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* AllLoveIsUnrequited: According to the background information, Neel has a crush on Ada and frequently leaves her boxes of chocolate. She doesn't realize who they're from at all.
to:
* AllLoveIsUnrequited: According to the background information, Neel has a crush on Ada and frequently leaves her boxes of chocolate. She doesn't realize who they're from at all. In fairness, he's [[DudeMagnet hardly the only one whose expressed interest in her]].
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* TheBadGuyWins: The Rebel fleet is completely obliterated and the Empire declares victory.
to:
* TheBadGuyWins: The Rebel fleet is completely obliterated (aside from a cruiser which was disabled and presumably captured) and the Empire declares victory.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: The entire trio of pilots. Ada's a weirdo [[SingleIssueWonk utterly obsessed with]] [[CompanionCube TIE Bombers]], Neel suffers from [[MoodSwinger neurotic pessimism on a dime]] and "his common sense and memory are appalling", and Rosh is apparently almost fantastically [[TheBore boring]] to converse with to the point that even Gaunt (who hired him due to being genuinely interested his abilities in spite of his mercenary background causing misgivings of his loyalty to other officers) [[RidiculouslyAverageGuy has trouble remembering his name]]. Nonetheless, they are all doubtlessly skilled pilots with Ada and Rosh being respected by their combat groups for their effectiveness at keeping them alive (but none of them will [[FearlessFool ever follow Ada into asteroid fields]]).
* DudeMagnet: As supplementary material notes, Ada is a target of adoration to very many on Gaunt's Star Destroyer. Since Imperial combat forces don't have a lot of ladies in them, [[JustifiedTrope this was pretty much inevitable]]. [[IndifferentBeauty She rather finds this annoying]], [[ScrewTheRulesImBeautiful aside from when she can abuse it to cut through lines.]]
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* HiddenDepths: Despite repeatedly stating that Rosh is uninteresting and has no hidden depths, the very last line of his bio is teasing about whether or not he's actually hiding some sort of secret about himself.
to:
* HiddenDepths: Despite repeatedly stating that Rosh is uninteresting and has no hidden depths, the very last line of his bio is teasing about whether or not he's actually hiding some sort of secret about himself. Gaunt's interactions with him can at least imply he quite likes fresh fruit.
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* {{Irony}}: Neel's greatest fear is Commander Gaunt dying by a Rebel getting a lucky shot on the bridge of his flagship. The battle in the short film, however, ends after Neel lands a well-placed shot on the bridge of a Rebel cruiser[[note]]Neel's TIE fighter is distinguished by the damage to its right wing that he sustains earlier in the battle[[/note]].
to:
* {{Irony}}: Neel's greatest fear is Commander Gaunt dying by a Rebel getting a lucky shot on the bridge of his flagship. The battle in the short film, however, ends after Neel lands a well-placed shot on the bridge of a Rebel cruiser[[note]]Neel's TIE fighter is distinguished by the damage to its right wing that he sustains earlier in the battle[[/note]]. In a way, this also ''validates'' Neel's fears.
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* MacrossMissileMassacre: Ada's TIE Bomber is equipped with cluster missiles, as she laid waste to a Rebel squadron.
to:
* MacrossMissileMassacre: Ada's TIE Bomber is equipped with cluster missiles, as she laid waste to a Rebel squadron. The supplementary materials imply that her use of them in the animation was her first actual combat-usage of them.
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* ObliviousToLove: Neel has a crush on Ada that she is clueless about. Apparently he regularly leaves chocolates outside her door, and she hasn't discovered the identity of her admirer.
to:
* ObliviousToLove: Neel has a crush on Ada that she is clueless about. Apparently he regularly leaves chocolates outside her door, and she hasn't discovered the identity of her admirer.admirer, though apparently Neel is also just one [[DudeMagnet out of hundreds of admirers of her]] (though he at least is actually on friendly terms with her).
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* OutrunTheFireball: Some rebels attempts to do this when their vessel goes up in flames. [[spoiler: They didn't make it.]]
to:
* OutrunTheFireball: Some rebels attempts to do this when their vessel goes up in flames. [[spoiler: They [[spoiler:They didn't make it.]]
