The Star Wars franchise has plenty of iconic ship designs across all eras of the story, some of which have become instantly recognizable and iconic even among the general public. The Millennium Falcon is arguably the biggest example, as Han Solo and Chewbacca’s smuggling ship has proven to be one of the most famous designs for a fictional vehicle in cinema history. It seems as if someone who has never seen a single Star Wars movie or show would probably recognize the Millennium Falcon, demonstrating just how well known it is.
The Falcon is not the only famous ship in the franchise, however. The Imperial Star Destroyer is another prime example. This is the class of ship that, at one point, was used by Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine. These were often followed by TIE Fighters, another iconic design of space vehicle that first appeared back in 1977. Despite their popularity, little is said on screen about the TIE fighters, including how they got their names. The answer to that question actually lies in the engines that power the ship.
Where Does The Name TIE Fighter Come From?
Despite its relatively small size, the TIE fighter utilizes an incredibly powerful engine to make the ship fly. This is called the Twin Ion Engine, or TIE. This engine allows the Imperial fighter pilots to have a great deal of speed, acceleration, and maneuverability. This versatility is crucial in close-proximity space battles against the Rebel X-Wing ships, for example. This type of fight has been seen countless times in both the original trilogy during the reign of the Empire, and in the sequels during the rule of the First Order.
In canon, it was Grand Moff Tarkin himself that commissioned the building of these TIE fighters. Tarkin demanded that these ships be speedy in battle. He believed it was crucial for the main class of Imperial fighters be faster and lighter than the X-Wings that the Rebels used, or the ships seen during the era of the Republic. Every aspect of TIE fighter design was included in order to help make the fastest ship possible, including the two hexagonal wings on either side of the central area. These panes channeled solar power to help the ships get to a fraction of lightspeed. This achievement was applauded by the Imperials, given just how fast lightspeed is and how hard it is to achieve in a galaxy far, far away.
What Are The Different Types of TIE Fighter?
In canon, there are various types of TIE fighters, all of which serve a different purpose to help the Empire (and the First Order) in battle. Some of the most notable and popular types of this ship include the classic TIE fighter, particularly as it was the first of it kind. It has since become an icon of the franchise, and served as the inspiration for the rest of the fighters’ designs. There are also TIE bombers, which were first seen in The Empire Strikes Back. These are mostly used to drop explosives down onto a battlefield.
Kylo Ren’s TIE fighter during the sequel trilogy is another example of a variation on this type of ship. Adam Driver’s character uses a TIE silencer across n the sequel trilogy, including in a memorable space battle in the first act of The Last Jedi. Kylo’s TIE silencer was lighter, sleeker, sliand mmer than other iterations that came before, which allowed him to move faster and into tighter spaces (as seen in the space battle in Episode VIII).
What Kind of Tie Fighter Did Darth Vader Pilot?
Much of Kylo Ren's personality and motivation as a villain is based on his grandfather, Darth Vader. As such, it’s no surprise that Adam Driver’s character took inspiration from the Dark Lord of the Sith when it came to his ship of choice. Just like Kylo Ren after him, Darth Vader had a TIE fighter of his very own, which was seen during the battle on the Death Star in 1977. It was in this ship that Vader first faced his son, Luke, and here that he first sensed that there was something more to Luke than the average Rebel pilot.
Darth Vader’s light ship is officially labeled as the TIE Advanced x-1, and differed slightly in design from the rest of the TIE fighters in the Imperial fleet. It’s unclear what these unique elements added to Vader’s ship, but it could have easily just been a visual decision in order to denote his rank. It is, however, important to note that Vader’s ship appeared to be slightly quicker in A New Hope when racing alongside the other Imperial vessels. It could be due to his skill as a pilot, or something extra added to his ship.