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[[quoteright:330:[[Film/TheLastStarfighter https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/The_Last_Starfighter.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:330:Careful -- that's [[{{Pun}} the last one]].]]

More commonly called a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starfighter Starfighter,]] this is an absolutely ubiquitous trope in ScienceFiction (and especially SpaceOpera): A small, one-man CoolStarship equipped with [[SlowLaser Slow Lasers]] and [[MacrossMissileMassacre Macross Missiles]], used by the AcePilot for {{Old School Dogfight}}ing.

A great many ScienceFiction protagonists are dashing Space Fighter pilots, and a fair number are MilitaryMaverick types who don't follow the rules.

Some Space Fighters have room for two (or, rarely, more) crewmembers rather than a single pilot, but all are small and nimble, in contrast with larger [[CoolStarship Cool Starships]] such as TheMothership or TheBattlestar. Typically, Space Fighters are dependent on a larger vessel, since they themselves lack the space for supplies or (often) a [[FasterThanLightTravel Faster Than Light Drive]]; however, there are exceptions.

[[TheBattlestar Battlestars]] will deploy Space Fighters against enemy {{Cool Starship}}s with an appropriate FighterLaunchingSequence. Fortunately for the AcePilot and his WingMan, large enemy ships will usually turn out to be PointDefenseless -- at least as far as the protagonists' PlotArmor-equipped Space Fighters are concerned. Thus, the enemy will need to scramble [[MookMobile Fighters of their own]]. An OldSchoolDogfight will ensue. Expect many a RedShirt Space Pilot to lose their life, thus underscoring just how risky TheHero's profession is, and making him or her seem all the more glamorous and heroic for it.

Quite often the Space Fighter will look just like a CoolPlane, because SpaceIsAir. At the very least, it's likely to have wings. This goes along with the use of the OldSchoolDogfight, and is largely RuleOfCool: Whether a Space Fighter has wings or not [[WingsDoNothing doesn't necessarily have any bearing]] on whether it will ever be shown operating in an atmosphere. If it ''can'' fight in the air as well as in space, it's also a SpacePlane.

Hard science fiction may instead employ more [[ISOStandardHumanSpaceship utilitarian-looking]] starfighters, with lots of engines and a completely un-aerodynamic shape. Some works may even opt for replacing Space Fighters with unmanned weapon systems controlled [[AttackDrone remotely or by AI]] -- though in a setting involving BrainUploading and TheSingularity, the differences between a manned Space fighter and an AttackDrone could be very subtle.
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%%The Main Page is not a soapbox for justifying your opinion on whether or not starfighters are sensible science fiction. If you want to chip in your two cents, take it to the Analysis page.

As far as RealLife goes, [[TruthInTelevision actual designs]] for manned orbital spacecraft that could charitably be called space fighters [[http://astronautix.com/s/spacecruiser.html do exist,]] and the Soviet Union even launched a SpaceStation (the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almaz Almaz]] program) armed with a cannon similar to those used on atmospheric fighters as a test of the concept (they destroyed some defunct satellites). The USA, meanwhile, developed a missile that, while launched from within the atmosphere, effectively turned any plane that carried it ''into'' a space fighter, the [=ASM=]-135 [=ASAT=]. While it never entered full production, a prototype was used to shoot down a satellite in 1984 after being [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/ASAT_missile_launch.jpg launched from]] a [=McDonnell=] Douglas F-15A Eagle thereafter referred to as the ''[[CoolPlane Celestial Eagle]]''.

See also HumongousMecha (some may function as or even [[TransformingMecha turn into Space Fighters]]). Space Fighters are a major part of the StandardSciFiFleet, and a common form of the MookMobile. If you're interested in discussing factors affecting the feasibility of Space Fighters in different settings, check out the [[Analysis/SpaceFighter Analysis page]].
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!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Manga/CaptainHarlock'': The Arcadia crew has Space Wolfs and Cosmo Wings. To demonstrate that Kei is an ActionGirl, she pilots a Wolf flawlessly.
* The three main cast members of ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' each crew have one, and they're all named after fish. Spike has his ''Swordfish II'', Jet pilots the ''Hammerhead'' and Faye uses the ''Redtail''.
* The fifteen subunits making up Anime/{{Dairugger|XV}} (AKA: vehicle-team Anime/{{Voltron}}) were all supposed to be able to act as space fighters (yes, even the ''cars''). The other, non-combining space fighters that appeared were usually just cannon fodder.
%%* The Angel Frames from ''Anime/GalaxyAngel''.
* The various universes and timeliness of ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' show space fighters either as predecessors that are entirely replaced by Mobile Suit Mecha or continue to be used as support units for mecha. However, in many respects, these HumongousMecha are ''the'' Space Fighters in the metaseries, just humanoid to account for the AMBAC (Active Mass Balance Auto-Control) system, which shifts the mass of hands and legs of the mecha to change the direction the mecha is facing to save propellant and shift the centre of mass away from the main body for evasive action.
** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' has both the Federation and Zeon using Space Fighters in combat before they develop their own Mobile Suits. Zeon's Gattle fighter is one of the odder designs in the series, with a second cockpit off to the side of the main one. While space fighters are mostly replaced by MS, they continue development and production well past the One Year War (for example, the FF-S4 Daggerfish).
** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'''s Moebius fighter is actually one of the more realistic designs out there for a space fighter. They're completely armored, with the pilots seeing everything over monitors, and their main weapon is a long-range linear cannon, with four missiles as backup and twin [[GatlingGood Gatling guns]] for emergency usage only. They don't have wings, and their engines are movable. Ironically, before developing their Mobile Suits, ZAFT also had space fighters that had glass cockpits and wings, and these are noted in the fluff to have stood no chance in fighting a Moebius. Fighters like the FX-550 Skygrasper and its space variant the Cosmograsper can equip themselves with Mobile Suit weapon packs either to support the MS or transfer them to the MS in the field.
** Many ''Gundam'' universes contain Core Fighters which are a combination of EscapePod and Space Fighter. If the MS is destroyed, the Core Fighter will detach and try to escape at high speed. While extremely weak against MS, they can be armed and used as fighters on their own.
** Another variation common to many universes is Fighters that can both fight independently ''and'' play the CombiningMecha to merge with MS to boost it. Notable examples include G-Falcon from ''Anime/AfterWarGundamX'', GN Arms and GN Raiser from ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundam00 00]]'' and Kutan Type-III from ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamIronBloodedOrphans IBO]]''.
* ''Anime/{{Macross}}'':
** The [[TransformingMecha Valkyries]] are notable for being one of the first anime examples that are also armed with [[MacrossMissileMassacre missiles]] instead of just [[OldSchoolDogfight guns]]. Them looking like modern aircraft is also justified: they are meant to fly in both space ''and'' atmosphere, and the latter requires a certain shape.
** [[Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross The first series]] also sports the SF-3A Lancer II for the United Nations and the Gnerl fighter pod for the Zentraedi, both carrying missiles and cannons-and very definitely not looking like modern aircrafts: the Lancer is intended to fly in space only to carry hit-and-run attacks and [[http://www.macross2.net/m3/sdfmacross/sf3a-lancerii/sf3a-lancerii.gif has a completely non-aerodynamic shape]] due the freakishly large anti-ship cannons, while the Gnerl is intended to operate mainly in space with atmospheric combat as a secondary consideration, and [[http://www.macross2.net/m3/sdfmacross/gnerl/gnerl.gif is just aerodynamic enough for its powerful thrusters to keep it in flight]].
* ''Manga/MoonlightMile'' has more realistic depictions of space fighters which use reaction control system thrusters in a vacuum for rotation and movement instead of assuming SpaceIsAir. Thus, they don't need to be aerodynamic.
* Omnipresent in ''Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato''. The ''Argo''/''Yamato'' doubles as a [[TheBattlestar carrier]], after all. [[Film/SpaceBattleshipYamato The 2010 live-action adaptation]] adds the twist that the fighters are used to gather targeting information for capital ships and their heavy guns.
