- "We only use this facility for carbon freezing. You put him in there it might kill him."
- ―Lando Calrissian
 | |
| Carbonite | |
| Type: | Mineral |
| Continuity: | Star Wars |
| Availability: | Common item |
| 1st appearance: | Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back |
Carbonite is a fictional alloy featured in the Star Wars multimedia franchise. It first appeared in the 1980 film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. It also appeared in the 1983 sequel, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi as well as numerous appearances in various media in the Expanded Universe, including novels, video games, reference guides and comic books.
Description[]
Carbonite is a metal alloy that uses carbon as it's base element. It is mixed with Tibanna gas and can be used as a preservative agent when compressed and flash frozen. Carbonite freezing is a common process used in transporting goods during long journeys. It has also been used on humans, but this is a fairly uncommon practice. A side-effect of carbonite freezing is that the subject may experience hibernation sickness after they are revived. One of the symptoms of hibernation sickness is temporary blindness.
History[]
Shortly before the Battle of Yavin, Darth Vader's apprentice, Galen Marek journeyed to the Tibanna gas processing plant on Cloud City on the planet Bespin where he confronted one of the last of the Jedi Knights, Rahm Kota. They fought each other throughout the facility, which contained an assembly line of carbonite storage blocks and processors. [1]
Three years later, Darth Vader led a contingent of Stormtroopers to Cloud City on Bespin. He took control of the Tibanna gas mining facility from the current Baron Administrator Lando Calrissian and used the plant to set a trap for the Rebel Alliance fugitives Han Solo, Princess Leia Organa and Chewbacca. When the rebels were captured, Vader ordered Captain Solo to be frozen in carbonite. He wanted to see if the process could work safely enough on humans as he intended on using it again once he captured Luke Skywalker. Solo was encased in carbonite and was fortunate enough to survive the process. His inert form was then given to the bounty hunter Boba Fett, who brought him to his employer, Jabba the Hutt, on Tatooine. When Luke Skywalker arrived on Cloud City, he fought with Darth Vader in a lightsaber duel within the carbon freezing plant. [2]
Luke, Lando and Chewbacca pursued Boba Fett to find Han, but their hunt was not an easy one. An early attempt to find them brought them to the planet Stenos where they encountered a group of rogues named Rik Duel, Dani and a Rodian named Chihdo. Chihdo got separated from them and ran into two rival bounty hunters, Bossk and IG-88. They froze Chihdo in carbonite and used him to bait Luke and the others into a trap. [3]
A year later, Lando, Leia, Luke and Chewbacca staged a rescue operation to free Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt. Leia infiltrated Jabba's Palace as a bounty hunter named Boushh. When she was able to get close enough (seemingly undetected), Leia activated the controls on Han's encasement block, which warmed the carbonite to the point that his body was able to slip free from it. [4]