Star Wars: 10 Starfighters We Never Got To See
3. TIE-Punisher
After first appearing in the 2001 video game Star Wars: Galactica Battlegrounds, this ship made its real-world debut in the Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game. This means that even though this ship has yet to appear on screen, there are already models of it available for purchase. The TIE Interdictor, or Punisher, was introduced to the game in 2015.
It was a variation on the TIE-Heavy Bomber that saw action during the Imperial Era. It was loaded with far more ordnance than any of the other TIE class ships in the fleet, thanks to the storage pods on either side of the single-occupancy cockpit. While this ship carried a greater payload than most, it sacrificed hyperdrive capability to do so.
In canon, it came into service just after the Battle of Yavin, with several of them being deployed to Bespin for the attack on Cloud City.
They were typically tasked with taking on targets that Star Destroyers were unable to reach, as they were smaller. They were equipped with shields, primarily to ensure the delivery of their payload, with the secondary role of protecting the pilot inside.
Three of these vessels were involved in the assault during the evacuation of Yavin, though they were destroyed, and another was present during the Wookie liberation of the Kessel detention centres. Two events that also, despite their importance, have never made it to screen.