Spawned from the success of Grand Admiral Thrawn's TIE Defender project and created to the specifications of Darth Vader himself, the TIE Defender Elite was a variant of TIE Defender that had been modified for improved speed, shielding and armament. The TIE Defender Elite was not only superior to most if not all other Imperial Starfighters but was also more than a match for the Rebellion's A-wings and X-wings. The Elite like the standard TIE Defender was heavily armed, had even more durable shielding and was equipped with a hyperdrive, the Elite also had a built in Kill Switch which would eject the wings from the main cockpit pod in case anyone ever attempted to steal the prototype.