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Is there any forbidden technology in the Star Wars universe? In other sci-fi works, such as Dune, computers and associated technology is banned, but is there anything not allowed in the current canon of Star Wars?

Lightsabers were illegal during the rule of the Empire but lightsabers were part of living memory and the destruction of the Jedi happened barely 20 years before ANH. The knowledge of how to make such a weapon wouldn’t be lost to history and therefor making it a bigger challenge to lose the required skills to produce them.

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  • @Rebel-Scum Lightsabers is the correct spelling.
    – TheLethalCarrot ♦
    Nov 27, 2019 at 14:57
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    There is a booming smuggling trade, so I'd say there is plenty of stuff forbidden under the Empire.
    – rld
    Nov 27, 2019 at 14:57
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    Cloning is illegal in the Old Republic
    – Valorum
    Nov 27, 2019 at 14:58
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    In Season 1 of Rebels, the T-7 Ion Disruptor - capable of disabling a starship - was banned because of its gruesome effect on organics. starwars.com/databank/t-7-ion-disruptor-rifles
    – TheIronCheek
    Nov 27, 2019 at 17:11
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    Apparently any form of journalism, as the whole galaxy appears devoid of it.
    – Scott Whitlock
    Nov 28, 2019 at 2:57

3 Answers 3

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According to whom?

If you asked the Tusken people of the planet Tatooine, moisture evaporators are a forbidden technology.

"A moisture farm? Poor locals never stood a chance. The Sand People think all water is sacred and was promised to them."

On System wide scale, Doctor Evazan's experiments with decraniation is forbidden and warrants a death sentence on 12 different systems.

Galaxy wide, the creation and use of Planet Killing Superweapons is strictly forbidden, since every time anybody makes one they get destroyed shortly after their first discharge.

In the greater universe, Super-sentient AI is strictly taboo according to the Vong. It stands to reason that since machines are not dominant in the far far away Galaxy, the creation of such Artificial Intelligence is either not possible or restricted.

If you ask the Old Republic, slavery of any kind is illegal, but they lack the will or resources the enforce the law outside of the Core Worlds, so is it really? Ask the Empire and you’ll find that some species are more equal than others. And if you ask the droids, they would answer, if not for their restraining bolts.

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  • Sapient experimentation and slavery might be forbidden, but they are not really technology. Also, I guess this is a Legends answer, but are the Tuskens forbidden to have moisture evaporators in Legends? And are planet-destroying weapons forbidden, or merely uncommon and expensive?
    – Adamant
    Nov 28, 2019 at 22:02
  • The Tuskens worship water, and ANYONE, including moisture farmers are breaking their ban, the penalty is death. I included superweapons as ‘banned’ by the rest of the Galaxy, since they inevitably get destroyed.
    – Celestialgranturismo
    Nov 29, 2019 at 20:16
  • sources for this?
    – NKCampbell
    Dec 4, 2019 at 18:57
  • Maybe "de facto" rather than "strictly" (as opposed to de jure) :)
    – chepner
    Jun 24, 2021 at 17:17
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A great many technologies would probably be considered illegal/contraband during the rule of the Empire depending on the situation. Jedi Holocrons would be a good example. In the 12th issue of the Star Wars comic book, Vader confiscates a large collection of holocrons that were collected by Grakkus the Hutt.

As stated by TheIronCheek in a comment above, the T-7 Ion Disruptor was banned by the Empire due to the destructive potential that nearly wiped out the Lasat species.

It could be also be possible that Slicing tools would be illegal, as they can be used to break through encryption allowing access to restricted areas and data.

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Battle Droids were banned by The Empire

Following the clone wars, The Empire banned construction of all droids capable of wielding weapons. Thus, companies involved in battle droid building, such as Holowan Laboratories, had to switch to black market to produce assassin droids such as IG-88 series.

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  • source for this?
    – NKCampbell
    Dec 4, 2019 at 18:56
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    @NKCampbell Tales Of The Bounty Hunters (now Legends)
    – TimSparrow
    Dec 4, 2019 at 19:43

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