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* UnnecessaryCombatRoll: Ada's biography calls out her habit of unnecessary barrel rolls in her bomber.
to:
* UnnecessaryCombatRoll: Ada's biography calls out her habit of unnecessary barrel rolls in her bomber. This probably has to do with her inferiority complex over the perception of [[CompanionCube her beloved TIE Bombers]] being considered slow.
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* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Gaunt's biography states he apparently really likes fruit and often hands some his subordinates during briefings.
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* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Gaunt's biography states he apparently really likes to keep fresh fruit on board the ship and often hands out some to his subordinates during briefings.
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* MythologyGag: The background material states Neel's greatest fear is the bridge of Gaunt's Star Destroyer getting hit, placing his squadron in other potentially much worse hands (like Darth Vader)...you know, kinda like when A-wing that went flying into the Super Star Destroyer's bridge in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''...oh, ''and'' he's paranoid of A-wings due to always getting shot down by them in the virtual combat simulator.
to:
* MythologyGag: MythologyGag:
** The background material states Neel's greatest fear is the bridge of Gaunt's Star Destroyer getting hit, placing his squadron in other potentially much worse hands (like Darth Vader)...you know, kinda like when A-wing that went flying into the Super Star Destroyer's bridge in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''...oh, ''and'' he's paranoid of A-wings due to always getting shot down by them in the virtual combat simulator.
** The Y-Wing's missiles are negated via a missile countermeasure system employed by the ''Inhibitor''. This is a feature that is present on Interdictors like the ''Inhibitor'' as seen in ''VideoGame/StarWarsEmpireAtWar''.
** The background material states Neel's greatest fear is the bridge of Gaunt's Star Destroyer getting hit, placing his squadron in other potentially much worse hands (like Darth Vader)...you know, kinda like when A-wing that went flying into the Super Star Destroyer's bridge in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''...oh, ''and'' he's paranoid of A-wings due to always getting shot down by them in the virtual combat simulator.
** The Y-Wing's missiles are negated via a missile countermeasure system employed by the ''Inhibitor''. This is a feature that is present on Interdictors like the ''Inhibitor'' as seen in ''VideoGame/StarWarsEmpireAtWar''.
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* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: Has been described as the ''Franchise/StarWars'' version of ''WebAnimation/{{Astartes}}'', being a one-man passion project of extremely high quality featuring lots of CompetencePorn, although ''TIE Fighter'' predates it by several years.
to:
* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: Has been described as the ''Franchise/StarWars'' version of ''WebAnimation/{{Astartes}}'', being a one-man passion project animation of extremely high quality featuring lots of CompetencePorn, although ''TIE Fighter'' predates it by several years.
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* CompetencePorn: The Galactic Empire, for once, does not suffer from troops dying en masse ineffectively or having terrible aim, and wins a battle as a result, due to being genuinely more dangerous than the Rebellion.
to:
* CompetencePorn: The Galactic Empire, for once, does not suffer from troops dying en masse ineffectively or having terrible aim, and wins a battle as a result, due to being genuinely more dangerous than the Rebellion.Rebellion, who are clearly no fools either, just hopelessly outmatched and outgunned.
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* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: Has been described as the ''Franchise/StarWars'' version of ''WebAnimation/{{Astartes}}'', being a one-man passion project of extremely high quality featuring much CompetencePorn.
* {{Animesque}}: More specifically, the art style is [[{{Retraux}} based on '80s science-fiction anime]], although ''TIE Fisher'' predates it by several years.
* {{Animesque}}: More specifically, the art style is [[{{Retraux}} based on '80s science-fiction anime]], although ''TIE Fisher'' predates it by several years.
to:
* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: Has been described as the ''Franchise/StarWars'' version of ''WebAnimation/{{Astartes}}'', being a one-man passion project of extremely high quality featuring much CompetencePorn.
lots of CompetencePorn, although ''TIE Fighter'' predates it by several years.
