Almost exactly a year ago I released a Legends video covering every TIE fighter variant
Since that time we've had a few additions to the canon roster
So I think it's time for a canon only version
Starting with the basics is, of course, the TIE fighter
They were the standard starfighter of the Galactic Empire
And the template on which all of the following variants were based
Armed with two laser cannons they were fast and maneuverable but lacked shielding or hyperdrives
Cheap to make and easy to destroy
They were the epitome of Imperial expendability
The TIE Advanced v1 was an experimental model that was far less expendable
It provided the pilot with shields and a hyperdrive
In addition, the solar panels that powered the ship were on the inside of the wings only rather than on both sides like the standard TIE
This meant the Advanced was more heavily armoured
but the solar panels couldn't soak up as much light
Therefore the solar panels only powered the weapons, sensors and auxilary systems
and the ship required fuel to run the engines
The wings also had S-foils that could fold around the cockpit when landing
The TIE Advanced x1 was the next step up from the v1
It also had shields and a hyperdrive, but no S-foils
and the solar panels were put back on the outside
Its biggest upgrade was in the targeting system
Which was highly sophisticated and effective against enemy deflector shields
As of right now, only Darth Vader's personal TIE Advanced x1 has been seen
But according to Ultimate Star Wars, more of the ships were produced
The TIE bomber was the Empire's main source of anti-emplacement air support
They could be seen throughout the galaxy as soon as a decade after the end of the Clone Wars
Like the standard TIE, they carried no shields and no hyperdrive
Their bombing bay could be armed with concussion missiles, orbital mines or proton bombs
You might have seen a ship that looked like a TIE bomber in Rogue One
But those models were actually TIE landers
Instead of a bombing bay
The second hole was able to transport and deploy an entire company of stormtroopers
One can also be briefly seen in The Empire Strikes Back
delivering Captain Needa to the executor
The TIE Interceptor was even faster and more maneuverable than the standard TIE
Making it one of the fastest starfighters in the galaxy at the time
Still lacking shields and a hyperdrive, it made up for its defensive shortcomings by focusing on offense
Four laser cannons were mounted to the wings
and some models had two additional installed on the cockpit itself
The Interceptor entered production after the Empire realized the Advanced x1 would be too costly to mass-produce
By the time of the Battle of Endor
The starfighter made up about 20% of the Empire's fleet
The TIE Defender was another experimental design
that went into development on Lothal about 2 years before the Battle of Yavin
They had shields and a hyperdrive
Six laser cannons mounted on three wings, and a missile launcher
They were produced at the request of Grand Admiral Thrawn
As a response to the more heavily defended starfighters used by the growing Rebel threat
Yet another experimental fighter, the TIE striker was a specialized type variant designed for atmospheric flight
Although it could fly in space
Its large central pod meant it could be used to transport supplies or personnel from orbit to the ground
Or it could serve as a proton bombing bay
Within atmosphere, the striker was faster and more heavily armed than the standard TIE
The wings could rotate between flight mode and attack mode
They were primarily built on Scarif
And after the Citadel's destruction, they were a rare sight in the galaxy
However some strikers were mentioned serving during the Battle of Jakku at the end of the Galactic Civil War
The TIE Reaper was similar in design to the TIE striker
It was primarily used as a troop transport
Little else is currently known about the ship
The company that manufactured the TIE fighter, Sienar Fleet Systems
Also provided organizations that fell under the umbrella of the Empire with their own TIE fighters
For example
The Mining Guild received a specialized TIE fighter design with a yellow colour scheme and a notch cut out of their stabilizers
Which improved their visibility
But diminished their maneuverability
Jumping about 30 years into the future
The First Order still use TIE fighters in their starfighter fleet
Their standard TIE model now had shields by default
They received upgraded engines and a darker paint job
But they were otherwise very similar to the standard TIE of the Empire
The First Order also produced a Special Forces variants of the TIE fighter
This model had a hyperdrive as well as shields
They held two seats, one for a pilot and one for a gunner
In addition to the normal two laser cannons
It was also armed with a mag-pulse warhead launcher
and a dual heavy laser turret was mounted underneath the cockpit
As of right now, that's every single canon TIE model
I'm kind of expecting this might turn into a video I have to update yearly depending on what else the new films or Star Wars Rebels introduces
Personally, I'm hoping for a return of the TIE phantom
If you haven't seen my Legends version of this video you can watch it right here
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As always, thanks for watching and May the Force be with you