Clone trooper/Legends

"A weapon they are. Obey orders without question for good or ill. For now they fight for us. Who is to say what the future holds?"

- Yoda

Clone troopers were an army of identical, genetically-modified clones, created to serve in the Grand Army of the Republic during the conflict that came to be known as the Clone Wars. Grown and raised in the laboratories and facilities of Kamino, the clone troopers were trained throughout the first ten years of their lives to become one of the most efficient military forces in galactic history. Bred for the sole purpose of combat, the clones were indoctrinated with unwavering obedience to the Galactic Republic and&mdash;more specifically&mdash;their Commander-in-chief, the Supreme Chancellor.

For roughly three years, the clone troopers fought to defend Republic sovereignty against the Separatist rebellion. Throughout the conflict, the members of the Jedi Order served as commanders and generals of the Grand Army, and thus they served alongside their clone soldiers on many occasions. But the covert Sith plot to seize control of the galaxy, masterminded by the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, effectively caused the clones to betray and destroy the Republic that they were sworn to defend with their lives. Sidious, in his public guise as Chancellor Palpatine, issued Order 66 to the clone troopers.

The contingency order declared that all Jedi were traitors to the Republic and, hence forward, subject to summary execution. Due to their inability to disobey any order, the clone troopers carried out the Chancellor's command without question. Though a small percentage of clones ignored the order, the vast majority of the clones executed their unsuspecting Jedi officers, many of whom had come to trust the clones with their lives.

In the aftermath of the Jedi Order's near destruction and the sterilization of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Palpatine abolished the Old Republic and instituted the Galactic Empire in its place, with himself as emperor of the galaxy. Among the many new reforms that symbolized Palpatine's New Order, the Republic clone troopers were re-designated as Imperial stormtroopers. Without the guidance of the Jedi, the first stormtroopers quickly established their reputation as brutal enforcers of a galactic-spanning despotic regime.

Commissioning and the genetic template
"They grow up loyal to the Republic&mdash;or they don't grow up at all."

- Alpha-17, quoting Jango Fett



The origins of the clone troopers date back to the days before the Invasion of Naboo in 32 BBY, when Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas secretly commissioned Kaminoan scientists to create an army for the Galactic Republic. With the untimely death of Sifo-Dyas, however, the project fell under the supervision Darth Tyranus, a former Jedi Master who turned to the dark side of the Force and became the Sith apprentice of Darth Sidious.

Before the cloners on Kamino were able to begin their task, they required an individual subject to serve as the army's genetic template. Tyranus, who had been ordered by Sidious to both search for an ideal candidate amongst the galaxy's deadliest mercenaries and eliminate a deranged former Jedi named Komari Vosa, devised a plan to accomplish the two objectives at the same time. Thus, he placed a five million credit reward on the capture of Vosa, who had become the leader of the Bando Gora. Whether she was dead or alive after her capture was irrelevant as the prize was the same either way. Among the mercenaries who received a special invitation from Tyranus was Jango Fett, a former Mandalorian who sought to make a living as a bounty hunter.

When Fett successfully tracked and defeated Komari Vosa in combat, Tyranus personally congratulated the hunter and, in addition to the reward money, offered a substantial amount of more credits if Fett agreed to be cloned on Kamino. The purpose, as Tyranus revealed, was the creation of an army of clones, modified to grow at twice the rate of Human beings and programmed for absolute loyalty. Their training, supervised by Jango Fett, would turn them into perfect soldiers. After a moment of contemplation, Fett agreed to Tyranus' offer, but on the condition that the first clone would be given to him without any modifications.

Before the gestation process began, the Kaminoans tampered with Fett's DNA to ensure that the clones were primarily dominated by behavioral genes that emphasized certain qualities such as loyalty, aggression, independence and discipline in order to guarantee that the army would be more docile and less independent than their template. Kal Skirata, a former Mandalorian warrior who had been brought to Kamino to assist in the training of a special unit, concurred with the Kaminoans' rationale behind "modified" troopers; an "unaltered" Jango Fett was not the ideal infantry soldier.

