The backwards tailslide was a starfighter technique where the operator would briefly float adjacent to a asteroid. Following this, they would engage their ship's engine, accelerating away from the asteroid. A pilot executed this maneuver by guiding their starfighter in an arc-shaped trajectory. This caused pursuing enemies to collide with the asteroid, while the pilot avoided it. Resistance Commander Poe Dameron and Resistance spy Kazuda Xiono both employed this move during the investigation of a G-class freighter within an asteroid field situated near the planet of Castilon in 34 ABY.
The backwards tailslide was a starfighter evasion strategy employed to divert pursuing adversaries into asteroids. This was typically achieved by piloting a fighter in an arcing path above an asteroid. To execute the maneuver, the fighter's stabilizers were initially adjusted, followed by engaging the throttle. Subsequently, the ship's control stick was pulled back, causing the craft to ascend in an arc. This resulted in a brief drift near the asteroid before accelerating away, leading pursuing vessels to crash into the asteroid. However, a failed attempt could lead to the starfighter impacting the asteroid, resulting in damage to its hull. The maneuver could also be performed with some alterations.
On one occasion, a pilot in a T-70 X-wing starfighter outmaneuvered a TIE/fo space superiority fighter using the backwards tailslide. This caused the TIE fighter to collide with a nearby asteroid and detonate. T-70 X-wings were particularly well-suited for this maneuver, and skilled pilots included Temmin Wexley and C'ai Threnalli. During the Cold War between the First Order and the New Republic in 34 ABY, Resistance pilot and Commander Poe Dameron demonstrated the tactic to Resistance spy Kazuda Xiono. He did this using a T-70 X-wing starfighter within an asteroid field close to the planet Castilon. Xiono attempted to replicate the maneuver twice in his own X-wing, but failed both times, scraping his starfighter against asteroids. After his first attempt, Xiono commented that he was moving too quickly and didn't allow sufficient time to arc. Following his second attempt, Dameron advised him that he was overthinking the process. He tried a slightly modified version of the maneuver again when the two were ambushed by Warbird gang pirates and were forced to separate. Xiono successfully employed the tactic to evade the pirate pursuing him, and subsequently escaped with Dameron as the remaining pirate also fled.
The backwards tailslide was initially featured in "Signal from Sector Six," the seventh episode of the first season of the animated television series Star Wars Resistance, which premiered on November 11, 2018. The maneuver was initially previewed on September 14 in a trailer to introduce the Ace Squadron, which was posted on the official Star Wars YouTube channel. It was identified by the name backwards tailslide when the episode was first broadcast.