First Order TIE Fighter Upgrades Revealed

Let's face it. This year's main attraction at SDCC was Star Wars. This was where Hasbro unveiled the new TIE Fighter toy to attendees. Up until that point, the only glimpse we saw of this craft were quick shots of it flying and shooting in the teaser & trailer. Those who saw the new toy up close definitely noticed some key differences from it's predecessor in Episode VI.

The unveiling also inadvertently revealed some SPOILERS about the redesigned TIE fighter.

For those who were not so fortunate to see it in person, we give you an up close look at the new TIE fighter, and how it differs from the old generation outside of having a new paint job.

We're going to break it down for you one image at a time:

1.  FULL FRONTAL VIEW

As you can see, the ship hasn't changed too much in design, but there are key differences. In addition to the kick ass paint job, you have a more robust design with thicker arms that extend out to the wing panels. It also looks like the First Order has given their fighters more bite....

2.  UNDERBELLY ARMAMENTS

Here we can see that in addition to the standard twin lasers, the TIE fighter has been equipped with a rotating turret with 2 additional lasers...Definitely more bite. 

3.  A "SHOULDER" MOUNTED ROTATING GUN TURRET

I know what you're thinking....How is a pilot supposed to keep track of so many targets in order to utilize all these weapons? The answer lies in the next photo.

4.  BACK-TO-BACK SEATS

That's right my friends. The First Order has converted this fighter into a 2-man craft. They've gone Top Gun on us and made the TIE into the F-14 Tomcat of a galaxy far far away. A Pilot & Navigator/Gunner will occupy the cockpit. Now we know who will be using that shoulder mounted gun. The view must suck though. The only thing they'll see is the targeting screen.

...or maybe not.

5.  REAR VIEW PORT

It looks like the gunner will also serve as a lookout and track any pesky Resistance fighters that manage to come up behind them. Plus that turret will definitely make it a challenge for enemy craft to line up a good laser lock.

I'm sure you've already noticed by now that the TIE shown in the footage screenshot at the top of this article is noticeably without the extra turrets and signature red splash. This leads me to believe that there may be standard and heavy and/or Elite versions of the TIE fighter in the New Order Navy.

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Photos obtained from imgur.com

Additional source reference: International Business Times