When the Kaminoans first began the cloning procedure, they had produced twelve prototypes, designated as Null-class Advanced Recon Commandos. Due to the extreme modifications to their physiology, only half of the test subjects survived their gestation process. However, the "enhancements" that were made to the Fett genome left the survivors handicapped with erratic behavior and an inclination toward disobedience. Disappointed with the unsatisfactory results of their wayward creations, the Kaminoans deemed the six prototypes as complete failures and intended to terminate them. Kal Skirata's intervention, along with Fett's support, prevented the clones from being liquidated. As a result, Skirata was charged with training the prototypes as intelligence units.

Training
"They're trained from day one to be more obedient than us."

- RC-3222



Due to the long-term commitment that was required in the creation of the clone army, Jango Fett took a hiatus from his bounty hunting career in order to monitor the growth and training of his clones. His influence over the clone army's development extended into several areas, such as the resemblance between his Mandalorian armor and the their Phase I armor and the training that molded the clones into elite soldiers. One of his most significant contributions to the project, however, was his personal oversight of the Alpha-class Advanced Recon Commandos, otherwise known as "ARC troopers." The "second generation" ARC units were the Kaminoans' response to the failure of the Null-class. Unlike their precursors, the Alpha-class ARC troopers were more reliable for their loyalty to the Republic and willingness to serve under Jedi officers. They were, however, superior and more creative in comparison to the rank-and-file clone troopers, due to their unaltered level of independence.

Through the technological capability to accelerate the speed of a clone's physical growth, the Kaminoans successfully engineered fully-grown clones in half of the time that real Humans required to reach maturity. As a result of the genetic modification that enhanced their growth process, the clone troopers aged at twice the rate of Human beings. At the age of ten, a clone was resembled a young Jango Fett in his early twenties, and was thus fit and prepared for combat. Despite the Kaminoans' dedication to perfection when it came to their work, the cloning process produced a minority of clones with genetic abnormalities. In the case of a genetically aberrant failure, 99 was relegated to janitorial responsibilities since he was physically incapable of military service. Other instances included a company of clones that possessed less than 20/20 vision. They mysteriously disappeared in the late hours of the night and were never seen again.



All clone troopers received basic training in core military skills, such as weapons handling, marksmanship, and other essentials. While Jango Fett personally handled the training of the Alpha-class ARC troopers, a specialized unit of clone commandos was commissioned as a median between the independent-minded ARC troopers and the more docile rank-and-file clone troopers. In order to ensure the overall success of the commandos project, Fett formed the Cuy'val Dar, a group composed of experienced Mandalorian mercenaries and even a few Journeyman Protectors. Though individual members of the group had their own unique training methods, as a whole they separated the commandos into squads of four, which in turn, created a strong sense of brotherhood amongst the commando squads. Clones that were fit to serve in leadership capacity possessed notable traits such as a greater degree of independence and creativity, as exhibited by commanders like CC-2224 and CT-65/91-6210.

As part of their education and psychological training, the clone troopers were required to adhere to the Command Code, a set of guidelines that governed a clone's behavior and every action. Hence, every clone was obliged to obey every aspect of the Code without question, doubt or hesitance. Overall, the Kaminoans took a deeply vested interest in the training of the creations, especially the standard clone units and even the clone commandos as well.

Mandalorian heritage
"They'll do their job well, I'll guarantee that."

- Jango Fett



Through Jango Fett's connection to the clone troopers as a genetic template, as well as the presence of many Mandalorian trainers within the Cuy'val Dar, many societal aspects of Mandalorian culture were integrated into the mentality of many clones. The clone commandos were particularly susceptible to this outside influence since they experienced the most exposure to Mandalorians. Likewise, the Null-class ARC troopers were raised as Mandalorians by Kal Skirata. The use of Mando'a, the native language of the Mandalorians, began amongst the commandos and was gradually adopted by clone troopers of the rank-and-file stock. One particular feature of the Mandalorian culture that the clone army assimilated was the "Jaig eyes," a mark of honor bestowed on soldiers for exceptional acts of bravery. ARC Captain Alpha-77 was commended with the Jaig eyes, as was Clone Captain CC-7567.

