Rebel Starfighter Prime Tomato Review & Photos

Phenotypes: Beaked Hearts vs Blunt Oxhearts

Rebel Starfighter Prime. A recent breeding release from Russ Crowe, resulting from a cross of Xanadu Picasso x RHK GWR Heart. This line was selected out first and is considered the primary flagship.

I grew three vines of this line, and got lucky: all three turned out distinct!

The two vines in the greenhouse threw heart-shaped fruit. One vine produced exaggerated elongated beaks, while the second grew classic oxhearts with smaller tips. The third vine out in the garden beds threw flat-round oblate fruit. Taste and color were virtually identical across all three, the variation was purely fruit shape. Whether the prominent beak is a permanent variety trait or environmental, every single fruit on that beaked vine had the tip.

Maturity was early in my microclimate. Vines are tall and slender with sparse, wispy foliage. A bit finicky early on, perhaps taking time to settle into my dirt. Even so, it set fruit aggressively right through peak summer heat without blossom drop. I kept the vines shielded with shade cloth, watered heavily up to twice a day, and fed weekly.

Fruit averaged around 7 oz (200 g), with smaller ones at 4.2 oz (120 g) and giants hitting 10.5 oz (300 g). Very few seeds inside. Flavor is outstanding: beautifully balanced with pronounced sweetness and a strong, old-school tomato aroma. Best of all, none of that weird metallic, grassy aftertaste common in some anthocyanin lines.

Unbelievable stunners, pure magic.

On 9/4/2019 at 6:01 AM, Sofia 27 said:
The two vines in the greenhouse threw heart-shaped fruit. One vine produced exaggerated elongated beaks, while the second grew classic oxhearts with smaller tips. The third vine out in the open ground threw flat-round oblate fruit…

I suspect that pointed beak was the original breeding target all along. The name itself drops a pretty direct hint at the silhouette. In Star Wars, the Rebel Alliance flew Y-wings as their primary heavy strike craft, triangular with a pronounced cockpit nose. The Empire favored TIE fighters, while the Rebels countered with X-wings.

Given the shape splits, this release is clearly not 100% stabilized yet. Looks like I will also need to plant at least three vines next spring to make selections.

My 2020 run: two vines in the poly greenhouse.

The first plant sits right against the polycarbonate wall under direct sunlight. Fruits are a bit smaller, but the beaks are sharper and the anthocyanin wash is dramatically darker.

Vine habit mirrors Siberian Tiger, just with slightly denser foliage. Heavy trusses, sets reliably through blistering heat, and matures quite early. Delicious slicer: rich, sweet flesh with that classic “black tomato” depth, wrapped in very delicate skin. Gorgeous whole and sliced open. The interior is radiant raspberry-purple. Saved seed from the top fruit on the second truss.

Outstanding variety.

First year growing this. Running two vines across two unheated tunnels: early, delicious, and heavy yielders.

In the large high tunnel, fruit grew as perfect, textbook hearts. In the other tunnel, noticed a couple beaked fruit developing, but too early to judge since those went in the dirt two weeks late and are still sizing up.

Stalled during July heat: fruit stopped expanding and a few got sunscald. But now that cool rains rolled in, they woke right back up, even with daytime temps sitting at just 61°F (16°C)!

Even though we have had baking heat all week, the entire cluster started coloring up simultaneously. Every single tomato in the truss ripened together, which rarely happens with other heirlooms!

On 8/11/2020 at 5:43 PM, Tan4ik said:
Even though we have had baking heat all week, the entire cluster started coloring up simultaneously…

Strange, yours look like an entirely different coloration and antho level. We were just comparing notes on this: our beaked hearts are dark burgundy with olive-green striping. Another grower on our regional board got the exact same pale blush you have, and funny enough, I gave her that seedling! Kept two for myself: one threw classic hearts, the other grew beaked fruit with heavy indigo.

Nothing strange about that at all. This line is of recent hybrid origin, meaning its traits have not locked in across filial generations yet. That is why you see clear segregation in both fruit shape and skin coloring. Sofia pointed this out in the opening post of this thread.

Tan4ik’s fruit simply hasn’t finished ripening yet, plus phone cameras and lighting angle shift colors wildly.