* {{Animesque}}: More specifically, the art style is [[{{Retraux}} based on '80s science-fictionanime]], although ''TIE Fisher'' predates it by several years. anime]].
* {{Animesque}}: More specifically, the art style is [[{{Retraux}} based on '80s science-fiction
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* {{Animesque}}: More specifically, the art style is [[{{Retraux}} based on '80s science-fiction anime]].
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* {{Animesque}}: More specifically, the art style is [[{{Retraux}} based on '80s science-fiction anime]].anime]], although ''TIE Fisher'' predates it by several years.
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* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: Has been described as the ''Franchise/StarWars'' version of ''WebAnimation/{{Astartes}}'', being a one-man passion project of extremely high quality featuring much CompetencePorn.
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* {{Animesque}}: More specifically, the art style is based on '80s science-fiction anime.
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* {{Animesque}}: More specifically, the art style is [[{{Retraux}} based on '80s science-fiction anime.anime]].
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Badass Mustache and Badass Beard are being merged into Manly Facial Hair. Examples that don't fit or are zero-context are removed. To qualify for Manly Facial Hair, the facial hair must be associated with masculinity in some way. Please read the trope description before readding to make sure the example qualifies.
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* BadassMustache: Rosh has one.
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[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tiefighter_poster.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:349:Evil has never looked so cool.]]
[[caption-width-right:349:Evil has never looked so cool.]]
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[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tiefighter_poster.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:349:Evilorg/pmwiki/pub/images/tie_fighter_otaking.png]]
[[caption-width-right:349:[[https://www.deviantart.com/mightyotaking/art/TIE-Fighter-poster-522202169 Evil has never looked so cool.]]
]]]]
[[caption-width-right:349:Evil
[[caption-width-right:349:[[https://www.deviantart.com/mightyotaking/art/TIE-Fighter-poster-522202169 Evil has never looked so cool.
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Moving Fan Film to correct namespace and title.
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[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tiefighter_poster.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:349:Evil has never looked so cool.]]
''TIE Fighter'' is an animated short ''Franchise/StarWars'' [[FanWorks/StarWars fan film]], depicting a space battle between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance [[PerspectiveFlip from the Imperial TIE pilots' point of view]]. It was made by Paul "[=OtaKing=] 77077" Johnson and features a soundtrack by Zak Rahman.
A two-minute preview was first posted in 2012. The full film went online in 2015, with a completely new soundtrack.
Can be watched [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN_CP4SuoTU here]].
----
!!''TIE Fighter'' provides examples of:
* AceCustom: The cluster missiles Ada released at the X-Wing squadron are her own modification, per the background info. She constantly tries to get the head flight officer to authorize various similar customizations, who will forever deny them.
* AllLoveIsUnrequited: According to the background information, Neel has a crush on Ada and frequently leaves her boxes of chocolate. She doesn't realize who they're from at all.
* AllThereInTheManual: Since the film is dialogue-less, a lot of background information and even the characters' names only appear in [[http://www.mediafire.com/view/cpnc1oj27dkosc4/Tie%20Fighter_project%20materials.pdf the supplementary material]].
* {{Animesque}}: More specifically, the art style is based on '80s science-fiction anime.
* BadassMustache: Rosh has one.
* TheBadGuyWins: The Rebel fleet is completely obliterated and the Empire declares victory.
* BerserkButton: Mentioned below, don't insult bombers near Ada.
* TheBore: The background materials describe Rosh as "tedious", unskilled in social interactions, and [[RidiculouslyAverageGuy generally unmemorable]]. This is even reflected in the background materials because Rosh has a shorter biography than any of the other characters.
* CallBack: There are subtle references throughout the film to the ''VideoGame/TIEFighter'' video game, including the [=HUDs=] in the fighters and the briefing room being taken straight from the game.
* CompanionCube: Ada really, really, ''really'' likes her TIE bomber. Regarding it as slow (which it isn't in her hands) in any sense triggers her BerserkButton.
