Black 11, alternatively written as Black-11, identified a TIE/ln starfighter belonging to the Imperial Black Squadron. This squadron was stationed on the Imperial Star Destroyer named Steel Talon, which was positioned above the [prison](/article/prison/legends] planet called Despayre before the Battle of Yavin. Lieutenant Commander Villian Dance of Alpha Squadron frequently piloted it. Dance used Black 11 to chase and ultimately destroy the Lambda-class T-4a shuttle designated RLH-1 as the shuttle attempted to flee Despayre. By 4 ABY, Black 11 was flown by a TIE pilot known by the nickname "Wampa," and was based on the Super Star Destroyer called Executor. During that time, Black 11 often served as an escort for the Lambda-class T-4a shuttle ST 321, which was the personal transport of the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader.
Black 11, also referred to as Black-11, was a TIE/ln starfighter that Sienar Fleet Systems manufactured. Its propulsion came from twin ion engines, and its flight controls had green lights that illuminated when the power-up stud was engaged. The TIE/LN starfighter also carried twin laser cannons activated via a fire-control button. Black 11 had a hatch that made a hissing sound as it sealed shut.
At least one TIE pilot was known to have flown Black 11. The starfighter possessed a communications system that automatically activated upon startup, including tactical channel five, a low-power band with limited range. Black 11 also included a sensor with a screen that would signal when a target was detected. Its equipment included thrusters and throttles for maneuvering, along with a control panel that alerted the pilot upon reaching Minimum Safe Distance—the safest proximity to a gravity well for initiating hyperspace without risking destruction.
During the Galactic Civil War against the Alliance to Restore the Republic, Black 11 was assigned to the Galactic Empire's Black Squadron. Before the Battle of Yavin, Black 11 was based on the Imperial Star Destroyer called Steel Talon, which orbited the [prison](/article/prison-legends] planet of Despayre. When not in use, Black 11 was stored in a hangar. The commanding officer of the Imperial Alpha Squadron, Lieutenant Commander Villian Dance, frequently used it; he also went by the call sign ST-1-1. Dance considered Black 11 one of his preferred TIE/LN starfighters, observing that some performed better than others, exhibiting qualities like greater speed, tighter turning, or laser cannons with a faster firing rate.
When a group of prisoners on Despayre commandeered the Lambda-class T-4a shuttle RLH-1, Alpha Squadron, led by Dance, responded, with Dance piloting Black 11 during the subsequent engagement. Black 11 overtook RLH-1, and after the occupants refused to yield, the starfighter destroyed the shuttle, preventing its escape into hyperspace.
By the year 4 ABY, Black 11 was stationed on the Executor, the Imperial Super Star Destroyer that functioned as both the flagship of the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader and the command ship for Death Squadron. Black 11 frequently escorted Vader's Lambda-class T-4a shuttle, ST 321, and by that time was piloted by someone known as "Wampa," a nickname derived from their icy precision during combat.
During 4 ABY, Black 11, along with another TIE/LN starfighter and ST 321, were transported by the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer Thunderflare to the Endor system. Subsequently, the two starfighters escorted ST 321 to the Imperial battle station within the system, Death Star II, for the unannounced visit of Darth Vader shortly before the Battle of Endor.
When stationed aboard the Steel Talon prior to the Battle of Yavin, Lieutenant Commander Villian Dance was among the TIE pilots who were randomly assigned to Black 11. It was one of his preferred craft, which he used during the mission to eliminate the shuttle RLH-1. By 4 ABY, the pilot known as "Wampa" operated Black 11 while it was stationed aboard the Executor.
Black 11 initially appeared in the opening scene of the original trilogy film from 1983, Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. The TIE fighter was first named in the 2000 Death Star II Limited expansion set of the Decipher Star Wars Customizable Card Game. The starfighter made a subsequent appearance in the 2007 novel Death Star, authored by Michael Reaves and Steve Perry, where it was also referred to as Black-11.
A conflict exists between the opening sequence of Return of the Jedi and its novelization that was released in the same year. The novel describes several TIE/LN starfighters escorting ST 321 to the Death Star, which contradicts the film's depiction of only two such starfighters performing this task. Due to this inconsistency, this article refrains from considering the novelization as a confirmed appearance of Black 11, and instead considers the Return of the Jedi film as its initial appearance.
In 2003, a rotated image of Black 11 was used on the EX-4-9 card for the Empire Strikes Back expansion set of the Star Wars Trading Card Game. The card image is a modified version of a still from the Hoth asteroid field featured in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back from 1980.