Star Wars: 10 best Empire ships ranked from worst to best

The Empire is known for its flashy, self-announcing, and beautifully menacing ships. Let's see how they rank among each other.
A First Order Stormtrooper stands guard in a Star Destroyer hangar bay beneath a docked TIE fighter in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, the groundbreaking new attraction opening Dec. 5, 2019, inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida and Jan. 17, 2020, at Disneyland Park in California. Guests enter the hangar bay after their ship is caught in the Star Destroyer’s tractor beam. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
A First Order Stormtrooper stands guard in a Star Destroyer hangar bay beneath a docked TIE fighter in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, the groundbreaking new attraction opening Dec. 5, 2019, inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida and Jan. 17, 2020, at Disneyland Park in California. Guests enter the hangar bay after their ship is caught in the Star Destroyer’s tractor beam. (Matt Stroshane, photographer) /
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4. TIE Advanced x1

Time to talk about the TIE Advanced x1, Darth Vader's own tricked-out ride. Take a regular TIE fighter and give it a glow-up, a real mean machine makeover, and that's the result. This TIE is the space equivalent of a luxury sports car, with all the bells and whistles - it's got shields that could laugh off blaster shots, a hyperdrive that makes it zip through space like a shooting star on a sugar rush, and weapons that pack a punch strong enough to make even the toughest Rebel think, "Maybe I should've stayed in bed today." Piloted by the man, the myth, the legend – the iconic Darth Vader himself – this ship is more than just a fighter; it's a statement. A big, scary, "I've arrived, and you're in trouble" kind of statement.

You already know what I'm going to say. Here's the catch – the TIE Advanced x1 is as rare as it gets. It's like that limited-edition action figure everyone wants but nobody can find. Sure, it's a beast, but there aren't many of them flying around at all. This exclusivity is part of its charm, though. It's not just another ship in the Empire's fleet; it's special, a cut above the rest. Think of it as the shiny collector's item of space warfare. While it might not be filling the skies in swarms, when the TIE Advanced x1 shows up, you know it means business. It's the sort of ship that doesn't just join the battle; it changes the game.