8017 Darth Vader's TIE Fighter

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Darth Vader's TIE Fighter

Item №:	8017
Pieces:	251
Minifigures:	Darth Vader
Price:	$29.99 £31.99 $49.99
Ages:	7 - 12
Released:	December 28, 2008
Theme:	Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope 10th Anniversary Line
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8017 Darth Vader's TIE Fighter is a remake of the TIE Advanced x1 used by Darth Vader, and was released in December 2008/January 2009. A Darth Vader Minifigure is included, which was one of the first to have the new, more-detailed torso piece. It was released as part of the 10th Anniversary of LEGO Star Wars. Because of this, LEGO randomly inserted 10,000 4547551 Chrome Darth Vader sets into the boxes of this set in the US and East Europe (founded).

Description[edit | edit source]

This set is mostly in black or dark stone (colour), and features details from the Star Wars movies. It has bent wings, unlike a regular TIE Fighter, flick-firing missiles and an elongated hull with an opening cockpit to seat Darth Vader. Due to design, the wings can be folded flat, though this is not possible with TIE Advanced starfighters in the Star Wars Universe.

Background[edit | edit source]

Darth Vader used this experimental TIE Fighter after a series of other ships which he deemed inferior and uncomfortable (due to his cumbersome life-support armour). It was an improvement over the regular TIE Fighter, due to its possession of a deflector shield and hyperdrive, which allowed to travel independently of an Imperial capital-ship. It was proposed to become the replacement of the regular TIE Fighter, but its heavy costs never saw it mass-produced. Vader flew this at the Battle of Yavin, just before the Death Star was destroyed. He was pursuing Luke Skywalker, but was knocked away by laser-fire from the Millennium Falcon (it was because of this that Vader survived the Death Star's explosion).

Production of the TIE Advanced was later ceased, but the best features were incorporated into later-generation TIE starfighters. It had two laser cannons and cluster missiles equipped, which let it do considerably more damage than the average TIE Fighter.

Advanced TIE fighters of this class were later used by Lando Calrissian as part of an asteroid field-based flight challenge over the planet of Dubrillion called "running the belt".

Notes[edit | edit source]

This set was released in late December 2008 in the U.S. and the UK, and January 2009 elsewhere.
The Darth Vader Minifigure in this set has a new torso piece which contains additional details, like more buttons on the chest panel and a belt.

Minifigures included[edit | edit source]

Darth Vader (2008 design)

LEGO.com Description[edit | edit source]

This is a description taken from LEGO.com. Please do not modify it. (visit this item's product page) Blast the Rebels with Darth Vader’s TIE fighter™!
Straight from the original Star Wars movie, the TIE Advanced x1 is Darth Vader’s™ personal starfighter! Even faster than a standard TIE fighter, Vader’s TIE is customized with bent wings, a deflector shield and a hyperdrive. Celebrate 10 years of LEGO Star Wars with this all-new set, featuring incredible movie-accurate details, flick-firing missiles, and the Dark Lord of the Sith himself, Darth Vader!