Flight helmet / Legends Flight helmets were headgear worn by starfighter pilots . The helmets often included a visor with a special computer projection for targeting . The helmets of pilots of the Alliance to Restore the Republic were often decorated with a red or blue Alliance Starbird , though some pilots customized them to include symbols of personal significance or emblems from specific squadrons . Their craft ' s life support systems negated the need for a self - contained helmet such as those used by the Empire ' s TIE pilot s , but such masks could be attached in emergency situations . Many of the helmet designs continued to be used into the era of the New Republic and Galactic Federation of Free Alliances . Details . The Rebels ' X - wing flight helmets were made of a plasteel hull and included a Dysonic motivator housing on the ridges of the helmet and customized heat diffusion plating on the sides ; AerTech atmospheric conversion regulator s on the edges of the helmet on the dorsal facial edges ; a localized atmospheric field generator on the edge of the central ridge ; a retractable polarizing visor ; Reifflex adaptable foam lining the inside of the helmet ; a ComTech sensa - mic for reporting to mission control and issuing commands to wingmates ; and a flexfit chin pad with an adjustable strap lock . The X - wing helmet was the most seen in the Alliance , and many pilots - - such as the Y - wing pilots during the Battle of Yavin - - wore them no matter the starfighter model . The variations were more common by the time of the Battle of Endor . The standard Y - wing pilot helmet was equipped with an identichip , protective eye lenses , comlink , flight systems input jack , and an audio receiver . The helmet was much like that of a standard X - wing pilot helmet , but with a few minor differences . The helmet itself was much more rounded and elongated , with smoother curves . Also , the chin support bar was built into the actual helmet , as opposed to the X - Wing helmet , where it was merely a strap . A - wing pilot helmets came in two variations . One was similar to a Y - wing helmet , and the other was smaller and worn in conjunction with cloth headgear . It included a microphone that extended outward in front of the pilot ' s face . Like those of A - wing pilots , B - wing pilot helmets were worn with cloth headgear underneath . The smaller wraparound helmet also included a microphone like the A - wing helmets did . Species variants . The most widely used helmet designs in the Alliance were those used by Human and Near - Human species . To accommodate the variety of body types among the various non - human races that served as Rebel pilots , many helmets differed in configuration . Some were slight variations of the typical helmet with added openings or compartments to accommodate a race ' s body types , while others were vastly different . Behind the scenes . The helmets worn by Alliance X - wing pilots were made from modified plastic copies of real APH - 6B flight helmets . Many of the unique helmets used by pilots in were reused in and , even though many of the pilots in the first film were killed . In one example , an article in " Star Wars Insider 146 " reveals that Nichos Panib , a pilot seen in " The Empire Strikes Back " , is wearing a helmet with the same design as Garven Dreis ' in " A New Hope " to honor the deceased Dreis , an old family friend . Some of the helmets from the original trilogy were used once again many years later in 1995 for the video game " " , which included live action elements and many props and costumes from the movies . X - wing and Y - wing pilots in " A New Hope " used the same style of helmet , but three new designs were introduced in " Return of the Jedi " . Two were created for the movie ' s new A - wing and B - wing starfighters , while the Y - wing pilots no longer wore the same helmet as X - wing pilots . The A - wing pilot extra in the " Return of the Jedi " briefing room scene later identified as Tycho Celchu can be seen carrying a helmet similar to the new Y - wing pilots ' . That helmet was given to the Celchu action figure , and is referred to as an A - wing helmet in the " Star Wars Chronicles " book .