* The Autobots and Decepticons in ''Anime/TransformersArmada'' both use Space Fighters when they join forces to battle Unicron.
* ''Anime/VoltesV'': The Volt Machines are this, and together, they form the titular CombiningMecha.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman''
** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': At the tail end of the Golden Age and dawn of the Silver Age the Amazons had fighters capable of space travel and portal jumps which helped Diana out against extraterrestrial foes. Fascinatingly the crafts' defenses required the pilots to exit them and stand on them to deflect bullets with their bracelets while relying on auto-pilot.
** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': The Sangtee Empire have space fighters which are sent to escort the slave transport freighters when Wondy's revolutionary crew start hijacking them en masse. Most of the fighters end up surrendered to the revolutionaries since their tech whiz finds a way to remotely disable their scanners and other parts of the ships, allowing the revolutionaries to surprise them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/{{Origins}}'' has scads of these. They mostly exist as ZergRush flavor-text, but several examples stick out. Par for the course with ''Franchise/StarWars''-inspired fighters, they're all capable of fulfilling the role of SpacePlane by operating in-atmosphere if needed.
** ''Fireant'' blastboats have enough weaponry to level cities (and are unsurprisingly used to do exactly that). The younger version of Maya takes to piloting one when allowed, and the ''Fireants'' become an AwesomePersonnelCarrier... [[JustForFun/RecycledINSPACE IN SPACE!]]
** ''Punishers'' are basically what happens if a [[HotSkittyOnWailordAction TIE Defender and TIE Phantom had a baby]]. Some have cloaks ([[HoldingBackThePhlebotinum not the one the main characters use]] of course), all have [[SlowLaser Slow Lasers]], can unleash a MacrossMissileMassacre, possess [[HealingFactor self-healing hulls]], and heavy DeflectorShields. Unlike the [[OpenSecret Open Secrets]] surrounding cloaking devices, superlasers, and a giant not-military-military, these monster [=TIEs=] seem relatively well-hidden by comparison, as most people don't know about them.
** The maneuverability of ''Normandy SR-2.5'' plus its heavy [[EnergyWeapon novalasers]] allow it to act like one compared to "frigate"-weight ships from the ''Star Wars'' universe.
** ''Raptor'' fighters are [[DamnedByFaintPraise completely average by comparison]] but rack up a 3:1 ratio against Reaper Oculus.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]
* ''Film/TheFifthElement'': Space fighters make a brief appearance, shooting down the friendly alien ship carrying the protagonist.
* Partially subverted in ''Film/IndependenceDay'': the alien attackers are certainly capable of flight and combat in space, but the vast majority of scenes involving them happen within the atmosphere.
* ''Film/TheLastStarfighter'': The Gunstars and Ko-Dan fighters (though the Gunstars are really more like a gunship or weapons platform than a true fighter).
* ''Film/LostInSpace'' plays with the conventions of this trope, featuring several space fighter designs; the enemy raiders fly rather bulky, jet fighter-styled bombers, while Major West and his crewmate fly in bubble cockpits with gyroscopic seats, asymmetric, unfixed single wings and a main engine plus orientation thrusters that only fire when maneuvering. However, both follow ''Franchise/StarWars''' example of ships banking like planes while still dogfighting on a completely [[TwoDSpace three-dimensional plane]].
* ''Franchise/StarWars'' is the TropeCodifier that influenced all subsequent designs to one extent or another. The basic designs of the most famous ''Star Wars'' fighters are instantly recognizable to anyone with even a passing knowledge of pop culture.
** In ''Film/ANewHope'', [[DavidVersusGoliath small one-man fighters are famously used]] to attack the [[ThatsNoMoon gigantic]], [[EarthShatteringKaboom planet-destroying]] Death Star because they are small and [[OldSchoolDogfight manoeuvrable]], and can [[PointDefenseless evade the Death Star's defensive fire]] where [[StandardSciFiFleet larger ships]] -- which are [[BiggerIsBetter the only threat the evil Empire considered]] when designing the defenses of their [[BiggerIsBetter gigantic]] battle-station -- would have been blown apart.
** Fighters without faster-than-light drives are the exception, rather than the rule; they are usually either old designs predating the days of easy travel, made explicitly to ''not'' be autonomous -- like the Empire's TIE Fighters, or too small/light to carry the equipment (the Jedi Starfighters of the [[Film/AttackOfTheClones second]] and [[Film/RevengeOfTheSith third]] prequels).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Let's Plays]]
* ''LetsPlay/{{Mahu}}'': In "Second Chance", fighters are a common sight of the latter fleet of the Galactic Commonwealth. Still, though they are quite effective when used correctly, they are still considered a minor tool when compared to the huge, capital ships the Commonwealth is able to deploy.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Examples by author: ]]

* Numerous types of fighters in Iar Elterrus' multiverse, the shared setting of the ''Order of Aarn'' novels and ''Mad Bards'' novels. Notable types are:
** "White Bird" of the Order of Aarn. As all Aarn spaceships, these are living organisms with integrated modules and armaments. They can be equipped with FTL drives and can carry a passenger, but can only be piloted by those with the Born Pilot power.
** "Phoca" of the Farsen Federation. Built after the Farsenians found a cache of technology left behind by the Ker'Eb Vr'an [[spoiler:a fraction of AdvancedAncientHumans]]. As all Ker'Eb Vr'an technology, these consist of a tiny material core (the Phoca core is small enough to be worn as a necklace), which upon activation encapsulates the pilot in the actual spaceship consisting of various force-fields.
* Creator/DavidWeber:
** Weber includes starfighters in both his ''TabletopGame/{{Starfire}}'' series and ''[[Literature/PrinceRoger Empire of Man]]'' series, though in the later series (co-written with Creator/JohnRingo), they're not important to the first three books.
** The closest thing to starfighters in his ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' series are Light Attack Craft, or [=LACs=] for short. Weber has gone to some length to explain that they are ''not'' actually fighters, but rather old school torpedo boats [[JustForFun/RecycledInSpace in space]]. They are ''very'' large by Space Fighter standards (over 70 metres long and massing over 20,000 tonnes) and require a minimum crew of ten, with most early examples being relegated to CannonFodder status. After ship-killer "Super" [=LACs=] carrying battlecruiser-grade grasers are introduced, "anti-LAC" [=LACs=] begin appearing, but they are still too big, too clunky, have too large a crew and are nowhere near manouverable enough to be true Space Fighters. However, when explaining the usefulness of the new LAC carriers, Honor does draw the parallel to the 20th-century Earth and the impact of aircraft carriers on naval warfare, especially since the new [=LACs=] have spinal-mounted weapons, meaning they have to face the enemy to fire. However, the development of bow and stern [[DeflectorShields walls]] means they can take "down the throat" and "up the kilt" hits and still have a chance of surviving (although they can't maneuver rapidly or accelerate while using these walls). A big emphasis is placed on the different LAC doctrines used by the star nations fielding these. Manticoran [=LACs=] are primarily designed for anti-capital ship roles (although they usually can't go up against dreadnoughts or superdreadnoughts). The less powerful Haven [=LACs=] are designed for anti-LAC roles. This also affects the size of each side's LAC carriers ([=CLACs=]). With the need to attack, Manticorans build dreadnought-sized [=CLACs=], while Havenites, using them mainly for defense, can afford to build the slower superdrednought-sized carriers. Of note are the Grayson ''Katana''-class [=LACs=], which are designed from the get-go to go up against enemy [=LACs=], even though, at the time, no such thing exists. They are, basically, TheAlliance's equivalent of Haven's ''Cimiterre''s, but with the advantage of Alliance tech. Manticorian LAC doctrine later shifts to focus more on the screening role with [=LACs=] (especially ''Katana''s) being used to provide additional anti-missile defense for the wall of battle in place of the traditional destroyers and cruisers. They also make extensive use of [=LACs=] in a system defense role. While they can't stop a major attack they are more than sufficient to defend against raiding squadrons, particularly when backed up by large numbers of missile pods.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Examples by title: ]]

* The ''Literature/AllianceUnion'' novel ''Hellburner'' centres on a moderately realistic Space Fighter -- the titular Hellburner. Being essentially a carrier launched missile-firing-missile it is exceptionally difficult and physically punishing to fly. Being such a pure chunk of engines and guns it is a mortal threat to starships. In the novel, human intelligence right at the controls justifies the performance penalty of a living pilot. The Hellburner is interesting in that it has a minimum of ''four'' people operating it: a pilot, a navigator, a gunner, and a fourth person who analyzes all of the ship's sensor data in order to figure out what the gunner should be shooting at. In operational trim, the fourth bod's data is pre-filtered by another thirty people, to avoid the problems caused by depending on lightspeed-limited radar when operating at a significant fraction of lightspeed. A big part of tactical success is outguessing the other guy on fragmentary and outdated sensor data.
* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' has several. The Yeerks use Bug Fighters, which look like mechanical insects. They were stolen from a similar Andalite ship, the main difference being the position of the "tail" that contains the dracon or shredder cannon.
* Since space combat in ''Literature/ArkRoyal'' is primarily carrier-based, fighters play a large role. Their primary goal is to keep the [[PlasmaCannon plasma-armed]] alien fighters away from the titular carrier. Ordinarily, there are also the heavier bombers, which can launch nuclear missiles at enemy capital ships, but the aliens' [[PointDefenseless point defense]] is just too good, so no bomber can get close to launch a missile. Human fighters are ugly spherical pods with thrusters all over the hull to allow for maneuverability in space. As usual, a fighter is a OneHitPointWonder. It's specifically stated that no one has been able to successfully design an aerospace fighter, since the requirements for air and space combat are radically different. One pilot does suspect that the more streamlined alien fighters may be able to land on planets.
* In ''Literature/TheFlightEngineer'', there are Speeds and [=WACCIs=]. Speeds are fast, agile ships armed with a pair of mass drivers that fire molten copper particles, while [=WACCIs=] are stealth recon ships with a single mass driver for defense.
* There are nominally fighters in ''Literature/TheForeverWar'', but they're the size of gunboats (normally crewed by 3 people, but can take up to 12, they need to be that size to fit in all the support equipment for the crew when manoeuvring at 25 G), and end up getting treated more like shuttles (Drones can move at 100s of Gs, and are smaller).
* Numerous types of fighters (usually, of the aerospace variety) are present in ''Literature/TheHistoryOfTheGalaxy''. One novel is focused on a new [[TheFederation Confederated]] military doctrine for protecting its Border worlds (the StandardSciFiFleet is relegated to protecting the Core colonies). This involves a series of planetary bases and a new class of fighter-carrying cruisers (Russian sci-fi writers, as a rule, hate the word "carrier") that act as mobile bases for a new modular type of fighter. These fighters are powered by a special AntiMatter reactor that uses anti-tritium for its supposed ability to only react to tritium and no other normal matter. It's also equipped with a {{Deflector Shield|s}} of sorts, based on [[StarfishAliens Logrian]] Veil gravity generators that bend light around it in a continuous loop to create a light-based shield. The "modular" part comes from the ship being able to be refitted for a different role in about an hour with proper facilities by simply swapping out equipment packages. It can be a space superiority fighter, a fighter/bomber, or a long-range FTL strike craft.
* ''Literature/HumanxCommonwealth'': The Commonwealth has stingships, two-person attack ships each carrying a single SCCAM missile.
* ''Literature/LaszloHadronAndTheWargodsTomb'' features some of these, such as the Estoc bomber and the Claymore heavy fighter, the latter of which includes Laszlo's personal fighter, the "Eaglehawk".
* ''Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata'' has the Space Falcon, developed to supplement the makeshift frigates guarding the solar system. It's explicitly stated that they are ''not'' capable of operating in an atmosphere.
* ''Literature/LegendOfTheGalacticHeroes'' has Space Fighters, although the action mostly focuses on large fleets of battleships. They are decidedly non-planelike.
* Averted in ''Literature/TheLostFleet''. Due to the mass/thruster ratio, fighters are simply no match for larger warships (i.e. they can't maneuver as atmospheric fighters), and any computer targeting system capable of hitting anything while traveling at 10% of the speed of light can definitely track a small fighter. Fast Attack Craft (or Short-Range Attack Craft, as they were known in Geary's time) are capable of space and atmospheric flight, which is why they are normally used near planets or space stations. Corvettes get slightly more use by the Syndics, especially the so-called Hunter-Killers, which are a cross between a corvette and a destroyer. "Nickel" corvettes are used to patrol systems far from any border, as they're virtually useless.
* The ''Literature/LucifersStar'' series has starfighters playing a huge role in combat. They're specifically noted as weapons designed to get around capital ship's defenses and soften up shields for larger vessels to destroy or to take down smaller ships. They have a lot of prestige, though, with AcePilot characters being propaganda tools.
* Space fighters are a feature in ''Literature/TheNamelessWar'', although some officers question whether their usefulness really justifies the expense of their fighter carriers. As well as serving in the strike role, human fighters also provide a forward screen against Nameless MacrossMissileMassacre.
* Soviet space fighters known as Elektrons appear in the Creator/DaleBrown novel ''Silver Tower'', attacking the titular space station. Lampshaded at one point by the lead Soviet pilot, who at one point starts to refer to his Elektron as a SpacePlane before correcting himself. In later books, the Americans develop their own armed spacecraft, including single stage to orbit {{Space Plane}}s.
* In John Robert Maddox's ''Space Angel'', the titular spacecraft is a tramp freighter, and the story takes place some years after a devastating war. Her (female) captain and one of the crew had been pilot and gunner in a class of small scout/fighter craft which had been deployed (and expended) in vast numbers during that war. This was revealed when the new quartermaster wondered aloud why the captain kept the hard-drinking man on as part of her crew.
* ''Literature/SpinwardFringe'' is all over this trope. Although larger ships are variously described as destroyers, battleships, carriers, and so on depending on their intended role, virtually all of them carry at least a few fighters. They vary from {{One Hit Point Wonder}}s consisting of little more than a paper-thin hull with a couple of guns glued on to overpowered beasts capable of seriously worrying smaller capital ships.
* The ''Literature/StarCarrier'' series has the SG-92 Starhawk and Turusch [[NicknamingTheEnemy "Toad"]]. Starhawks have variable hull geometry (nanotech is involved) that allows them to reconfigure themselves between several forms: a slim needle for launch and space combat, an airfoil for atmospheric flight, and a sperm-like teardrop for crossing distances at near-''c''. They're armed with kiloton-yield nuclear missiles, Gatling railguns, and a particle beam. Toads are armed similarly but are more massive, less maneuverable, and lack the variable geometry which makes them crap for air combat.
** All ships in this 'verse use [[ReactionlessDrive gravitic propulsion]] involving projecting a [[UnrealisticBlackHole singularity]] in front of the ship, "winking" it out, then projecting it a little farther as the ship is constantly falling into it. By doing that billions of times per second, Starhawks can quickly accelerate to a high percentage of the speed of light in about 10 minutes. Since the pull of the singularity is roughly the same on the entire craft, neither the pilots nor their fighters experience any of the 50000 or so g-forces (no InertialDampening necessary). Turning is done by projecting the singularity to the side and letting the fighter simply move along the curved space/time (i.e. the fighter is not changing its local directional vector; it's the space itself warping around it). Once again, no g-forces, but a fighter that gets too close to its own singularity can be spaghettified by it. In a later book, a fighter pilot learns to use the singularity projector as a weapon by getting to "knife-fighting" range and projecting a singularity inside a capital ship, then leaving without "winking" it out.
** In later books, it's mentioned that new fighter designs are being introduced into the USNA fleet faster and faster, and the biggest obstacle to replacing all the fighters is not the number of the new fighters (they're nano-grown from asteroid matter) but the number of pilots with the upgraded neural hardware and software to fly them. The SG-420 Starblades made all the fighters before them obsolete almost immediately, including the still relatively new SG-101 Velociraptors and SG-112 Stardragons. Its nano-hull can flow around the pilot, redirecting enemy kinetic shots and growing weapons in any direction on demand.
* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'':
** The ''Legends'' universe introduces dozens of new space fighters, though they're called starfighters or snubfighters most of the time. Most of the time, fighters introduced outside of [[Franchise/StarWars the movies]] see very limited use, mostly due to SmallReferencePools. [[Literature/XWingSeries One series is all about X-Wing pilots]] flying under an AscendedExtra.
** In the ''Literature/NewJediOrder'' series, the coralskipper is the ubiquitous fighter flown by [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Yuuzhan Vong]] pilots, so-called because it's actually grown from a kind of coral. Though the name apparently loses a great deal of menace in translation from the Yuuzhan Vong language (Yorik-Et), the skipper is very formidable -- its plasma cannons rip through shields and steel, and its engine can also suck up blaster fire with a mini black hole.
* The protagonist of ''Tomorrow War'' is a [[InsistentTerminology flugger]] pilot. The setting is rather hard, so they engage each other at a long range (no {{Old School Dogfight}}ing) and attack big ships that aren't crippled only at several megameters, with missiles. Oh, and pilots have to improve their acceleration tolerance by eating an [[ImportedAlienPhlebotinum alien biostimulant]].
* Subverted in ''Literature/ValkyrieIntoTheHeavens''. The series protagonists are 'pod pilots' who operate starships through a set of [[BrainComputerInterface neural interfaces]]. It sounds at first glance to be a story about starfighter pilots, until you realize that each ship they're piloting weighs over 300 tons, is about the size of a commercial frigate, and classed as a frigate by the navy.
* ''Literature/WhenTheEmpireFalls'' has both starfighters and drones being used. There is no good AI, but there is good wet networking, so heavily augmented pilots take the role.
* In ''Literature/{{Worldwar}}'', the three main human powers have ''de facto'' space fighters by the early 1960s, designed to attack the Race's orbiting ships with nuclear weapons in case another conflict erupts. When the Nazis do end up opening a new war with the Race, their fighters get wiped out by their more advanced opponents but take out a few of the Lizards' ships.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'' has the infamous Slipfighters from Archlike to Cerberus, all of which could operate in an atmosphere and could carry [[EarthShatteringKaboom Nova bombs]] in addition to their array of seemingly overpowered conventional weaponry. Nietzschean Garuda-class fighters are also OP, with small packs of them being able to destroy High Guard and other Commonwealth capital ships and warships with ease. This could actually be one of the few cases where fighters would make sense, as Slipfighters are capable of traveling FTL and Slipstream drive has quite a few limitations -- namely that it doesn't allow [[SubspaceAnsible faster-than-light communication]], is confined to certain [[HyperspaceLanes paths]], and can't be navigated by [=AIs=]. Those factors make fighters invaluable as scouts and raiders.
* ''Series/BabylonFive'' has a wide variety of these, some relatively hard-science examples and others being softer.
** One of the harder examples is the Earth Alliance Starfury. In fact, the basic Starfury design of a flat X-shaped wing with reversible engines at all four wingtips and a central cockpit is such a good one for maneuvering in zero-g that apparently there was at one point some serious interest from NASA in actually building one, albeit more as a space forklift/tug than a space fighter. Creator/JMichaelStraczynski agreed, on the condition that they retain the name "Starfury". However, given the lack of activity, it seems that project has been shelved. Several variants of the Starfury are shown throughout the series: the standard single-seat Aurora Starfury; a once-seen heavy Starfury with a tail gunner's seat (called Muskrat by the production but mistaken by many fans for the designed but never shown Badger Starfury); and the Thunderbolt Starfury, with two pilots sitting in tandem, an elongated fuselage, and folding wings to allow it to operate in atmosphere as a bomber. There was also a "flying forklift" variant, which only had one wing with two thrusters (instead of two wings with four), manipulator arms instead of guns, and a bright yellow paintjob in the style of a piece of construction equipment (which it was).
** The Narn have the Frazi-class heavy fighter, another fairly hard example (even if less hard than the Starfury series).
** The Sentri used by the Centauri Republic is a softer example: it looks like a crescent-shaped flying wing, has its engines in the stern, and flies like an airplane even in zero-g.
** The Nial, the heavy fighter of the Minbari, is faster and more maneuverable than other Younger Races fighters, has guns powerful enough to tear apart enemy warships, and [[StealthInSpace a stealth technology that makes them extremely hard to hit]].
* ''Franchise/BattlestarGalactica'': Both the [[Series/BattlestarGalactica1978 original]] and [[Series/BattlestarGalactica2003 new]] series are largely built around the Vipers. Fun fact: since the US Air Force's F-16 Fighting Falcon entered service the same year BSG first aired, and the control stick of the F-16 looks a lot like that of the Colonial Viper, F-16 pilots were soon calling their birds "Vipers". If the design of the Viper Mk. VII from the new series is anything to go by,[[note]]In particular, the belly engine scoop[[/note]] that fact has come full circle.
* ''Series/BuckRogersInTheTwentyFifthCentury'' used rejected models from ''Battlestar Galactica''.
* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' has Peacekeeper Prowlers, Scarran Fighters from the miniseries, and D'argo's Luxan fighter. The Sheyangs also launch fighter pods from their capitol ships.
* In ''Series/{{Firefly}}'', Alliance ships carry squadrons of "gunships" which are for all intents and purposes space fighters. Gunships are deployed by Alliance ships to pursue smaller, lighter craft that the cruiser itself cannot pursue, as the bigger ship is much slower -- essentially a carrier/city in space. According to the RPG, the gunship (officially ASREV, for Alliance Short Range Enforcement Vessel) differs from the ''Franchise/StarWars'' model in a couple of respects. Instead of being basically a fighter jet in space, it is about the same size as a regional passenger jet at 83 feet long and 48 feet wide. Gunships carry a crew of four and are also used as the interplanetary equivalent of police squad cars.
* Eagles, the workhorses of ''Series/Space1999'', are sometimes fitted with a laser and pressed into the role of fighters to defend Moonbase Alpha. One episode features Mark IX Hawks, a specialised space superiority fighter built on Earth yet somehow being used by hostile aliens, which should probably have raised some red flags.
* ''Series/SpaceAboveAndBeyond'' has star fighters used by both the Humans and the Chigs. The human fighters (the Hammerheads) carry missiles and mounted gun turrets in the chin and tail, while the Chig fighters use some sort of energy cannon. The Chigs' SuperPrototype, a fast stealth fighter that's nigh invulnerable to the Hammerheads' weapons fire, is flown by [[RedBaron Chiggy Von Richtoffen]]; after three different squadrons try and fail to take him down, the prototype is finally destroyed in a one-on-one fight with [[HandicappedBadass Colonel McQueen]].
* ''Franchise/StargateVerse'':
** ''Series/StargateSG1'' is notable in that the [[ScaryDogmaticAliens villains]] have space fighters from the very start, but the good guys have to develop theirs slowly, over several seasons. However, as with all Goa'uld technology, their [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Death Gliders]] are [[CoolButInefficient more impressive than practical]]. They're mostly used for strafing ground targets, but are frequently shown fighting in space as the show goes on and starts featuring more {{Space Battle}}s. We see the first [[HumansByAnyOtherName Tau'ri]] attempt to build a Space fighter in Season 4; it is built using [[ImportedAlienPhlebotinum two damaged Goa'uld Death Gliders]] that were stolen [[ContinuityNod at the beginning of Season 2, and that were also shown getting worked on in a lab in an earlier episode]]. This prototype fails spectacularly because the engineers left too much of the original Death Gliders' technology in the fighter, including, as it turned out, a recall device installed on [[BigBad Apophis]]' orders after Teal'c's defection. In the later seasons, they figure out how to reverse-engineer more of this technology, finally allowing for the creation of a fully human-built fighter, instead of a hybrid of human and BlackBox alien technology. It's not until Season 6 that a successful prototype Space Fighter is fielded by Stargate Command, and it's not until Season 7 that the production model gets built, and sees actual combat for the first time.
