TIE Crusader, commonly known as the Crusader, was a high-performance TIE series starfighter developed for the Imperial Navy by Sienar Fleet Systems shortly before the Battle of Endor. Representing a shift in starfighter design from previous TIE models, the ship featured a hyperdrive as well as deflector shields to allow it to operate independently of Imperial capital ships. The ship's speed and agility, combined with its firepower, made it arguably the most advanced starfighter available at the time, even more so than the TIE Defender