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- Ahsoka, the latest Disney+ addition to the Star Wars canon, has featured (and is sure to keep showing) numerous iconic Star Wars starships, from old fan favorites to new and inventive designs. With spaceships playing such a crucial role in the franchise, the show is certain to keep fans both old and new reminiscing about the original trilogy and all the cool vehicles that it had to offer.
The ships of Star Wars are an essential part of the galaxy far, far away. In some ways, they're almost as important as the characters. Much of the story centers around dogfights, hyperspace jumps, and ace fighter pilots saving the day.
So many of the ships have unmistakable designs that are instantly recognizable. Whether it's the Millennium Falcon negotiating the asteroid field, Luke piloting his X-Wing into the Death Star, or that opening shot of the Tantive IV and Star Destroyer that started it all, some of the most iconic shots in the original trilogy feature these classic starships.
Updated on September 4, 2023, by Diego Pineda Pacheco:
Ahsoka, the latest Disney+ addition to the Star Wars canon, has featured (and is sure to keep showing) numerous iconic Star Wars starships, from old fan favorites to new and inventive designs. With spaceships playing such a crucial role in the franchise, the show is certain to keep fans both old and new reminiscing about the original trilogy and all the cool vehicles that it had to offer.
18 Storm IV Twin-Pod Cloud Car
First Appearance: 'Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back' (1980)
In The Empire Strikes Back, escaping from the relentless pursuit of Darth Vader and the Empire, Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon crew travel to the floating Cloud City in the planet Bespin. The city is guarded by the Bespin Wing Guard, who pilot the iconic Storm IV.
This model of Cloud Car manufactured by Bespin Motors has the pilot in one of the twin pods and the gunner in the other. It's slick and efficient, and its goofy look is unmistakable to all fans of the original trilogy.
17 B-Wing
First Appearance: 'Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi' (1983)
A wide variety of ships were used by the Rebellion in their fight over Endor against the second Death Star from Return of the Jedi, prominently including the A/SF-01 B-Wing assault starfighters, heavily-armed bombers that proved useful in attacking a structure as massive as the Empire's superweapon.
The B-Wing performs poorly in dogfights, but it was mainly engineered to be a blockade buster to aid in the destruction of capital ships. It isn't particularly fast or maneuverable, but for the Rebellion's purposes during the Battle of Endor, it was absolutely perfect.
16 TIE Interceptor
First Appearance: 'Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi' (1983)
The Empire used a wide variety of TIE starfighters in its effort to keep their control over the galaxy, including the menacing TIE Interceptor, which was most notably used during the Battle of Endor.
Identifiable by its four arrow-shaped panels tipped with laser cannons, the Interceptor makes up for its lack of defensive capabilities with tremendous speed and terrifying firepower. It's a far deadlier version of TIE than its basic counterpart, and its iconic yet strange design makes it a weird and much more easily recognizable Star Wars spaceship than most.
15 TIE Bomber
First Appearance: 'Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back' (1980)
One of the most powerful TIE classes, the Bombers were the Empire's main source of anti-emplacement air-support, powerful as a first line of attack to weaken capital ships before more agile TIE fighters take care of the rest.
Characterized by having two cockpits, one for the pilot and one for munitions, the Bomber has a design that makes it stand out from other ships in the Empire's fleet. It was present in some of Star Wars' most entertaining battles, which makes it unsurprising that it's one of the most beloved ships among fans.
14 Darth Vader's TIE Advanced x1
First Appearance: 'Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope' (1977)
Intimidating sci-fi villains need an equally intimidating ship, and Darth Vader's TIE Advanced certainly fits the bill. A prototype of the Advanced series of TIE fighters, it was used by Vader during many battles of the Galactic Civil War until it was destroyed during the Battle of Endor.
Unlike other kinds of TIEs, Vader's was equipped with a hyperdrive and powerful shield generators. What made it truly terrifying was the man aboard it, however, as Vader was every bit as skilled a starship pilot as Anakin Skywalker once was.
