The TIE Defender was introduced in this game, and it would by silly to try to deny that it is an extremely overpowered ship. Personally, I think it looks ridiculous, but in those very difficult later missions, you'll be glad you're piloting the Defender rather than an Interceptor or Bomber. The Defender combines speed with protection with superior firepower, at the expense of....well, nothing.
I sped through a couple of levels without all power diverted to engines just to demonstrate how fast the Defender can fly, and just how easy it is to crash. So if the ship has a drawback at all, it's a steep learning curve pilots face to master flying it.
