Stormtrooper
![]() | ![]() |
|
|
Stormtrooper
General information
Historical information
Formed from
Date restored
Other information
Affiliation
- "You are stormtroopers. You are the keenest weapon in the Emperor's arsenal. Do not fail him. Do not fail me."
- ―Alecia Beck[18]
Stormtroopers (STs)—also known asImperial stormtroopers and generally referred to as "bucketheads"—were the elite shocktroops of theGalactic Empire, and were part of theStormtrooper Corps, an independentmilitary branch operating under theImperial Army. These elite, obedient and zealoussoldiers worearmor consisting ofwhiteplastoidplates over a blackbody glove, and their standard issue weapon was theE-11 medium blaster rifle. In addition to the standard varianttrooper, various specialized units such asscout troopers andsnowtroopers comprised the ranks of thecorps. AlongsideImperial-class Star Destroyers andTIE fighters, stormtroopers served as reminders of the absolute power of the Empire. In addition, stormtroopers would serve with theregularinfantry to enforceoppressive rule over thegalaxy.
Taking their name from the "storm" ofgalactic history,clone troopers served as the first generation of stormtroopers, and were gradually replaced by Imperial recruits known asTK stormtroopers. Clone troopers were composed of theclones who formed the backbone of theGrand Army of the Republic from itsinception at theend of theClone Wars when theSith LordDarth Sidiousdeclared theGalactic Republic at an end and himselfGalactic Emperor. Into the earlyyears of the Imperial Era, thecloning operation onKamino was shut down as the Empire turned to conscription and voluntary recruitment in order to fill the stormtrooper ranks. The remaining clones were gradually retired from service due to their rapid aging, their legacy inherited bynatural-bornhumans who were also trained to render total allegiance to theEmperor and hisNew Order.
Stormtroopers were spread throughout galaxy, from the galacticcapital ofCoruscant in theCore Worlds, to major installations and vitalworlds, enforcing widespread terror and mass oppression. These infantry fought many battles against theforces of theAlliance to Restore the Republic during theGalactic Civil War, including theBattle of Scarif, theBattle of Hoth, and the Battle ofEndor. Shortly before theBattle of Yavin,PrincessLeia Organa wascaptured by stormtroopers who served under theEmperor's lieutenant,Darth Vader. However, Organa wasrescued byLuke Skywalker andHan Solo who, disguised as stormtroopers, infiltrated thefirst Death Star. The Emperor stationed alegion of stormtroopers on Endor to protect theshield generator of thesecond Death Star, although they were defeated by the Alliance'sEwok allies.
With thedeaths of Emperor Palpatine andLord Vader,Counselor to the EmpireGallius Rax took control of the Empire, which rallied to hishomeworld ofJakku to make a final stand against theNew Republic during theBattle of Jakku, however the Empirecollapsed, with its replacement of the New Republic consequently demobilizing stormtrooper forces.
Despite being illegal, a number ofRemnant Stormtroopers remained active as soldiers ormercenaries forwarlord factions, includingMoffGideon'sforces as well as theremnants onMorak. By thelast days of theNew Republic Era, anew generation of stormtroopers emerged from theUnknown Regions as standard soldiers of theFirst Order.
History[]
Origin[]

Stormtroopers were modeled on the clone troopers who fought for the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars and were made to turn on the Jedi under Order 66.
At thedawn of theGalactic Empire, the first generation of stormtroopers consisted ofclonedsoldiers who served theGalactic Republic during theClone Wars.[4] Under the leadership of theJedi Knights,clone troopers fought thedroid armies of theConfederacy of Independent Systems acrossthe galaxy. Though they were loyal to theJedi as well as the Republic, the clones were secretlyprogrammed to obeyOrder 66,[20] amilitarydirective authorizing the completeliquidation of theJedi Order.[21]
With the exception of a handful of survivors,[22] includingJedi GeneralsYoda andObi-Wan Kenobi, most of the Jedi werekilled by their owntroops at the command ofDarth Sidious, theSith Lord who orchestrated the Clone Wars and controlled theGalactic Senate through his secret identity ofSupreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine.[23] With the Empire claiming thegalaxy was brought from chaos to order during to its rule, one account of the origins of the name "stormtrooper" was that it came from the troopers emerging from the "storm" ofgalactic history.[19] Another origin came from the finaldays of theRepublic Era: withclone shock troopers enforcing law on the Republic capital ofCoruscant[24] and taking the role once held by theSenate Guard,[25] onlookers began to refer to the soldiers as "stormtroopers."[24]
Ending the clone trooper program[]
Main article:Clone trooper
- "Surely you realize the precarious state this newly formed Empire is in. Clone troopers will be needed to maintain order throughout the galaxy."
"Indeed. A service conscription soldiers could provide at half the cost."
"The skill level and efficiency of our clones is far superior to that of any recruited body." - ―Lama Su and Wilhuff Tarkin[26]

After the Clone Wars, the remaining clone troopers became the first stormtroopers of the Galactic Empire.
Renamed "stormtroopers" and assigned their new role byEmperor Palpatine himself,[27] the clonetroopers enforced his reign during the earlyyears of theImperial Era[4] No longer beholden to the authority of Jediofficers[2] who exercised restraint in warfare,[28][29] the clones utilized brutal tactics under the leadership ofImperial officers andGovernors,[2] suppressing dissent and imposing theNew Order over the known galaxy as the first generation of Imperial stormtroopers.[4] Immediately, the Empire moved to remove sedition within itslegislative branch, as clones were deployed to carry out theSenatorial arrests, rounding up a total of sixty-threesenators who were subsequently claimed to be Jedi sympathizers.[30]

Clone troopers would enforce Imperial control over the galaxy, eliminating any threats to the new regime.
The end of the Clone Wars, however, fulfilled the sole purpose behind the creation of clone troopers.[22] Although Palpatine supported theKaminoan government’s clone trooper program during his final years as Supreme Chancellor, his priorities changed from the expensive cloning production after aponting himself Galactic Emperor. ThePrime Minister ofKamino,Lama Su, maintained that the clone troopers possessed unrivaled combat skills and discipline. In addition, Lama Su believed that his clones were critical to the security of the fledgling Empire. Despite this, Governor andAdmiralWilhuff Tarkin was confident the Empire would be better served by a force of recruits, which he saw as a cost-effective way to enforce order in the galaxy.[26] In addition, the clones' accelerated aging process,[22] limited shelf-life,[31] and original purpose as soldiers to the Republic[32] were further incentives for the Empire to decommission its clone units in favor ofnatural-bornhumans.[22]
Although Governor Tarkin supported conscription[26] and recruitment over cloning,[33] clone troopers were initially retained by theImperial Army that replaced theGrand Army of the Republic,[22] but rumors spread throughout the ranks that the cloning facilities on Kamino had been shut down.[34]
Rise of volunteers and conscripts[]
- "The city is filling up with soldiers in white armor. They call themselves STORMTROOPERS, and the Empire uses them to keep order on Lothal. They say they're here to protect us. What they're really here to protect are the factories, farms, and mines—to profit the Empire. They don't care about Lothal, or the people who work hard. They only care about what they're takingout of Lothal. What makes it worse is that, underneath those white stormtrooper helmets and black TIE fighter pilot helmets, a lot of the Imperials actually come from here. There are training academies set up now that turn good Lothal folks into soldiers of the Empire. I guess a lot of people here, being so used to living out on the edge of nowhere, signed up because they wanted to connect to something bigger. Can't they see what they're signing up for?"
- ―Ezra Bridger[35]

Vice Admiral Rampart would organize a task force of Elite Squad Troopers, enlisted recruits who would be trained by elite clones such as Commander Crosshair.
In the days following the end of the Clone Wars,Vice AdmiralEdmon Rampart sanctioned the creation of anElite Squad of non-clone human soldiers, led by the formerClone Force 99 marksmanCT-9904 "Crosshair." Rampart envisioned enlisting human soldiers and having them train under skilled clones would be the best way to generate loyal soldiers without the cloning program. The squad included four highly skilled recruits enlisted to be the first wave of such soldiers. The individuals traded in their names for numbers, becomingES-01,ES-02,ES-03, andES-04 and undertaking early missions to eliminate insurgents throughout the galaxy,[36] in particular, pursuing the now-rogue Clone Force 99, Crosshair's old squad. The squad's success during their missions proved the potential of enlistment as the method to fill the ranks of the Imperial Army to Tarkin, who allowed Rampart to continue secretly enlisting more recruits underProject War-Mantle. Though Tarkin supported Project War-Mantle, he believed the clone troopers would continue to remain essential until the Imperial Army was ready to retire them.[33]

