destroyer Ion Engines and eight smaller Gemon-8 ion engines. These engines required a subsidiary reactor, reactant silos, and isotope containment wells at the stern. Additional power was generated there, while coolant silos and pumps helped to regulate the temperature of the massive engines. The main engine thrust nozzles were located around the large, circular engines, while the smaller engines used secondary thrust nozzles to enhance the ship's control. The main engines were connected to magnetic turbines, along with an acceleration compensator. In a straight line and at full speed, the Resurgent-class could outpace a TIE/fo space superiority fighter, but doing so would eliminate any maneuverability and necessitate a significant amount of counter-thrust to execute even the slightest maneuver. Consequently, only the most daring commanders would sacrifice the ship's maneuverability for speed. The hyperdrive generator was positioned at the very end of the ship's aft section.

Having learned from the loss of the Executor during the Battle of Endor, the Resurgent-class destroyer featured a more protected, off-center command bridge, along with greater redundancy in command and control systems. The exposed conning towers of older Imperial Era vessels were eliminated, and bridge height was significantly reduced. Furthermore, an emergency bridge was located in the ship's midsection, integrated into the vessel's existing structure rather than being exposed. In the event that the primary bridge was disabled, standby personnel would assume control of the ship's operations from there.

Additionally, sunken data pits, reminiscent of those found in Clone Wars-era Venator-class Star Destroyers, continued to be used due to their importance in signifying command hierarchy. Simplified bridge displays with a limited color palette further assisted bridge crews in processing large quantities of complex data more quickly than before. Similar to the Imperial-class Star Destroyers before them, the bridge designs of the Resurgent-class Star Destroyer were intentionally designed to reflect an emphasis on command hierarchical structures, to the point where commanding officers were literally afforded a higher platform than non-commissioned officers via sunken pits.

Following the Galactic Empire's defeat at the Battle of Jakku and the signing of the Galactic Concordance, its successor state, the First Order, gained prominence in the Unknown Regions. It eventually ordered the construction of the new Resurgent-class Star Destroyers in newly established shipyards and clandestine facilities in the galaxy's vast frontier, even though their construction was technically illegal under the Concordance. It was still considered a relatively new model shortly before the Battle of Starkiller Base.

Drawing inspiration from the Imperial-class Star Destroyers of the Old Empire, but lacking the resources to build vast numbers of these capital ships, First Order designs intentionally replicated the psychological impact of the previous Imperial Era ships. The ship's bow, flight deck, side hangars, and prominent keel shared similarities with the Old Republic's Venator-class Star Destroyers, reflecting a renewed appreciation among First Order tacticians for the role of capital ships as carriers.

With improvements such as a better-protected bridge tower and faster fighter-combat reaction times, the Resurgent-class served as the mainstay of the First Order Navy, replacing the aging Imperial-class Star Destroyers in service. Despite the size of the Resurgent-class, the Resistance's intelligence division suspected that the First Order was developing even larger warships.

General Armitage Hux and Kylo Ren utilized the Finalizer, the lead ship of the Resurgent-class, 30 years after the Battle of Endor in their search for Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, and launched the Attack on Tuanul from the command ship. Thirty Resurgent-class Star Destroyers, including the Finalizer, the Harbinger and Conqueror, also participated in the Battle of Oetchi. The Resistance was aware at the time that at least 30 Resurgent-class Star Destroyers were present within the First Order forces, but 20 of them were destroyed in Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo's ramming attack.

At least 17 Resurgent-class Star Destroyers, including the Finalizer, were present at the planet Tah'Nuhna along with one Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnought during the First Order's destruction of the planet. Subsequently, the Finalizer was present at Batuu along with two other Resurgent-class Star Destroyers. They engaged Resistance forces above the planet. A fleet of 14 Resurgent-class Star Destroyers arrived in the Aeos system after a Resistance cell led by Kazuda Xiono was on the planet Aeos Prime. The Resurgent-class Star Destroyers bombarded the planet, resulting in the deaths of many Aeosians.

The Resurgent-class Star Destroyer Steadfast commanded the Sith Eternal's fleet, the Final Order, during the Battle of Exegol. The ship was destroyed when Finn and Jannah used one of its own turbolasers to destroy the command deck. The crippled ship then crashed into Exegol's surface and exploded. After the Sith's defeat, several Resurgent-class Star Destroyers were later attacked by the citizens of the galaxy during an uprising against the First Order.

The Resurgent-class Battlecruiser made its first appearance in the second teaser trailer for the film Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens on April 16, 2015. The ship's complete designation, "Resurgent-class Star Destroyer," was revealed in Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Incredible Cross-Sections, which was released on December 18 in conjunction with the film. However, Jason Fry, the book's author, later announced that the information regarding the Finalizer in the book had been revised, altering the complement and reclassifying it as the "Resurgent-class Battlecruiser"—changes that would be incorporated into future editions of the reference book.

Numerous design concepts were explored for the next generation of battlecruisers, including one featuring a negative space in the bow, similar to the USS Vengeance in J.J. Abrams' 2013 film Star Trek into Darkness.