Sublight drives propel starfighters at below lightspeed velocities, with the most common type being the ion engine. In the Star Wars universe, starfighters are equipped with the same fictional technology found on other starships.
Within the Star Wars setting, a starfighter is defined as a 'small, fast, manevuerable, and heavily armed starship used in direct confrontations between opposing forces.' In addition to appearing in the saga's movies and TV series, several LucasArts games depict the player as a starfighter pilot.
The following is a list of science-fictional Star Wars starfighters. It is not to be confused with Bird of prey (disambiguation).