Aside from a teaser trailer that all of us have watched countless times already, out best glimpse to what J.J. Abrams has concocted for the world of Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens has come via scattered leaks of concept art. The latest piece of art to leak is certainly interesting and literally paints a new picture of what we might expect to see on the big screen.
This new Star Wars Episode 7 is purely Imperial in flavor with a new type of Tie Fighter in the foreground, flanked by a more recognizable Tie to the left and a small legion of Stormtroopers on either side. Two figures clad in red and resembling Royal Guards from Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi guard the walkway into the massive new Tie, much in the same way they did for the Emperor upon his arrival at Death Star II.
This new Tie Fighter is presented as a successor to the Imperial Shuttle from ROTJ, but more aligned strictly for Royal (Sith?) use than shuttling troopers around. It has turbines built into its panel supports and an extended cockpit area resembling a WWII bomber, which is ironic considering the dog fighting that defines the Star Wars saga is based off WWII aerial combat.
There’s no guarantee that this Tie Fighter will end up in Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens as scores of concept art are created for films that never make it to the finished product. It does show that — at minimum — Abrams and his team were exploring the idea of an Imperial hierarchy and this Tie Fighter would transport an important passenger or passengers.
What I love most about this new ship is that it’s both familiar yet radically different than anything we’ve seen thus far from Episode 7. It serves as a reminder that there is much about the new generation of Star Wars films we don’t know despite having seen the Millennium Falcon on numerous occasions already as well as Han Solo and Chewbacca concept art.
Source: Indie Revolver
