Imperial TIE Fighter - LC - Vehicles (Exclusive)

TIE Fighters swarm into space to attack the heroic Rebel Alliance forces! TIE Fighters are the standard starfighters of the Imperial fleet. TIE fighter pilots are highly skilled, but they are no match for the daring and resourceful Rebel pilots. TIE fighters waged a fierce battle to defend the first Death Star from the Rebel attack.

The Hasbro Imperial TIE Fighter vehicle has seen many releases throughout the years and has gone through many transitions. But it wasn't until the release of the 2009 TARGET exclusive that Hasbro got it all right. Not only has the vehicle been designed perfectly (which we'll get to in a minute), but the pilot is based on Black Three who just so happens to be the very first TIE Fighter Pilot that we see in the cockpit at the opening of the Battle of Yavin in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (see reference photo below). All the TIE fighter pilots have unique markings on their helmets just like their adversarial opposite X-wing fighter pilots and Hasbro (and Gentle Giant Ltd. for that matter) have taken notice of these fine details and we are now getting unique pilots of the Imperial army as well! Not a lot seems to excite collectors any more for we are truly a spoiled bunch (and we don't say this pejoratively). But little things like helmet difference on TIE fighter pilots are something that gets us going for sure! But no matter your feelings on if you want every TIE Fighter Pilot or not, there is no denying that you will be getting awesome versions of him going forward.

The latest Imperial TIE Fighter leaves us speechless. Had we known how many improvements Hasbro made as well as how much the upgrades make this the definitive vehicle, we would have raved about this much sooner. The vehicle has been colored flawlessly to match the ones seen in Episode IV. Sharp-eyed collectors may feel that this specific exclusive is based off of the TIE Fighters seen in the Shadows Of The Empire multimedia event (hence the red colored glass) and not Episode IV. We might agree, but we can confirm that the pilot is indeed from Episode IV. The new larger scaled wings are nothing new, but Hasbro has improved the way they attach to the fuselage section. Even the latest large-winged TIE fighters have not been made with this precision. The interior "glass" of the cockpit is colored in a clear red plastic. And the interior of the walls have decals that are black with red "lights" throughout. It is one sharp looking cockpit. The steering area has been completely redesigned and there are handles that the action figure can grasp to make for a very realistic piloting scenario. On top of that, the seat has also been redesigned and is now removable, most likely inspired by the scene where Biggs Darklighter ejects himself from a TIE in Star Wars Empire: Darklighter. Trust us when we say just how awesomely this has translated to toy form. It is just an amazing little add-on that Hasbro definitely didn't need to give us but did. The "ejecting" seat (metaphorical, not literal) is highlighted with red color to show the various buttons and control panels it has.

The TIE Fighter Pilot is almost as awesome as the vehicle. While not super-articulated, he is articulated enough. For those of you who have the 2009 LC Imperial Pilot Legacy (Series II) Walmart exclusive Evolutions set, you already have this figure for all intents and purposes. Some coloring may vary (like the exact color of the dark gray flight suit) but you should note it is the same figure (a repack). And he is the perfect companion for this glorious vehicle! The TIE Fighter Pilot is a perfect miniature replica of the character we saw in the opening scene in Episode IV during the history-changing Battle of Yavin. With a removable helmet and chest plate, the TIE Fighter Pilot also has a functioning holster that houses his unique Imperial issue blaster. Since Hasbro has succeeded in delivering a stellar product here, we hope that they will release the rest of the various pilots with their respective TIE fighter because Hasbro is now releasing the ultimate versions of them. You may wish for ball-jointed ankles on the pilots, but we have to be upfront with you - they just don't need them. The figure stands up well as is and they can be seated to look authentic in his driver seat. In a nutshell, we have been overwhelmingly wowed by this exclusive set. It didn't have a fair chance at retail and perhaps many collectors thought it was just the same old thing rehashed again and stuck in a new box. But it surprised us just how unique and how awesome the final product is. As an exclusive to TARGET, it won't be around forever, so we recommend tracking it down as soon as you can!