List of Star Wars starfighters
The following is a list of science-fictional Star Wars starfighters. Within the Star Wars setting, a starfighter is defined as a "small, fast, maneuverable, and heavily armed starship used in direct confrontations between opposing forces." In addition to appearing in the saga's movies and TV series, several LucasArts games depict the player as a starfighter pilot.
In the Star Wars universe, starfighters are equipped with the same fictional technology found on other starships. Sublight drives propel starfighters at below lightspeed velocities, with the most common type being the ion engine. These engines are used to lift off from planetary surfaces, travel in deep space and engage other starships in space battles, while inertial dampeners protect the occupants from forceful accelerations. Repulsorlifts are carried as secondary drives for atmospheric flight and when docking or making planetary landings. Some starfighters are also equipped with an internal hyperdrive or connect to an external hyperdrive unit for faster-than-light travel. The primary weapon on most starfighters are laser cannons, with additional weapons like proton torpedoes boasting additional firepower. Some starfighters are also equipped with deflector shields which can be adjusted to protect specific areas of the ship.
Starfighters appearing in the Original Trilogy
A-wing
The Kuat RZ-1 A-wing Interceptor is a class of starfighter, depicted as fast but fragile interceptors of the Rebel Alliance, conceived for high-speed surgical strikes, deep reconnaissance and escort fighter duty. A-wings first appear in Return of the Jedi during the climactic Battle of Endor. It gained popularity through its depiction in several video games, such as Battlefront II and 2015 Battlefront, and has been merchandised by several companies.B-wing
The A/SF-01 B-wing starfighter is a fictional Rebel Alliance and New Republic starfighter. They first appear in Return of the Jedi and subsequently in the Star Wars expanded universe's books, comics, and games. It is commonly depicted as a heavy strike fighter. A variety of B-wing merchandise has been released by toy companies.;Origin and design
Although initial plans called for B-wings to appear in several scenes, its narrow appearance from some angles made it difficult to see against the backdrop of space. The ship's rotating cockpit stems from an initial design for the Millennium Falcon.
;Depiction
The B-wing's canonical origin, as-designed by the Mon Calamari engineer Quarrie, is depicted in the Star Wars Rebels second season episode "Wings of the Master". Quarrie designed the Blade Wing to be a blockade buster for the Rebel Alliance, combining aspects of previous ships built by the Verpine Slayn & Korpil corporation including the V-19 Torrent starfighter, H-60 Tempest bomber and T-6 shuttle. While Quarrie's Blade Wing helped the crew of the Ghost escape an Imperial blockade, the prototype was plagued with a number of technical challenges. Senator Bail Organa was responsible for convincing Slayn & Korpil to work with Quarrie to fix these issues and create a production model, the A/SF-01, for the Rebel Alliance.
The A/SF-01 was the most well-armed starfighter in the galaxy at the time it was introduced; a single B-wing was capable of attacking and destroying enemy capital ships. However it was also slower and less maneuverable than any other Rebel starfighter and required the most maintenance. The B-wing's gyrostabilized cockpit allowed the pilot to maintain a consistent horizon while the craft's body rotated around it, minimizing g-stresses on the pilot and letting them concentrate on flying and targeting. However, if the gyro-stabilization system was not kept in prime condition, it could fail under the tremendous pressure and lock up. The B-wing featured S-foils similar in function to those of the X-wing fighter. Reference material also describes newer versions of the B-wing, designated Mark II, being developed; repurposed components of these fighters are used by the Resistance to construct troop transport ships.
;Merchandise
Both Kenner and Hasbro released B-wing toys, the B-wing is part of two Micro Machines three-packs, and Lego has made several B-wing sets. A Micro Machines Alpha Fleet package includes models both of the B-wing's film appearance and of an initial production design. Decipher and Wizards of the Coast published B-wing cards for the Star Wars Customizable Card Game and Star Wars Trading Card Game, respectively. The second expansion pack for the X-Wing flight simulator, B-Wing, introduces the B-wing as a playable starfighter; several other LucasArts products also depict B-wings.
