darth vader's tie
This TIE is the prototype for the next generation of TIE fighter. Flown by Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, it has 4 engines as opposed to two, hyperdrive capability, and angled solar panels which make it more maneuverable than the standard TIE.
Flying this ship, Darth Vader destroyed 6 rebel starfighters attacking the Death Star during the Battle of Yavin.
I remember making Darth Vader’s TIE fighter and agonizing over the shape. The back half of the model used in the film has a rounded fuselage. To incorporate that into my design meant making the figure much more complicated than I wanted it to be. Yet I wanted accuracy. In the end I decided to keep it simple and elegant. I hope the model makers at ILM will forgive my creative license. (Note to ILM: If you ever decide to start using origami instead of computer graphics or models for special effect shots, give me a call)
I met David Prowse (Darth Vader) in a pub near the first Star Wars Celebration just before The Phantom Menace opened. I bought him a drink and naturally I made the TIE for him. He loved the figure. I just wish the picture taken of us with it had come out. When I met him again at Celebration IV and told him what had happened, he offered to take another picture to replace it. He is such a gentle and kind soul, and is one of the nicest people you could hope to meet.