Anthocyanin is standard for Rebel Starfighter Prime, but if sunlight is shaded out, indigo expression stays faint. On my own vines, fruit on the exact same plant shifts: some are bronze-brown, others lean vibrant purple-pink, though the stripes always stay deep green.

The split between pointed beaks and blunt oxhearts is standard phenotypic variation. My vines under direct sun throw beaked fruit; vines in partial shade put out blunt hearts.

Ran two vines side by side. One produced intense anthocyanin right from fruit set, while the second vine showed zero purple pigment at all. Clear genetic segregation.

Overall, loved it. Delicious flavor, and the visual appeal speaks for itself. Yield was moderate for me. Definitely growing it again.

Oksana, I stand by my assessment: the line is still young and throwing segregations. It needs ongoing selection work to stabilize.

All anthocyanin heirlooms trace back to recent interspecific crosses and will throw variations in shape and color.

The massive win with this line is heat tolerance: it handles extreme temperature swings and delivers heavy crops where other beefsteaks drop blossoms. In Biysk, Siberia, where record heat hit all summer, Olga Chernova reported outstanding yields of beaked, dark antho hearts with great flavor.

Photos from today’s harvest.

Six vines from the same seed source on the southeast greenhouse wall. Fruit shape was uniform across all six, only found two tomatoes with a slight beak. Fruit ran between 3.5 and 14 oz (100 to 400 g). Production was average.

Flesh is juicy, flavor is straightforward with subtle exotic antho undertones near the stem. Antho intensity shifted across the season. Personally, not blown away by the taste, Purple Sunrise is still my top antho favorite.

Easily the prettiest variety of my entire season. Cannot stop staring at those shifting metallic hues! Heavy fruit set, sweet, and delicious.

One major drawback: practically zero shelf life. Softens up very fast once picked.

Rebel Starfighter Prime: the undisputed beauty queen of my summer!

Seeds came from Sofia 27, selected specifically from her beaked line. Grew three vines and all three came out identical, putting out a mix of blunt hearts and pointed beaks. Indeterminate, delicate wispy foliage, open airy canopy, and solid production. Unbelievably gorgeous through every development stage, especially when immature. The contours, stripes, and color shifts range from blunt oxhearts to slender beaked stunners.

Ripe fruit turns deep burgundy-brown with green stripes. Flesh is marvelous, reminiscent of Pascal de Picardie and Streak of Lightning: distinctly sweet, tender yet meaty. Rated 5+ in my garden book!

One critical flaw to watch out for: in the seedling flat, like many heavy anthocyanin lines, it is extremely prone to **seedling edema**. It threw temper tantrums and dropped lower leaves under indoor grow lights, so sow extra seeds for backup.

Blunt heart fruit hits 10.5 to 14 oz (300 to 400 g); beaked fruit runs 3.5 to 5.3 oz (100 to 150 g).

Was recently reflecting on varieties that bring pure aesthetic joy, and the Rebels and Girl Girl’s Weird Thing immediately topped the list.

Growing Green Zebra Starfighter again this season, and colleagues brought in beaked and oblate Rebel fruits to taste. Pure art! I figured out how to manage Rebel’s frail habit: give it heavier compost in the seedling cups, followed by balanced nitrogen early in the season so it bulks up body instead of spooking you with frail, wispy leaves.

Personally prefer the flat-round beefsteak version for flavor, while friends prefer the hearts. Even with ongoing stabilization needed, this line is a masterpiece that will earn permanent residency in any serious grower’s garden.

Total knockout! Shrugged off foul summer weather and rapidly loaded up mottled hearts along the entire trellis.

Disappointed at first because early fruit tasted sharply sour. But late in the season, after several blazing sunny days, they turned outrageously sweet. A tiny residual tang stayed, but against high sugar levels, it felt like the cherry on top.

Gorgeous, heavy-yielding variety. Saw both blunt hearts and sharp beaked fruit. Early fruit was slightly smaller, but size surged later in the season. Sets effortlessly in high heat.

Keeping it brief: total looker, delicious fruit. By the tail end of the season, the tomatoes turned almost pitch black.

Big shoutout to Sofia 27 for seeds, labeled directly as “beaked ones”!