Clone stormtroopers were gradually supplanted as the Galactic Empire turned to the recruitment and conscription of birth-born human soldiers.
With the development of the new Imperial war machine under Project War-Mantle,[37] anew armor model was produced to be used by the enlisted recruits. Massive stockpiles of this armor was stored on planets such asBarton IV in preparation for the influx of future recruits in the Stormtrooper Corps. Clonecommandos were deployed as instructors to the enlisted troopers, who were assigned the designation ofTK stormtroopers. During the first year of the Empire's reign, asecret training facility had been set up onDaro, where fifty clone commandos were tasked with training the first thousand TK stormtroopers.[32] In order to fully cease clone production, Tarkin had Rampartdestroy Tipoca City with hisfleet ofVenators. The continued recruitment of non-clone troops and the destruction of Kamino was kept secret from theImperial Senate, with the latter incident being covered up as the result of a cataclysmic storm.[38]

Recruited stormtroopers began to see increased deployment in the place of their clone forebears as Project War-Mantle carried on.
Stormtroopers in armor that was[39] made the current design[1] were deployed to the planetMon Cala,[39] where they engaged the nativeQuarren andMon Calamari in the Empire'splanetary invasion. Also involved in the operation were clone troopers from the last Kaminoan batch, with the newly deployed clones having been assigned to Darth Vader and theInquisitorius as a disposable death squad: thePurge Troopers.[40] Recruited stormtrooper soldiers were also deployed in the place of clones to worlds like the Outer Rim planetThabeska, the moon ofRaada,[41] and the Separatist planetDesix which in specific saw a large number of TK stormtroopers move into occupy its lands after aclone trooper squad claimedDesix City for the Empire with the squad's commanding officer,Clone CommanderCody, watching in silence as the new soldiers took control. Cody had hoped to open diplomatic talks with GovernorTawni Ames, only for her to be executed at the order of the newly appointed Imperial GovernorGrotton.[42] Having also taken part in theenslavement of Kashyyykk,[43] Cody was unable to justify the Empire's actions and abandoned the Imperial Military. Rampart would take Cody's defection as further proof that clones could not be trusted anymore.[42]

Once the Defense Recruitment Bill was approved by the Imperial Senate, TK stormtroopers would fully integrate into the Imperial Army, largely replacing clones as enforcers of the Empire.
With funding for Project War-Mantle secured and preparations well underway, all that remained to be done was for the clone army to begin its gradual decommissioning. To accomplish this, Rampart proposed theImperial Defense Recruitment Bill to the Imperial Senate, which would see the Imperial Military officially transition from the clone army to a recruitment one. Though many in the Senate saw the creation of a new army as unnecessary, others supported the idea especially after the destruction of Kamino meant that fresh clone troopers could no longer be produced to protect the Empire. Due to an inability to reach an agreement, the Bill was tabled multiple times. However, testimony from SenatorRiyo Chuchi exposed Rampart for what he did and ultimately led to his arrest, seemingly shelving the Bill once more however, Palpatine appeared before the Senate and expressed his belief that clones could no longer be trusted to form the entirety of the Imperial Military due to the Attack on Kamino. With this development, the Senate passed the Bill. The passing of the Bill jeopardized the future of the clone stormtroopers, who still comprised the bulk of the Empire's forces during the early Imperial Era. Though the Bill proposed pensions for the clones as they would gradually be rotated out of military service as they aged, many troopers wished to continue their military service.[38]

Stormtroopers spread throughout the galaxy as the new face of the Imperial regime, with recruits growing to outnumber the clones as the Galactic Empire grew and expanded.
As the years passed, clone stormtroopers gradually became less and less common as many were either killed in action or rotated out of military service as they aged. As a result, the ranks of the StormtrooperCorps swelled[44] with conscripts[45] and volunteers,[44] who sought to carry on the legacy of the clones[22] that had been glorified through wartimepropaganda.[44] By the later Imperial Era, it was rumored theStormtrooper Corps had been established within the ImperialArmy by a group of formerclone commandos.[46] Nonetheless, several clones remained in service to the Empire during its later years despite their advanced aging, with some becoming instructors in theImperial Academy,[47] while a smaller number remained in active duty such asSergeantCrest,Crag,[19] andTorrent, who was still active following theBattle of Yavin.[18]
The face of the Empire[]
- "While we now consider the Imperial stormtrooper to have effectively been ever-present within the ranks of the military and on thousands of different worlds within the Empire, there was a time when they were relatively scarce. Stormtroopers were initially intended to be the elite corps of the new Imperial military.[…] By the time of the Galactic Civil War, however, stormtroopers had been almost entirely incorporated as the primary infantry of the Empire and were regularly deployed to systems across the galaxy, while also manning countless starships of the Imperial Navy."
- ―Beaumont Kin,The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire[48]

Stormtroopers were deployed alongside Imperial army troopers just before the outbreak of the Rix Road Riot on Ferrix.
During the Emperor's reign, stormtroopers were used to bring any remaining Separatistworlds into line.[49] Astime passed, stormtroopers replacedImperial Army troopers—the maininfantry force of the early Empire, often consisting of local planetary defense forces conscripted into theImperial Military—as mainline combat troops and security forces.[50] Becoming the Empire's foot soldiers,[51] the white armored troopers served as the backbone[52] and centerpiece[53] of the Empire's ground forces[52] With a lack of jobs and opportunity in the wake of the Clone Wars, posterity would later come to criticize an "aimless generation" as complicit in abetting the rapid militarization and recruitment of the Imperial war machine:[44] with an entire generation growing up under Imperial rule,[54] a number of recruits had been indoctrinated into Imperial thinking since their childhood and thus joined with the Stormtrooper Corps willingly.[55]

Stormtroopers would enforce Imperial law on occupied worlds, such as Lothal.
Propaganda resulted in people from occupied planets joining into the Corps out of fear and with ambitions of power.[55] Additionally, some stormtrooper recruits were people from disfranchised worlds who, by future Jedi PadawanEzra Bridger's reading of the situation, wanted to be part of something bigger than themselves and thus willingly joined the Empire. Bridger, however, was disturbed people from his homeworldLothal would join with the Empire that changed their world.[35] The Stormtrooper Corps training turned those who became stormtroopers into loyal followers of the Empire's will;[56] while some stormtroopers would desert over the Empire's history,[57] the Stormtrooper Corps was full of loyal Imperial soldiers who would kill any rebel they spotted, no matter the background from which they joined the corps.[55]

Acting as Commander-in-Chief, Darth Vader often commanded stormtrooper legions.
InformalCommander-in-Chief[58]Darth Vader often coordinated the stormtroopers' operations in the field whenever his personal presence was required, with the stormtroopers addressing him by his noble title ofLord.[59] The commitment the stormtroopers displayed to Vader bordered on worship.[60] Although he had a rapport with his stormtroopers,[61] Vader was still willing to execute the troops under his command[62] as he did with many other subordinates. DuringRae Sloane's time as ajunior officer, a joke spread throughout the ranks that Vader only kept stormtroopers on thebridge of hisstarships to drag out the bodies of those he executed. However, the joke lost all humor quickly, as thecyborg's wrath became all too real for many of his subordinates.[63]

Stormtroopers on Lothal would combat the Specters, a local rebel cell, in multiple engagements.
Per their swear to demonstrate absolute loyalty to the Empire in the Emperor's name, stormtroopers carried out some of the worst crimes committed by the Empire.[64] Ultimately, stormtroopers came to represent the face of the Empire, but the soldiers were opposed by a[4] growing[65]Rebellion that sought to restore the rule of the Republic to the galaxy.[4] On Lothal, the localstormtrooper garrison opposed Bridger and theSpectres rebel cell[66] before the aspiring Jedi and his teammates joined the growing Rebellion.[65]
Galactic Civil War[]
- "We follow orders. It's the sum and extend of our existence. Say kill, and we will. Say die, and our arms fly up and take the blasterfire on full. Watch our pointless existence extinguished on command."
- ―Stormtrooper TD-7556[19]

Glorified in posters likeExpose, Pursue, Destroy, stormtroopers served in the Galactic Civil War, a conflict that the Empire ultimately lost.
TheBattle of Scarif was the first major rebel victory of theGalactic Civil War, between the Empire and theAlliance to Restore the Republic. Following the Rebel victory atScarif,[67] Lord Vader commanded his stormtroopers[2] tocapturePrincessLeia Organa’sAlderaanian corvetteTantive IV overTatooine.[68] Additionally, Stormtroopers were also used to arrest dissidents on numerous worlds includingAkiva[69] andZeitooine,[70] while they were also deployed to other conflicts the Empire found itself in; stormtroopers and Imperial machines quickly put down along-lasting uprising onKoshaga,[71] fought on the frontlines of theMandalorian Civil War,[72] engaged theDreamers and theirman-eating pets,[73] and combated members of theGrysk Hegemony during theImperial–Grysk conflict.[74]

