The Subjugator-class heavy cruiser, conceived by Ruggle Schmong from a repurposed SoroSuub Corporation starship blueprint, functioned as a heavy cruiser, battleship, dreadnought, and Star Dreadnought within the Confederacy of Independent Systems' naval forces. Existing possibly as the largest combat vessel during the Clone Wars time period, the Subjugator boasted a formidable arsenal, including a multitude of laser cannons of varying types, ion cannons, flak guns, proton torpedoes, powerful tractor beams, and a dual mega-ion cannons capable of disabling the power systems of an entire fleet of capital ships with a single discharge. Furthermore, this heavy cruiser accommodated over two hundred droid starfighters, along with several boarding ships, landing craft, assault vehicles, and shuttles.
The Malevolence, one of the Subjugator-class vessels, served as the flagship for the Separatist General Grievous of the Kaleesh Separatists. It was also the prototype for the mega-ion cannon in the early stages of the conflict. Following a series of attacks on the Galactic Republic's navy across numerous star systems, where there were no survivors, the Republic discovered the Malevolence and the technical specifications for the Subjugator-class after a battle in the Abregado system. Later, the warship attempted to destroy the Republic's covert medical station situated in the Outer Rim Territories, but it was thwarted when a small strike force struck its ion cannon, rendering the weapon inoperable and forcing the Malevolence to withdraw. While attempting to escape to Separatist controlled space, the Malevolence met its end at the hands of the Republic after Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker tampered with the ship's navigation computer, causing it to collide with the Dead Moon of Antar in the Prindaar system.
Despite the loss of the Malevolence, the Separatist Alliance retained a limited number of Subjugator-class heavy cruisers, with no more than five remaining operational. However, due to the loss of the lead ship, the remaining vessels of the class were held in reserve by the Separatist fleet and saw rare deployments except in dire emergencies.
The Subjugator-class heavy cruiser was a heavy cruiser model designed by Ruggle Schmong, a starship architect who utilized a rejected design from the SoroSuub Corporation as the foundation for the Subjugator. This warship was constructed by Quarren engineers belonging to the Free Dac Volunteers Engineering Corps and Pammant Docks on the planet of Pammant, and subsequently employed by the naval forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Comprising two variations and standing as one of the most massive, if not the most massive, warships deployed during the Clone Wars, Subjugators reached a length of 4,845 meters, exceeding the combined length of four Venator-class Star Destroyers positioned end to end.
With a price tag of 875,000,000 credits, the Subjugator's architecture shared resemblances with both the Providence-class Dreadnought and the Recusant-class light destroyer, also products of Free Dac and Pammant for the Confederacy. Consequently, its immense size led to the Subjugator-class being classified as a Star Dreadnought. Constructed around a pair of enormous mega-ion cannons, the Subjugator-class heavy cruiser featured a substantial, split-level prow reminiscent of a mouth filled with jagged teeth, along with a tapering stern leading to the ship's propulsion system. A armored dorsal blister situated amidships housed the cruiser's command bridge, accompanied by a secondary bridge on an aft-ward spar directly above the engine units.
The Subjugator-class heavy cruiser was equipped with an extensive array of weaponry distributed across its hull. Its main offensive capability resided in the two superheavy mega-ion cannons positioned on the port and starboard sides, capable of disabling the power grids of entire fleets, rendering them helpless. For secondary firepower, the Subjugator was outfitted with 500 dual turbolasers, twenty forward turret-mounted heavy turbolaser batteries, and twenty forward turret-mounted twin medium turbolaser batteries.
In addition, it carried 200 dorsal, port, and starboard turret-mounted twin light turbolaser batteries, 400 turret-mounted point-defense twin light laser cannons, ten forward-mounted proton torpedo launchers, each containing five torpedoes, and two forward-mounted heavy tractor beam projectors. Subjugators also possessed various other ion cannons, flak guns, and a range of other armaments. Defensively, the vessels relied on a primary deflector shield generator.
Manned by a crew of 23,350 individuals, including officers, droids, and other enlisted personnel, the Subjugator-class could accommodate up to 144 Vulture-class droid starfighters and forty-eight Hyena-class Droid Bombers. They also carried Droch-class boarding ships, along with numerous landing craft, ground combat vehicles, shuttles, ship's boats, and utility vehicles, and could transport up to 60,000 battle droids. A Subjugator could also store consumables for up to two years and had a cargo capacity of 85,000 metric tons. Inside the vessel, a comprehensive rail jet system facilitated the transport of troops, crew members, and supplies throughout the heavy cruiser.
Subjugators achieved a maximum atmospheric speed of 1,050 kilometers per hour using sixteen engine units. They were also outfitted with a Class 2 hyperdrive generator and a Class 12 backup generator, along with a navigation computer and long-range sensors.
