When we look at the image posted here, we encounter one of the strangest-looking ships in Star Wars. We probably recognize it as Imperial and think it’s a TIE Fighter with only one wing. Yet, it has these odd-looking pods on the ends that disrupt the shape of a TIE and leave us wondering what ship this could be. It is a TIE fighter, but an experimental model with an interesting backstory.
The Experimental TIE
The ship in question is called the TIE Experimental M1 and belongs to a project to test new Imperial fighter designs. Appropriately referred to as the TIE Bizarro, this ship had a single TIE starfighter wing panel at its center with “two wing braces connected to a pair of standard TIE series cockpit pods.”
These two pods serve the purposes of controlling the fighter and harboring a turbolaser that is more powerful than previous TIE laser cannons. Since turbolasers are customarily used on space stations and capital ships, they carry stronger firepower, reflecting one of the goals of the TIE Bizarro. They could be used to attack larger and smaller Rebel ships.
On the more traditional side, the pods have the same twin ion engines as other TIEs. Yet, it is faster than the standard model and comes with a hyperdrive that could provide a significant improvement. As part of a research initiative under the command of Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin, the M1 was expected to outblast and outpace the Rebels.
The involvement of Zaarin, who coveted the role of Emperor, reflects the ambitious nature of this ship. The overall TIE Experimental Project aimed to produce “innovative new remote-piloted starfighters” that would surpass the current TIE standards. By 3 ABY, Zaarin was appointed head of research and development and entrusted Director Lenzer with completing the M1.
Designs and Downfall of the M1
Grand Admiral Zaarin hoped that the Bizarro and other models would help catapult him to the head of the Empire. The Experimental M1 held much promise too, since it would be a pilotless ship that was “slaved” to a battle computer. In comparison, the TIE Defender program, also overseen by Zaarin, was designed to be operated by elite Imperial pilots.
The M1 could have thus complemented the TIE line-up quite well. This short video provides us with a 3-D view of a ship that could have offered strong firepower and maneuverability to Zaarin or the Empire, despite its odd shape. But the Rebels stifled these plans.
Soon after the Battle of Hoth, the Rebels responded to a distress signal from the Belat system and engaged with Experimental M1s who were attacking the civilian Cloburi Freight convoy. The A-wings proved to be superior fighters to these prototypes, especially because the M1s lacked shields (like most TIEs). Thus, the Alliance stifled this research project.
The final downfall of the M1s occurred after a Rebel intelligence operation that led to a strike on this TIE’s production facility. After a follow-up attack on the Imperial space station Obsidian, project Experimental TIE Bizarro was no more.
As fans, we primarily saw the M1 in the X-Wing Alliance computer game series and can read about it in publications like the Rebellion Era Campaign Guide. Because of its short life span, the Experimental is one of the odd ships that didn’t become well-known across the galaxy.
That Odd-Looking Ship
The odd-looking ship in question is the Experimental TIE M1 that was central to Imperial efforts to create remote-controlled fighters. Grand Admiral Zaarin hoped for their success, especially for his own purposes. But, as happens in Star Wars, the Rebels dashed his hopes.