Stormtroopers would combat the Rebel Alliance across the Galactic Civil War.
As the Galactic Civil War dragged on, the Stormtrooper Corps accelerated its training to ensure the Empire had more troops at its disposal.[46] For service in the Galactic Civil War, stormtroopers saw action against the Rebellion forces during engagements like theBattle of Garel,[75] theBattle of Atollon,[76] theBattle of Hoth,[77] theMid Rim Retreat,[46] and theBattle of Ab Dalis.[78] Although desertion from the Stormtrooper Corps was rare,[79] the actions the Empire carried out during amission on Aleen were so horrifyingthreestormtroopersdeserted the Imperial Army.[80] Additionally, stormtroopers who served underAdmiralGratloe joined their officer'srogue faction of the Empire in theKudo system, only for their faction to come intoconflict with the204th Imperial Fighter Wing.[10]

At Endor, a legion of the Emperor's best stormtroopers ambushed rebel forces attempting to destroy the Death Star II, though they would soon become overwhelmed by the native Ewoks who allied with the rebellion.
Around the same time,[81] an entirelegion of Palpatine's best stormtroopers in theBattle of Endor[82] in4 ABY.[83] As stormtroopers fought on the ground of theforestmoon against Rebels andEwoks, others were stationed aboard theDS-2 Death Star II Mobile Battle Station before it was destroyed.[82] In the immediate aftermath of the battle, Rebel GeneralHan Solo led anassault against asurviving Endor outpost staffed by stormtroopers,[84] while stormtroopers on Imperialcapital world ofCoruscant fought in the planet'scivil war[14] that began directly after the deaths of Palpatine and Vader atEndor.[69]
At some point, astormtrooper was consumed by the Sarlacc in theGreat Pit of Carkoon on Tatooine, leaving the soldier to be digested within[85] the same stomach[86] wherein bounty hunterBoba Fett was imprisoned. The trooper was vital for Fett's escape, as he used a breathing apparatus from the soldier's armor for oxygen before escaping.[85] Although disorganized in the wake of the Rebel victory atEndor,[4] Imperial loyalists rallied around high-ranking officials, such asGrand AdmiralRae Sloane andFleet AdmiralGallius Rax. The Alliance, having declared itself theNew Republic, deployedarmed forces to root out the remaining Imperial strongholds on distant worlds, likeUyter,Naalol, and Akiva.[69]

The Empire fell at the Battle of Jakku, and with its defeat the mobilization of stormtroopers was outlawed.
During theIron Blockade, stormtroopers in theAnoat sector suppressed any knowledge of Palpatine's death, only to be met by anUprising that sought to liberate the sector.[11] During the conflict,Joval Rykk was a ten-year veteran of the Stormtrooper Corps, though he felt no loyalty to the Empire.[87] By this time, stormtroopers were taken out of Academy training early to fill up Imperial ranks. As the war continued, many stormtroopers were captured and sent to the New Republic capital ofChandrila as prisoners of war. On one occasion, the New Republic public relations officialOlia Choko personally stopped New Republic soldiers from parading stormtrooper prisoners through the streets ofHanna City.[69] Later, stormtroopers fought during theliberation of Kashyyyk[14] and theBattle of Jakku, the Empire's final stand[88] in5 ABY.[83]
Persisting into the New Republic Era[]
Mercenaries and holdouts[]
- "The Empire fell. With it fell order. With it fell law. They're never coming back. It's taken me a while to realize that—I think I was grieving. I've accepted it now, though. I know what it means. I can do anything I want."
- ―Terex, abandoning his life as a stormtrooper[89]

With the victory of the New Republic against the Empire, some Stormtroopers defected from service and left their Imperial past behind.
The Empire formallycapitulated to the New Republic[90] after the defeat of its loyalist forces onJakku.[17] With the death ofCounselor Rax and Sloane's escape to theUnknown Regions,Grand VizierMas Amedda represented the Empire at the signing of theGalactic Concordance. The terms of the peace treaty included the end of hostilities between the Empire and the New Republic, the dissolution of the Imperial government,[90] and the prohibition of the recruitment and training of stormtroopers. Additionally, the Empire was forced to dismantle its network of Imperial Academies.[6]
However, not all of the Imperial remnants adhered to the treaty's conditions.[90] Although some stormtroopers, such asTerex andCorlac, deserted their posts,[91] the remaining Imperial forces on Jakku continued to fight for severalmonths, refusing to accept the Empire's defeat.[90] Terex only abandoned his life as a stormtrooper because he felt that, when the Empire had fallen, order had fallen. Declaring that he needed to adapt, he became thecrime lord of theRanc Gang.[89] Meanwhile, members of theZantarrk Gang wore suits made up of pieces made of Imperial gear, including armor pieces from stormtrooper armor and the armor from their variants.[92] Alternatively, a former stormtrooper[93] going by the name "Sentinel" joined theHunters of the Outer Rim competition, where he donned stormtrooper armor[94] and hoped to relive what he deemed the glory days of his service.[95] While he seemed to be a stormtrooper[94] who refused to accept the defeat of the Imperial regime,[96] that was nothing more than an on-stage persona designed to draw attention.[94]

The rise of the New Republic drove stormtroopers to the galaxy's outer reaches where they found work as mercenaries.
In the years that followed the civil war's conclusion, all that seemingly remained of the former Galactic Empire were themercenaries[97] many stormtroopers had become[98]—known as "Remnant Stormtroopers"[99] or "Remnant Troopers"[98]—and thewarlords who tried to carve out their own territory, with Remnant Stormtroopers appearing under them,[97] clinging to the last vestiges of Imperial power[4] in theOuter Rim Territories, where the New Republic held little influence.[100] Despite the restrictions that the New Republic imposed on the defeated Empire, stormtroopers retained their battle-wornarmor,[12] making them look like an undisciplined mercenary force.[99] Nevertheless, some of these mercenary troopers worked alongside more pristine stormtroopers,[101] who were still regarded as "Remnant Stormtroopers"[102][103] but worked directly as part of the remnants of the fallen Empire. In particular, stormtroopers served with Imperial remnants like theremnants onMorak[104] andMoffGideon'sfaction,[101] which contained an army's worth of stormtroopers.[105] Gideon's remnant was secretly part of a network of Imperial remnants operating under theShadow Council and awaiting the return ofGrand AdmiralMitth'raw'nuruodo "Thrawn."[106]
Gideon's private war[]
Occupation of Nevarro[]

The stormtroopers of Moff Gideon's Imperial remnant found themselves opposed to the Mandalorian Din Djarin, who took on their target, the infant Grogu, as his charge.
By9 ABY,[108] Gideon's remnant controlled anImperial base on the planetNevarro that was staffed by[100] aplatoon[109] of stormtroopers and other Imperials.[100] A mercenary group of Remnant Stormtroopers[110][111] also acted as security for anImperial Remnant safe house inNevarro City, where they also served asbodyguards for "the Client" andDoctorPenn Pershing.Mandalorianbounty hunterDin Djarin killed many stormtroopers whilerescuing theForce-sensitivefoundlingGrogu,[97] whoseDNA Gideon's remnant sought[112] for use in creating an army ofForce-sensitive Gideon clones[113] who would be deployed to restore Imperial rule.[112] In the aftermath of Grogu's rescue, Djarin'sMandalorian tribe was nearly wiped out by the Imperial remnant,[107] which occupied the city with its mercenary stormtroopers.[101]
When Djarinreturned to Nevarro with his allies to kill the Client, the Imperial and hispersonal stormtrooper guard were instead killed when Gideon ordered hispersonal guard ofdeath troopers to fire into the city'scantina,[101] wiping out the entire stormtrooper squad.[107] Gideon was then reinforced by abattalion, composed mostly of pristine stormtroopers[101] from the Imperial base,[100] to recapture "theChild" from Djarin. As the battle unfolded, mercenary and pristine stormtroopers would fight side-by-side against the Mandalorian and his allies, who were forced into thesewers. Nevertheless, they ultimately triumphed over the stormtroopers, but their victory came at the cost of theUgnaughtKuiil andIG-series assassin droidIG-11, the latter having sacrificed himself to take out astormtrooper platoon.[107]
Although he had lost control of Nevarro,[107] Gideon escaped the planet to lead his remnant from hisClass 546 Cruiser, aboard which many stormtroopers and Imperial officers were stationed.[100] A force of Gideon's stormtroopers, stationed aboard aGozanti-class Assault Carrier, were lost when Djarin joined forces with LadyBo-Katan Kryze's unit andcaptured thecarrier.[114] The remnant maintained control of Nevarro's Imperial base until Djarin returned for repairs to his ship, theRazor Crest. The Mandalorian and his alliesinfiltrated the base to detonate it, fighting past the stormtroopers to escape in time. As he fled with hisjetpack to protect Grogu, his allies,MagistrateGreef Karga, formershock trooperMarshalCara Dune, and "the Mythrol," escaped from[100] asquad[109] ofscout troopers and thenOutland TIE fighters aboard aTrexler 906 Armored Marauder, taking out all but two of thestarfighters until Djarin arrived in theRazor Crest. After Djarin took out the two fighters, he and Grogu departed forTython.[100]
All roads lead to Grogu[]
Unaware that one of Gideon's agents, aMimbanese worker undercover on Nevarro, had placed atracker on theRazor Crest,[100] Djarin ended up leading Gideon to Tython, where the Mandalorian was involved in a standoff with former bounty hunter Boba Fett andMaster AssassinFennec Shand overFett's armor, which Djarinacquired on Tatooine, while Grogu mediated[115] and made contact with Luke Skywalker.[112] Landing in twoImperial transports, adetachment of stormtroopers under aStormtrooper Commander engaged the three outlaws in askirmish, which saw the stormtroopers suffer heavily causalities before retreating. However, amissile from Fett's armor, which the former hunter reclaimed from theRazor Crest, destroyed both fleeing transports, wiping out the surviving stormtroopers. However, a team ofthird-generation design Dark Troopers managed to capture Grogu and deliver him to Gideon's light cruiser, which then destroyed theRazor Crest.[115]