TIE fighter (and variants)
TIE fighters—and variants such as TIE interceptors and TIE bombers—appear throughout the original trilogy. They are usually not equipped with shields or a hyperdrive, which makes them mass-producible and allows for considerable weapon payloads, or alternatively, for high speed and agility. The pilot has to wear a pressurized suit, as TIE fighters also lack life support systems. Heavier and more advanced TIE craft appear throughout the Expanded Universe, often including shields and hyperdrives as well as heavier armor and weapons; the higher costs for these craft often relegate them to limited deployment.X-wing
The X-wing starfighter, named for the distinctive shape made when its S-foils are in attack position, was a class of starfighter used by the Rebel Alliance in their conflict with the Galactic Empire. It made its theatrical debut, as the T-65B model, in Star Wars as the spacecraft piloted by Luke Skywalker and the Red Squadron when Luke destroyed the Death Star. The starfighter featured extensively in the Star Wars original trilogy and in the Expanded Universe that followed, and in the sequel trilogy and associated media with the T-70 and T-85 models, and has been merchandised as a variety of toys and models. It is commonly depicted as an aerospace superiority fighter with a secondary capability as strike fighter.Y-wing
The Y-wing assault starfighter/bomber are depicted as the primary fighter-bombers of the Galactic Republic, Rebel Alliance, New Republic, and the newer Y-wing model for the Resistance; being ideally suited for anti-shipping, close air support, and ground attack missions. They made their theatrical appearance in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and have featured in movies, television shows, and the Star Wars expanded universe's books, comics, and games.Starfighters appearing in the Prequel Trilogy
ARC-170
The ARC-170 starfighter or Aggressive ReConnaissance-170 starfighter was flown by clone pilots of the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars. They first appear in the opening battle sequence of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and have featured in the 2008 Clone Wars television series. The fighter's name stems from "ART 170", the file name of the art that established the ship's appearance; during scripting it was simply referred to as the "Clone Fighter."According to background material, the ARC-170 is a rugged and versatile starfighter that can fulfill a variety of roles. A joint venture between the Incom and Subpro corporations, the ARC-170 measures long, with a wingspan of and height of. Its crew includes a pilot, a co-pilot/forward gunner, a tail gunner, and an astromech droid to act as navigator and make repairs. With its hyperdrive and five day's worth of supplies, the ARC-170 can operate deep behind enemy lines, where the variety of scanners and sensor jammers in its heavy nose help it conduct dangerous scouting missions. Its weaponry includes a pair of forward-facing medium laser cannons, mated with targeting rangefinders, which are powerful enough to punch through capital ship armor plating; two aft-facing laser cannons for staving off pursuing starfighters; and six proton torpedoes which allow it to conduct bombing missions. Deflector shielding protects the fighter from enemy attack and allows it to achieve hypersonic speed in an atmosphere by dispersing the heat created from air friction.
After the end of the Clone Wars, the ARC-170 would continue to serve under the Galactic Empire until replaced in favor of the TIE Fighter. It would also serve as the in-universe inspiration for Incom's next starfighter, the X-wing. Like the X-wing, the ARC-170 features S-foils, which open during combat to shed waste heat, enlarge the starfighter's deflector shields, and function as stabilizer surfaces during atmospheric flight.
Droid Tri-Fighter
Droid Tri-fighters are droid starfighters used by Separatist forces during the Clone Wars. They made their first theatrical appearance in the opening battle of Revenge of the Sith. Original plans to equip the fighters with boosters were abandoned when Lucas decided they were an unnecessary distraction in the already chaotic scene. Its curved braces are deliberately reminiscent of the Trade Federation's circular battleship.The tri-fighter is a compact and heavily armed starfighter with three arms surrounding a rotating gyroscopic core. Measuring long, with a wingspan and width, its in-universe manufacturer are the Colicoids, the same species which produced Droideka. They are more dangerous than Vulture droids thanks to an advanced heuristic droid brain which better learns from enemy tactics and can be linked to coordinate multi-fighter attacks. While not as fast as a Jedi interceptor, the tri-fighter has three independent thrusters to give it impressive agility. Four laser cannons, one light cannon on each arm and one nose-mounted medium cannon, can fire together or independently. It can also carry between two and six missiles, including proton torpedoes, concussion missiles and buzz droids.