N-1 Starfighter: Everything You Need To Know About Mandalorian New Naboo Starfighter

In the most recent episode of The Book of Boba Fett, the focus was entirely on the star of The Mandalorian, Din Djarin. We know for a fact that Djarin lost his Razor Crest ship back in the events of The Mandalorian. So, in episode 5 of The Book of Boba Fett, he sought to acquire a new ship from Peli Motto, who gave him an N1 Starfighter instead of a new Razor Crest. But what exactly is an N1 Starfighter?

An N-1 Starfighter is a single-seat starfighter that was specifically designed to be used by the Royal Naboo Security Forces. It was designed by the Theed Palace Engineering Corps of Naboo and is said to have a maximum speed of 1,100 kilometers per hour. It is also equipped with its own hyperdrive system.

For the longest time, we were used to Din Djarin manning a bigger Razor Crest ship that is actually meant to be a gunship and not a starfighter. However, considering that we are looking at a new era in The Mandalorian’s story following the end of season 2, it is only fitting that Din Djarin gets a new ship to use whenever he is running bounties all over the galaxy.

Who Designed The Naboo Starfighter?

Episode 5 of The Book of Boba Fett was dedicated entirely to Din Djarin, the star of The Mandalorian. So, during the opening events of this episode, we see Din Djarin using public transportation to move around the galaxy. And that is because his ship, the Razor Crest, was destroyed during the events of season 2 of The Mandalorian.

In that regard, a good part of the episode focused on Din Djarin acquiring and fixing a new ship from Peli Motto. First described as junk by the Mandalorian himself, this new starship got fixed up and was even modified to be faster and better than its original specifications. The model of this starfighter is the N-1 Starfighter or the Naboo Starfighter. So, who designed the N-1 Starfighter?

As the name of the ship suggests, the N-1 Starfighter was designed by Naboo. Specifically, it was designed and manufactured by the Theed Palace Engineering Corps, a company that designed and manufactured ships to be used by the people of Naboo. In case you don’t know, Naboo is Padme Amidala’s planet of origin and was the planet on which most of the events of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace happened. Even Emperor Palpatine himself originated from Naboo.

The Theed Palace Engineering Corps actually designed the Naboo Starfighter to be used by the Royal Naboo Security Forces for duties such as defending or escorting the queen of Naboo. As such, this is no ordinary starfighter as this ship can be called limited-edition and a classic, by all accounts. It was not a ship simply made for regular mass production, as only those of the Royal Naboo Security Forces used it.

Of course, the Naboo Starfighter is also an iconic ship on its own. In the events of The Phantom Menace, a group of elite pilots rode N-1 Starfighters to destroy the ships that were blockading Naboo. Specifically, a young Anakin Skywalker himself piloted a Naboo Starfighter to destroy one of the blockading ships owned by the Trade Federation.

Do Naboo Starfighters Have Hyperdrive?

If you have been following the Star Wars films and series for a long time, one of the things you will notice is that not all ships are built with their own hyperdrive engines because of how small these ships are compared to the bigger gunships. That’s why some of the smaller ships that were primarily used for combat by the Jedi during the Clone Wars had to use hyperdrive attachments. So, as small as the Naboo Starfighter is, does it have its own hyperdrive engine?

Yes, the N-1 Starfighter has its own built-in hyperdrive engine. It is actually equipped with what is called the Monarc C-4 hyperdrive, which allows the ship to enter hyperspace quickly enough. This means that the ship is actually very useful in a lot of situations and will serve Din Djarin in his travels all over the galaxy.

What Happened To The Naboo Starfighter?

The Naboo Starfighter was built over 40 years prior to the events of The Mandalorian. Throughout that time, it had seen its fair share of appearances in the Star Wars continuity, as you could even see it flying in the galaxy during the celebration of the Rebellion when the second Death Star was destroyed.

N-1 Starfighters continued to be quite useful to the Rebellion during the events of their battle against the Empire but were not as widely used as the classic X-Wing starfighter due to the fact that Naboo Starfighters were not meant to be used for military combat.

How Did N-1 Starfighter Get In The Hands Of Peli Motto?

As mentioned, Din Djarin acquired his N-1 Starfighter from Peli Motto, who runs a starship dock in Mos Eisley and works as a mechanic as well. But how in the world did Peli Motto get her hands on a Naboo Starfighter?

There is no conclusive answer regarding how Peli Motto was able to acquire an N-1 Starfighter. But what we do know is that it was most probably sold to her upfront because she couldn’t have traveled out of Tatooine, considering that she herself said that she has never been off the planet.

As such, considering that the events of both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett happened right after the fall of the Empire, it could be possible that this N-1 Starfighter was one of the remnants of the Rebellion and was so heavily damaged that it was sold to Peli Motto as junk right after the New Republic took over the galaxy.

Is N-1 Starfighter Better Than The Razor Crest?

Before Din Djarin was able to fly the N-1 Starfighter, he couldn’t stop talking about how he wanted a new Razor Crest instead of the “piece of junk” that Peli Motto was willing to offer him. He eventually learns to love the Naboo Starfighter because of its tight performance and amazing maneuverability. However, is the N-1 Starfighter better than the Razor Crest?

The N-1 Starfighter, as the name suggests, is meant to be a Starfighter and focuses more on maneuverability and speed in galactic battles. It was not meant to be a ship used for carrying cargo or multiple people because it was designed as a security and escort ship for the royalty of Naboo.

On the other hand, the Razor Crest is a gunship that was primarily used as a military patrol craft and as an assault ship. That means that it was not meant to have the same kind of maneuverability and speed that the N-1 Starfighter has. But it is a better utility ship because it can carry more people and was also used by Din Djarin as his de facto home whenever he was traveling the galaxy.

So, while the N-1 Starfighter could beat the Razor Crest in a one-on-one fight because of its superior maneuverability and speed, the Razor Crest is the more versatile ship because it can be used for a lot of different purposes.

Here is an informative video that will get you to know more about the N-1 Starfighter

Naboo Starfighter vs. X-Wing

As iconic as the Naboo Starfighter may be, no other starfighter in Star Wars history is as iconic as the X-Wing. The X-Wing might actually be second only to the Millennium Falcon in terms of how popular it is.

That said, the Naboo Starfighter is an older ship that was made 40 years prior to the events of The Book of Boba Fett. On the other hand, while the X-Wing isn’t the newest ship, it still is newer than the Naboo Starfighter.

Of course, the Naboo Starfighter was designed by a company based on a pacifist planet. That means that it was not designed primarily for military use, as it was made to be used as an escort and defense ship. However, the X-Wing is the most reliable starfighter the Rebellion has ever used, as it is superior in terms of its maneuverability and speed.

However, if we were to look at Din Djarin’s N-1 Starfighter, it might be better than a regular X-Wing, considering that the Mandalorian was able to quickly evade two X-Wings piloted by security officers flying just outside of Tatooine in episode 5 of The Book of Boba Fett. Djarin’s ship flew away from them so fast that one of the pilots thought that it entered hyperspace.

So, while the regular N-1 Starfighter is inferior to a regular X-Wing, Din Djarin’s Naboo Starfighter is so pimped out and customized that its performance is superior to any starfighter we have seen in Star Wars as of this writing.