Although Mandalorian influence was especially strong on the clone commandos, the mainstream of the clone army held loyalty and obedience to the Galactic Republic as the overriding priority above all other concerns or interests. The connection between the clone army and its Mandalorian heritage was greatly strained when Spar, a renegade Alpha-class ARC trooper, deserted the Republic and organized the Mandalorian Protectors on the side of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The heavy casualties that the clone troopers endured due to the involvement of Spar and his Mandalorians at New Bornalex and Kamino caused the clones to develop a strong sense of enmity toward the Mandalorians, whom they regarded as enemies of the Republic. The troopers of the 2nd Airborne Company were openly hostile with Omega Squad because of the commandos' Mandalorian "upbringing."

The end of the Mandalorian culture's influence over the clone army commenced with the production of new generations of clone troopers, grown and trained away from Kamino and under direct Republic supervision. The first wave of clones that eventually supplanted the original troopers were engineered through Spaarti technology, which was most notable for the fact that it developed fully-matured clones in one year as opposed to the longer Kaminoan method of ten years. The decline of Mandalorian influence was further accelerated when the Galactic Empire's Stormtrooper Corps became dominated by enlisted troopers and clones based on different genomes, which thus reduced the remaining Fett clones to a minority status.

Clone Wars
"An army of one man, but the right man for the job!"

- Clone trooper rallying call



In 22 BBY, ten years after the start of the clone trooper program, the Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi tracked Jango Fett to the remote world of Kamino in the Outer Rim Territories. Much to his surprise, however, his arrival in Tipoca City was greeted with great anticipation from the Kaminoan cloners. Prime Minister Lama Su assumed that Kenobi had been sent by the Jedi Order to obtain a progress report on the Republic's clone army, and thus he never realized that Kenobi was oblivious to the existence of the clones. Nevertheless, Kenobi inspected the clones for himself and learned from Lama Su that 200,000 units were prepared for deployment; another million were nearly combat ready as well. When Kenobi attempted to apprehend Jango Fett, the bounty hunter escaped to the Separatist world of Geonosis. Kenobi pursued Fett, only to be captured and held hostage by Count Dooku, the former Jedi Master who secretly became the Sith Lord Darth Tyranus.

While the Jedi Anakin Skywalker, and Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo conducted their own attempt to rescue Kenobi, the Galactic Republic fell into a crisis as the Separatist movement evolved into an armed rebellion. As a response to the revelation of the Separatists' intentions to secede through force, the Galactic Senate granted emergency powers to the executive branch of the government. With his new authority, Chancellor Palpatine accepted Kamino's clone army on behalf of the Senate, and thus the Grand Army of the Republic was officially formed. Shortly afterward, Jedi Master Mace Windu assembled a Jedi task force to liberate Kenobi; Grand Master Yoda traveled to Kamino to inspect the clone army for himself.

By the time Yoda and a force of 192,000 clone troopers arrived on Geonosis, the Jedi had been locked in a battle with the Separatist battle droids, but were ultimately overwhelmed. The clones successfully extracted the survivors, including Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala as the first battle of the Clone Wars commenced. Under the leadership of the Jedi, the clone troopers eventually forced the droid army into full retreat. Although Count Dooku and the Separatist Council avoided capture, Geonosis ultimately fell to the Jedi and their clone forces; the Republic had secured the first victory of the war.



The victory on Geonosis was followed by the deployment of clone troopers throughout the known galaxy where they served on various fronts against the growing Separatist Alliance. The members of the Jedi Order were commissioned as officers in the Grand Army of the Republic. Under the leadership of their Jedi commanders and generals, the clones engaged the Separatists on numerous battlefields; from Christophsis, Teth and Ryloth, to Hypori, Jabiim, and Kamino itself. Despite the overall combat effectiveness of the clone troopers, however, their numbers steadily decreased throughout the war by attrition, an increasing rate of casualties, and their own accelerated aging process. By 19 BBY, roughly three years after the first engagement at Geonosis, only two-thirds of the first generation clone troopers were still alive.