13 Lambda Class Imperial Shuttle
First Appearance: 'Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back' (1980)
The Lambda Class shuttle was one of the most common ships in the Empire; it was used by several high-ranking Imperials (including some of Star Wars' best villains), being a popular choice for ferrying officers between capital ships or down to the planet's surface from their Star Destroyers.
Despite their prestige, Lambda shuttles were used for many other duties, including transporting troops and cargo. This made the shuttle a perfect choice for carrying the Rebel strike team undetected to Endor during the mission to destroy the second Death Star.
12 Snowspeeder
First Appearance: 'Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back' (1980)
In their struggle against the Galactic Empire, the Rebellion had to make all sorts of modifications to all sorts of ships and weapons. For the Battle of Hoth, they modified T-47 air speeders to make them suitable for combat on the gelid planet.
Made for low-altitude flights, the T-47s were the perfect vehicle for the Rebels to retrofit into the ground attack fighters that fans got to see in one of the most thrilling set pieces of the original trilogy. They may be small and not particularly intimidating, but any ship capable of toppling an AT-AT deserves as much respect as any bigger star ship.
11 Home One
First Appearance: 'Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi' (1983)
After losing their base on Hoth, the Rebels take to traveling in space with no permanent base. Assembling a large fleet, the Rebel Alliance prepares for its assault on the second Death Star (among the most epic final battles in the genre). The fleet's flagship is the cruiser Home One, an MC80 Heavy Star Cruiser, commanded by the Mon Calamari Admiral Ackbar.
Designed by the Mon Calamari, the ship has an organic look, contrasting the angular Imperial vessels. Home One was among the largest and most capable ships in the Alliance fleet, being almost as big as a Star Destroyer and armed with heavy blaster turrets and ion cannons. It was the Rebels' pride and joy, and one of the most iconic Star Wars spaceships.
10 Executor Class Super Star Destroyer
First Appearance: 'Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back' (1980)
One of the biggest ships in Star Wars, the Executor Class is a class of Star Destroyer reserved only for a few high-ranking Imperial officers, including Darth Vader. The ship named Executor was used by Vader as his flagship, most notably during the Battles of Hoth and Endor.
The ships dwarfed the Imperial Class destroyers that escorted them and bristled with hundreds of turbolasers and squadrons of TIE fighters. They were a formidable enemy, greatly outgunning anything the Rebel Alliance possessed, but they could be destroyed if their shield generators were compromised.
9 Tantive IV
First Appearance: 'Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope' (1977)
The Tantive IV has the massive privilege of being the first ship to ever appear onscreen in a Star Wars movie, in the now famous opening shot of A New Hope showing a planet and two spacecrafts that has been echoed across all the subsequent films (and is still one of the best uses of visual effects in Star Wars).
Based on the CR90 corvette, the class was originally designed for use as diplomatic cruisers, but in its later life became known for its use by the Rebels. Nicknamed "blockade runners," they were a popular craft for running the Imperial blockades set up around occupied planets. They were small and fast but possessed enough firepower to take on small capital ships.
8 Nebulon B Escort Frigate
First Appearance: 'Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back' (1980)
A very distinctive-looking ship with the engine and bridge joined together by a thin spar, the Nebulon B is an Imperial ship that strays away from the wedge shape common to Star Destroyers and the like. Designed for escorting convoys of high-priority Imperial goods and equipment, it became better known as a ship of the Rebel Alliance.
Often used by the Rebels as a medical frigate, it was far from helpless in a fight. The front fin-like structure held batteries of turbolasers and torpedo launchers, as well as scanners and sensor arrays, and the Nebulon carried far more firepower than was typical for its size. However, it did have one major weakness in the spar that connected the front and rear sections, which could be destroyed under sustained fire.
7 A-Wing
First Appearance: 'Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi' (1983)
The wedge-shaped RZ-1 A-Wing interceptor may not have nearly as much screentime as other Rebel starfighters, but it's just as iconic and every bit as important. Its design took inspiration from the Republic starfighters used during the Clone Wars, and it became a vital element of the war against the Empire.
