By flying the silencer against his enemies, Ren continued two traditions—the Imperial tradition that prototype starfighters were tested by aces, with Ren following notable Imperial pilots such as Vult Skerris and Darth Vader; and the tradition that as the son of Han Solo and the grandson of Anakin Skywalker, the former Ben Solo was a natural in the cockpit.
As with other TIE/vn space superiority fighters, the TIE silencer was noted for its speed and ferocity, as well as its laser cannons and missile launchers. The silencer was reminiscent of the Galactic Empire's TIE/IN interceptor, TIE Advanced x1, and TIE/d "Defender" Multi-Role Starfighter. It also featured customized flight controls specifically made for its test pilot.
The TIE silencer was a prototype starfighter that Kylo Ren field tested during the war between the First Order and the Resistance.
Kylo Ren, the apprentice of Supreme Leader Snoke, was an expert pilot like his father Han Solo, and grandfather Anakin Skywalker, respectively, before him. Due to his piloting skills, he field tested a unique starfighter known as the TIE silencer—following in the tradition of Imperial ace pilots, such as Vult Skerris and Darth Vader, who flew prototype fighters. Developed by Sienar-Jaemus Fleet Systems, the corporation utilized Ren's detailed post-flight reports to improve the vessel's onboard system. Ren utilized the silencer in his mission to destroy the Resistance.
In 34 ABY, Ren participated in the First Order's attack on the Resistance fleet shortly after the evacuation of D'Qar. Escorted by three TIE/sf space superiority fighters, he used the TIE silencer to destroy the Radduss starboard hangar, killing several Resistance pilots including Tallissan Lintra before moving to attack the bridge. However, he was unable to open fire on his target due to his mother, General Leia Organa, being located the bridge at the time of the attack. Ren was then forced to pilot his starfighter back to the Supremacy at the advice of General Armitage Hux, due to the Resistance fleet managing to outpace the First Order flagship, thereby leaving him without support and at risk of being shot down. In the following year, Ren instead flew a TIE whisper.
Kylo Ren's TIE silencer was created and developed for Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi, the eighth film in the Star Wars saga, which was released on December 15, 2017. The ship was officially revealed on The Star Wars Show on July 19, 2017. However, prior to the film's release, Kylo Ren's TIE silencer was introduced to the video game Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes on November 9, 2017.
Although Kylo Ren's TIE silencer was originally planned by the Industrial Light & Magic VFX team to feature missile pods on its underside and shoot them off, VFX supervisor revealed that during the film's early development, director Rian Johnson received an early prototype of the TIE silencer's toy version by Hasbro Inc., so the FFX team were forced to redesign the fighter.
Kylo Ren's TIE silencer, shortened to TIE Silencer, was introduced as a playable ship in the 2015 mobile game Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes in 2017, which features characters and ships from both the canon and Legends continuities.
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