Lightsaber duels are what everyone remembers about Star Wars, because they always feel incredibly important – the outcome often decides the fate of the entire galaxy. But those epic fights wouldn’t be possible without the courageous pilots who engage in thrilling space battles, which appear in almost every Star Wars film. While the original movies and the sequels really emphasize these aerial conflicts, the prequel trilogy doesn’t focus on them as much. The opening scene of Revenge of the Sith, with the attack on Coruscant and the kidnapping of Chancellor Palpatine, is a standout, but space battles aren’t a major part of the prequels beyond that.
I get why the prequel films shifted focus from big space battles. It’s tough when they couldn’t really use the X-Wing or TIE Fighter like we all remember! The X-Wing is such a hero – it always seems to be the one destroying major threats and saving the day. But honestly, the Empire had some cool ships too. I’ve always been fascinated by the TIE Fighter, so I put together a list of what I think are the four best ones ever designed in the Star Wars universe.
4) TIE Silencer
For villains who embrace the dark side, a cool ship is essential, and Kylo Ren definitely has one in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. During attacks on the Resistance, Ren pilots his sleek, red and black TIE Silencer. Enemies rarely get a good look at it, though, because it’s incredibly fast and catches them by surprise. It’s unfortunate that Ren later replaces the Silencer with a different ship, the Whisper.
3) TIE Defender
Some Imperial officers felt the standard TIE Fighter wasn’t powerful enough. That’s why Grand Admiral Thrawn began developing the TIE Defender earlier in the third season of Star Wars Rebels, and it soon became officially part of the Star Wars universe. The Defender was special because it had an extra wing, shields, and a hyperdrive. If it wasn’t so difficult to manufacture, the Empire likely would have used it as a primary ship in their fleet.
2) TIE Avenger
The TIE Avenger, a prototype starfighter featured in Star Wars: Andor Season 2, is equipped with a hyperdrive and packs a lot of firepower – more than most rebel groups have access to. The Empire sees great potential in this ship, but Cassian Andor thwarts their plans by stealing it and crashing on Yavin IV, which later becomes the Rebellion’s base. He then uses the Avenger to destroy a group of ruthless Imperials on Mina-Rau, demonstrating its power.
1) TIE Crawler
As a huge Star Wars fan, I’ve noticed some of the coolest TIE Fighters haven’t gotten their moment in the live-action movies – they’re stuck in the expanded universe, so to speak. The TIE Crawler is a perfect example. I first encountered it in this old book, Choose Your Destiny: A Luke & Leia Adventure, and it’s basically a land-based tank, just rolling over everything in its way. It’s not as powerful as an AT-AT, sure, but let’s be honest, this is about cool factor, and the TIE Crawler totally leaves even the best vehicles from The Empire Strikes Back in the dust.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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2025-11-28 19:15