Colin’s X-Wing model on a table (click to buy)
Colin’s X-Wing against a planet (click to buy)
Colin’s first drawing of the X-Wing (click to buy)
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It’s true that all his designs were re-designed to a varying degree, but a strong Cantwell influence shows through on most of them.
Joe Johnston, concept artist and visual effects technician for Star Wars and film director (The Rocketeer, Jumanji, Captain America: The First Avenger)
Colin Cantwell’s influence was always there since we were 70s kids, poring over every available photographic cranny of ILM, his models lurking enticingly in the background.
Peter Briggs, co-writer, Hellboy (2004)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Star Wars X-Wing Fighter
Who created the X-Wing Fighter?
Colin Cantwell was the designer of the first version of the X-Wing Fighter. He was the first Lucasfilm employee hired by George Lucas. During a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything), Colin recalled: “The X-Wing was the first ship I designed for Star Wars. I would have conversations with it and it was through that dialogue that every other ship in the movie was born. I took 3 days to think about the look and feel of the X-Wing. It was inspired by people throwing darts in a pub and also by how kites flew. I considered each ship to have a personality, like an actor in the movie.”
He also likened the X-Wing opening its wings into attack formation to a cowboy drawing his guns.
Who is the most well-known Star Wars X-Wing Fighter pilot?
Luke Skywalker, who used the call sign Red 5 in Star Wars, is obviously the most well-known X-Wing pilot, but there are others who were pretty good in the cockpit, too. Wedge Antilles, for example, fought with Luke in the first Death Star battle and helped Lando Calrissian in the second Death Star battle in Return of the Jedi as well as during the battle over Exegol in Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker.
Poe Dameron is the obvious choice for the most well-known X-Wing Fighter pilot during the sequel trilogy era.
Which other Star Wars movies and TV shows feature the X-Wing Fighter?
Aside from the movies already mentioned, the X-Wing Fighter has been a mainstay in Star Wars, showing up in all three movies in the original trilogy (who can forget Luke crashing his X-Wing into a swamp on Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back?) and all three sequel films. On Disney+, it has made appearances in such shows as Andor, Skeleton Crew, and The Mandalorian. The ship was also a major player in the battle above Scarif in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Fun fact: the original X-Wing pilot who used the Red 5 call sign dies during that battle, paving the way for Luke Skywalker to adopt it in Star Wars.
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