During the Galactic Civil War, the callsign Red Five and the designation AA-589 were associated with several X-wing starfighters flown by Rebel pilots. In the Battle of Scarif, Cadet Pedrin Gaul piloted an X-wing named Red Five and used the same callsign, but TIE/ln space superiority starfighters shot him down, resulting in his death. Nevertheless, the X-wing's designation gained widespread recognition because Luke Skywalker first used the callsign during the Battle of Yavin. Following that triumph, the name "Red Five" became closely linked to the specific X-wing fighter flown by Skywalker.
After the Rescue of Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 piloted a T-65B X-wing starfighter known as Red Five in the Battle of Yavin. Although Darth Vader's TIE Advanced x1 damaged R2 (who was later repaired), Skywalker utilized the Force to obliterate the Galactic Empire's superweapon, the Death Star. Post-battle, his Red Five designation became synonymous with the actual starship that Skywalker flew.
When Princess Leia Organa and Evaan Verlaine embarked on an unauthorized mission to save the remaining Alderaanians who had survived The Disaster, Skywalker attempted to stop her using Red Five, but he was unsuccessful.
Subsequently, Skywalker piloted a different X-wing with the same name but a different paint scheme during the Battle of Vrogas Vas, until he intentionally crashed into Vader mid-air to shift the focus of the battle to the planet's surface. Han Solo rescued Skywalker in the Millennium Falcon, forcing him to abandon his starfighter.
Later on, Luke resumed using his more recognizable X-wing. It was present on Hoth while Luke commanded Rogue Squadron, and following the Battle of Hoth, he transported it to Dagobah for training with Yoda. After a water landing, Red Five sank into one of the planet's swamps. Despite this setback, Yoda trained Luke in the ways of the Force and later urged him to use his developing abilities to pull the X-wing from the swamp. While Luke's attempt failed, Yoda demonstrated his immense power in the Force by lifting the starfighter himself, despite his advanced age.
Against the wishes of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, who desired him to complete his training, Luke piloted the X-wing to Cloud City on Bespin. Following his duel with Vader and subsequent rescue by Lando Calrissian and Organa aboard the Millennium Falcon, Red Five was seemingly left behind on Cloud City. However, the trio later retrieved Luke's ship during a subsequent mission to the mining colony.
After recovering Red Five from Cloud City, Skywalker decided to delay rejoining the Rebel fleet in order to embark on a search for a woman he had been having visions of. His journey led him to a planet called Serelia, where he encountered a woman named Verla whom Skywalker believed to be a Jedi.
Following his adventure on Serelia, Skywalker traveled in Red Five to Tempes, where he discovered a new yellow-bladed lightsaber and fought the spirit of the Grand Inquisitor, who had been forced by Vader to guard the outpost for eternity. Skywalker overpowered him and escaped before Vader's arrival.
Skywalker later flew Red Five to Tatooine to rescue Han Solo, and then piloted the starfighter back to Dagobah to finish his training.
After the Battle of Endor, Skywalker journeyed to the planet Pillio in Red Five, where he encountered Del Meeko, a member of Inferno Squad.
Around 9 ABY, Skywalker utilized it to board Gideon's light cruiser during the rescue of Grogu.
At a later time, Grogu chose to embrace attachments and abandon his Jedi training with Skywalker, opting to return to his Mandalorian friend and adoptive father, Din Djarin. Skywalker had R2-D2 pilot Grogu in Red Five to Tatooine to safely deliver him to the Mandalorian.
Following the destruction of his Jedi temple, Luke entered a self-imposed exile in search of the First Jedi Temple and transported Red Five to Ahch-To, submerging it in the sea beneath Temple Island.
A year after her initial visit, Rey returned to the island in her own self-imposed exile, intentionally crashing Kylo Ren's TIE whisper. However, Skywalker's spirit encouraged her to confront the resurrected Darth Sidious, her grandfather. After Luke's spirit raised Red Five from the water, Rey repaired the ship and flew to Exegol using a Sith wayfinder to face the Sith Lord. During her journey, Rey transmitted Red Five's tracking beacon to the Resistance base on Ajan Kloss, enabling them to trace her route to the planet. This allowed the Resistance to launch an attack on the Sith world. In the end, Red Five survived the battle.
Red Five made its debut in the 1977 film, Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, which served as the inaugural installment of the Star Wars original trilogy. It subsequently appeared in the 1980 film, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, and the 1983 film, Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.
For the sequel trilogy, the 2017 film, Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi depicts Red Five submerged beneath the ocean on Ahch-To. Nevertheless, Red Five reappears in the 2019 film, Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker. The decision to revive Red Five in the ninth installment stemmed in part from the scene in The Empire Strikes Back where Luke is unable to lift his X-wing from Dagobah's swamp. When The Last Jedi showcased the X-wing underwater, the filmmakers decided to have Luke lift it with the Force in the subsequent film, thus completing the narrative arc.
The Battle of Yavin scene in A New Hope contains numerous continuity errors, many of which were introduced by the new computer-generated shots added to The Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition. In the shot of the starfighters approaching the Death Star, Red Five displays two red stripes on the trailing edge of the S-foils. However, in some subsequent shots, the same spot features 3 or 5 stripes. Similar continuity errors also exist within the main line of Star Wars comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi: The Visual Dictionary initially stated that Red Five was no longer functional after being submerged in the waters of Ahch-To. One of its S-foils is even visible as the door to Luke's hut in the film itself. However, in Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker, Luke's ghost lifts Red Five from the water, and Rey flies it to Exegol. The film's novelization addresses this inconsistency by explaining that Rey spent additional time on Ahch-To repairing the ship, including reattaching the wing and scavenging shield paneling from the TIE whisper wreckage.
2023's Star Wars: Dawn of Rebellion: The Visual Guide incorrectly identified the vehicle as a T-65C-A2 X-wing starfighter, while the majority of sources, including Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition and "Grounded" confirm the vehicle is a T-65B.