The Subjugator-class heavy cruiser was intended for use as a flagship by the Separatist Alliance. In combat, the Subjugator employed a two-stage attack strategy, beginning with the disabling of a target's power systems using its primary mega-ion cannons. Subsequently, the cruiser would eliminate the defenseless ship with its extensive array of turbolasers and laser cannons. Following the destruction of its target, it would deploy hunters to locate and eliminate any surviving individuals in escape pods.
Early in the Clone Wars, specifically in 22 BBY, following a series of devastating attacks by the Subjugator-class heavy cruiser Malevolence that left no survivors, the Galactic Republic initiated a galaxy-wide search for the new Separatist weapon with the aim of destroying it. During the pursuit of the heavy cruiser, under the command of Separatist leader Count Dooku and Kaleesh General Grievous, the Malevolence encountered a task force of three Venator-class Star Destroyers dispatched by Jedi Master Plo Koon to destroy the vessel before it could launch another attack. However, the Malevolence intercepted the three Star Destroyers as they traversed the Phu system, destroying each one.
Following the Battle of the Phu system, the Subjugator encountered Koon's fleet, which had tracked it to the Abregado system. As the dreadnought decelerated, the Malevolence remained stationary in front of the system's star, Anza, while the Republic fleet attempted to transmit its location to the fleet commanded by Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano in the neighboring Bith system. However, the Malevolence disrupted the enemy's transmission by firing its mega-ion cannon, neutralizing the Republic fleet and forcing them to evacuate in escape pods as the Separatist warship destroyed each Star Destroyer.
With the Republic survivors confined to their pods, Dooku ordered a Droch-class boarding ship carrying a contingent of B1-series rocket battle droids to hunt down and eliminate the survivors. However, while neutralizing their targets, the battle droids encountered Koon's pod, who managed to destroy all five droids and the boarding ship, alerting both Grievous and Dooku. After the hunters were eliminated, Skywalker and Tano arrived in the system and successfully located the Kel Dor's pod, bringing it aboard the G9 Rigger-class light freighter Twilight. Aboard the Twilight, Skywalker detected the dreadnought approaching the freighter from behind, prompting the three to shut down the ship's systems to avoid detection by the Malevolence's scanners.
However, the Malevolence detected the presence of a medical droid aboard the Twilight, and fired its ion cannon at the freighter. Outpacing the ring-shaped ion field from the Subjugator, the freighter managed to escape the system, allowing the Republic to gain knowledge of the Malevolence's capabilities.
Shortly after its discovery, the Malevolence ambushed a Republic medical convoy consisting of three Pelta-class frigates and a lone Venator under Jedi command in the Ryndellia system. Attacking the transports, the warship fired its ion cannon on the Star Destroyer and two of the frigates, before it disabled and neutralized the fleeing frigate and its escape pods. Observing the general's progress, Dooku assigned the Kaleesh the Malevolence's next target: a secret Republic medical station situated near the Kaliida Nebula in the Outer Rim, which was treating over 60,000 wounded clone troopers.
Later, while approaching the medical center, the Malevolence, unable to navigate through the nebula due to its size, was forced to take a longer route around the nebula to reach the station. Learning of the convoy's previous destruction, Skywalker deduced that Grievous would be targeting the Kaliida Shoals Medical Center. Determined to stop the dreadnought, the Jedi, accompanied by his Padawan and Koon, deployed Shadow Squadron, an elite starfighter squadron, to intercept the warship in an attempt to destroy it and Grievous.
As the Republic starfighters emerged from the nebula, Skywalker's forces detected the Malevolence exiting hyperspace behind them. Shortly thereafter, the Subjugator initiated its attack on the frigates fleeing the battlezone, disabling all three with its ion cannon. However, while the dreadnought bombarded the frigates with its turbolasers, the warship was approached by the Republic fighters, who were held off by the Subjugator's complement of Vulture droids. Amid the dogfighting, the Malevolence turned toward the fighters and fired the ion cannon at Grievous's behest, despite knowing that his own forces would be caught in the blast, although Skywalker and his squadron were able to evade the blast, but lost several fighters in the process.
Despite his losses, Skywalker and Shadow Squadron continued their assault on the dreadnought's command bridge. While attempting to maneuver through the onslaught of turbolaser fire, several of Skywalker's fighters were shot down as the Subjugator began charging up its ion cannon, which had been turned on the medical station. Watching their numbers fall, the Republic squadron changed their attack plan, at the suggestion of Tano and Koon, and instead fired their torpedoes on the ion cannon, which overloaded upon its attempt to fire, heavily crippling the warship as both the primary weapon systems and the hyperdrive were disabled.
