Giant Freakin Robot

Whenever anyone talks about the best ships of Star Wars the answer is immediately the Incom T-65XJ X-Wing or the old reliable YT-1300 transport that is the Millenium Falcon. You might even make a strong case for one of those awesome Mon Calamari Cruisers, or Darth Vader’s ridiculously massive super Star Destroyer. But you probably won’t list any of the ships from the prequels among your favorites because, well let’s face it, everything about the original Star Wars movies, right down to the ship designs, is better.

But that doesn’t mean the Star Wars prequels don’t have a few pretty cool ships of their own. So rather than arguing yet again over whether or not the Corellian Corvette or the Tie-Advanced is a cooler ride, here’s a look at the ten most awesome ships from The Phantom Menace (back in theaters this weekend), Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith.

Eta-2 Actis Class Light Interceptor
The ship with the most ridiculous name may also be the best fighter in the prequel universe. The Eta-2 is also known as the Jedi Interceptor, and it’s the ship Jedi flew into battle late in the Clone Wars. You see a lot of them in Revenge of the Sith. It’s probably not an accident that this 5.47 meters long ship looks like a hybrid between a TIE-Fighter and a more traditional fighter. Obviously this design will eventually morph into the Empire’s hordes of deadly little TIEs.

Consular Class Space Cruiser
This ship is actually the very first thing you see in The Phantom Menace. A Consular Space Cruiser called the Radiant VII is the ship that brings Qui Gonn and Obi Wan to the Trade Federation. That’s an accurate depiction of this particular class of ship’s overall role in the Star Wars universe. The Old Republic used them primarily to transport Jedi and diplomats missions. They’re straight-forward transportation which, by the way, also looks pretty awesome.

J-Type Diplomatic Barge
It has a name which suggests it might be well suited as some sort of garbage scow, but the J-Type’s exterior is an art deco masterpiece. Designed like the futuristic, space-faring successor of a World War II bomber, the J-Type is nothing short of badass. If not for that weird, overly shiny exterior the Naboo insist on putting all over their ships, this is the one ship that might be good enough to compete with original trilogy designs in the awesome department.

Aggressive ReConnaissance (ARC-170) Starfighter
Built like a bigger, beefier version of the Incom X-Wing you know and love, the ARC-170 was big enough and heavy to carry out independent operations. It first appeared in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and was used heavily during the Clone Wars.

J-Type 327 Nubian Royal Starship
The J-Type 237 was the personal starship of the ruler of Naboo. You saw it extensively in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. What you might not know is that it has absolutely no weapons. That might not seem like a smart way to protect your ruler, but the ship was intended for peaceful diplomatic missions and the Queen’s protection was meant to come from an accompanying force of starfighters and the ship’s speed, which was great enough to outrun even most interceoptors.

Republic Attack Cruiser
The Republic Attack Cruiser is, obviously, the predecessor of the Victory Class Star Destroyer you know from the original trilogy as the deadly tool of the Empire. Later versions of this ship would indeed be called Venerator Class Star Destroyers and they were originally used in the Clone Wars depicted in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Believe it or not the Republic Attack Cruisers are actually even bigger than the Star Destroyers you know from A New Hope. Republic Attack Cruisers measure 1,137 meters in length while a Victory Class Star Destroyer measures only 900 meters long.

Sith Infiltrator
The Sith Infiltrator is a stealth ship, and thus designed not to be seen. It rarely ever is, until Darth Maul lands one on Tatooine in pursuit of Anakin Skywalker and his midichlorians. If you do see one, you’ll see one of the best ship designs in any of the prequels. The Sith Infiltrator perfect a compromise between the maneuverable style of a fighter and the bulkier, long range heft of a transport. This ship is deadly.

Naboo N-1 Fighter
If not for the wimpy yellow paint job, the N-1 Fighter would be a design worthy of fighting alongside the X-Wings of the Rebel Alliance. Used in The Phantom Menace to defeat the Trade Federation, these are the primary military weapon of the Naboo. The big engines mounted on the side scream World War II fighter pilot, all the ship’s really missing are some flames or better yet, a pin-up girl painted on the side of it.

Delta-7 Aethersprite-Class Light Interceptor
Also known as the Jedi Starfighter, the Delta-7 is the most common mode of battle transport for Jedi Knights in the age of the old republic. Obi Wan flies one on his missions in Attack of the Clones and so do a lot of the other Jedi. Some Jedi even give them customized paint jobs suited to their planet of origin and personality. The ship uses an attachable booster ring, when it wants to travel through hyperspace.

Recusant-Class Light Destroyer
Also known as the Commerce Guild Destroyer and the Separatist Destroyer, the Recusant class was used heavily during the Clone Wars. Most notably a Recusant class served as General Grievous’s command ship during his battle with the Jedi in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.

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