Most Star Wars fans know of X-Wings, but those were far from the only ship employed by the Rebellion in the fight against the Empire. There’s B-Wings, and A-Wings, and U-Wings, and plenty of others.
The B-Wings have long been a fan favorite. They were first introduced in Return of the Jedi in 1983, but due to the limitations in technology they didn’t have a major role in the Battle of Endor and we didn’t really get to see them in action. But they had quite an influence in Legends material, particularly in video games. In the new canon, the most notable appearance has come in an episode of Star Wars: Rebels that explains the origins of the ship.
In the season two episode “Wings of the Master”, the rebel cell Phoenix Squadron realizes their need for a ship with more firepower that can help them against capital ships, larger vessels, and blockades. They receive a message from Quarrie, a Mon Calamari on the isolated planet of Shantipole, about a prototype fighter he had made. Hera Syndulla makes the trip and befriends Quarrie, who only wants to give the designs to the right pilot. After Hera proves her worth in the planet’s dangerous flying conditions, Quarrie gifts to her his prototype ship: the Blade Wing, with a quad-laser composite beam that packs quite a punch. Hera took the ship and flew it alongside Phoenix Squadron, and with this successful mission, the rebellion was convinced of its value. Bail Organa set in motion plans to produce more of these ships, which became known as B-Wings.
So even though the ship first was introduced over four decades ago, this composite laser is a much newer creation. Yet regardless, we have not really seen them in action in a live-action Star Wars project… until now. In the final episode of Skeleton Crew‘s first season, the New Republic arrives on At Attin to fend off the attacking pirates, and though the squadron is mostly made up of X-Wings, they bring two B-Wings along. The B-Wings utilize this composite beam to do massive damage to the pirate frigate, ultimately leading to its destruction. For the first time in live-action Star Wars, we’ve now seen B-Wings doing what they were created for: taking on much larger vessels to turn the tide of a battle. And it was truly a wonderful sight to behold.
Star Wars Thoughts 