* CompetencePorn: The Galactic Empire, for once, does not suffer from troops dying en masse ineffectively or having terrible aim, and wins a battle as a result, due to being genuinely more dangerous than the Rebellion.
* CurbStompCushion: Early on in the battle the rebel pilots get their fair share of kills against the Imperials, and even have a ''very'' brief HopeSpot that they might escape with minimal casualties. Things quickly get worse for them once the attack on the cruiser fails, and once the Star Destroyers get involved, the battle is over almost instantly.
* DarkActionGirl: Ada, a skilled AcePilot who can make a TIE Bomber fly like an Interceptor and serves the Empire.
* FaceFramedInShadow: Gaunt gets a shot like this at a pivotal moment, combined with a SlasherSmile.
* FearlessFool: Plenty of Imperials regard Ada as a lunatic for her habit of speeding through asteroid fields for cover so she can flank enemy fighters or capital ships and catch them by surprise.
* GloryHound: His bio states that Gaunt is one in some ways, although some of traits associated with a glory hound are played with or even subverted. Gaunt is certainly ambitious, loves capturing at least some ships intact from combat in order to increase his standing, and hasn't published his (quite effective) tactics because he thinks it makes him look better to be the only one using them, while he'd just be one man among many who are producing the same results if his tactics became more widespread. However, unlike most glory hounds, (who will carelessly throw away resources and lives for the sake of their own ambition) Gaunt is extremely resource conscious, (to the extent that his bio describes him as almost being a hoarder) and uses cautious tactics that minimize the risks to his ships and men. Both Neel and Ada appreciate his tactical skill and the way he uses their fighters and bombers in ways that play to the strengths of their craft.
* GrinOfAudacity: You see one on Neel's face a split second before his helmet comes on. His biography states him as a hotshot...when he's not concerned with his own survival or paranoid that Gaunt's bridge will get hit and kill the commander.
* HiddenDepths: Despite repeatedly stating that Rosh is uninteresting and has no hidden depths, the very last line of his bio is teasing about whether or not he's actually hiding some sort of secret about himself.
* HopeSpot: The Rebels get a short one after a group of Y-Wings shoot down a bunch of Imperial fighters and then line up the equivalent of a torpedo run on the Interdictor Cruiser. If they can do enough damage to take out the cruiser's gravity wells, it would let the rebel fleet escape with only some losses among the pilots. The Y-Wings fire... and the cruiser uses its gravity wells to push their shots off target, the Y-Wings are all shot down, and things go downhill for the Rebel fleet very quickly.
* HotBloodedSideburns: ZigZaggedTrope - Neel is indeed a bit of a hotshot with ridiculous sideburns, but he's ''also'' neurotically terrified that Commander Gaunt will get killed from his bridge getting hit and rather pessimistic when that pops up. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in his bio as well, which says the sideburns style he's grown was popular on his home planet about twenty years ago.
* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: {{Averted}} in the short by the pilots, who are deadly shots. In the background material, however, it is revealed the Gaunt has terrible aim with blasters.
* {{Irony}}: Neel's greatest fear is Commander Gaunt dying by a Rebel getting a lucky shot on the bridge of his flagship. The battle in the short film, however, ends after Neel lands a well-placed shot on the bridge of a Rebel cruiser[[note]]Neel's TIE fighter is distinguished by the damage to its right wing that he sustains earlier in the battle[[/note]].
* LargeHam: Commander Gaunt manages to be this without having a single line of dialogue, purely thanks to his [[MilkingTheGiantCow dramatic arm gesture]] when ordering the capital ships to open fire. According to his character bio, he "is known for theatrically flamboyant hand gestures when a simple 'fire' command would suffice."
* ALighterShadeOfBlack: Commander Gaunt is a loyal Imperial soldier, but he is also not unpleasant to work under, as he is known to offer fruit to his officers during meetings, and he places value on the lives of the soldiers and ships under his command. In addition, Neel is highly fearful of a Rebel getting a lucky shot on the bridge of the ''Violator'' and killing Gaunt, because that would mean getting transferred to another squadron under someone far worse than him -- possibly even ''[[TheDreaded Darth Vader]]''.
