OL701 functioned as a TIE fighter pilot for the Galactic Empire amidst the Galactic Civil War. Subsequent to the Battle of Hoth, OL701 was dispatched into the Hoth asteroid belt alongside CR978, JA189, and NA811 with orders to pursue the Millennium Falcon.
The TIE fighter flown by OL701 made its initial debut in the original showing of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back during 1980; however, the pilot was not visually present in the movie. The pilot, OL701, was initially recognized and featured audibly within the book Lost Stars, authored by Claudia Gray and made available in 2015.