Stormtroopers served within a grouping of remnants on the world of Morak, where they unknowingly welcomed undercover enemies Din Djarin and Migs Mayfield.
Returning to Nevarro aboard Fett'sSlave I starship and recruiting Dune to the newmission to rescue Grogu,[115] the Mandalorian and his allies recruited former[15] Imperial sniper[116]Migs Mayfeld andinfiltrated the Morak Imperial remnants, which were based out of arefinery working to refinerhydonium to use against the New Republic. Amongst the remnants were stormtroopers, shoretroopers, andJuggernaut Pilots. Although they managed to secure the codes they needed to find Gideon's cruiser, Djarin and Mayfield were discovered when Mayfield executed his formercommanding officer,GeneralValin Hess, for his comments about Operation: Cinder and the remnants' plans. Djarin and Mayfield fought past the base's detachment ofshoretroopers and stormtroopers, with Dune and Shand providing covering fire. Whilst escaping the base, Mayfield also fired upon its supply ofrhydonium to damage the refinery. Allowing Mayfield to stay on Morak,[15] Djarin and his team recruitedLadyBo-Katan Kryze and attacked Gideon's cruiser.[112]
Aboard the cruiser, Shand, Kryze, Dune, and MandalorianNite OwlKoska Reeves fought past its stormtrooper complement,[112] which included agarrison andplatoon,[117] and captured the bridge. Djarin, meanwhile, rescued Grogu and defeated Gideon in combat, inadvertently claiming the MandalorianDarksaber in the process. The sudden arrival of Skywalker also wiped outGideon's Dark Trooper platoon,[112] leaving the Moff to be taken to the New Republic to answer for his war crimes.[118] Before he made it to trial, however, Gideonextracted[119] byImperial armored commandos,[120] elite stormtroopers[93] within his remnant who wore suits of beskar armor.[106] Grogu would train under Skywalker until the time[121] around theBattle of Mos Espa, within which he reunited with Djarin after deciding[122] he would rather return to his father figure than stay as a Jedi.[121]
Collapse of Gideon's empire[]
- "I don't think that this is an isolated episode. Nevarro has reported accounts of stormtroopers in the streets and TIE Fighters openly flying above. The citizens speak of Moff Gideon occupying the town, and now a pirate king is attempting the same thing? These events could all be connected.[…] There's something dangerous happening out there. All these events, it's not a coincidence. And by the time it becomes big enough for you to act, it'll be too late."
- ―Carson Teva[119]

Imperial armored commandos were elite stormtroopers clad in beskar armor who served Gideon's Imperial remnant.
Following his rescue, Gideon hid out in ahidden base on Mandalore with his armored commando[106] stormtroopers.[93] As rumors of Gideon's survival swirled, the people of the now-independent Nevarro reported Gideon's occupation, including the role stormtroopers played, to the New Republic, with such statements convincingNew Republic pilot CaptainCarson Teva that a wider Imperial conspiracy was growing in the Outer Rim Territories. He further pointed to apirate siege on Nevarro carried out byPirate KingGorian Shard and hiscrew,[119] who were secretly working with Gideon's remnant,[106] much as Teva feared. At Teva's urging, the Mandalorians of the Tribe—who had relocated toanother planet, been joined by Bo-Katan Kryze, and decided to return to Nevarro to liberate it and live openly on the world—arrived on Nevarro and repelled Shard's forces,[119] much to Gideon's concern as it signaled the beginning of cooperation between Kryze's Mandalorians and the Tribe.[106]
After Kryze reclaimed the Darksaber and resumed command over her Mandalorian resistance, the Tribe and Kryze's followers joined toreclaim Mandalore together, with the group discovering further Mandalorian survivors on world. Gideon's remnant, which had secured reinforcements from the Shadow Council after he warned the Mandalorians would oppose their designs, revealed itself on Mandalore by attacking with its stormtrooper commandos, with Gideon himself donning aphase four Dark Trooper suit made from beskar[106] and joining the battle. The united Mandalorians, however, managed to overcome Gideon's forces, with Djarin and Grogu wiping out his clone army before the Moff himself perished in the destruction of his base.[113] Afterward, the New Republic was made aware of Gideon's activity on Mandalore and subsequent demise.[123]
The army of Thrawn[]
Survival in the wilds[]
The return of Thrawn promised to galvanize the Imperial remnants.[124] While many Imperial remnants were already secretly networked under the Shadow Council, their forces lacked proper leadership and remained divided by the council's squabbling, with CaptainGilad Pellaeon holding back efforts to unite by promising Thrawn would soon return which would herald in the reemergence of the Imperial Military and give fellow council memberCommandantBrendol Hux enough time to complete the lateChief ScientistDoctorRoyce Hemlock’sProject Necromancer.[106] However, since theLiberation of Lothal, Thrawn had remained trapped inexile inanother galaxy, where he remained on the planetPeridea with agrouping of stormtrooper forces thanks to the actions of Bridger and thePurrgil starwhales. In time, Thrawn's stormtrooper forces had dwindled to only[16] alegion's worth[125] of stormtroopers.[16]

Night Troopers were a dedicated legion of stormtroopers who served Thrawn during his exile.
However, Thrawn's Imperial remnant also allied with theGreat Mothers of the long since fallenWitch Kingdom of the Dathmiri,[16] whom Thrawn found slumbering within aDathomiri fortress. After joining forces with the threeNightsisters, Thrawn and his forces began rebuilding their Star Destroyer, theChimaera, as part of a plan to return home with their aid.[126] TheGreat Mothers energized Thrawn's stormtroopers, who became inhumanely persistent[127] and adopted the name "Night Troopers,"[128] which was similar to the "Nightsister" name used by theDathomiri. The legion was placed underCaptainEnoch, who served as theleader of Thrawn's death trooper guard.[16] Beyond energizing[127] Thrawn's living soldiers, the Great Mothers also had access to theChant of Resurrection, which would enable them to reanimate any soldier who died. However, no Night Trooper was ever resurrected in front of Bridger, who avoided the Nightsister fortress and made a life for himself among theNoti. Two members ofThrawn's death trooper guard were reanimated at some point.[126]
By 9 ABY,[129] Thrawn had, through the Great Mothers, managed to reach out to his servant MagistrateMorgan Elsbeth,[16] herself a former Nightsister at the head of aremnant in the main galaxy.[130] It became Elsbeth's responsibility to deliver Thrawn and his forces from exile, with Thrawn promising the Great Mothers he would bring them and cargo from their catacombs to the main galaxy with him.[16] Assembling a massiveHyperspace transport ring dubbed theEye of Sion through Imperial loyalists at her old factory on Corellia,[130] Elsbeth led her forces, among them mercenariesBaylan Skoll and his apprenticeShin Hati, on an intergalactic hyperspace journey to the other galaxy[16] after askirmish with former JediAhsoka Tano, her Mandalorian PadawanSabine Wren, their droidHuyang, and New Republic forces.[131] With Wren, Morgan and her allies united with the Great Mothers, Thrawn, and his stormtroopers on Peridea. As per his agreement with the Great Mothers, Thrawn ordered Enoch to have his stormtroopers start bringing the Great Mothers' cargo into theChimaera since Elsbeth predicted the cargo transfer would take at least three rotations with the Grand Admiral thinking that was an acceptable timeframe.[16]
Delaying the enemy[]