* MacrossMissileMassacre: Ada's TIE Bomber is equipped with cluster missiles, as she laid waste to a Rebel squadron.
* MoodSwinger: Neel's biography in the background material states that he swings back and forth between HotBlooded confidence and neurotic NervousWreck.
-->''His self image flips from [[AwesomeEgo self-aggrandizing fighter prodigy]] to [[TheEeyore doomsayer and harbinger of bad luck]] at the most bizarre of times''
* MythologyGag: The background material states Neel's greatest fear is the bridge of Gaunt's Star Destroyer getting hit, placing his squadron in other potentially much worse hands (like Darth Vader)...you know, kinda like when A-wing that went flying into the Super Star Destroyer's bridge in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''...oh, ''and'' he's paranoid of A-wings due to always getting shot down by them in the virtual combat simulator.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: The Star Destroyers, as [[ThemeNaming is standard]] in ''Franchise/StarWars'': the ''Violator'', the ''Exterminator'' and the ''Inhibitor''. [[LampshadedTrope Lampshaded]] in the supplementary material, which points out that Gaunt may have [[VictoryThroughIntimidation chosen these ships because of their intimidating names]] and the psychological effect they would have on the enemy.
* ObliviousToLove: Neel has a crush on Ada that she is clueless about. Apparently he regularly leaves chocolates outside her door, and she hasn't discovered the identity of her admirer.
* OldSoldier: Rosh is as experienced as his appearance would infer.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Rosh's bio states he is frequently called "the ace", or "that man I keep handing fruit to" in Gaunt's case (he also apparently is the pilot that has happened to have received the most fruit from Gaunt), because few people actually remember his name for some reason.
* OrderIsNotGood: Gaunt is described as a big believer in Order, but in this case the order in question is the totalitarian regime of Palpatine's [[TheEmpire Empire]]. While Gaunt's biography says that he's not an evil man, it also points out that he's by no means good either, and is a believer in using fear and intimidation to keep systems in line. He was taken under the wing of Grand Moff Tarkin, who famously tried to use the destruction of ''entire planets'' to inspire that sense of fear. Gaunt is cut from a similar cloth, he's just not as extreme as Tarkin, and isn't as willing to throw away lives.
* OutrunTheFireball: Some rebels attempts to do this when their vessel goes up in flames. [[spoiler: They didn't make it.]]
* PerspectiveFlip: Shows a battle in the [[Franchise/StarWars Galactic Civil War]] from TheEmpire's [[VillainProtagonist point of view.]]
* PrivateMilitaryContractors: Rosh was a mercenary before joining the Imperial Fleet. This has resulted in him being widely distrusted by officers concerned about his loyalty, but Gaunt only cares about results, so when he noticed Rosh's skills Rosh was rapidly promoted.
* TheQuietOne: Rosh is described by the background info as a tedious person. His replies to the constant requests for tips to how he got be such an ace pilot he gets are "DoABarrelRoll" and "Just, you know, don't get shot."
* RuggedScar: ExploitedTrope -- according to the background material, Ada got that large scar from... opening a closet, but she keeps it while telling everyone she got it from a battle where in she killed 12 X-wings.
* ShoutOut: The entire clip is rife with references to the old ''VideoGame/XWing'' and ''VideoGame/TIEFighter'' video games (even borrowing its logo from the latter). The [=HUDs=] of each ship match those of the games, the Star Destroyer has the same briefing area as it does in ''TIE Fighter'', and various sound effects are lifted from the games.
* SilenceIsGolden: There is no audible dialog throughout the short. While ''characters'' clearly speak and give orders, what they're saying has to be guessed by the resulting actions.
* SingleIssueWonk: Ada has an obsession with various bomber craft, and was only ever interested in flying the TIE Bombers when she attended the Imperial Academy.
* SlasherSmile: Gaunt gets a wicked one when victory is near. According to his bio, he has a tendency to grin like this during battles.
