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Starfighter · Galactic Empire
TIE Advanced
The Empire's prototype TIE with shields and a hyperdrive, flown by Darth Vader and the Inquisitor.
- Model
- TIE Advanced x1 and v1 prototype starfighters
- Maker
- Sienar Fleet Systems
- Length
- 5.8 m
- Crew
- 1 pilot
- Shields
- yes
- Armament
- Laser cannons · v1: XX-23 S-Thread Tracer launcher
Galactic EmpireCompare on the scale
Overview
The TIE Advanced is the Empire's attempt at a better TIE fighter. Sienar Fleet Systems adds what an ordinary TIE lacks, a deflector shield generator and a hyperdrive, to a single-pilot fighter[4]. Two prototypes appear on screen: the x1, Darth Vader's personal fighter, and the v1, unveiled on Lothal and flown by the Inquisitor in Star Wars Rebels[1][2][5].
Vader's x1 flies in A New Hope, and it is not hard to pick out. Its wings are shaped differently and its solar panels are darker than those of the ordinary TIEs around it[3].
Length 5.8 m
How it flies and fights
Both prototypes are single-seat fighters armed with laser cannons[1][2]. The x1 is a heavily modified early prototype that adds shields and a hyperdrive[1]. The v1 goes another way: faster engines, more efficient solar panels, stronger cannons and a launcher that fires XX-23 S-Thread Tracers, which tag a target so it can be followed[2].
Who flew it
Darth Vader
Owner
Owner of the x1, his personal experimental fighter, seen in A New Hope and again in Star Wars Rebels[1].
The Inquisitor
Pilot
Flew the v1 in Star Wars Rebels and used it to tag the Ghost with an XX-23 S-Thread Tracer[2].
Baron Valen Rudor
Pilot
Baron Valen Rudor is named as the pilot for the v1's maiden flight when the prototype is unveiled on Lothal[5].
Chronicle
Key moments in the ship's life, in story order. Spoilers stay hidden until you mark the title as watched in the timeline.
-
≈ 5 BBY
Hunting the crew of the Ghost, the Inquisitor closes in with his TIE Advanced prototype and tags the ship with an XX-23 S-Thread Tracer[2].
-
≈ 4 BBY
At the Empire Day celebration on Lothal, the Empire shows off the TIE Advanced v1 prototype and names Baron Valen Rudor as its first pilot[5].
-
0 BBY
Spoiler from Episode IV — A New HopeShowyou've watched it
In the battle over the first Death Star, Vader leads Imperial fighters in his TIE Advanced x1 and shoots down several Rebel starfighters[1].
Where it flew
Where to see the TIE Advanced
Films, series and games with the TIE Advanced, in story order.
Variants
TIE Advanced x1
Vader's personal experimental fighter, a heavily modified early prototype with shields and a hyperdrive. It appears in A New Hope, Star Wars Rebels and Battlefront II[1].
TIE Advanced v1
The prototype unveiled on Empire Day and later used by the Inquisitors. It has faster engines, more efficient solar panels, stronger cannons and the tracer launcher[2].
Behind the scenes
- Nothing in the script singled out Vader's ship, so ILM did it with one model: a different wing shape and a darker solar-panel grid. The wings could be detached, so a damaged wing could be fitted for battle-damage shots[3].
- Vader's cockpit is the same set used for other TIEs. It has a rear window that the shooting model lacked[3].
Did you know
- The x1 was the first TIE to pair a hyperdrive with a deflector shield generator. The TIE interceptor was later built as a cheaper alternative to it[4].
