A "starfighter" is a science fiction term used to describe relatively small, maneuverable manned spacecraft designed for military combat. Strictly speaking, the term only applies to those that can independently perform intersystem travel; "spacefighter" would be more appropriate for those that cannot.
The appearance and use of fictional starfighters is often modeled on fighter aircraft, with little regard for the actual physics of space travel. The Starfuries in the television series Babylon 5 are a notable exception in at least attempting to make a more realistic fighter for space combat.
Well-Known Starfighters
Star Wars Universe
- Republic: ARC-170, V-19 Torrent, Jedi starfighter
- Rebel Alliance: A-wing, B-wing, X-wing, Y-wing, E-wing, Z-95 Headhunter
- Imperial: TIE Fighter, TIE Interceptor, TIE Advanced, TIE Defender
- Confederacy: Droid starfighter, Geonosian starfighter, Tri-Fighter
Other Universes
- Battlestar Galactica: Colonial Viper, Cylon Raider
- Babylon 5: Starfury, Thunderbolt, Minbari Fighter
- Robotech: VF-1 Valkyrie, VFA-6 Alpha
- Star Trek: Peregrine class shuttle
In Popular Culture
Starfighters are popular as subjects of flight simulator-like space combat video games, such as the "Wing Commander" and "X-Wing" series. This connection is made explicitly in the 1984 film The Last Starfighter, in which a video game on Earth is used as a recruiting device for an alien civilization whose starfighters require the same skills as the video game.