The Z-95 Headhunter, also known as the Z-95 starfighter or simply Z-95, represented a collaborative effort between Incom Corporation and Sublights Products Corporation in the realm of multi-role starfighters. Though often considered an older design, the Z-95's resilience and adaptability to various combat roles earned it recognition as a capable and respected snub-fighter for its time. Numerous variations of the Headhunter were manufactured, including a specific model tailored for use by clone pilots of the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. This starfighter served as the predecessor to Incom's highly successful T-65B X-wing starfighter.
Despite being somewhat antiquated by the time it began production, the Z-95 Headhunter [starfighter](/article/starfighter], a multi-role craft, was known for its durability and versatility, leading to its widespread recognition as a respectable and adaptable snub-fighter of its day. Taking its name from the Coromon Headhunter, the Z-95 featured a pair of engines on each side. Initially, it was produced without a hyperdrive, although a basic version could be added later. Due to the absence of an astromech socket, the pilot had to either pre-program hyperspace routes or manually input jump coordinates from data chips into its navicomputer. The Z-95 also had a reputation for its confined, single-person cockpit.
Despite these limitations, the Z-95 included internal environmental controls and two high-powered blaster cannons mounted on its wingtips. Furthermore, it was equipped with concussion missile launchers and a centrally positioned ion cannon capable of breaching deflector shields. The Z-95 paved the way for Incom's remarkably successful T-65B X-wing starfighter, incorporating technologies and designs that were initially tested on the Z-95. The Z-96, introduced after the Clone Wars, also followed the Headhunter's design.
The Z-95 Headhunter, a joint venture between Incom Corporation and Subpro, began its production run during the Clone Wars, resulting in a multitude of variations. The Galactic Republic also contributed to the Headhunter's extensive production with a clone-specific model. One such unit that utilized Headhunters was Reaper Squadron. Decades following the conclusion of the war, Synara San discovered the wreckage of one of Reaper Squadron's Z-95s within the Karavian Trench of Castilon.
Even after the war's termination, Z-95s remained remarkably prevalent. Idryssa Barruck piloted a Headhunter during her tenure with Saw Gerrera's Partisans, and Berch Teller's rebel cell employed several modified versions, equipped with rudimentary hyperdrives and enhanced weaponry, in their fight against the Galactic Empire. Hask Taff, a member of Teller's cell, utilized multiple Headhunters to fabricate a deceptive holovid that was transmitted to the Empire's Sentinel Base. The intention behind the signal was to mislead the Imperials into believing that their Rampart Station had been attacked, prompting them to prioritize its defense and leave Sentinel Base vulnerable. However, Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, the base's commander, discerned the message's fraudulent nature and instead laid a trap for the insurgents. Upon entering the system, they were immediately ambushed and forced to retreat into hyperspace. Subsequently, the rebels deployed Z-95s to attack an Imperial convoy near the Gulf of Tatooine; all but one were destroyed, as Teller used the remaining Headhunter to escape to the planet Christophsis while the rest of his cell was captured and summarily executed. A Pakiphantos gang also utilized Z-95s, modified with proton cannons. This gang attempted to seize the Millennium Falcon on Dhandu 3, but were either outmaneuvered or outgunned.
The Alliance to Restore the Republic continued its use of the Z-95 during the Galactic Civil War. Despite being somewhat slower and less agile compared to its successors, including the T-65B, the Z-95 became a crucial close-air-support asset within the Rebel Alliance Starfighter Corps. TIE fighter pilots serving in the Imperial Navy referred to Z-95s as "skulls." During a battle fought on Portocari, Rebel Headhunters were responsible for the death of an Imperial pilot named Barsay.
Although long since retired from military applications, Z-95s remained a popular choice among smugglers, gangsters, pirates, and various other individuals engaged in both lawful and unlawful activities twenty-nine years after the Galactic Civil War's conclusion. In one such instance, Resistance pilot Poe Dameron procured three Z-95s for a clandestine operation known as Operation: Sabre Strike.
Pilots affiliated with the Citizens' Fleet operated Z-95s during the Battle of Exegol in 35 ABY.
The Z-95 Headhunter entered the new Star Wars canon for the first time in the mobile game Star Wars: Commander, released by Disney Interactive on August 21, 2014. Prior to this, it was mentioned in the clone Z-95 starfighter entry within the now-defunct StarWars.com Encyclopedia. This entry, along with the reference to the Z-95, has since been transferred to the Encyclopedia's current replacement, the Databank. The Z-95 Headhunter was initially conceived for the 1979 Star Wars Legends novel Han Solo at Stars' End, penned by Brian Daley as the inaugural installment of The Han Solo Adventures trilogy.
While Poe Dameron: Flight Log indicates the Z-95's length as 16.74 meters, Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon 59 suggests a length of only 11.8 meters. This article operates under the assumption that the former measurement is accurate.