Shortly after, a fleet of Republic Star Destroyers under the command of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Admiral Wullf Yularen arrived in the system and began firing upon the crippled Subjugator. Limping away and unable to jump to hyperspace, Grievous ordered the Malevolence to make a full retreat for Separatist-aligned space.
As the Star Destroyers pursued the heavily damaged Malevolence, with its primary shields, stabilizers and hyperdrive disabled, Grievous contacted Dooku, who was concerned that their prized warship would be lost, and revealed that he had arranged with Darth Sidious for an important Republic senator to be sent to the battlezone, whom they could use as a hostage. Shortly after, an H-type Nubian yacht entered the system, with Senator Padmé Amidala and her protocol droid C-3PO—who were under the impression that a representative from the InterGalactic Banking Clan wished to negotiate with them—onboard, and Grievous ordered his droids to pull her ship inside the warship, so he could take her up to the bridge, which forced the Republic fleet to cease fire. And as the Kaleesh and his B1-series battle droids entered the yacht, they discovered that the engines had been overloaded, and were set to self-destruct.
After the yacht exploded, Grievous ordered the crew to sound the alarm, as stowaways were loose aboard the ship. The two then made their way to one of the vessel's communications panels in a corridor, where Amidala attempted to make contact with the Republic, but were interrupted by the Separatist general and a squad of battle droids. Meanwhile, Kenobi, Skywalker and the astromech droid R2-D2 used the modified G9 Rigger-class light freighter, the Twilight, to dock at one of the Malevolence's emergency airlocks. After making their way aboard the vessel, the Jedi were patched through to the senator, who all agreed to meet with one another in a large area in the center of the ship.
Arriving at opposite ends of a large chasm, which housed the ship's extensive rail jet systems, Amidala and the protocol droid were spotted by several battle droids, whose blaster fire alerted the Jedi to their location. After saving Amidala, the senator informed the two that repairs to the hyperdrive were nearly complete, to which Kenobi stated that he would ensure that it remained offline, while Skywalker instructed R2-D2 to find Threepio, who had previously gotten separated from the group. Unknown to the Jedi, however, Grievous, who had been monitoring all internal communications, overheard their conversation and went to intercept Kenobi at the ship's engineering station, where the Kaleesh was reinforced by several droidekas, B1 and B2-series super battle droids. Kenobi used the Force to push the droidekas into the other droids and Grievous, which allowed him to escape. Pursued by the general, the two engaged one another in a lightsaber duel in the rail jet system, though the Jedi was able to escape once more.
At the same time, Amidala and Skywalker made their way up to the command bridge, but were engaged by several super battle droids that had pursued them. And after sabotaging the ship's navigation computer, the two left the bridge just as another droid crew arrived, and on their way down, the pair encountered R2-D2 and C-3PO outside the elevator, where they made their way to the Twilight, and hastily detached from the Malevolence.
Clear of the warship, the Republic fleet resumed their fire on the ship, and Grievous, attempting to prevent the Jedi from escaping, pursued the Twilight in his personal Belbullab-22 heavy starfighter Soulless One. Contacted by his crew amidst pursuit, they informed him that repairs to the hyperdrive were complete, and the general ordered them to retreat to the Confederacy's secret base in Sector Four, where they would meet. However, unknown to the droids, the Malevolence's navigation computer had been sabotaged and redirected the ship towards the nearby Dead Moon of Antar, and was destroyed, with Grievous fleeing the system, ending a transmission with Dooku before making his retreat.
The Subjugator-class heavy cruiser's debut in canon occurred with the appearance of the Malevolence in "Ambush," the premiere episode of the first season of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series, broadcast on October 3, 2008, albeit in the episode's opening flashbacks. Its full unveiling followed in the first season's second episode, "Rising Malevolence," which aired concurrently with "Ambush." The cruiser's official identification within canon took place seven years post-debut in the 2015 reference book Ultimate Star Wars.
The class initially surfaced within the Star Wars Legends continuity in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars introductory film's novelization, authored by Karen Traviss and published by Del Rey on July 26 of the same year, 2008. Its formal identification within the Legends continuity was established through The Clone Wars Campaign Guide, a supplementary sourcebook for Wizards of the Coast's Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition, released in 2009.
According to Director Dave Filoni, the Malevolence and its narrative drew inspiration from the historical battleship Bismarck, a mysterious and imposing German vessel relentlessly pursued by the British Royal Navy during World War II. Russell G. Chong designed it, drawing inspiration from an unutilized concept from the 2005 film Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. Chong incorporated elements from the shell-like designs of the Mon Calamari cruiser and the GR-75 medium transport, alongside city-like trenches reminiscent of those on the Death Star.