The final episode of Skeleton Crewbroadcast on January 15, 2025 on Disney+, featured a certain spaceship, which we had not seen in another work Star Wars in live action for a long time. This was an opportunity to finally see its military capabilities.
It’s a design that fans of Star Wars have undoubtedly easily recognized, watching the final episode of the series Skeleton Crewreleased January 15 on Disney+. But above all, it’s a silhouette that we haven’t seen for a long time in the saga. In any case, as far as live action films and series are concerned.
Warning: this article contains spoilers for the last episode of Skeleton Crew.
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The return of the B-Wing in live action
The familiar ships we’re talking about are the B-Wing fighters. Certainly less well known than the famous other machines, such as the A-Wing or the Y-Wing.
-In Skeleton Crewwe can spot the arrival of a squadron of X-Wing fighters, supported by two B-Wing ships, as soon as the barrier which obscured the planet At-Attin collapsed. We then see them go on the attack to dislodge the pirates. The opportunity to finally see the military capabilities of the B-Wing, which are rather poorly known.
Because unlike the X-Wing, which we see almost all the time in Star Warsthe B-Wing is a device used rarely. The first time he was able to make his appearance was in Return of the Jedithe third film in the original trilogy, released in theaters in 1983. And since then… nothing. At least, nothing in live action anymore.
Certainly, the B-Wing has been featured on numerous occasions in the former extended universe of Star Wars — in comics and novels for example — and more recently in the new continuity of the saga. We’ve seen him in video games, comics and animated series, like Rebels. But never again in live action.
A complex shape to show in the cinema
Paradoxical, considering the merits of the ship. According to a description on the official website, the B-Wing is described as quite “ powerful “. But, as the reference encyclopedia Wookiepedia explains, the particular shape of the device (a sort of thin cross) made it difficult to represent on screen.
« The craft’s unusually thin shape posed problems for blue screen shots, as the model tended to blend into the star field », Explains the site. We see it a little in the image during the battle of Endor, in Return of the Jedibut very little in combat. Some sequences with the B-Wing were even cut.
Frustrating, certainly, and we will ultimately have to wait 41 years to finally see the B-Wing in action in a “real” work. The opportunity to also see its particular weaponry, which allows it to fire a continuous laser, capable of deeply cutting the hull of the ships it hits. We had already seen it in animation, but it’s something else with special effects.
Where does the B-Wing come from?
For the record, the B-Wing is linked to the first name of Bill George, an animator from the company ILM, who helped create the special effects of Star Wars. The man was very involved on this ship, to the point that he was also nicknamed “Bill-Wing Fighter” by his colleagues. Afterwards, Rebels delivered an explanation that sticks with the lore.
Thus, it is said that the ship was designed in the saga by a certain… Quarrie. This is obviously a nod to Ralph McQuarrie, an illustrator who produced numerous visuals on Star Wars during pre-production of the first trilogy. And among the designs imagined, there was inevitably the B-Wing, represented during a space battle.
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