** The Wraith Darts from ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' fit the role perfectly. They are commonly used in capturing victims for the Wraith and shooting down any flying targets. They also [[MookMobile really, really suck]]; they've been shot down by infantry with assault rifles. The Puddle Jumpers could also act in this manner, although that is not their primary purpose.
* ''Franchise/StarTrek'' largely avoids Space Fighters in favour of [[StandardSciFiFleet larger ships]], but they do show up on some rare occasions, mostly in ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]''.
** The [[YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters Maquis]] use small ships somewhat similar to Space Fighters, shown to have a crew of 4 (except in [[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS1E1Caretaker the pilot of]] ''[[Series/StarTrekVoyager Voyager]]'', in which one inexplicably has a crew of about 20). Some rarely seen old Bajoran ships also fit the bill. The Dominion have ships called fighters, but these are really small warships, and had enough space for a full-sized crew. Usually, it seems that large ships have weapons both accurate and powerful enough to easily take out fighters, no matter how small and manoeuvrable (which would [[FridgeLogic certainly explain]] why they're rarely seen).
** In some of the later episodes of ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]'', the unimaginatively named "Federation Fighters" can occasionally be seen. These fully fit the trope. In one episode, we see squadrons of them zipping in and out, harassing Cardassian warships. We see that while the fighters are very fast and nimble, they only take one or two shots from a starship's beam weapons to get swatted. [[http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/blueprints/web/peregrine-attack-fighter-sheet-4.jpg These fighters]] themselves appear to be considerably bigger than a shuttle even so.
** All incarnations of ''Star Trek'' feature small shuttle-craft, and these are usually armed, but almost ''never'' fill the role of a Space Fighter (with the Delta Flyer in ''[[Series/StarTrekVoyager Voyager]]'' occasionally being an exception).
** Despite the rarity of Space Fighters, the franchise ''does'' eventually feature {{Old School Dogfight}}s, especially during some of the battle scenes of [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine the Dominion War]]: abandoning the previous SpaceIsAnOcean [[StandardStarshipScuffle analogies]], the ''starships'' are shown [[SpaceIsAir maneuvering like space fighters]]. (The ''Defiant'' gets something of a bye for being tiny by ''Star Trek'' standards.)
** The ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' story "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E26S4E1TheBestOfBothWorlds The Best of Both Worlds]]" does feature a wave of (automated?) fighters sent to take on the Borg Cube... [[CurbStompBattle that last for all of about 3 seconds]].
** In the ''Literature/StarTrekNovelVerse'', Starfleet finally gets around to creating advanced space fighters dedicated to combat in the aftermath of [[Literature/StarTrekDestiny the Borg Invasion]]. They're introduced in the latter half of the ''Literature/StarTrekVoyagerRelaunch''.
** Small aerodynamic craft are also flown by an acrobatics group Wesley Crusher is a part of.
** The Kazon make use of both single-person fighters, boarding shuttles with modified hull-piercing tips, small warships called "raiders" (which are autonomous vessels with multiple decks) and huge carriers (rarer than the raiders, but can carry multiple raiders and fighters). The raiders resemble scaled-up fighters with several decks and a bridge instead of a simple cockpit.
** The Romulans and Remans have Scorpion-class fighter shuttles.
** ''Series/StarTrekPicard'' introduces the Romulan Snakehead fighter, a single-pilot scout ship that packs a lot of firepower for its small size.
* ''Franchise/StarWars'': Naturally, various fighter craft appear in the television series based in the galaxy far, far away.
** Both X-wings and TIE fighters make appearances in both the first and second season of ''Series/TheMandalorian'', including one very well-known X-wing.
** ''Series/TheBookOfBobaFett'':
*** After the destruction of the ''Razor Crest'', Mando asks Peli for assistance in finding him a new ship. Peli manages to find an old Naboo N-1 starfighter which she and Mando upgrade and customize. Taking it out for a spin, Mando says the experience was "Wizard" when asked what he thought of the ship.
*** Once again, a few X-wings show up in the series, including the one belonging to Luke.
** Several fighters show up over the course of ''Series/ObiWanKenobi'', including Anakin Skywalker's Eta-2 Actis-class fighter and a N-1 fighter in a flashback scene. The series also introduces the Tri-Wing S-91x Pegasus Starfighter.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pinball]]
* Both ''Pinball/{{Firepower}}'' and ''Pinball/FirepowerII'' have Space Fighters for the defending human forces.
* Used by both sides in ''Pinball/StellarWars''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* Both the nations of Earth and the Kafer make use of space fighters in ''TabletopGame/TwentyThreeHundredAD''. They are useful as independent missile launch platforms. Most of them are streamlined enough to enter an atmosphere as well, but some are designed only to operate in space.
* In the ''[[TabletopGame/BattlelordsOfTheTwentyThirdCentury Battlelords of the 23rd Century]]'' supplement ''No Man's Land Planetary Atlas'', fighter bases are part of the defensive structure protecting Alliance planets. Fighter types include Superiority, Advanced Superiority, Multi-Role, Fighter Bomber and Interceptor.
* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' has Aerospace Fighters, which are every bit as well-armed and armored as the setting's HumongousMecha (in some cases even [[TransformingMecha mechs themselves]] can qualify for this trope). FASA even created two specialist games, ''Aerotech'', for those who wanted to play the transatmospheric battles between fighters and {{Drop Ship}}s that preceded the land battles of the main game, and ''Battlespace'', for full space battles between Dropships and Warships. (The modern edition of ''[=BattleTech=]'' puts basic aerospace combat into its core rulebook, with more 'advanced' options -- such as the alternative movement rules mentioned below or the use of unit types beyond just fighters, small craft, and [=DropShips=] -- handled in subsequent volumes.) The interesting thing about ''[=AeroTech=]'' is that it also allowed you to actually choose whether you wanted to play OldSchoolDogfight straight or avert it altogether by using the advanced movement rules for space-based combat. The "cool plane" designs are justified as the Aerospace fighters of the setting are intended to operate [[SpacePlane in or out of atmosphere]].
* ''TabletopGame/FullThrust'' has rules for space fighters, although the mechanics have received a lot of complaints due to balance issues -- the pre-designed fleets have serious PointDefenseless issues, to the point where dedicated carrier fleets easily dominate against everything else.
* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}: Spaceships'' has a supplement that covers fighters. The examples culminate in the Mirage Star Fighter which is loaded with [[AppliedPhlebotinum superscience]] to the point that it is actually built mostly of [[ReinforceField force fields]].
* The ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}'' adventure "Clones in Space" has [[{{Pun}} Pie Fighters]] (a ShoutOut to ''Franchise/StarWars'' TIE Fighters).
* The first game in the ''TabletopGame/RenegadeLegion'' series, ''Interceptor'', is entirely about these. Later games include various ways to factor them in -- tank-warfare game ''Centurion'' includes rules for strafing by fighters, while capital-ship game ''Leviathan'' includes rules for how groups of fighters can damage capital ships and vice versa.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'': The SpaceOpera setting ''Phase World/Three Galaxies'' features a number of Fighters.
* Since the setting is called ''TabletopGame/RocketAge'', it's practically mandatory for there to be Rocket Fighters, small two-person [[RetroRocket rocket ships]] equipped for dogfighting.
%%* Iron Crown Enterprise's ''Space Master''.
* A few ships in ''TabletopGame/{{Spelljammer}}'' could qualify, but the standout example is probably the Locust from [[TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms Toril]].
* ''TabletopGame/StarfleetBattles'' uses fighters extensively, despite there being none in the source materials. They primarily function to saturate enemy defenses and kill ships by simply being too numerous to stop. The result varies with the fighters and the target. Particularly effective are Hydran fighters (which are deployed on most Hydran ships) which were described in one tactical analysis as being like "roving nuclear spacemines". Two of them at point blank range will leave a cruiser a gutted wreck.
