Darth Vader's TIE Fighter was a prototype called the TIE Advanced X1.  It was the predeccesor to the TIE Interceptor and was Darth Vader's personal ship.  He used it only once, in the Battle of Yavin to attack the Rebel X-Wing fighters.  Unlike other TIE Fighters, it has shilds and a hyperdrive.  On the other hand, it has no life support sytem.  It is armed with two heavy blaster cannons and can take quite a beating for a TIE fighter.  Although it wasn't mass produced by the Empire, it led the way for the TIE Interceptor that was eventually one of the most widely used ships in the Imperial Navy.  It appeared only in Star Wars: A New Hope

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