Released in 1979 from Kenner, the Darth Vader TIE Fighter was a modified version of the company’s original TIE Fighter vehicle replica from the movie Star Wars. This model replaced the original space vehicle’s neutral colour palette with an “evil grey.” The toy mimicked the distinctive curved wing pattern of the spaceship seen in the movie.
The Darth Vader TIE Fighter was powered by two AA-batteries, that allowed it to light up a red “laser” canon and emit a “whining” laser sound when a rear deck button was pushed. Like the original, the Darth Vader TIE Fighter featured two top hatch flaps, a cockpit seat that could be raised up and down via a lever, and solar panel wings that popped off a push of a button.