* TechnologyPorn: Quite a few scenes are very detailed shots of engines or weaponry clicking into action.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Gaunt's biography states he apparently really likes fruit and often hands some his subordinates during briefings.
* UnnecessaryCombatRoll: Ada's biography calls out her habit of unnecessary barrel rolls in her bomber.
* VictoryThroughIntimidation: Background materials state that Gaunt, the commander of the Imperial Fleet, is a big believer in this. Gaunt is a believer in the [[Film/StarWarsANewHope Tarkin]] school of thought that fear and massive firepower would do more to keep order in the Empire than anything else. In the Outer Rim sector where his fleet operates, Gaunt has developed a reputation that often makes local pirates and would-be separatists surrender as soon as he confronts them rather than attempt to fight.
* VillainProtagonist: Neel, Ada and Rosh.
* TheWorfBarrage: A massive burst of missiles ends up being for naught against the Interdictor Class cruiser, as they simply reverse the polarity of their gravity well projectors to send the missiles off-course.
----
[[caption-width-right:349:Evil has never looked so cool.]]
''TIE Fighter'' is an animated short ''Franchise/StarWars'' [[FanWorks/StarWars fan film]], depicting a space battle between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance [[PerspectiveFlip from the Imperial TIE pilots' point of view]]. It was made by Paul "[=OtaKing=] 77077" Johnson and features a soundtrack by Zak Rahman.
A two-minute preview was first posted in 2012. The full film went online in 2015, with a completely new soundtrack.
Can be watched [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN_CP4SuoTU here]].
----
!!''TIE Fighter'' provides examples of:
* AceCustom: The cluster missiles Ada released at the X-Wing squadron are her own modification, per the background info. She constantly tries to get the head flight officer to authorize various similar customizations, who will forever deny them.
* AllLoveIsUnrequited: According to the background information, Neel has a crush on Ada and frequently leaves her boxes of chocolate. She doesn't realize who they're from at all.
* AllThereInTheManual: Since the film is dialogue-less, a lot of background information and even the characters' names only appear in [[http://www.mediafire.com/view/cpnc1oj27dkosc4/Tie%20Fighter_project%20materials.pdf the supplementary material]].
* {{Animesque}}: More specifically, the art style is based on '80s science-fiction anime.
* BadassMustache: Rosh has one.
* TheBadGuyWins: The Rebel fleet is completely obliterated and the Empire declares victory.
* BerserkButton: Mentioned below, don't insult bombers near Ada.
* TheBore: The background materials describe Rosh as "tedious", unskilled in social interactions, and [[RidiculouslyAverageGuy generally unmemorable]]. This is even reflected in the background materials because Rosh has a shorter biography than any of the other characters.
* CallBack: There are subtle references throughout the film to the ''VideoGame/TIEFighter'' video game, including the [=HUDs=] in the fighters and the briefing room being taken straight from the game.
* CompanionCube: Ada really, really, ''really'' likes her TIE bomber. Regarding it as slow (which it isn't in her hands) in any sense triggers her BerserkButton.
* CompetencePorn: The Galactic Empire, for once, does not suffer from troops dying en masse ineffectively or having terrible aim, and wins a battle as a result, due to being genuinely more dangerous than the Rebellion.
* CurbStompCushion: Early on in the battle the rebel pilots get their fair share of kills against the Imperials, and even have a ''very'' brief HopeSpot that they might escape with minimal casualties. Things quickly get worse for them once the attack on the cruiser fails, and once the Star Destroyers get involved, the battle is over almost instantly.
* DarkActionGirl: Ada, a skilled AcePilot who can make a TIE Bomber fly like an Interceptor and serves the Empire.
* FaceFramedInShadow: Gaunt gets a shot like this at a pivotal moment, combined with a SlasherSmile.
* FearlessFool: Plenty of Imperials regard Ada as a lunatic for her habit of speeding through asteroid fields for cover so she can flank enemy fighters or capital ships and catch them by surprise.
