Stormtrooper Corps/Legends



The Imperial Stormtrooper Corps was a branch of the Imperial military that was not under the control of the Imperial Army, Imperial Navy, or Imperial Intelligence but operated alongside those groups. Like the Emperor's Royal Guard, it was under the direct control of the Emperor.

The Stormtrooper Corps was the descendent of the Grand Army of the Republic of the Galactic Republic. During the time of the Republic, clone shock troopers were already being referred to as "stormtroopers," and the usage was passed on to several other high-ranking clone units, notably the 501st Legion, immediately after the Declaration of a New Order. Other notable units of the Corps were the 105th Stormtrooper Platoon and the Blackguards.

Members of the Corps were chosen for their dedication, bravery, and intelligence, becoming indoctrinated in the tenets of the New Order and becoming graduates of difficult and prestigious military academies such as the Academy of Carida. Others were specially-trained clones. The Corps suffered heavy losses during the Galactic Civil War, to the point of them being incredibly rare by 22 ABY.

By 130 ABY, the Corps had apparently been disbanded, the stormtroopers becoming part of the Army. However, the individual stormtrooper units (such as the 501st and the 407th Stormtrooper Division) remained in existence and were still considered elite shock units.

Behind the scenes
The Stormtrooper Corps during the New Order is roughly analogous to the real-world U.S. Marine Corps as an autonomous force which relies heavily on the other branches of the armed forces. The later Legacy-era Stormtrooper forces are more comparable to the real-world U.S. Army Airborne forces in that they have become an elite form of infantry as an integral and subordinate part of the Imperial Army command structure.

Appearances

 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi