The TIE Advanced of Darth Vader served as a starfighter, specifically the TIE Advanced x1 model, for the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader throughout the Galactic Empire's reign.
This TIE Advanced x1 starfighter piloted by Darth Vader represented an early version of the TIE fighter series Advanced line, produced by Sienar Fleet Systems. The Dark Lord of the Sith, known as Darth Vader, utilized it in numerous engagements during the Galactic Civil War under the Galactic Empire's reign.
In contrast to TIE/LN fighters and other TIE models, this fighter incorporated a deflector shield generator, a life support system, and a hyperdrive. Its offensive capabilities included a pair of fixed twin-mount laser cannons, along with the capacity to launch cluster missiles. The interior of the TIE was specifically altered to meet Vader's needs, tailored to interface with Vader's armor.
Early in the Empire's rule, the starfighter sustained damage. Attempts to repair the starfighter were made aboard Darth Vader's flagship Star Destroyer, but these efforts ultimately failed. The Imperial officer who informed Vader of the unsuccessful repairs suffered a fatal consequence due to Vader's perception of their inadequate effort.
Vader employed his starfighter during the Siege of Lothal to attack Phoenix Squadron in 4 BBY, after tracing a hijacked shuttle back to their location. In the aftermath of his solo assault, Vader managed to obliterate a significant portion of the fleet, including six A-wing starfighters and the command ship.
The vessel also participated in the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY. During this battle, it received an escort of two elite Imperial pilots piloting standard TIE/ln space superiority starfighters. After eliminating numerous Rebel starfighters, the ship lost control when one of Vader's Black Squadron wingmen collided with it while attempting to evade incoming fire from the Millennium Falcon. Shortly thereafter, Luke Skywalker destroyed the Death Star.
Following Vader's defeat at Yavin and his subsequent failure on Cymoon 1, his Sith Master demoted him, placing him under the command of Grand General Cassio Tagge. Vader accepted his punishment, and after a stopover on Tatooine, he met Tagge on board his Super Star Destroyer, the Annihilator. Soon after, Vader boarded his fighter and intervened to assist an Imperial shuttle that was under attack by pirates. He arrived just as the pilot of the shuttle destroyed the shuttle to prevent the pirates from seizing its cargo. Vader then targeted the pirate ship, a robotic CR90 corvette, destroying a torpedo. He then commanded his two wingmen, Black 2 and 3, to follow him in destroying the fleeing corvette. Vader skillfully avoided the pirate ship's attacks long enough to disable the corvette's engines using his twin laser cannons. Subsequently, Vader returned to the Annihilator, tracked the pirates back to their base of origin and destroyed it.
Vader soon departed Tagge's company and began searching for a rogue archaeologist, Doctor Aphra. Using the TIE Advanced, Vader journeyed to various worlds to locate the doctor, eventually discovering that Aphra was on Quarantine World III within Kallidahin Space. Vader and his TIE then traveled to the quarantined world and landed in one of its hangars. However, Utani Xane, the Curator of Quarantine World III, was alerted to Vader's presence by one of her B2-series super battle droids who had detected the Dark Lord's arrival. Vader quickly eliminated Xane and her battle droids, and requested Aphra to join him.
She accepted, and Vader took the fighter and docked it with the doctor's ship, the Ark Angel. They discussed Vader's plans and then traveled to the planet Geonosis in the Arkanis sector to steal a droid factory to build an army of unquestionably loyal battle droids for the Dark Lord's personal use.
The Ark Angel, with the TIE Advanced still attached, jumped to hyperspace to Geonosis, where Vader, Aphra, and new recruits BT-1 and 0-0-0—a pair of specialized assassin droids—were dropped down to the desert surface of Geonosis. Not long after, the Ark Angel, on Aphra's orders barraged the location of a homing beacon she had placed, blowing a massive hole in the ceiling of a lair where the factory was located so Vader's J-type 327 Nubian could extract the factory. Later, the team returned to the Ark Angel, with the TIE Advanced still docked, and created two platoons of BX-series droid commandos to storm Doctor Cylo's research base; to eliminate Vader's rivals for the Emperor's favor.
Darth Vader uses his TIE Advanced x1, which includes a hyperdrive, to travel to the planet. Vader declares that the boy cannot evade either his destiny or him.
Darth Vader inquires of Aphra whether they have received any news regarding Commander [Karbin]TIE Advanced, he went to the planet's system where, upon coming out of hyperspace, he found three Alliance starfighter squadrons orbiting the planet. As he sensed Luke's presence, he remained and charged against the starfighters, who dismissed his TIE as a mere Imperial scout.
During the battle, Vader engaged the X-wing starfighters and succeeded in eliminating both Blue Squadron and Yellow Squadron before losing contact with Aphra. Subsequently, Luke, flying as Red Five, confronted Vader and intentionally crashed his X-wing into Vader's starfighter in an attempt to kill him. The collision damaged their stabilizers and caused both craft to crash on the planet's surface.
During Crimson Dawn's war against the Sith, Vader piloted his Advanced in a skirmish on Calior against rogue Imperial agents. Chief Regional Auditor Cygnus Anton, an Imperial servant who had secretly allied with Crimson Dawn, was killed when Vader used his Advanced's lasers to destroy Anton's All Terrain Scout Transport.