LEGO Star Wars Skywalker Saga: Unlock Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter

Our LEGO Star Wars Skywalker Saga Unlock Darth Vader's TIE Fighter guide entails the complete method of unlocking Vader's Jet in the game.

As any Star Wars fan will tell you, the Star Wars universe is not only iconic by the characters in it, but also by their ships and vehicles. The Death Stars (yes, there are 2 of them), AT-AT walkers, Republic’s Command Ships and TIE Fighters, the Pod Racers of Mos Espa, and the Resistance’s X-Wings are some of the most evocative vehicles of the Star Wars universe, immediately recognizable by fans and have become a staple of the pop-culture. This guide entails how to unlock Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter in LEGO Star Wars The Skywalker Saga.

Key Highlights
  • The Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has up to 300+ characters and a lot of unlockables which you can choose to play from. Out of these, Darth Vader has to be the most iconic one.
  • One of the most significant unlockables is Darth Vader’s Tie Fighter from the LEGO franchise.
  • The Tie Fighter is unlocked by a puzzle in Yavin 4 which can be available by completing Episode IV.
  • The easiest way to gain access to the said arena is by playing the Original Trilogy.
  • Once you are inside the Grand Temple on Yavin 4 a puzzle named “Planetary Alignment” will pop up.
  • Push the planets into alignment to cue a cutscene.
  • After finishing the cutscene you can buy a Tie fighter for 100,000 studs.

For some reason, Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter isn’t linked to Darth Vader’s boss fight, neither does it depend on whether Darth Vader is unlocked or not. Rather, it is unlocked by a puzzle in Yavin 4, a hub area available after progressing and completing Episode IV: A New Hope. Players will need to have completed Episode IV, then return to Yavin 4 in the Free Play mode to solve the puzzle to unlock Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter, and then buy it from the Holoprojector menu.

Unlock Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter In Star Wars Skywalker Saga

Vader's TIE Fighter
Dark Lord of the Sith with his TIE Advanced X1.

Unlike the Capital Ships, Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter (named in-game as Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced X1) doesn’t provide any additional gameplay mechanics. It is a variant of the regular TIE Fighters, with a speed boost due to the inclined wings.

In the movie canon, Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader only flies the TIE Advanced X1 once, in the 3rd act of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Darth Vader tails the resistance X-Wings through the heat exhaust ‘trench’ of the first Death Star.

Apart from this, the TIE Advanced X1 also has a cameo in Star Wars: Rebels. This only goes to show the great effort and detail game developer Traveller’s Tales have put into this game, picking from every nook and cranny of the Star Wars universe to provide the most complete Star Wars experience to its players. Another example of this is the addition of Razor Crest, the Mandalorian Din Djarin’s ship, in the game.

Requirements To Unlock Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced X1

As described in the previous paragraphs, to unlock Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter in LEGO Star Wars The Skywalker Saga, you need access to the Yavin 4 hub arena. The easiest way to gain access to this arena is to start playing the Original Trilogy (Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi).

Whilst playing Episode IV, progress the story and you’ll arrive at The Great Temple, which neighbors the Yavin 4 hub arena. You can either choose to explore the arena now and solve the puzzle. Alternatively, if you’re in Free Play mode, you can return to The Great Temple and proceed as explained in the following paragraphs.

Yavin 4 Hub Arena

Yavin 4
Location of the hologram puzzle inside The Great Temple.

Visit the Grand Temple on Yavin 4. Once you’re inside, a puzzle will pop up.

Planetary alignment puzzle
Description of the puzzle “Planetary Alignment”

This puzzle is named “Planetary Alignment”. Behind the central hologram of a Solar System, identify the three holographic boards.

puzzle pieces to unlock jet
3 hologram boards are needed to find the solution to the puzzle.

Wondering how we’re playing with Boba Fett on this mission? Read our How To Unlock Boba Fett In Lego Star Wars The Skywalker Saga guide and learn how to play as the infamous mercenary in the game.

part 1 of the solution of the puzzle for unlocking darth vader TIE fighter
Align the purple hologram board with the front of the green hologram board.

Push the purple hologram board to the front of the green hologram board. They will lock together.

part 2 of the solution of the puzzle for unlocking darth vader TIE fighter
Align the yellow hologram board with the rear of the green hologram board.

Now push the yellow hologram board behind the green hologram board. Once they all snap together, the combined image of the three boards is the alignment of the puzzle. Notice that there are two buttons on either side of the boards.

This is where the trick lies. There are three planets in the hologram but only two buttons. The Green Button to the right of the boards moves the green planet, as well as the inner yellow planet. The Blue Button to the left of the boards moves the blue planet, but it also moves the inner yellow planet by a small amount.

It is only trial and error beyond this point. Once you get the planets into the alignment as shown in the combined hologram, they will cue a cutscene.

puzzle soution for unlocking darth vader TIE fighter.
Final alignment of the central hologram after the cutscene.

Finish the cutscene and you will have unlocked Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter in LEGO Star Wars The Skywalker Saga.

Unlocking Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter

unlocked message screen for LEGO Star Wars Skywalker Saga Unlock Darth Vader's TIE Fighter
Pop-up message after completing the puzzle.

Continue beyond the puzzle completion pop up and Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced X1 will be unlocked in the Holoprojector menu. However, you still need to buy it from the store for 100,000 studs.

If you’re falling short of the studs needed to buy it, you should read our best studs farming methods guide. There is no known cheat code or alternate unlock method to bypass the stud requirement, so the only way to unlock Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced X1 is via studs.

darth vader with his TIE fighter. LEGO Star Wars Skywalker Saga Unlock Darth Vader's TIE Fighter
Darth Vader poses with his TIE Advanced X1.

This concludes our guide on unlocking Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter in LEGO Star Wars The Skywalker Saga. If this is your first-time playing LEGO Star Wars The Skywalker Saga, then check out our LEGO Star Wars The Skywalker Saga Wiki, a comprehensive compilation of all guides pertaining to the game. Also, let us know what you think about this step-by-step guide in the comments section below!

Next: Star Wars The Skywalker Saga Zymod Locations

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Atik Younus


Atik Younas is a Junior Guides Writer on eXputer with decent experience writing about games. He’s an avid 3D designer and a coding wizard who gets fascinated by the technical aspects of the latest games. He’s got a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and loves enjoying well-written stories and combat mechanics in games. Atik has been playing games for more than 10+ years now. Most notably he has spent 1,000+ hours on GTA V Online and Minecraft! Feel free to get in touch with Atik on his gaming profile at Xbox and PSN. Experience: 2+ Years || Education: Bachelor's in Computer Science || Written 200+ Guides || Mainly Covers Game Strategy Guides on eXputer

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