Night Troopers cross paths with Ezra Bridger once more during the skirmish on Peridea.
With their arrival, Elsbeth's forces fell under Thrawn's command, with Enoch exercising command over thestarfighter units.[123] Allowing Wren to venture into the wilderness to find Bridger, Thrawn also prepared two attack squads to follow Skoll and Hati to ensure Wren and Bridger were killed, declining Elsbeth's suggestion to send more soldiers because of his numbers.[16] In time, Tano and Huyang would also arrive above Peridea with a purrgil pod, although Thrawn, who entered into his command center under the guard of two Night Troopers, had Enoch call off a starfighter attack to play the long game and avoid wasting theirfewresources. Two Night Troopers continued to stand guard in Thrawn's command center as the Great Mothers found Tano's position in the debris field around Peridea, giving theEye of Sion's under Enoch's command a chance to fire on her position and flush her out of hiding. While their fighters again pursued Tano's T-6 shuttle, which was heading far from Thrawn's position anyway to reunite with Wren, Hati reported Bridger's position and led the localBandits of Peridea against the mobile Noti tribe, while Skoll departed his apprentice's company[123] in pursuit of a great power[130] connected to theMortis gods.[126]
Dispatched on Thrawn's order and arriving after the bandits had been taken out,[123] the two prepared Night Trooper squads[16]—Team One andTeam Two—arrived onLAAT/le patrol gunships and reinforced Hati, surrounding Bridger and Wren under the counter-encirclement tandem. Quickly falling under Hati's command while Thrawn kept watch from afar via a droid, the stormtroopers ignored Bridger's attempts to negotiate and engaged Wren, Bridger, and the newly-arrived Tano. Without Skoll's assistance, Hati and the Night Troopers were overwhelmed by the three Jedi, forcing Thrawn to withdraw his troops and the starfighters pursuing the T-6, currently piloted by Huyang. The Night Troopers abandoned Hati, who fled on herhowler mount.[123]
Escape from Peridea[]
- "[To the Night Troopers] The blessing of the Great Mothers shall protect you in battle against the Jedi. Go, now. Let none pass."
"[To Elsbeth] Those are the volunteers?"
"Yes, Grand Admiral."
"They were made aware?"
"They were. All were honored to make the sacrifice for you."
"It is for the Empire. The security of our galaxy." - ―Morgan Elsbeth and Grand Admiral Thrawn, after a group of Night Troopers volunteered to stay behind[126]
Having judgedhis forces' skirmish against Tano and company a success because it distracted the Jedi,[123] thereby giving his stormtroopers time to finish the cargo transfer to theChimaera, Thrawn ordered theEye of Sion into position—as the massive hyperdrive ring could fit around theChimaera to deliver all aboard from exile—and dispatched two TIE fighters to engage Tano's T-6 shuttle. That attack grounded the shuttle—forcing Tano, Wren, and Bridger to race for the Nightsister fortress on howlers—and was reported to Thrawn, who prepared for their incoming ground assault. A grouping of Night Troopers, all of whom were honored to do so, volunteered to stay behind in the name of ensuring Thrawn's escape, which Thrawn took as a sign of their loyalty to the Empire, whereas Elsbeth—who was formally reinitiated into the Nightsisters by the Great Mothers as the Night Troopers finished the cargo transfer—saw it as an example of their personal loyalty to Thrawn. Told they had the "blessing" of the Great Mothers by Elsbeth and ordered to let no-one through, those Night Troopers remained in position for Tano, Wren, and Bridger.[126]

The corpses of fallen Night Troopers arise thanks to the Chant of Resurrection and march against the Jedi attackers.
With Enoch and Elsbeth by his side, while the room remained guarded by two Night Troopers, Thrawn ordered theChimarea toaerially bombard the incoming Jedi, all of whom managed to survive. With their enemies closing in, the Night Trooper volunteers were dispatched to the fortress's lower levels and engaged the Jedi, who tricked the stormtroopers into drawing themselves out and thus took out the entire force. The corpses of the volunteers, however, were reanimated by the Great Mothers' use of the Chant of Resurrection, much to the shock of the three Jedi, who were unable to injure the reanimated soldiers.[126] The reanimated stormtroopers cracked their own bones as they arose and let out a number of undead groans[132] in pursuit of the Jedi, who sealed the undead behind heavy doors the Night Troopers needed to cut their way through. To protect theChimaera, Thrawn's two undead death troopers kept Wren and Bridger from the departing destroyer's hangar at the top of the fortress while Tano dueled Elsbeth. The zombified death troopers managed to hold off Bridger and Wren as Thrawn, taking command of theEye of Sion from its bridge with Enoch and the Great Mothers at his side, began his departure.[126]
Return to the known galaxy[]

Beginning a new period of strife for the New Republic, Grand Admiral Thrawn and the stormtroopers under his command managed to escape to the galaxy during the battle of Peridea.
LS-757 and another Night Trooper were stationed in theChimaera's hangar when Wren, who managed to unlock her Force-sensitivity in the battle, and Bridger finally bested the death troopers. Moving to the edge of the hangar, both stormtroopers rushed to defend theChimaera but quickly assumed they were safe because of the distance between the starship and the fortress. Wren, however, helped Bridger cross the divide with a Force push; LS-757 and the other trooper were unsure if the Jedi had made the jump until he leaped up from his landing place, quickly throwing the second trooper from theChimaera before Wrenshot LS-757 from her distance below. Meanwhile, the zombified Night Troopers had broken through the last of the doors and joined Elsbeth in attacking Tano, whom Wren stayed behind to help. The undead soldiers stayed back as Elsbeth engaged Tano atop the tower until Wren revealed herself; as the apprentice distracted the undead Night Troopers, Tano finished her duel with Elsbeth and slayed the Nightsister, whose death was felt by the Great MotherKlothow and thus reported to Thrawn.[126]
With the distance between theChimaera and tower only having increased, Bridger was unable to go back for his friends and could only watch their battle with the zombie Night Troopers until[126] an officer[132] contacted LS-757 with news of incoming reinforcements. Bridger reacted quickly and took the trooper's suit of armor. While the news came as a shock to Klothow, Thrawn ordered theChimaera to bombard the Nightsister fortress below, which was destroyed and took the undead Night Troopers with it. Wren and Tano, however, managed to escape when Huyang arrived in the T-6 in time. However, after Thrawn delivered a final message to Tano, theEye of Sion and attachedChimaera would ultimately escape into hyperspace before the T-6 could catch up. Thrawn and his forces were thus delivered out of exile and returned to the main galaxy; while Bridger managed to slip away in LS-757's armor aboard anEta-class shuttle[126] previously used by Hati and Skoll,[130] theChimaera made its way to[126] the Nightsister planet[133] ofDathomir with the Great Mothers and their cargo safely aboard. While the appearance of a figure in stormtrooper armor did cause concern before he revealed his face, Bridger, meanwhile, made his way toHome One and met up with the New Republic.[126]
Legacy[]
Opinions[]
- Ranzar Malk: "Yeah, well, Mayfeld, he's… He's one of the best triggermen I've ever seen. Former Imperial sharpshooter."
- Din Djarin: "That's not saying much."
- Migs Mayfeld: "I wasn't a stormtrooper, wiseass."
- ―Ranzar Malk, Din Djarin, and Migs Mayfeld[116]
Opinions on the combat skills of stormtroopers and their overall quality varied to some degree both during the Empire's reign and after it collapsed.CommanderAlecia Beck praised the stormtroopers, calling them the Empire's "keenest weapon."[18]Master Kenobi once noted the accuracy and precision of their blaster shots,[68] while KnightKanan Jarrus mocked stormtroopers as soldiers with poor aim.[134] StormtrooperTD-7556 claimed it was the standard issue E-11 blaster that hampered a stormtrooper's aim in his mockingly written final report before deserting,[19] whileClone CaptainRex regarded the stormtroopers themselves as the problem.AgentAlexsandr Kallus defended the stormtroopers for their allegiance to the Empire, but Rex took the opportunity to disparage them as an inferior class of soldier relative to the genetically engineered clone troopers they replaced.[135]