* GloryHound: His bio states that Gaunt is one in some ways, although some of traits associated with a glory hound are played with or even subverted. Gaunt is certainly ambitious, loves capturing at least some ships intact from combat in order to increase his standing, and hasn't published his (quite effective) tactics because he thinks it makes him look better to be the only one using them, while he'd just be one man among many who are producing the same results if his tactics became more widespread. However, unlike most glory hounds, (who will carelessly throw away resources and lives for the sake of their own ambition) Gaunt is extremely resource conscious, (to the extent that his bio describes him as almost being a hoarder) and uses cautious tactics that minimize the risks to his ships and men. Both Neel and Ada appreciate his tactical skill and the way he uses their fighters and bombers in ways that play to the strengths of their craft.
* GrinOfAudacity: You see one on Neel's face a split second before his helmet comes on. His biography states him as a hotshot...when he's not concerned with his own survival or paranoid that Gaunt's bridge will get hit and kill the commander.
* HiddenDepths: Despite repeatedly stating that Rosh is uninteresting and has no hidden depths, the very last line of his bio is teasing about whether or not he's actually hiding some sort of secret about himself.
* HopeSpot: The Rebels get a short one after a group of Y-Wings shoot down a bunch of Imperial fighters and then line up the equivalent of a torpedo run on the Interdictor Cruiser. If they can do enough damage to take out the cruiser's gravity wells, it would let the rebel fleet escape with only some losses among the pilots. The Y-Wings fire... and the cruiser uses its gravity wells to push their shots off target, the Y-Wings are all shot down, and things go downhill for the Rebel fleet very quickly.
* HotBloodedSideburns: ZigZaggedTrope - Neel is indeed a bit of a hotshot with ridiculous sideburns, but he's ''also'' neurotically terrified that Commander Gaunt will get killed from his bridge getting hit and rather pessimistic when that pops up. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in his bio as well, which says the sideburns style he's grown was popular on his home planet about twenty years ago.
* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: {{Averted}} in the short by the pilots, who are deadly shots. In the background material, however, it is revealed the Gaunt has terrible aim with blasters.
* {{Irony}}: Neel's greatest fear is Commander Gaunt dying by a Rebel getting a lucky shot on the bridge of his flagship. The battle in the short film, however, ends after Neel lands a well-placed shot on the bridge of a Rebel cruiser[[note]]Neel's TIE fighter is distinguished by the damage to its right wing that he sustains earlier in the battle[[/note]].
* LargeHam: Commander Gaunt manages to be this without having a single line of dialogue, purely thanks to his [[MilkingTheGiantCow dramatic arm gesture]] when ordering the capital ships to open fire. According to his character bio, he "is known for theatrically flamboyant hand gestures when a simple 'fire' command would suffice."
* ALighterShadeOfBlack: Commander Gaunt is a loyal Imperial soldier, but he is also not unpleasant to work under, as he is known to offer fruit to his officers during meetings, and he places value on the lives of the soldiers and ships under his command. In addition, Neel is highly fearful of a Rebel getting a lucky shot on the bridge of the ''Violator'' and killing Gaunt, because that would mean getting transferred to another squadron under someone far worse than him -- possibly even ''[[TheDreaded Darth Vader]]''.
* MacrossMissileMassacre: Ada's TIE Bomber is equipped with cluster missiles, as she laid waste to a Rebel squadron.
* MoodSwinger: Neel's biography in the background material states that he swings back and forth between HotBlooded confidence and neurotic NervousWreck.
-->''His self image flips from [[AwesomeEgo self-aggrandizing fighter prodigy]] to [[TheEeyore doomsayer and harbinger of bad luck]] at the most bizarre of times''
* MythologyGag: The background material states Neel's greatest fear is the bridge of Gaunt's Star Destroyer getting hit, placing his squadron in other potentially much worse hands (like Darth Vader)...you know, kinda like when A-wing that went flying into the Super Star Destroyer's bridge in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''...oh, ''and'' he's paranoid of A-wings due to always getting shot down by them in the virtual combat simulator.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: The Star Destroyers, as [[ThemeNaming is standard]] in ''Franchise/StarWars'': the ''Violator'', the ''Exterminator'' and the ''Inhibitor''. [[LampshadedTrope Lampshaded]] in the supplementary material, which points out that Gaunt may have [[VictoryThroughIntimidation chosen these ships because of their intimidating names]] and the psychological effect they would have on the enemy.