My family loves dark-fruited heirlooms, and this flavor won them over completely. Seeds courtesy of Svetikk!

This Starfighter had a much sturdier vine habit in my garden. Sweet, striking fruit. Both plants grew in partial shade and cropped heavily.

My 2021 Rebel Starfighter Prime crop: two vines in the poly greenhouse. Gorgeous interior cross-section!

Proved early in my Moscow garden beds. On the center bed, tomatoes produced distinct pointed tips, dark burgundy with vivid green stripes.

On the side bed, fruit was rounder, leaning toward a blunt heart shape with a fascinating purple-red-green-amber marbling. Loved this variety: visual eye candy and wonderful flavor.

Grown in open ground beds.

Vines hit 6 to 6.5 ft (1.8-2 m) and would have kept climbing if I had not topped them mid-August. Ran them to 2-3 leaders. Fruit ranged from 1.8 to 14 oz (50 to 400 g), tapering down toward the upper clusters. Extreme heat cooked some blossoms, and where only a single fruit set on a truss, it swelled into an enormous beefsteak.

Shape shifted from slightly elongated round to deep oxhearts on the exact same plant. Incredibly delicious: sweet, juicy, dense, with dark burgundy interior flesh that immediately reminded me of prime beefsteak meat. Will definitely repeat.

Completely thrilled with this variety. Bought seed labeled as round, but grew out the beaked phenotype I was dreaming of! Planting more vines this season.

Grew it for the first time and it was an absolute hit. Delicious, stunning, and brushed off bad weather and foliar diseases with ease. Let a few fruits over-ripen on the vine, but they were ideal for seed-saving and sauce batches.

Delicious and highly ornamental, but shelf life is practically non-existent. Worth growing a couple of plants for variety, but not a bulk producer for shipping.

Grew it again this season, this time using saved seed taken strictly from beaked Y-shaped fruit. Put three vines out in open garden beds: all three threw classic hearts! Taste and color matched, and yields were every bit as heavy as the greenhouse, helped along by a blistering hot summer.

Repeated it again this season. Permanent favorites ❤️

Absolute stunner in my garden this year. Softens fast once ripe though, does not hold long after picking.

Grew it for the first time, earmarked for an automatic repeat strictly on visual appeal. The balance between juiciness and dense meat was fantastic: not a water balloon, but not dry paste either. Ripened a touch late for me, but that was down to a chilly, dismal June and my own planting timing.

Ran a single vine in the poly greenhouse. Fruit came out completely round like little apples, on the smaller side. Beautiful coloration, fantastic flavor.

Repeated the beaked strain of Rebel Starfighter Prime in 2025.

Gorgeous, delicious, and heavy yielding for me. The sole, yet significant drawback: zero shelf life. Fruit goes soft very quickly and spoils if not eaten immediately.

Russian commercial seed company Biotekhnika is selling seed packets labeled “Figa”. Looking at the fruit photos, I have a sneaking suspicion it is just Rebel Starfighter Prime repackaged under a Russian marketing name.

How does this variety behave for everyone in the seedling flat?

Mine grew into bizarre, sickly runts: thin stems around 3 to 6 inches (7-15 cm) that twisted into corkscrews and dropped every single leaf except the very tip. Is high-intensity grow lighting causing this? Really wanted to grow this variety, hoping if I manage to harvest my own seed, next year’s generation will be tougher.

On 5/11/2026 at 10:57 PM, Kolirina said:
How does this variety behave for everyone in the seedling flat?

Mine grows just like any other indeterminate tomato. Definitely not stocky like dwarf varieties, but completely normal.

On 5/12/2026 at 5:50 AM, Tatiana77 said:
Mine grows just like any other indeterminate tomato…

That is even stranger. Every other variety under the exact same lights and potting mix grew flawlessly. Cannot wrap my head around what went wrong.

On 8/30/2020 at 1:45 PM, Svetikk said:
…in the seedling flat, like many heavy anthocyanin lines, it is extremely prone to edema, it threw temper tantrums and dropped lower leaves under indoor grow lights…

That was it! Svetikk nailed the diagnosis. The moment I pulled the flats out from under the intense LED grow lights into softer ambient room light, they bounced right back and started pushing clean foliage.

Edited May 13 by Kolirina