Who doesn’t love a villain in black? And flying an equally menacing TIE fighter, on top of that? The elite fighters of the Galactic Empire, TIE pilots have an equally menacing and recognizable visage as their brethren, the Imperial stormtrooper. In stark contrast to the X-wing helmet, the TIE fighter helmet is mostly uniform with very little to no variation in the ranks. With that said, blink and you might miss it, but there is an exception to the rule: TIE Victor 2. Second to this, a more recent variant TIE pilot helmet, the Inferno Squad™ Commander, was featured in the video game Star Wars: Battlefront II™.
Let’s review the DENUO NOVO Star Wars™ TIE Fighter™ helmets:
Imperial TIE Fighter Pilots relied on lightning-quick reflexes and fearlessness to survive tours of duty against the Empire's enemies, as TIE fighters were lightly armored and lacked shields. We are first introduced to them in Star Wars: A New Hope™, and to the naked eye, they seemed mostly uniform across the fleet. TIE fighter pilots wear a black helmet, with black features, two Imperial cogs and dark lenses.
It was only through high-definition video and screen captures did we recently find out that all black wasn’t the only TIE Fighter pilot in this film…
From what we know, TIE Victor 2 was among the two TIE fighter pilot specialists who flew with Darth Vader™ as a bodyguard during the Battle of Yavin™ in Star Wars: A New Hope.
We catch a minor glimpse of him as part of Darth Vader’s entourage bearing down on Red Leader and Gold Leader during the Death Star™ trench run. What is noteworthy about this character is the distinguishing marks on the helmet that make it different than just a standard TIE pilot. First, there are markings on the helmet's crown which seems to be Aurebesh™ (but not). Secondly, the Imperial cog seems to have seen better days with a quarter of it missing. Lastly, the cheeks are painted a metallic gray.
Inferno Squad Commander Iden Versio™:
Finally, we come to the most intriguing variant that the TIE pilot helmets have seen in decades, the Commander Iden Versio as seen in Star Wars™ Battlefront II™ (2017).
As the commander of Inferno Squad, a special forces unit of elite Imperial soldiers, Iden protects the Empire from potential threats, erases its enemies, and buries its secrets. Her unconventional tactics test the limits of the Empire’s rigid protocol, but her success as a leader is undeniable. Daughter of Admiral Garrick Versio™, Iden gained a mastery of combat and flight at the Future Imperial Leaders Military Preparatory School on her home world of Vardos™.
Her helmet has the most distinct markings from all other previous versions. Instead of bearing two Imperial cogs, there is the insignia of her squad command. Directly asymmetric in coloring, only the helmet’s right side is adorned with a red cheek and ram horn. Lastly, her mic tip connects are brighter metallic in color.
Click here to see all of the DENUO NOVO Star Wars™ TIE Fighter™ helmets.
