Thrust dampers were a piece of machinery used on the Trade Federation's droid starfighters. If the thrust dampers were disabled, the droid starfighters were forced to switch to walker mode to operate. One fighter attacked the Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi on board the Saak'ak. Its thrust dampers were disabled after the Jedi reflected its laser blasts back at it using their lightsabers. Further deflected blasts destroyed the starfighter.