DS-61-4, known by the moniker "Dark Curse," was a pilot of starfighters within the Galactic Empire during the era leading up to and including the renowned Battle of Yavin. Eventually becoming a member of the Black Squadron, he took part in many Imperial military operations. Ultimately, he met his death at the hands of Rebel pilot Wedge Antilles in the Battle of Yavin, where the Rebel Alliance launched an assault on the first Death Star battle station that DS-61-4 and others in his squadron attempted to defend.
During the Galactic Civil War between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire, DS-61-4 served as a TIE pilot within the navy of the Empire. The nickname "Dark Curse" was bestowed upon him at some point, and he had survived numerous attacks on dissenting worlds, including the planets Ralltiir and Mon Calamari. Prior to the Imperial assault on the moon Yavin 4 in 0 BBY, DS-61-4 was assigned to the Empire's first Death Star battle station as a member of the elite TIE Fighter unit, Black Squadron, which was commanded by the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader. DS-61-4 had been planning to retire from military service upon the completion of his upcoming combat mission while stationed on the Death Star.
Piloting the TIE Fighter designated Black 4, DS-61-4 joined his fellow Black Squadron pilots in opposing the Rebel attack on the Death Star during the Battle of Yavin. Amidst the initial chaos of the engagement, DS-61-4 successfully positioned his TIE Fighter behind the X-wing Red Five, flown by the rookie Rebel pilot Luke Skywalker, and managed to inflict a direct hit on the enemy starfighter. The damage inflicted by DS-61-4 on Skywalker's X-wing prompted him to request assistance from his fellow Red Squadron pilots. Discovering his inability to shake off the pursuing DS-61-4, Skywalker was aided by a fellow Rebel pilot, Wedge Antilles, who executed a Corellian Slip maneuver to destroy DS-61-4's TIE Fighter, thereby ensuring Skywalker's survival.
The standard uniform of TIE pilots was worn by DS-61-4.
DS-61-4 initially appeared in the novelization of the original trilogy film Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, released in 1976. He then appeared in the 1977 film, engaging Luke Skywalker during the Rebel assault on the Death Star. His scenes were filmed at Elstree Studios on Stage 8 between June 17 and June 28, 1976. The Star Wars Customizable Card Game's A New Hope Limited expansion set in 1996 first identified him as DS-61-4, also giving him the nickname "Dark Curse." It is worth noting that the card game would later feature an image of DS-61-4 on a card for Dodson Makraven in the Special Edition Limited expansion set in 1998.
According to the Star Wars Customizable Card Game's 2000 Death Star II Limited card titled "Major Turr Phennir," Phennir had an older brother who was killed by Wedge Antilles during the Battle of Yavin. This older brother of Phennir was subsequently named "Chaser" Cartha in the 2014 StarWars.com article Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Warfare Author's Cut, which showcased content that was cut from 2012's The Essential Guide to Warfare. Paul R. Urquhart, an author for The Essential Guide to Warfare, has stated that he originally intended for Cartha and DS-61-4 to be the same character, although this idea was not incorporated into the final book or the Author's Cut article.
The 1998 Star Wars Encyclopedia erroneously claims that DS-61-4 "[…]was an Imperial TIE pilot who survived the Battle of Yavin." This error was repeated in the 2008 edition of The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. However, his demise was explicitly depicted in A New Hope when Wedge Antilles destroyed his TIE Fighter following his hit on Red Five.
Furthermore, the 2002 A New Hope expansion of the Star Wars Trading Card Game used a film still of Black 4 to represent TIE Fighter DS-3-12, while film stills of Black 4 were used to depict TIE Fighters DS-55-2 and DS-73-5 in the 2003 Battle of Yavin set. This article, together with other articles linked to DS-61-4, considers DS-61-4 in Black 4 to be the true identities of the TIE pilot and fighter from the A New Hope film, and treats the other designations as separate canon entities distinct from DS-61-4 and Black 4.