Stormtroopers were remembered as a symbol of Imperial oppression, but opinions on and claims about their overall efficiency, particularly their aim, varied.
During the earliest days of stormtrooper recruitment and training, Clone Commando Sergeant Hunter of Clone Force 99 noted the apparent ineffectiveness of the recruits at the time, with clone commando Gregor claiming he purposely avoided teaching the new soldiers everything he knew.[32] Thinking about rebel propaganda that portrayed Imperial servants as poor shots,fleet logistics liaisonArvira of the Imperial Navy claimed that some stormtroopers should indeed spend more time practicing their targeting drills.[136]Tasu Leech, apit fighter and rising star in the criminal underworld during the Galactic Civil War,[137] was aware of claims about poor stormtrooper marksmanship and used them to mock ashoretrooper holding a blaster to his head, putting his life on the line in the name of mocking his captor. The shoretooper responded by headbutting the bounty hunter, retorting that their aim with the strike was direct, before being killed by the defecting Imperial LieutenantBeilert Valance.[138]
In truth, the overall difference in stormtrooper aim and training varied between individual troopers across the galaxy.[139] While a majority of troopers across the galaxy possessed an overall superb aim, with Imperial specialistRalsius Paldora stating that stormtroopers hit 77 percent of their targets,[88] rebel propaganda[136] and the soldiers who demonstrated lackluster aim created the joke that all troopers possessed poor marksmanship. The joke outlived the regime itself. Following the Imperial Era, Din Djarin, himself a skilled Mandalorian warrior trained since a young age, held stormtroopers in low regard relative to Mandalorians, being unimpressed by Migs Mayfeld's military background despiteRanzar Malk's assurance that the Imperial veteran was skilled in marksmanship. Mayfeld, an ex-Imperial sharpshooter[116] who participated in Operation: Cinder,[15] retorted that he was not a stormtrooper.[116]Axe Woves, another skilled Mandalorian warrior who supported Bo-Katan Kryze, mocked the remnant stormtroopers of Gideon's remnant, joking that they lacked true marksmanship.[114]
Symbol of a fallen empire[]
- "Oh, I think I understand, Synara. My Great Grand-Nikto told me about the Empire. There were stories of the stormtroopers not being very nice to our people."
- ―Neeku Vozo, toSynara San[140]

The remnants of stormtrooper helmets left on pikes outside of Mos Eisley on Tatooine.
The stormtrooper became a symbol of the Empire across the galaxy,[4] resulting in their blank armor persisting as a representation of the regime after its fall.[141] On Tatooine, citizens celebrated the death of Palpatine[82] and later fall of the Empire. In the liberatedspaceport city ofMos Eisley, the helmets of stormtroopers were left on pikes[142] by 9 ABY.[108] After the space station's destruction in the Battle of Endor, theruins of the Death Star II settled within the waters ofKef Bir, a moon in theEndor system. As the years passed, the armor of deceased stormtroopers remained abandoned within the ruins, growing dirty with age and water damage.[143] In the New Republic'sAdelphi Base lounge,[144] stormtrooper helmets were included amongst the war trophies theAdelphi Rangers kept above their bar.[113]
Stormtrooper armor did get a new purpose on the former Imperial world ofPlazir-15, where the elected monarchy'ssecruity detail wore former stormtrooper gear, albeit without helmets and with planetary robes.[145] One Ewok also wore a stormtrooper helmet while fighting in theEwok Civil War.[146] Nevertheless, the armor remained a symbol of the Empire and its ideals for the galaxy at large over the following decades.[147] By28 ABY,[148] stormtrooper helmets and armor were collected by individuals like the New RepublicsenatorRansolm Casterfo, who had an interest in Imperial "artifacts." Several of Casterfo'sCentrist senators, includingOrmes Apolin andFatil also admired and collected Imperial uniforms and armor. In addition, Imperial armor and other artifacts also sold at markets onChrome Citadel.[147] Stories of how the stormtroopers treated theNikto species were passed down as a warning of Imperial xenophobia.[140]
The next generation[]

During the New Republic Era, a new generation of stormtroopers was trained to serve the First Order.
The Imperial remnants that retreated to the Unknown Regions reorganized themselves as theFirst Order, achieving one of the Emperor's objectives—to destroy the Empire and then rebuild it—under theContingency.[149] Defying the Galactic Concordance, the First Order recruited and mobilizednew stormtroopers. The new stormtroopers were influenced by the idea of Brendol.[6] The First Order's stormtroopers were equipped with sleeker armor and powerful weaponry.[8] Among the Order's agents was Terex, who had served as an Imperial stormtrooper.[91] The former ImperialStormtrooper CommanderRuthford, who had been at the disposal of the Emperor's Fist during abattle against the Benathy, served as a Captain in the First Order. Captain Ruthford would find himselfseeing theBenathy once again, although this time he served under the grandson of Lord Vader, thewarlordKylo Ren.[150]
Training[]
- "Cadets, you entered this facility as children. And in a few short weeks, you will leave as soldiers. By the time you complete your training, you will be prepared to serve your Emperor."
- ―Cumberlayne Aresko[151]

Stormtroopers were trained in Imperial Academies and subjected to numbing routine.
Unlike their predecessors, the majority of stormtroopers were non-clone recruits.Imperial cadets were shipped off to Imperial Academies, and subjected to rigorous training programs in order to produce highly trained shock troopers fiercely loyal to the Empire.[151] Cadets could be as young as thirteen standard years.[152] Although they were a somewhat rare sight,women were not prohibited from serving in the ranks of the stormtroopers.[153] During training, femalecadets were placed in all-female units.Unit Forn was an all-female unit at theAcademy for Young Imperials onLothal.[154] All stormtroopers swore themselves to the Emperor and his will,[64] with the expectation to follow all orders[19] without question[64] in the name of serving the Empire[56] and Palpatine himself.[64]
Learning to obey all orders without concern was a part of stormtrooper training.[155] Stormtroopers were trained to disregard fallen comrades in battle and to press on, no matter the cost, even when the odds were stacked against them.[49] In fact, those who were selected for stormtrooper training had to undergo extra reconditioning. This had the effect of dehumanizing the cadets, who came to refer to themselves by theiroperating numbers rather than their names. One such cadet wasAmes Bunkle, an acquaintance ofZare Leonis.[56] MinisterPitina Mar-Mas Voor of the ImperialCoalition for Progress regarded stormtroopers as brainwashed agents who were not as efficient as her division.[156]

The stormtrooper training program promoted competition, ruthlessness, and unwavering loyalty to the Galactic Empire.
Stormtrooper recruits trained in numerous conditions, includingjetpack scenarios.[157] Among other things, cadets would train to fireblasters, and Imperial specialist Ralsius Paldora noted that stormtroopers hit 77 percent of their targets.[88] Cadets also learned to pilotImperial walkers and the ruthlessness it took to become a stormtrooper. Cadets who attended Imperial Academies also underwent simulated obstacle courses inthe Well, which were designed to test their strength, agility, reflexes and intelligence. Such courses and tests of skill became increasingly difficult over time, and accountability for losses were harsh.[154]
While cadets attended the academy, they wore white uniforms and specialized helmets, similar to the standard stormtrooper or pilot gear. Aside from their basic training, many cadets were also assigned other non-combat duties on base. Such duties offered cadets the opportunity to gain experience over their peers, and were often presented as rewards for excellent performance during training exercises.[154]

Stormtrooper cadets who exhibited a strong connection to the Force were reassigned to Project Harvester.
As cadets were being evaluated, the officers in charge were often instructed to take note of performance that might denote an affinity forthe Force, and report it to one of their superiors. Cadets who met this special criteria were taken bythe Grand Inquisitor and forcibly inducted intoProject Harvester, a top secret Imperial program based onArkanis. Cadet Zare's older sister,Dhara Leonis, was one known subject of Project Harvester.[154] Another prospective subject wasJai Kell, who managed to escape due to the help ofEzra Bridger.[151]
Stormtrooper and other Imperial cadets also assisted in law enforcement operations. Following a spate of rebel activity on Lothal, Imperial cadets there were used to search homes and streets for illegal activities, detain the children of fugitives, and to raid smugglers. During these law enforcements operations, some cadets, likeNazhros Oleg came to flout their new-found powers; a trait that was encouraged by some officers, likeCaptainPiers Roddance. Some prospective officer cadets, like Leonis and Oleg were also given the chance to lead adult stormtroopers in these raids. Cadets also had their backgrounds investigated for any sign of criminal connections and other subversive activities.[158]
Equipment[]
Armor[]
- "Gone were the flags, braids, baldrics, swords, and other regalia of tradition. They were replaced with a uniform look embodied by the stormtrooper."
- ―Janyor[44]

