This is a Skywalker Sound sound effect, probably created by Ben Burtt and Randy Thom, and debuted in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980). It might be considered as an stock sound effect though.
Very many variants of this sound were made by Skywalker Sound; some sound effects clusters by Skywalker Sound that have this sound are listed below.
It includes an element that sounds similar to but should not be confused with SKYWALKER, ELECTRICITY - ELECTRIC 'FRAP' ZAP in a high pitch. It's often used in various pitches for lightsaber clashes in most Star Wars media.
Info
- First Recorded: 1979
- Creator: Ben Burtt and Randy Thom
- Owner: Skywalker Sound (1979-present)
- Origin: United States
- Year Debut: May 17, 1980
- First Heard: Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Area Used: Worldwide
Sound Effects Description
A series of electrical popping and chattering with a loud, hyper-realistic "voom" like sound effect. It sounds like this: "PA-CH-OW-OO-OOHM!"
Random fun fact: It seems that either Ben Burtt or Randy Thom use this for the ship shields blastering the bolts from hitting the walls.
This can be considered one of the most popular sound effect in the Skywalker Sound library, due to its common use in the Star Wars franchise.
Similar Variations
- SKYWALKER HIGH-PITCHED POW SOUND (+12 pitch version)
- SKYWALKER, ELECTRICITY - ELECTRIC 'FRAP' ZAP (the zap parts only)
- SKYWALKER, ELECTRICITY - FORCE LIGHTNING (included)
- SKYWALKER, EXPLOSION - MASSIVE EXPLOSION, LOUD, HYPER-REALISTIC
- SKYWALKER TITLE SEQUENCE 02 (briefly included)
Used In
TV Shows
- Ben 10
- DC Super Hero Girls (TV Series)
- Lego Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles
- MaryannKitty11: The Series
- Star Wars: The Bad Batch
- Star Wars: Clone Wars (Heard twice in CHAPTER 3, many times in CHAPTER 5, and a number of times in CHAPTER 12, among other chapters and many variants of this sound used.)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Heard once in "Death Trap" and "Lethal Trackdown"; excluding many variants of the sound.)
- Star Wars: Rebels (Heard twice in "Wings of the Master" and once in "Blood Sisters" and "A World Between Worlds".)
- Star Wars: Resistance (Heard once in "The Recruit" and "The Triple Dark".)
- The Tom and Jerry Show (Briefly accents a laser gun in the beginning of "Cat-Astrophe".)
- The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (Normal version heard once, I BigIdeas70258 think, in "Verdun, September 1916"; excluding a few variants of the sound.)
- Young Justice
Movies
- Always (1989)
- Armageddon (1998) (Only heard briefly during the exploding title of the same name.)
- The Avengers (2012) (Heard often in an SFX cluster, various pitches, including the same variant from Volcano heard in a low-pitched)
- Backdraft (1991) (Accents some explosions in various pitches.)
- Bee Movie (2007)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) (Heard in a +12 pitch.)
- Casper (1995)
- Cloverfield (2008)
- The Dark Knight (2008) (Heard often, including the Hospital explosion scene.)
- Daylight (1996) (A very similar-sounding or nearly identical is briefly heard once in somewhat in a low volume as the fire whooshes into the tunnel.)
- Deep Blue Sea (1999) (Used in various pitches for the Sharks as if they're swimming and heard briefly in the explosion scene, I TMD the Hedgehog think.)
- Dracula 2000 (2000) (Various pitches)
- F/X2 (1991)
- Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)
- Forrest Gump (1994)
- G.I. Joe: The Movie (1987) (Low quality.)
- Hannibal Rising (2007) (Heard in the Volcano variant. NOT a Skywalker Sound project though, don't know how Soundelux acquired this sound effect.)
- Hart's War (2002) (May've been heard in various pitches for some reason as it is now, but otherwise mistaken for +12 pitch in a low pitched as SKYWALKER HIGH-PITCHED POW SOUND.)
