Star Wars: 10 Things Fans Need To Know About Admiral Thrawn
5. He Invented A New TIE Fighter
Ever wonder if the empire grew tired of constantly having their TIE fighters blown up by farm boys in old Correllian ships?
Well Thrawn did, and not only did he point out the flaws in the current TIE fighter design but he also designed his own TIE Defender.
The Defender was faster, had its own hyperdrive, and had improved deflector shields. The design was so brilliant that Grand Moff Tarkin and the Emperor himself praised its creation.
Not many of the TIE Defenders were created, however, due to their expensive design. While Thrawn pushed for more of the elite fighters to be created, the funding instead went towards the creation of Project Stardust aka the Death Star. The last TIE Defender would eventually be destroyed during the Battle of Jakku.
Thrawn's legacy would eventually live on as the First Order utilized much of the TIE Defender's design when creating their own starfighters.