* The Blobs and Empire factions have their own variants in ''TabletopGame/StarRealms''. As the two most militant groups, they're the only ones the field space fighters. Based on the artwork, the Viper card looks the part, but is rather ambiguous in regard to classification.
* The many editions and iterations of the ''Franchise/StarWars'' RPG, obviously, have had many starfighter variants, most of which are from the ''[[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Legends]]'' universe.
%%* Task Force Games: ''Star Fleet Battles'', ''Federation and Empire'' and ''Starfire''.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Traveller}}'' has a variety of small fighter ships.
* For a true, but now lost to time, Hard SF starfighter game, there was Marc Miller's ''Triplanetary'' originally published by Game Designer's Workshop and now in SJ Games' hands. One of its primary features was hex-mapped based vectored movement system.
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
** Space-based fighter and bomber craft are more like gunboats, with crews of between four and sixteen depending on pattern and enough armament to level cities; necessary when the starships are at least a half-kilometer long and frequently plated in 80-100 meters of solid armor.
** Many Imperil aircraft, called Aeronautica, are capable of short periods of space travel, but lack the armor and engine power to mix it up with true spacecraft. It's more intended to allow them to launch from a spacecraft, conduct a mission against a planetary target, and return to the ship.
** In their 8th Edition background, the [[HoverBike Tomb Blades]] used by [[MechanicalLifeforms the Necrons]] are said to have originally been developed during the War in Heaven as small, highly manoeuvrable void fighters. Fitted with high-yield weaponry and fielded in hundreds strong squadrons, the original Tomb Blades proved to be highly effective at destroying even enemy capital ships.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* The R-352 Sepia in ''VideoGame/AceCombat3Electrosphere'' is flown in the [[SpaceEpisode single mission that takes place in space]]. It is armed with various BeamSpam generators and used to shoot down enemy satellites.
* Early examples can be found in ''VideoGame/{{Asteroids}}'' and ''VideoGame/SpaceWar'', though the "ships" involved are simple icons.
* ''VideoGame/ConquestFrontierWars'' has fighters as the main offensive weapon of the [[BeePeople Mantis]]. Even their most powerful ship class, the Tiamat, is nothing more than a huge carrier that launches wings of anti-ship bombers and has no other weapons. Strangely enough, humans are the ones who don't have any fighters until the Mantis rebels give them plans for their own carrier. Even then, humans don't use them nearly as much as the Mantis. The [[EnergyBeings Celareons]] don't even have fighters and rely on capital ships instead. Most ships are PointDefenseless. Each race only has one type of ship with any sort of anti-fighter weaponry (usually the cheapest). Fighters do often allow the Mantis to attack from beyond visual range, though, often requiring the fleet being attacked to look for the carrier (sometimes across a nebula or AsteroidThicket). This is the reason why, of all the resources, the Mantis tend to rely on "[[WeHaveReserves population]]" the most.
* ''VideoGame/CryingSuns'' has Fighters as one of its four squadron types, along with [[AttackDrone Drones]], Frigates and Cruisers. Fighters trump Drones but lose to Frigates in the game’s TacticalRockPaperScissors system.
* ''VideoGame/{{Descent}}'' is an important example of a [[SimulationGame space fighter simulation]] from the mid-1990s.
* ''VideoGame/{{Elite}}'' was perhaps the earliest (1984) example of a [[SimulationGame space fighter simulation]]. In this WideOpenSandbox, the player starts with a lightly-armed trader, and can (amongst other things) make enough money to outfit a proper Space Fighter for engaging [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Thargoids]] and SpacePirates in an OldSchoolDogfight. The game is named after the highest rank the player can reach in [[AcePilot combat proficiency]]. ''VideoGame/{{Oolite}}'' is a modern open-source remake.
* Present in every ''VideoGame/EscapeVelocity'' game.
** The original has by far the biggest assortment, ranging from the strictly anti-fighter Defender on up to the Rapier, a heavy fighter-bomber that can take on capital ships in skilled hands.
** ''EV Override'' gives a single fighter model to each faction (except the Miranu, who use the standard Crescent fighter (so do the Igadzra and the Strandless, but the Crescent fighter is that faction-divided species' design, and not an import), and the Voinians, who have a heavy fighter ''and'' an interceptor).
** In ''EV Nova'', carrier-based fighters are pretty useless against anything except other fighters; they don't mount weapons big enough to be anything more than an irritant to capital ships. The exception is the {{game break|er}}ing Polaris Manta, which is well-shielded, faster and more maneuverable than any other ship in the game, and mounts a gun worthy of a light capital ship (the Vell-os Dart would be another exception, but in addition to being much rarer it has an odd relationship with "space fighter" and ''especially'' with "carried-based" -- Darts are formed by the psionic energies of the Vell-os pilot, except for "carried" Darts that are formed and controlled by the Vell-os controlling the "carrier").
* In ''VideoGame/EVEOnline'', Fighters and Fighter-Bombers can be launched by Carriers and Motherships. Unlike other ships, they're too small to fit the capsule system, so they can't be piloted by players. Instead, they're piloted by [[RedShirt expendable]] [=NPCs=], and functionally behave similar to the {{Attack Drone}}s other ships have.
* ''VideoGame/{{Freelancer}}'' has the majority of pilotable spacecraft being fighters. You ''can'' get yourself a bulky freighter, but then you may as well paint a large target on its hull. On the other hand, the high-end space fighters in this game tend to be incredibly overpowered, as throughout the campaign you'll find yourself routinely taking out cruisers and battleships in your one-man fighter.
* ''VideoGame/FreeSpace'' has you flying fighters in a StandardSciFiSetting.
%%* The Vic Viper of the ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}'' series.
* ''VideoGame/GratuitousSpaceBattles'': A strong fighter fleet can be a game-winner. Each fighter only has handful of slots and a tiny powerplant, often having to do without shields or armour. However, you can have ''lots'' of them: even mighty battleships can be worn down by a [[DeathOfAThousandCuts ravening horde of fighters]].
* ''VideoGame/HaegemoniaLegionsOfIron'' has fighter wings as your first buildable warships. They're fairly weak and usually go down from one or two shots, but each wing has 7 of them (the ExpansionPack has larger wings). Like larger ships, fighters can be armed with one of four types of weapons (proton, missile, ion, quantum). Turreted corvettes can usually take out fighters pretty quickly, effectively making them obsolete. Their only real use after that is to raid AsteroidMiners, go after discovered spies, or harass larger ships [[PointDefenseless not equipped with turrets]]. Given the ArbitraryHeadcountLimit, most players stop building fighters once they research larger ships. The intro, though, has extremely advanced fighters (equipped with ''two'' weapon systems) ambushing the Martian ambassador's shuttle, sparking the war between Earth and its colonies.
* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'': The [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Covenant]] Seraphs and [[UnitedNationsIsASuperpower UNSC]] Longswords. Rarely seen on camera but in the {{novelization}}s they are threats to be reckoned with. ''[[VideoGame/HaloReach Reach]]'' introduces the Covenant Space Banshee and the UNSC Sabre, and ''VideoGame/Halo4'' gives us the UNSC Broadsword. Notably, the Longsword is more of a missile boat than a fighter, making it somewhat more plausible than most implementations of this trope. The C-712 variant is 35 meters long with a wingspan greater than its length, and masses 180 tons. The larger C-709 variant is 64 meters with a wingspan of 75 meters, and (scaling from the C-709) would mass over 1,100 tons. It's equipped with three automatic 110-120mm cannons (about the same size as the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5%22/54_caliber_Mark_45_gun 5-inch guns]] mounted on modern navy destroyers) and four high-explosive missiles that, judging by the image in ''Warfleet'', compare favorably in volume to modern medium anti-ship missiles. It can also carry a single tactical nuclear warhead. There's a reason that even massive capital ships like ''Marathon''-class and ''Epoch''-class only carry a couple dozen Longswords -- with much smaller light carriers presumably carrying only a few.
* ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}}'' features multiple types of "strikecraft" which fulfilled various duties -- scouting, defense, interception, and bombing. They can somewhat be used out of their roles with creativity, but the sequel ''Homeworld 2'' intensifies the presence of TacticalRockPaperScissors. The semi-canonical sequel ''Homeworld: Cataclysm'' features the ''Acolyte''-class heavy fighter used exclusively by Kith Somtaaw, based on Bentusi design. They are highly versatile and can fulfill multiple roles (armed with standard mass drivers but could also fire missiles). Additionally, two Acolytes can combine into a single ''Avenger''-class composed vehicle (a corvette), which can bring down much larger ships with its EMP generator. A few missions feature the Bentusi originals; they don't have all the extra tricks of the Somtaaw version, but since their guns will tear through enemy craft of all kinds like tissue paper, they don't need them. ''Homeworld'' and ''Homeworld: Cataclysm'' also have {{Attack Drone}}s. The original ones were not very effective, but the design has evolved by ''Cataclysm''.
* There are starfighters in ''VideoGame/IndependenceWar'', and you sometimes command them as wingmen in addition to fighting them, but the craft you pilot is generally much larger (usually a corvette), command section aside. You never pilot the starfighters directly.
* ''VideoGame/InfiniteSpace'' allows the player to mount hangars on ships to launch fighters. However, only ships with a built-in catapult can use fighters.
* In ''Franchise/MassEffect'', though rarely seen, they do exist, albeit mostly as support craft to keep enemy fire away from larger Frigates, Cruisers and Dreadnoughts. Their main job in combat is to ZergRush enemy ships, cause the point-defense lasers to overheat, and deliver torpedoes to weaken kinetic barriers so bigger ships can use their mass accelerators to take down opposing vessels. That being said, their original use was somewhat limited until it was revolutionised by the Alliance who introduced the concept of a Carrier to the Galaxy, allowing for large squadrons of them to be launched at once. The Alliance also appears to have pioneered the use of Interceptors in order to counter-attack enemy dogfighters, [[DivideAndConquer leaving their Fighter Squadrons free]] to bring down enemy ships. They are finally featured in all their glory in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''.
* ''VideoGame/MasterOfOrion II'' has Interceptors/Bombers/Heavy Fighters carried by ships and planetary bases.
* ''VideoGame/NexusTheJupiterIncident'' is mostly focused on tactical capital ship combat. While fighters and bombers are present and available to be launched, they are usually fairly quickly swatted out by flak lasers. The only way to use them successfully is to take out the enemy flak grid first before deploying fighters. Fighters can also act as an anti-fighter or anti-missile screen in addition to flak.
* The titular duo of the ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' series regularly fly in an FTL-capable spaceship which occasionally doubles as a space fighter, albeit a little sluggish compared to other space fighters in the series. This is more prominent in the first two games, which include pitting the duo against waves of smaller ships while either between planets or fighting certain bosses. ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureACrackInTime'' restricts space combat to a 2-dimensional plane (while enemies and other vessels are capable of moving beyond this plane), but space combat in general has taken a backseat in most of the series since ''[[Videogame/RatchetAndClankGoingCommando Going Commando]]''.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Rodina}}'', your ship functions as one in combat. You have a variety of weapons and quite good maneuvering capabilities. However, it is larger and has crew quarters and storage areas, plus a completely customizable interior.
%%* The R-9 Arrowhead of the ''VideoGame/RType'' series, along with a hundred others in ''R-Type FINAL'' and ''R-Type Tactics 1'' and ''2''.
* ''VideoGame/SinsOfASolarEmpire'' has "strikecraft" of two kinds -- fighters and bombers. Bombers are designed to attack cruisers, capital ships and structures while fighters take on lighter vessels, bombers and other fighters. The TEC fighters and bombers, and Advent fighters look like atmospheric craft with streamlining, although they aren't meant to attack planets at all. The Advent bombers and Vasari strikecraft do not look atmospheric, but aren't utilitarian either -- they're just RuleOfCool based ShinyLookingSpaceships. All strikecraft [[SpaceIsAir act like atmospheric aircraft]] in terms of maneuvering, partake in {{Old School Dogfight}}s and strafing, and can only be targeted by flak frigates, certain capital ship abilities and enemy fighters. TEC and Vasari strikecraft are classical one-man types, while Advent strikecraft are remotely piloted drones. The ''Rebellion'' ExpansionPack adds corvettes, which are slightly larger than strike craft, but are also better armed and armored. They are able to attack both strike craft and capital ships and can be used as fighters when in swarms.
* ''VideoGame/StarCitizen'' has a wide variety of space fighters, which are generally the starting point in the player's carrier. The majority of fighters have a CoolPlane aesthetic as they're capable of [[SpacePlane surface-to-orbit flight]], though others like the "Aurora" look more like a lawn dart -- and logically should fly about as well as one -- but handles just like ships with atmospheric wings. All but the most basic fighters are capable of FasterThanLightTravel and have a cabin for the pilot to sleep in.
* ''VideoGame/StarControl'' focuses on larger ships, and the smallest of the ships encountered in either the game or its sequel wouldn't really count as a fighter. However, the Ur-Quan Dreadnought, one of the deadliest ships in either game, is a [[TheBattlestar Battlestar]] (it even looks like [[Series/BattlestarGalactica1978 the original one]]!) that launches small autonomous fighters as its secondary attack. Though they're only a few pixels in size, the way these fighters work in the game makes quite a bit of sense: They deplete the Dreadnought's crew, they have limited fuel and must head back to the Dreadnought after a brief sortie, and they carry only a weak weapon and can be destroyed with a single hit. However, they are able to outmanoeuvre most opponents and so [[DeathOfAThousandCuts pick apart large ships little by little]]... ''Except'' for the ships that are ''not'' PointDefenseless. An [=AI=]-controlled Dreadnought [[ArtificialBrilliance won't even bother launching fighters]] against an opponent with point-defense systems.
-->[[/folder]]

[[folder: "Launch Fighters! Launch Fighters! [[Zerg Rush La-La-La-La-La-La-La-La-Launch Fighters! ]]
"]]
* ''Franchise/StarCraft'':
** Terrans use Wraiths. By extension, Scouts and Corsairs from the Protoss (the Scouts even look like they're [[SpacePlane more of a plane than starfighter]]). The Terran Vikings and Protoss Phoenixes from ''VideoGame/StarCraftII'' replace Wraiths and Scouts in the fighter category. One of the scrapped Terran ships was the Predator, a fighter with a point defense system.
** In [[VideoGame/StarCraftI the original game]], the Zerg have the Scourge, Mutalisk, Guardian, and Devourer as LivingShip equivalents to cruise missiles, fighters, bombers, and gunboats, respectively. ''VideoGame/StarCraftII'' phases out all of these except the Mutalisk, instead introducing the Corruptor as their air-to-air specialist (replacing Scourges and Devourers), which can morph into a Brood Lord, which is basically the same as the Guardian except its attack also leaves behind a Broodling to nibble on enemies.
%%* The Arwings of the ''Franchise/StarFox'' series.
* In ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'', fighters are classified as "shuttle" ships and include most of the examples in the television entries; they're obviously much weaker than regular ships and are only used in story missions where the player's regular ship can't be used, like infiltrating a heavily defended space station that would obliterate your main ship if spotted. Carriers also use fighters as "hangar pets" that can be deployed to wear down enemy defense while your ship pounds them and can be very effective depending on the type of fighter used and the abilities of your character and ship, with all of the fighters you can pilot having a hanger pet variant and more exotic versions being available like fire-damage dealing lost souls used by the Klingons' version of TheLegionsOfHell to entire frigates if your ship can equip them. There are even consumable items that will grant you the use of fighters regardless of your ship class, though unlike hangar pets they don't [[WeHaveReserves regenerate so you can launch more]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'' has Strikecraft divided into two categories, fighters and bombers. Gameplay-wise, they have slightly differentiating stats that allows them to take on any capital ship and other strikecraft, through judicious upgrades of their attack speed and overall damage.