A-Wings were some of the quickest and most powerful strike fighters at the Rebels' disposal, making them ideal for missions that required high speed, such as hit-and-run attacks. They were later updated as the RZ-2 model, which was used during the Battle of Endor and endured until the times of the Resistance and the First Order.
6 Y-Wing
First Appearance: 'Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope' (1977)
Best known for their aid in destroying the first Death Star, the BTL-series Y-Wing starfighters were commissioned by the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars (making them one of the most iconic ships from the prequels as well), but as the impressively durable titans that they were, many survived and went on to serve the Rebellion during the Galactic Civil War.
Designed as long-range bombers, Y-Wings consist of a cockpit connected to two large ion engines. Despite their rudimentary and simplistic design, as well as their lackluster speed and maneuverability, these star ships are so reliable and well-armed that it's no surprise they were a crucial part of so many battles being won over the years.
5 TIE Fighter
First Appearance: 'Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope' (1977)
The TIE Fighter is the standard light craft of the Empire, and it's as basic as it gets. With no shields, hyperdrive, or missiles, the TIE is designed to attack in swarms and overwhelm opponents. The Empire doesn't care much about its pilots, with high casualty rates among them, but those who survive long enough are allowed access to elite squadrons.
As it's such a basic fighter, the TIE relies on specialized versions to carry out specific missions, including the Interceptor and the Bomber. There are also versions like the TIE Defender, which come from the Empire's experimental project and are much less common.
4 Imperial Class Star Destroyer
First Appearance: 'Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope' (1977)
The Imperial Class Star Destroyer is the most numerous of destroyers. Used by the antagonistic Empire as a symbol of their power and reach, which makes them some of the most formidable foes in all of sci-fi, an Imperial Class was often seen hovering above the occupied Outer Rim planets, enforcing the Imperial blockades and hunting down Rebel opposition.
While the presence of a Star Destroyer was enough to deter many from crossing the Empire, the ship was more than just a menacing presence: Onboard were squadrons of TIEs and other vessels. The ship was a difficult target but did have a weakness in the two shield generator domes on top of the bridge structure.
3 Slave 1
First Appearance: 'Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back' (1980)
Boba Fett's choice of transport doesn't get much screen time in the original trilogy, but it's instantly recognizable and by far one of the most famous Star Wars ships. He inherited it from his father and used it to become one of the most notorious bounty hunters in Star Wars.
Based on the Firespray-31 class starship, Slave 1 has been subject to several modifications. Like most bounty hunters, Boba Fett created a ship perfect for his needs and added extra firepower, missile racks, upgraded shields, and even cells for holding his prisoners when taking them to claim his bounty.
2 X-Wing
First Appearance: 'Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope' (1977)
Though it might not be the biggest ship, the X-Wing has made its mark in the expansive Star Wars galaxy, having been used extensively by the Rebel Alliance as their main fighter-bomber, being faster and more maneuverable than the aging Y-Wings. The ship itself is the ancestor of the ARC-170 heavy fighters used in the later part of the Clone Wars, and its lineage is evident in the wing layout.
The X-Wing was a much more capable vessel than the standard TIE fighters it often went up against, boasting four wing-mounted cannons, deflector shields, a hyperdrive, and proton torpedoes. After using it at the Battle of Yavin, it became the signature fighter of Luke Skywalker, and he got through his fair share of them before the war ended.
1 Millennium Falcon
First Appearance: 'Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope' (1977)
The Millennium Falcon might just be the most important Star Wars ship, the one responsible for Princess Leia's rescue, helping to destroy both Death Stars, and then going on to be used by Rey years later. Based on the YT1300, a member of the popular range of Corellian light freighters, the Falcon is a nimble, versatile ship.
There's some debate over who the Falcon belongs to, with Lando and Han both claiming ownership. Outfitted with several modifications, not all of them legal, she's the "fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy," very useful for trying to run the blockades on Imperial-controlled planets. With a good pilot at the controls, not much can outrun the Millennium Falcon.