* ObliviousToLove: Neel has a crush on Ada that she is clueless about. Apparently he regularly leaves chocolates outside her door, and she hasn't discovered the identity of her admirer.
* OldSoldier: Rosh is as experienced as his appearance would infer.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Rosh's bio states he is frequently called "the ace", or "that man I keep handing fruit to" in Gaunt's case (he also apparently is the pilot that has happened to have received the most fruit from Gaunt), because few people actually remember his name for some reason.
* OrderIsNotGood: Gaunt is described as a big believer in Order, but in this case the order in question is the totalitarian regime of Palpatine's [[TheEmpire Empire]]. While Gaunt's biography says that he's not an evil man, it also points out that he's by no means good either, and is a believer in using fear and intimidation to keep systems in line. He was taken under the wing of Grand Moff Tarkin, who famously tried to use the destruction of ''entire planets'' to inspire that sense of fear. Gaunt is cut from a similar cloth, he's just not as extreme as Tarkin, and isn't as willing to throw away lives.
* OutrunTheFireball: Some rebels attempts to do this when their vessel goes up in flames. [[spoiler: They didn't make it.]]
* PerspectiveFlip: Shows a battle in the [[Franchise/StarWars Galactic Civil War]] from TheEmpire's [[VillainProtagonist point of view.]]
* PrivateMilitaryContractors: Rosh was a mercenary before joining the Imperial Fleet. This has resulted in him being widely distrusted by officers concerned about his loyalty, but Gaunt only cares about results, so when he noticed Rosh's skills Rosh was rapidly promoted.
* TheQuietOne: Rosh is described by the background info as a tedious person. His replies to the constant requests for tips to how he got be such an ace pilot he gets are "DoABarrelRoll" and "Just, you know, don't get shot."
* RuggedScar: ExploitedTrope -- according to the background material, Ada got that large scar from... opening a closet, but she keeps it while telling everyone she got it from a battle where in she killed 12 X-wings.
* ShoutOut: The entire clip is rife with references to the old ''VideoGame/XWing'' and ''VideoGame/TIEFighter'' video games (even borrowing its logo from the latter). The [=HUDs=] of each ship match those of the games, the Star Destroyer has the same briefing area as it does in ''TIE Fighter'', and various sound effects are lifted from the games.
* SilenceIsGolden: There is no audible dialog throughout the short. While ''characters'' clearly speak and give orders, what they're saying has to be guessed by the resulting actions.
* SingleIssueWonk: Ada has an obsession with various bomber craft, and was only ever interested in flying the TIE Bombers when she attended the Imperial Academy.
* SlasherSmile: Gaunt gets a wicked one when victory is near. According to his bio, he has a tendency to grin like this during battles.
* TechnologyPorn: Quite a few scenes are very detailed shots of engines or weaponry clicking into action.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Gaunt's biography states he apparently really likes fruit and often hands some his subordinates during briefings.
* UnnecessaryCombatRoll: Ada's biography calls out her habit of unnecessary barrel rolls in her bomber.
* VictoryThroughIntimidation: Background materials state that Gaunt, the commander of the Imperial Fleet, is a big believer in this. Gaunt is a believer in the [[Film/StarWarsANewHope Tarkin]] school of thought that fear and massive firepower would do more to keep order in the Empire than anything else. In the Outer Rim sector where his fleet operates, Gaunt has developed a reputation that often makes local pirates and would-be separatists surrender as soon as he confronts them rather than attempt to fight.
* VillainProtagonist: Neel, Ada and Rosh.
* TheWorfBarrage: A massive burst of missiles ends up being for naught against the Interdictor Class cruiser, as they simply reverse the polarity of their gravity well projectors to send the missiles off-course.
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