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Corvette · Rebel Alliance
Tantive IV
Leia's CR90 corvette from A New Hope: an Alderaanian diplomatic ship with a hammerhead bow and six turrets.
- Model
- CR90 corvette (Rebel blockade runner)
- Maker
- Corellian Engineering Corporation
- Length
- 127 m
- Height
- 49 m
- Crew
- 165–300 crew
- Top speed in atmosphere
- 950 km/h
- Hyperdrive
- class 2
- Shields
- yes
- Armament
- 2 dual turbolaser turrets · 4 single turbolaser turrets · Optional tractor beam projector
Rebel AllianceIndependentResistanceGalactic RepublicCompare on the scale
Overview
The Tantive IV is the ship that opens A New Hope: a Corellian Engineering Corporation CR90 corvette, about 126.7 metres long, with a wide hammerhead bow and a bank of engines at the stern[1][4]. The film calls it only a Rebel blockade runner; the name Tantive IV reached the public later[2].
It is not a warship by trade. The ship is Alderaanian, and Senator Bail Organa used it for diplomacy during the Clone Wars[1][5]. Leia Organa later flew relief missions in it, which the Empire suspected of covering for rebel activity[1].
Six turbolaser turrets and an optional tractor beam projector protect it, and a Class 2 hyperdrive carries it between star systems[2]. Its screen career runs from The Clone Wars through Rogue One to A New Hope[1].
Length 127 m
How it flies and fights
The Tantive IV is a CR90 corvette, a Corellian Engineering Corporation design about 126.7 metres long[1]. It has eleven engines at the stern[3], cruises at about 950 km/h in an atmosphere, and uses a Class 2 hyperdrive for travel between star systems[2].
For defence it mounts two dual turbolaser turrets for large targets and four single turrets against fighters, with an optional tractor beam projector[2]. It has capacity for three fighters carried externally, and a crew of 165 to 300 runs it[2]. In A New Hope its captain is Raymus Antilles[2].
Who flew it
Bail Organa
Owner
Senator of Alderaan who used the ship for diplomacy during the Clone Wars, and later for Senate and Alliance business[1].
Leia Organa
Owner
Took over the ship and used it for relief missions and covert work for the Alliance. She is aboard it with the Death Star plans in A New Hope[1].
Raymus Antilles
Captain
Captain of the Tantive IV, seen in command of the ship in both A New Hope and Rogue One[2].
Chronicle
Key moments in the ship's life, in story order. Spoilers stay hidden until you mark the title as watched in the timeline.
-
≈ 22 BBY
Bail Organa flies the ship to Toydaria to ask King Katuunko for permission to stage relief ships for blockaded Ryloth[5].
-
0 BBY
Spoiler from Rogue One: A Star Wars StoryShowyou've watched it
Docked at the Profundity for repairs, the Tantive IV launches only partly mended as the Rebel fleet rushes to Scarif, and takes on the Death Star plans that Rogue One transmits[2].
-
0 BBY
Darth Vader's Star Destroyer Devastator runs the ship down over Tatooine and boards it. Before the boarders arrive, Leia hides the stolen plans in R2-D2[2].
-
35 ABY
Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker
Spoiler from Episode IX — The Rise of SkywalkerShowyou've watched it
Leia takes the old ship back into service as a Resistance base, and it sails with the first attack fleet to Exegol[1].
-
35 ABY
Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker
Spoiler from Episode IX — The Rise of SkywalkerShowyou've watched it
The Tantive IV is destroyed in the Battle of Exegol, ending a career of about 60 years that began in the Clone Wars[1].
-
—
Leia flies the ship on relief missions that the Empire suspects of covering for rebel activity[1].
Where it flew
- ScarifThe ship joins the Rebel fleet gathered in orbit above Scarif, though it is still being repaired.
- TatooineVader's Star Destroyer corners the ship in orbit above Tatooine, setting the first film's story in motion.
- ExegolThe corvette sails with the Resistance fleet to the Sith world for the last great battle.
- AlderaanAlderaan is the ship's home world and the base of its Organa owners.
- RylothA trip to Toydaria to organise relief for blockaded Ryloth is one of the ship's Clone Wars missions.
Where to see the Tantive IV
Films, series and games with the Tantive IV, in story order.
The Clone WarsAnimated series · 2008–2020Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka and the clone troopers fight across the galaxy in the war between the Republic and the Separatists.
Star Wars RebelsAnimated series · 2014–2018The crew of the starship Ghost takes on the Empire, and young Ezra Bridger discovers the Force.
Rogue One: A Star Wars StoryMovie · 2016A band of rebels led by Jyn Erso sets out to steal the plans of the Death Star.
Episode IV — A New HopeMovie · 1977Farm boy Luke Skywalker, smuggler Han Solo and Princess Leia take on the Empire and its Death Star.
Episode IX — The Rise of SkywalkerMovie · 2019The final chapter of the Skywalker saga: Rey, Finn and Poe make their last stand against the First Order.
Variants
Rogue One refit (on Profundity)
In Rogue One the ship sits in the Profundity's drydock for repairs and scrambles to Scarif only partly repaired. ILM rebuilt its engines in CGI, with eleven of them lit up[3].
Clone Wars consular ship
Before the Empire, the ship serves Bail Organa as a diplomatic vessel, as on his Toydaria trip to arrange relief for Ryloth[1][5].
Behind the scenes
- Colin Cantwell's early pirate-ship concept art was repurposed as Leia's blockade runner. Its hammerhead bow was a quick improvisation by George Lucas and a colleague: two cardboard buckets filled with styrofoam and covered in styrene and kit parts[4].
- The main miniature was 194 cm long, the last model finished for the 1977 film. A smaller 16-inch version was used for the shot of the ship receding, and sold at auction in 2015 for $450,000[2].
- For Rogue One, ILM built the engine look from scratch in CGI, using rotoscoped footage of a Bell 209 helicopter engine for the flame texture. A new power-up sequence lit the four corner engines first, then the other seven[3].
Did you know
Tantive IV: questions and answers
How big is the Tantive IV?
The Tantive IV is about 126.7 metres long, close to two Boeing 747s nose to tail[1]. It is a corvette-class ship with a crew of 165 to 300[2].