- Hellboy (2004)
- Howard the Duck (1986) (Might've been heard oftenly in a low quality sometimes, but otherwise mistaken for any of the Skywalker Sound's electrical sounds, I TMD the Hedgehog think.)
- Ice Age: Collision Course (2016) (Used briefly for the spaceship streaking into the sky.)
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
- Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
- The Iron Giant (1999)
- Iron Man 2 (2010) (Used theoretically for Whiplash's electric whip in various pitches)
- The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) (Heard in a +12 pitch.)
- Mars Attacks! (1996) (Heard briefly twice in a fairly low volume, and again in a low volume when the tank explodes, I TMD the Hedgehog think it is.)
- Monkeybone (2001) (only the zap parts is heard)
- Osmosis Jones (2001) (The zap parts is heard along with the Skywalker's electricity sparkling sound.)
- Pearl Harbor (2001)
- Poltergeist (1982)? (Might've been briefly heard as the light flickers inside the house, before the whole house is destroyed near the end of the film.)
- Red Tails (2012)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) (Heard once for a laser ricochet.)
- Saving Private Ryan (1998) (high pitched)
- Standard Operating Procedure (2008) (Processed, when the helicopter explodes.)
- Star Trek (2009) (Maybe.)
- Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) (Heard in the 1993/1995, 1997, 2004 & 2011 versions.)
- Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) (debut)
- Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
- Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) (Heard for a few explosions; among variants used for explosions or lightsaber clashes.)
- Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) (various pitches, including many variants used for lightsaber clashes, explosions, laser guns, etc.)
- Super 8 (2011)
- The Terminator (1984) (Audio Restoration and Re-Mixing) (various pitches/SFX clusters)
- Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) (heard in sfx clusters, 12+ and higher pitches)
- Titan A.E. (2000) (Various pitches, including those often used in the Star Wars franchise)
- Volcano (1997) (including many variants)
- Wings (1927) (Variants heard in the 2012 version only.)
- XXX: State of the Union (2005) (Used partially for bullet ricochets.)
- Young Indiana Jones and the Attack of the Hawkmen (1995) (Standard variant heard near the end in somewhat low volume.)
- Young Indiana Jones and the Trenches of Hell (1997)
Theme Parks
- Space Race Ride (1993) (Rides)
Shorts
- DC Super Hero Girls: Super Shorts
- Cosmic Scrat-Tastrophe (2015) (Used briefly for the spaceship streaking into the sky.)
Video Games
- Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
- Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Star Wars: Battlefront (2004 Video Game) (in sfx clusters for explosions or hits, various pitches; used primarily for the AT-TE Walker's guns)
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
- Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes (2015)
- Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) (Video Game) (included in files dubbed as "res_u106_uta_gbg_00080", "res_u106_uta_gbg_00105", "res_u106_uta_gbg_00105")
- Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter
Promos
Bumpers
Commercials
- Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes (2015-) (Commercials)
Trailers
- Red Tails (2012) (Trailers)
- The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006) (Trailers)
- Santikos Theatres Policy Trailer (1988 or 1989) (Trailers)
- Star Wars: Battlefront Cinematics (2015)
- Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) (Trailers)
TV Spots
- Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) (TV Spots)
Other Media
YouTube Videos
- Hitler's Pencil of Doom XV
- Hitler's Pencil of Doom XVI
- Hitler's Pencil of Doom XVII
- Hitler's Pencil of Doom XVIII
- Hitler's Pencil of Doom XIX
- Hoffy1138
- Pencil of Doom Ad
- WhitneyGoLucky
Anime
- Dragon Ball Super (Heard once in Episode 29 in a very high-pitch when Bulma smacks Beerus in his head.)
- Future Card Buddyfight Ace
- GeGeGe no Kitaro (2018)
- The King of Braves GaoGaiGar
- Naruto: Shippuden
Image Gallery
SKYWALKER EXPLOSION 07/Image Gallery
Audio Samples