* ''VideoGame/StrangeAdventuresInInfiniteSpace'' has fighters for several races, including humans (although the only human fighter you find during the campaign is that of Ripcord O'Reily). However, they are extremely easy to destroy and are only a threat in large numbers (or if they come in at you from behind, where your weapons can't target). The sequel has several races feature carriers that periodically launch fighters (one is a full-fledged [[TheBattlestar Battlestar]] and will rip you to shreds if you get too close).
* ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheStars'':
** Averted by design: the makers have stated that with destroyers about 30 metres already, fighters would be at least half that size, FTL-incapable and fall quickly to point-defense, so they will not be included for now. The closest to them are the various unmanned {{Attack Drone}}s, which are indeed FTL-incapable and swattable by PD.
** The second game has "battleriders" that are the size of the first game's destroyers or larger, have no FTL drives, and are launched from carriers or fixed bases. More like gunboats than fighters, especially since they max out at dreadnought size.
* ''VideoGame/TachyonTheFringe'''s gameplay takes place entirely in fighters, given that [[PlayerCharacter Jake Logan]] is a fighter pilot by trade. Capital ships exist, but seem to mainly be used as carriers. Additionally, while fighters are not FTL-capable, they use [[PortalNetwork TCG gates]] to jump between sectors. Capital ships are too big to fit into the gates, but all cap ships have their own tachyon coil generators and can enter SubspaceOrHyperspace at will (usually preceded by the typical "accelerate fast into nothingness" animation), although the fluff indicates that they still use the gates as navigating beacons.
%%* The Fire LEO and RVR series of fighters in the ''VideoGame/ThunderForce'' series.
* The ''VideoGame/WingCommander'' series is all about starfighter combat, with some of the fighters also being [[SpacePlane atmospheric capable]]. [[VideoGame/WingCommanderTheKilrathiSaga The first game]] came out in 1990, and heavily influenced how the [[SimulationGame space fighter simulation]] genre developed. {{Spiritual Successor}}s helmed by the same designer, Creator/ChrisRoberts, include ''VideoGame/{{Starlancer}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Freelancer}}'' and ''VideoGame/StarCitizen'', and likewise retain the emphasis on starfighter combat, though the latter two let you start veering into larger ships.
* The ''VideoGame/{{X}}'' series' space fighters are clearly designed to be similar to atmospheric ships, but not so similar as to look silly. Each race has five different fighter classes (M5 scoutship, M4 interceptor, M4+[[note]]pronounced em-four-plus[[/note]] heavy interceptor, M3 fighter, M3+ heavy fighter) that may be further subdivided into variant models.
* ''VideoGame/XWing'' is a classic [[SimulationGame space fighter simulation]] from the early [[The90s 1990s]], set in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' universe. It was later followed by the popular ''VideoGame/TIEFighter'', ''VideoGame/XWingVsTIEFighter'' and ''VideoGame/XWingAlliance''. The ''X-Wing'' series of games made the names of Rebel and Imperial craft popularly known among gamers, even those who were not interested in the [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends expanded universe]] details.
%%* ''VideoGame/ZeroWing'': Take off every "zig!"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/Angels2200'' features several types of space fighters, with several more described in [[AllThereInTheManual the series bible]]. The most frequently portrayed are the Siren-class medium fighters used by the protagonists.
* ''Webcomic/CommanderKitty'' calls them [[http://www.commanderkitty.com/2011/04/10/perfect-disaster/ Skyflys.]] They apparently come in many shapes and sizes, though the most commonly seen are those employed by the [[SpacePolice Triple-I]], which despite having cockpits are [[http://www.commanderkitty.com/2010/04/04/i-can-goes-back-now/ typically piloted by robotic drones.]]
* ''Webcomic/LancerTheKnightsOfFenris'' is a SpaceOpera set in a FeudalFuture. The protagonists are space pilots called Knights who fly AceCustom fighters called "Lancers".
* ''Webcomic/{{Outsider}}'':
** These used to be one of the [[SpaceElves Loroi]]'s main offensive tools, often using liquid breathing mediums to protect their pilots against the massive g-forces they went through, but they didn't prove very suitable for the long war of attrition against the Umiak and are now mainly delegated to missile defense.
** The [[InsectoidAliens Umiak]] do not employ fighters, since they evolved on low-gravity worlds and can't handle 30+ g's of acceleration; inertial dampeners are too big for fighters.
* ''Webcomic/{{Starfighter}}'' focuses on the crewmen of a starfighter wing stationed on a space station.
* ''Webcomic/StarTrekFederationStarDefense'': The crew of the [[SuperPrototype Intrepid]] encounters a Ferengi trader with four Falcon-class starfighters in his ship's hold. In the comic's universe, the Falcons were a Federation project abandonded for being "too warlike".
* ''Webcomic/{{Terinu}}'': Rufus' beloved Swift Wing model fighter, the ''White Knight'', which has laser cannons and missiles. WordOfGod states that it's about forty years old, but it regularly takes out Galapados {{Mook Mobile}}s.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Websites]]
* ''[[http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/rocket3x2.html#fighters Atomic Rocket]]'' is one of several hard sci-fi sites arguing that manned starfighters are nonsensical. Their writers claim that {{Attack Drone}}s are the ''only'' practical application for small military ships, and postulate that the only reason starfighters might ever show up in reality at all is due to "[[RuleOfCool cultural inertia]]". They do make a possible exception for orbital warfare, where there's a horizon to hide behind.
* ''Website/OrionsArm'' makes a few references to nano-scale space fighters, but for the most part, self-replicating [[http://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/45eb1ea444972 "Autowars"]] are preferred to craft piloted by flimsy hominids.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}} 1999'', [[AcePilot Carol Tunt]] pilots an escort fighter that can be launched from and docked in the cargo bay of the Archer Crew's ship, the Seamus.
* Zig-zagged in ''WesternAnimation/IlEtaitUneFois l'Espace''. Cassiopeian fighters as well as the Omega Confederation Dragonfly-class are somewhat large ships (seemingly with the size of a RealLife airliner), with a crew of at least two people; however other races such as the Humanoids use small, one-man fighters.
* In ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', Stevonnie pilots a custom-made fighter ship called the Star Skipper that was designed by Lars in the battle against Emerald's ship.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* The U.S. Navy's [[http://www.astronautix.com/s/spacecruiser.html "Space Cruiser"]] high-performance space plane would have been a borderline real-life example -- if it were ever built. The design called for a small, single-person craft that could be launched relatively cheaply and covertly, and would orbit the Earth once or twice, hopefully taking out Soviet spy satellites in the process. Not as glamorous as most fictional examples, given the fledgling military presence in space, but it would have looked fairly cool -- and how many fictional space fighters feature ''an open cockpit''? (Don't forget to pack your spacesuit!) Other similar projects can be seen [[http://www.astronautix.com/c/combatspacecraft.html on this page.]]
** See [[https://youtu.be/F0_6lEjVgVg this YouTube video]] for a cool 3D-rendered visualization of what the spacecraft might have looked like. This is a slightly later version of the concept that was to be launched by Space Shuttle, and would function as a sort of all-purpose orbital runabout.
** The Soviets had their own equivalent designs for manned anti-satellite spacecraft, and sent armed ''Almaz'' space stations into orbit to test the concept. Since UsefulNotes/TheSpaceRace didn't result in a more established manned presence in space, unmanned anti-satellite weapons and surface-launched missiles were pursued as more practical alternatives by all sides.
* A better Soviet example would perhaps be the ''Spiral'' project, which aimed to produce a manned combat vehicle capable to launching into orbit, destroying enemy satellites (and starfighter interceptors), and landing again. Unfortunately for sci-fi fans everywhere, such vehicle was never built but an atmospheric prototype, the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-105 MiG-105,]] did take to the skies and can give you the basic idea of how a Soviet starfighter would have looked like.
[[/folder]]
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