Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Andor season 2, episodes 1-3.The first three-part story arc of Star Wars Legends continuity, and while Sienar Fleet Systems was quickly added to the modern canon following the franchise’s 2014 partial reboot, the TIE Avenger made its first appearance - both in the current timeline and live-action - in Andor.

Cassian Andor’s subplot, he steals a TIE Avenger from a Sienar Test Facility on an unidentified mountainous planet. Cassian meant to deliver the fighter to a Rebel on Yavin IV but was instead captured by a different Rebel cell, forcing him to escape in the starship.

In its original incarnation, the TIE Avenger has a fascinating history, with a design derived from Darth Vader’s iconic TIE Advanced x1. In both continuities, the TIE Avenger is a powerful and highly advanced Imperial starfighter, with far more versatility than the more common TIE Fighters and TIE Interceptors. This is some of its rich history, and the ways in which Andor season 2 has honored it.

Sienar Labs Designed The First TIE Fighters For The Empire

Sienar Fleet Systems has been part of Star Wars lore for decades, originating in the Legends continuity. In its original incarnation, Sienar Fleet Systems was originally known as Republic Sienar Systems and supplied the Galactic Republic with vessels for over 15 millennia before it was rebranded as Sienar Fleet Systems for the Galactic Empire. In its new incarnation, Sienar created many of the Empire’s most valuable craft, from the TIE starfighters to the Immobilizer 418 Interdictor-class cruiser.

In the Legends continuity, Republic Sienar Systems was partially (and secretly) responsible for the creation of the Sith Infiltrator known as the Scimitar, though much of the ship’s design also comes from the Sith Lord Darth Tenebrous.

Sienar continued to produce ships and even ground units for the post-Endor Imperial factions, from Thrawn’s confederation to the Dark Empire. In the modern Star Wars canon, Sienar Fleet Systems has a similar history, creating warships for the Republic - such as the IPV-2C Stealth Corvette seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars - before becoming a vital starship manufacturer for the Galactic Empire.

Like their original incarnation, the modern canon’s Sienar also created the TIE starfighters for the Empire. After the fall of the Empire, the company became Sienar-Jaemus Fleet Systems, and they continued to design and build TIE starfighters for the First Order and even the Sith Eternal’s Final Order, with the TIE Dagger starfighters serving the reborn Emperor Palpatine.

Sienar's Advanced Projects Laboratory (& Star Wars Rebels Connection) Explained

Sienar Fleet Systems is, notably, featured prominently in Star Wars Rebels, with the company having built laboratories and factories on the Outer Rim planet Lothal. In Rebels season 1, Sienar and the Imperial military unveiled the TIE Advanced v1, which came equipped with an ordnance tube, deflector shields, and a hyperdrive. TIE Advanced v1’s were notably flown by only the most skilled and prestigious Imperial TIE Pilots and the Imperial Inquisitors.

Fascinatingly, Sienar’s role in Rebels was loosely referenced by the first episode of Andor season 2, which also gave the TIE Advanced v1s their live-action debut. The Sienar Test Facility seen in Andor is most likely not on Lothal, but its creation of more advanced TIE starfighters is likely tied to the work done on Lothal and other Imperial-controlled worlds.

As Cassian Andor flees the Facility, he is pursued by a pair of TIE Advanced v1s, though Andor manages to cause both deadly ships to crash during the pursuit. The TIE Avenger’s role in Andor and its place in the modern Star Wars canon’s timeline suggest that it shares a similar history to its original Legends continuity counterpart, including its relation to other experimental TIE craft.

The TIE Avenger Explained: Legends Origin & Canon Role

In the original Star Wars Legends continuity, the TIE Avenger is one of the finalized starfighters in Sienar’s TIE Advanced line of starfighters. The line began before the events of A New Hope with the TIE Advanced Prototypes, which were often used by Imperial dark side-s, such as Inquisitors. The next ship was the iconic TIE Advanced x1, with one such fighter being modified and becoming the personal starfighter of Darth Vader.​​​​​​​

The TIE Advanced line would lead to the creation of the TIE Interceptor before the TIE Avenger.

The TIE Advanced line would also include two more limited production fighters – the TIE Advanced x2 and the TIE Advanced x3 – before the finalized TIE Advanced was made. In the Legends continuity, the TIE Advanced would be unofficially renamed the TIE Avenger to differentiate it from Darth Vader’s more famous ship.

The TIE Avenger, despite being a full production model, was limited in its construction and use by the Imperial military due to its high cost. The TIE Advanced line would also continue with deadly ships like the TIE Advanced x7 and the famous TIE Defender.

In the modern Star Wars canon, the TIE Avenger has a similar history, though the name “TIE Avenger” seems to be its official designation rather than a nickname. Moreover, according to the TIE Fighters reference book, the TIE Avenger’s creation was inspired by Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced x1. The current iteration of the TIE Avenger is also spacious enough to carry multiple engers in addition to the pilot, while its original Legends-era incarnation only had room for its pilot.

The TIE Avenger Was So Much Better Than A Standard TIE

In both iterations, the TIE Avenger is a significantly more effective multi-role starfighter than the standard TIE Fighter. Standard TIE Fighters have proven time and time again to be extremely effective craft, armed with extremely powerful blaster canons and moving with astounding speed and maneuverability. Unfortunately, they lacked a hyperdrive, making them short-range craft that relied on carrier ships for long-distance travel. Standard TIE Fighters are also unshielded, so despite being difficult to hit, they are easily destroyed by enemy fire.

As shown in Andor and Legends-era sources, the TIE Avenger retained the speed and maneuverability that made standard TIE Fighters so formidable, but it lacked their weaknesses. The TIE Avenger had ordnance, making it effective against heavier targets than other starfighters, and it was well-protected by deflector shields. The fighters also came equipped with hyperdrives, allowing them to travel across the galaxy independently - just as it does in Andor ​​​​​​​season 2.

Andor season 2 releases new episodes Tuesdays at 9 PM ET on Disney+.