Clone stormtroopers retained their Phase II clone trooper armor during the early years of the Imperial Era.
The clone troopers who survived the Clone Wars continued to wear thePhase II clone trooper armor[26] after becoming the first generation of stormtroopers.[4] Thearmor consisted of whiteplastoid plates attached to a blackbody glove,[159] no longer featuring the various color patterns[160] that the clones had adopted after growing more individualistic under the Jedi Order's influence,[159] although some units such as theImperial shock troopers still wore their armor with the distinctive red markings of theCoruscant Guard.[26]
The first non-clone stormtroopers, designated asTK stormtroopers, were given an updated version of the Phase II armor as the Galactic Empire shifted toward enlisted and conscripted personnel at the expense of clone soldiers. Like its template, theTK stormtrooper armor was a set of white armor components worn over a black body glove. In addition to various aesthetic differences between the two armors, the TKhelmet lacked[32] the T-shaped visor of its Phase II predecessor and the earlierPhase I clone trooper armor.[22]

During the Imperial Era, the white-armored stormtroopers became a symbol of the Galactic Empire.
Phase II was ultimately phased out after the creation ofstormtrooper armor, causing large stocks of clone armor to be recycled[159] as most clones entered retirement, having been replaced by natural-born soldiers. Stormtrooper armor was a common sight throughout the galaxy;[22] its stark white appearance served as a symbol of the New Order in contrast to the clone armor that represented honor and defense during the Clone Wars.[6]
Stormtrooper armor was a distinctive set of white armor that was intended to instill a sense of order and security in loyal subjects and a sense of fear in the opponents of the Empire, while also providing the soldiers with an extended range of survival equipment and temperature controls. It was able to mitigate the effect of blaster fire and thus provide some protection;[2] in certain cases, stormtroopers continued to breathe after being shot by anE-11 medium blaster rifle.[134] Projectiles from crudeslugthrowers were unable to pierce the armor.[161] Stormtrooper armor was not without the limitations common to most types of armor, however. The plates made running slightly harder and offered reduced protection against large scale pulse detonations and blunt weapons.[162] Stormtroopers also had a utility belt and a grappling hook attached to it.[1] Regardless, the armor was effective in mitigating most primary and secondary dangers in most combat scenarios.
The helmet provided cranial protection, filteredair, and contained enhanced vision, communication systems and an effective[73]HUD (heads up display)[74] that could help locate threats, aid in navigation, and to help alert the wearer.[73] While many stormtroopers deployed to such environments would retain their[82] standard-issue[157] white-colored armor,[82] some stormtroopers involved in forest operations would wear asuit of camouflaged armor, where the standard-issue white was painted over with a greenery inspired design that blended into nature.[157]
Rank was determined by acolor codedpauldron worn over the right shoulder, with orange or red representing the rank of commander, black indicating an enlisted trooper, and white representing a sergeant. Sometimes on the pauldrons they had specific symbols distinguishing who they were serving, exemplified byGrand AdmiralThrawn's troops, who had a stylizedchimaera symbol on their pauldrons.[163]
Weapons[]

E-11 blaster rifles were standard-issue weapons for Imperial stormtroopers.
The E-11 blaster rifle was the standard issue weapon of stormtroopers,[164] although the first generations—primarily clone stormtroopers[26] and TK stormtroopers—used Clone War-era weapons such as theDC-15A blaster carbine.[32] Stormtroopers also occasionally utilized theSE-14r light repeating blaster,[165] theDLT-20A blaster rifle,[166] theT-21 light repeating blaster,[9] theRT-97C heavy blaster rifle,[1] theE-22 reciprocating double-barreled blaster rifle,[152] or theDLT-19 heavy blaster rifle,[49] especially for long range engagements.[1] They could also usescatter guns, andMPL-57grenade launchers.[167] Some stormtroopers were trained to handleHH-12 rocket launchers[168] or theT-7 ion disruptor rifle.[169]
Dress uniform[]
Outside of combat and security details, stormtrooper officers wore black dress tunics, caps, and boots, as well ascode cylinders,rank insignia plaques,officer's disks conform to thestandards of the Imperial Navy.[49]
Specialized stormtroopers[]
Overview[]
- "There is no environment too deadly for a trooper. Wherever the Empire needs us, we'll be there!"
- ―Sentinel[157]

As the Empire was a galaxy-wide regime that constantly expanded, waged conflict on distant worlds, or ruled over those planets, different stormtrooper variants were created in order to maintain Imperial rule across any environment.
In his Grand Arena persona as an Imperial loyalist,[94] the former stormtrooper Sentinel once proclaimed that there should be no environment too deadly for an Imperial trooper, instead declaring that a trooper should go to wherever the Empire needed them to go.[157] However, in order to ensure the practical, day-to-day implementation of Imperial rule,[1] its war efforts,[77] and its expansion,[79] the Empire had specialized stormtrooper forces assembled to operate in different environments or roles in addition to the standard stormtroopers.[86] In the Grand Arena of Vespaara, even Sentinel demonstrated an understanding of that as he was more than willing to don the uniforms of other Imperial personnel, including that from various stormtrooper variants.[157] Once a trooper was specialized to their role, their physiological conditioning was so strong that one would rarely want to change whatdivision they were in.[86] Stormtroopers in mechanized battle armor armed with heavy handheld cannon were present at theBattle on Sevarcos.[69]
Early generation[]

Clone troopers were the first generation of stormtroopers at the formation of the Galactic Empire.
- Clone stormtroopers: The clone troopers who had previously fought in the Clone Wars for the Republic served as the first generation of stormtroopers.[4]
- Elite Squad Troopers: Well-trained soldiers who were recruited as the first enlisted Imperial troopers.[33]
- TK stormtroopers: Early recruits who were trained by clone commandos to be the eventual replacements of clone stormtroopers.[32]
Environment-specialized[]
- Cave troopers: Stormtroopers that were equipped with scout trooperarmor,blaster carbines, as well as oversizedvibroknives. Cave troopers were also equipped with low-light vision gear to help them see in the darkness and had rappelling cables.[170]

A pair of sandtroopers
- Coastal defender stormtroopers: Stormtroopers more commonly known asshoretroopers that were trained and equipped to operate in coastal and tropical regions. They were notably deployed onScarif.[67]
- Cold weather assault stormtroopers: Stormtroopers more commonly known assnowtroopers that were trained for frozen environments and wore a special mask and akama that both resembled the equipment worn by the21st Nova Corps onMygeeto during the Clone Wars.[23][2][77]
- Desert stormtroopers: Stormtroopers with armor modified to operate ondesertworlds like Tatooine.[171]Dewback troopers, orDewback riders, were sandtroopers that utilizeddewbacks as mounts.[172]
- Forest troopers: Stormtroopers trained to operate in forested environments.[14]

Lava troopers
- Magma troopers: Stormtroopers that were equipped to operate in extremely high temperatures, and were trained to fight onvolcanic worlds like Sullust. They were equipped with reinforced leg armor, black pauldrons, andrespirators connected to abackpack.[173]
- Seatroopers: Stormtroopers trained and equipped to operate inaquatic environments and wore white armor.[154]
- Spacetroopers: Stormtroopers trained for zero-gravity environments with armor designed to breathe in space. Spacetroopers were used to patrol parts of the first Death Star.[174]
- Swamptrooper: Stormtroopers trained for amphibious combat.[3]
- Volcanic environment stormtrooper: Stormtroopers that were equipped with black armor and respiration tubes that were charged with defendingFortress Vader onMustafar. They were commonly referred to as Lava Troopers.[175]
- Wet-weather gear stormtroopers: Stormtroopers that wore waterproofcapes, which the troopers called "slicks," and modified armor that allowed for better mobility while moving through Mimbanese swamps. Notably deployed onMimban.[50]
Role-specialized[]

An artillery stormtrooper
- Artillery stormtrooper: Stormtroopers that specialized inmortar weaponry.[115]
- 'Demolition Troopers': Stormtroopers that wore standard armor and were equipped withSmart Rockets andSE-14C blaster pistols. They sometimes were not equipped with helmets.[176]
- Flametroopers: Stormtroopers equipped with incendiary weapons.[70]
- Heavy Weapons Stormtroopers: Specialized stormtroopers that wielded largerotary blaster cannons and were equipped with black pauldrons. There were alsoheavy sandtroopers for desert operations,heavy shoretroopers for coastal and tropical regions, andheavy snowtroopers for cold weather environments.[172] Heavy snowtroopers were sometimes also equipped with small black pauldrons.[88]
- Imperial Heavy Troopers: Stormtroopers that were equipped with heavy combat armor andelectrostaffs.[9]
- Incinerator troopers: An elite specialized class of stormtrooper that wielded flamethrowers.[177]
- Jumptroopers: Also known as Rocket troopers, were stormtroopers equipped with Jump Packs or jetpacks. One variant of jumptrooper was equipped with standard stormtrooper armor and a jump pack,[167] while another variant used specialized armor equipped with jetpacks and respirator tubes. The officers of this variant maintained an orange left shoulder pad to indicate rank.[178] There was also another variant of jumptrooper with more sophisticated armor, consisting of a control panel on the chest, respirator tubes, and black markings. There also existedarctic,desert, andforest jumptrooper variations.[172]

