Star Wars: The best ships in the original trilogy
By Nik Edlund
TIE Fighter
The TIE or Twin Ion Engine fighter is the signature attack ship of the Imperials. These are highly maneuverable one-man ships that attack in swarms. The Empire releases these like a pack of hungry mosquitoes that come after their prey. They aren’t the most powerful ships in the galaxy but are more than enough to take down enemy fighters and keep systems in line.
The Tie Fighter is especially cool because of its look. With the circular cockpit in the middle connected by two solar panel-like wings, the ship itself almost resembles a bat. The cockpit also features a sweet spider web design that only heightens the intimidation factor.
One other aspect of the Tie Fighter that can’t be ignored, is the sound these ships make when they fly by. The howl of these little fighters is absolutely iconic. They can first be heard coming from a distance and then the howl intensifies as it gets closer, finally fading off as the ship blasts off into space. The sound of their cannons is also unique and distinctly exclusive to this little attack ship of the Empire.