The Power Of The Force Tie Fighter

6/9/2026

Thank you for joining us for a closer look at Kenner/Hasbro's Star Wars Power Of The Force TIE Fighter, released in the orange Power Of The Force (2) packaging in July/August 1995. The TIE Fighter was among the very first vehicles released when the modern Star Wars action figure line returned to stores, ending the ten-year hiatus that followed the end of the original Kenner Star Wars line in 1985. The Tie Fighter cost $19.99 at the time of its release in 1995 and was based on the Tie Fighter's The Empire Strikes Back appearance with a blue hull.

Packaging

The Power Of The Force TIE Fighter was released in the orange Power Of The Force (2) packaging, which was the signature look for the modern Star Wars toy relaunch in 1995. The packaging presented the vehicle as part of the new Power Of The Force line, while the toy itself looked back to the original Kenner era. Instead of creating an entirely new TIE Fighter from scratch, Hasbro went back to the vintage Kenner vehicle and updated it for the 1995 release.

Paperwork

The TIE Fighter came without assemply instructions, but it included a poster of a TIE Fighter schematic, a small toy catalog (with no Star Wars toys pictured) and a feedback form.

Assembly

There is not much assembly required once the TIE Fighter is removed from the box. The vehicle consists of three main parts: the cockpit pod and two solar panel wings. The wings simply plug into the side struts, and once attached, the TIE Fighter is ready for display or play. There were no stickers included with this release and the screen and controls sticker was alread preapplied out of the box.

The simple construction made the vehicle easy to put together, and the basic design will feel familiar to anyone who handled the original Kenner TIE Fighter from the vintage Kenner line.

Vehicle Features

The main action feature is built into the two buttons located on top of the wing struts. When pressed, the buttons simulate battle damage by ejecting the the wings from the cockpit. This feature was also present on the original vintage Kenner TIE Fighter vehicle. The battle-damage feature gives the vehicle some fun play value while keeping the overall design simple. The wings can be reattached easily after they pop off, allowing the feature to be used again and again.

Changes From The Original Kenner TIE Fighter

Hasbro made several changes to the Power Of The Force TIE Fighter when compared to the original Kenner vehicle. The most noticeable change is the removal of the electronics. This version does not include sound effects, and the front laser light underneath the cockpit is no longer a light.

The surface pattern of the solar panels, which was recreated with stickers on the older Kenner release, is molded directly into the wings on this Power Of The Force version. This gives the wings sculpted detail instead of relying on sticker decoration. The copyright markings were also updated for this release and now reference 1995 and the Tonka Corporation instead of the original Kenner markings. Because the electronics were removed as well, the battery-box function was no longer needed, although the basic rear shape of the vehicle remained largely intact.

The lever used on the vintage Kenner TIE Fighter to raise and lower the cockpit seat was removed for this release. 

Cockpit

The cockpit opens and can seat a Power Of The Force 2 TIE Fighter Pilot action figure comfortably. This is worth noting because Power Of The Force 2 figures were bulkier than vintage Kenner figures, but the pilot still fits inside without much trouble.

The cockpit itself feels close to the correct size for 3.75-inch Star Wars action figures, even though the rest of the vehicle does show its age when compared to more modern TIE Fighter releases, especially the undersized wings.

Display

The TIE Fighter does not include landing gear. Like earlier TIE Fighter toys, it rests on the shelf by balancing on its wings. In the movies and tv shows TIE Fighers were seen hanging from the ceilings, until Moff Gideon's TIE Fighter showed that some versions even have foldable-wings which allows them to land on ground. 

Final Thoughts

All things considered, the Power Of The Force TIE Fighter is outdated by today's standards, but it remains an important vehicle in the modern Star Wars action figure line. The cockpit still works well for 3.75-inch figures, but the wings are clearly underscaled when compared to the actual vehicle from the Star Wars movies. The removal of the electronics is another negative, having the sounds and the light light-up on the front of the original was always a fun play feature.

As one of the earliest vehicles released during the 1995 Power Of The Force relaunch, the TIE Fighter holds a special place in Star Wars collecting history. It connects the vintage Kenner era with the modern Hasbro era and remains a notable release for the Power Of The Force toy line at the time.