A patrol trooper
- Patrol troopers: Stormtroopers that utilizedC-PH patrol speeder bikes to police the city streets of occupied worlds.[50]
- Range troopers: A branch of theStormtrooper Corps that was harshly trained and were considered to be one of the toughest branches ofImperial Military. They were equipped with snowtrooper-like armor, as well as fur and magnetic boots. They were assigned to protect various Imperial cargo, and were deployed to combat zones.[50]
- Recon Stormtroopers: A variant that wears a pauldron and carries thermal detonators.[179]
- Riot control stormtroopers: Stormtroopers that were equipped with standard armor andbatons.[88] They took down their opponents with extreme ferocity.[180]
- Rocket stormtroopers were specialized stormtroopers equipped withmissile launchers and wore a red emblem on their shoulder pads.[180]
- Scout troopers: Stormtroopers that wore lighter armor and usedspeeder bikes to patrol the perimeter of the Imperial garrisons they were assigned to.[82] They were equipped for long periods of time without support and high maneuverability. Scout troopers were also conditioned to operate with a partner whenever they could.[86]
- Stormtrooper grenadiers: Stormtroopers that wieldedgrenade launchers and wore a red pauldron along with a black bandolier across their chest.[180]
- Stormtrooper snipers: Stormtroopers that were pulled from standard stormtrooper ranks which wore a blue pauldron over their shoulder, had a visor attached to their helmet, and had a black bandolier across their chest plate.[180]
Elite troopers[]

Death trooper armor
- Death troopers: Elite black armored stormtroopers with specialized training and classified augmentations to make them "beyond human."[152] They served underImperial Intelligence and were deployed as bodyguards to a number of upper-level figures, such asDirectorOrson Callan Krennic,[67] Grand Admiral Thrawn[76], Lord Vader[181] and Moff Gideon.[182] They were also given special assignments such as guarding shipments of largekyber crystals. They were equipped withSE-14r light repeating blasters,C-25 fragmentation grenades, andE-11D blaster carbines. Death trooper specialists were equipped with a black pauldron.[152]
- Imperial shock troopers: Stormtroopers that were armed with heavy weaponry and wore stormtrooper armor with distinctive red markings,[167] similar to those of Republic clone troopers who served as in theCoruscant Guard during theClone Wars. It was not uncommon for Imperial shock troopers to be equipped with Clone Wars era shock trooper armor.[172]
- Purge Troopers (Anoat sector): Elite stormtroopers in black heavy armor that helped enforce Imperial law in theAnoat sector. They were lead by the formidableCommanderBragh during theIron Blockade.[11]

Purge Troopers were handpicked from the ranks of the Stormtrooper Corps.
- Purge Troopers (Inquisitorius): Stormtroopers that assisted Lord Vader and theInquisitors in hunting downJedi survivors afterOrder 66. Trained as expendabledeathsquads, they were activated after theGreat Jedi Purge. While the initial deployment of Purge Troopers was actually the last batch of clone troopers,[40] later generations of Purge Troopers were instead handpicked from the Empire's stormtrooper legions. Perspective Purge Troopers were picked for their loyalty and aptitude before being trained to combatForce-sensitives.[183]
- Shadow troopers: Elite stormtroopers in black armor that were also equipped withcloaking devices and used deadlyT-21 light repeating blasters.[173]
- Special Commando Advanced Recon Troopers: elite stormtroopers in theImperial Special Forces division also known as SCAR troopers.[184]
- Storm Commandos: Elite stormtroopers that were part of thespecial forces of the Stormtrooper Corps, and were trained to deal with extreme combat situations.[9]
Remnant variants[]

A Night Trooper, a member of the legion that loyally served Thrawn during the New Republic Era
After the fall of the Empire, remaining stormtroopers who continued to champion the Imperial cause[101] or became mercenaries[97] became known as "Remnant Stormtroopers."[99][102][103] Pre-existing stormtrooper variants existed amongst theremnant forces,[107] but specific variants could emerge as new trooper types during the post-Imperial period.[16] Furthermore, Gideon's Imperial remnant would make use ofPhase-III Dark Troopers[112]—advancedbattle droid units who took the human element seen in stormtroopers[185] and priorDark Trooper models.[112]
- Imperial armored commandos:[186] stormtroopers[93] who worebeskar armor and were far more accurate shooters than standard stormtroopers.[187]
- Night Troopers:[128] a legion[125] of stormtroopers who remained active on the extragalactic planet Peridea in exile.[16] Incredibly loyal to Grand Admiral Thrawn,[125] they possessed extensively damaged armor that was held together with red strips and golden and grey pieces.[16]
Thirty years after the Battle of Endor, variants of the former Galactic Empire's armed forces would exist under the auspices of a new organization known as the First Order. It utilized new stormtroopers and variants, such as themegablaster heavy assault troopers,riot control stormtroopers,snowtroopers, andflametroopers.[6]
Behind the scenes[]
Development[]
- "My dad keeps telling me that the stormtroopers are the good guys. Are they really?"
"The stormtroopers are the good guys, it's just that they take orders from a very bad man." - ―ACelebration III audience member and George Lucas[188]

Early concept art of stormtroopers
Stormtroopers, as depicted in the early drafts ofStar Wars and envisioned byRalph McQuarrie, were to wield lightsabers and hand-held shields.George Lucas, when composing background information for licensees in1977, stated that females did exist in the Stormtrooper Corps, although there were few stationed on the Death Star. He suggested that they were numerous in other units.[189] McQuarrie's original stormtrooper design would later be used as inspiration for the TK stormtrooper armor seen inStar Wars: The Bad Batch.[190] The501st Legion fan group makes use of stormtrooper armor to appear at public events and charitable causes.[191]
InStar Wars: Episode IVA New Hope, an actor playing a stormtrooper accidentally hit his head on a doorway. In the Star WarsSpecial Editions, a sound was added for the purpose of comedy. Over the years the accident turned into a tradition by making actors hit their heads on doors in the Star Wars films.[192]Laze Loneozner actorAnthony Forrest played theStormtrooper Commander who wasmind tricked by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine, earning him a cult following amongstStar Wars fans like the 501st Legion.[191] Within canon, the stormtrooper who bumped his head and the trooper who was mind tricked by Kenobi were confirmed to actually be the same individual,TD-110,[193] whose real name was established as Wanten.[194]
Stormtroopers share a name withImperial GermanSturmtruppen, which in English translated toStormtroopers, special troops who were tasked in the last year ofWorld War I with mounting fierce infantry assaults on Allied trenches in an attempt to break the stalemate on the Western Front. The Nazi party would later use "Sturmabteilung" as the term for its paramilitary force in an effort to call back to the specialized troops of the German Empire.[195] When designing the stormtrooper, McQuarrie purposely drew on Nazi imagery. The stormtrooper design also has the imagery of moving skeletons,[196] with the stormtrooper helmet invoking the imagery of a human skull in specific.[197]
A stormtrooper by the name of "Tagged" appears in theStar Wars Rebels skin pack forMinecraft.[198] InStuart Beattie's script for an Obi-Wan Kenobi feature film, the InquisitorReva led asquad of ten StormtrooperMarshals that were the equivalent of theU.S. Marshals. They were clone trooper veterans that still had theirbiochips in them and they never missed a shot. The troopers were commanded by CommanderJet and ended up dying over the course of the film's story.[199]

Panoramic view of stormtroopers marching through shallow water forRogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Concept art gallery[]
Appearances[]
Non-canon appearances[]
Sources[]
Explore all of Wookieepedia'simages for this article subject.
|
Non-canon sources[]
- LEGO Star Wars: Build Your Own Adventure
- LEGO Star Wars 62(Free Gift)
Star Wars: Visions Filmmaker Focus — "T0-B1"(Picture only)
Star Wars: Visions Filmmaker Focus — "Lop & Ochō"(Video clip only)
LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation | Official Trailer | Disney+ on the officialStar WarsYouTube channel(backup link)(Posted on StarWars.com)
- The Art of Star Wars: Visions
LEGOStar Wars(Set:75370 Stormtrooper Mech)
Strap in Starfighter, Star Wars is Taking Over in Fortnite: GALACTIC BATTLE! onFortnite'sofficial website(backup link)
Notes and references[]
|
External links[]
- Related categories:
- Galactic Empire stormtrooper variants
- Related Categories:
- Galactic Empire stormtrooper variants