A face and a name


Although the clone troopers were bred for no other purpose than combat, they nonetheless developed as individuals under the guidance of their Jedi officers. The Jedi's unique abilities and leadership prowess earned them the admiration and respect of the clones who served under them. Clone Commander CC-5052 felt that the Jedi were in command because they were the best in the Grand Army of the Republic.

Less than a year after the Clone Wars began, many clones adopted nicknames to complement their official designations with the approval of the Jedi. Captain CC-7567 speculated that efficiency was the reason as to why clones had been permitted to have "names," due to the difficulty of distinguishing genetically identical soldiers at an individual level. Another way that the Jedi fostered individuality in the clone troopers was through example; some clones respected their Jedi officers enough to emulate their leadership styles. CC-7567 developed a sense of impulsiveness during his service under Anakin Skywalker. CC-2224 had a strict adherence to procedure, a trait that was appreciated by Obi-Wan Kenobi. The camaraderie that gradually developed between Jedi and clones was mirrored through others as well, including Aayla Secura and CC-5052, Plo Koon and the clones of Wolfpack. Even though clones like CC-4477 and "Sinker" saw nothing unique about an army composed of clones from one genetic template, Grand Master Yoda sensed that each clone trooper felt differently through the Force.

Despite the great lengths that the Kaminoans took to ensure that all clone troopers were unconditionally loyal to the Galactic Republic, there was evidence of flaws within their work. Ordinary, standard-issued clone troopers were programmed to be absolutely subservient, but a few of them developed too much as individuals to the point where said loyalty was overridden. Examples included Clone Sergeant "Slick" and Cut Lawquane. Tempted by thoughts of freedom and wealth, "Slick" became a spy for the Separatists while feigning loyalty to the Republic. He excused his treachery through his belief that the clones were enslaved, even though his actions caused the deaths of many of his "brothers" on Christophsis. Cut Lawquane began his life on Kamino like every other clone trooper, but later became a deserter after he abandoned his comrades during the First Battle of Geonosis.

Smaller signs of individuality were seen in how some clone troopers broke away from the regulation haircut. Even before the mass production of Phase II armor, many clones had been allowed to customize their Phase I armor in various ways, either with color or additional equipment. Aside from armor customization, another indication of individualism was the clone troopers' affinity for Kamino, which they regarded as their homeworld. When Kamino was twice threatened by Separatist invasion, both CC-2224 and CC-7567 expressed concern for the safety of "their" planet. In their second attempt, the Separatists reached Kamino and assaulted Tipoca City itself. Many clone troopers ultimately perished while defending the laboratories and military complexes that they viewed as "home."



In spite of the mutual respect between clones and Jedi, not everyone felt the same optimism about the clone troopers. Rahm Kota, a well-respected and highly skilled Jedi General, was not so easily fooled by the clones' seemingly innocent nature. Regarded as a military genius on the battlefield, Kota concluded that clone troopers made inadequate soldiers. Real Humans were unhindered by the modifications that limited the clones, and thus they were ultimately more intelligent, intuitive and versatile than the clones. Hence, Kota formed his own militia and refused to have anything to do with clones. Ironically, his distrust of clone troopers was vindicated when they betrayed and murdered their Jedi officers just before they went on to enslave the galaxy under the New Order.

Aside from Kota, Jedi Master Quinlan Vos personally disliked the clone troopers, especially single-minded ones like Commander "Faie." Some officers in the Republic Navy, especially those who joined the Commission for the Protection of the Republic, held clone troopers in a low regard as well.

Palpatine's secret army
"Are they some kind of special unit? Because I've only seen them in ones and twos. And that's odd. And we didn't know about them. That's even odder."

- Niner Skirata, regarding the clone troopers of the 14th Infantry Brigade on Haurgab

Three years of constant warfare had severely drained the Grand Ar,y of the Republic. While the rate of casualties increased, the remaining clone troopers were stretched too thin across the galaxy during the Republic's Outer Rim Campaign. In secret, however, Chancellor Palpatine had secretly commissioned a new cloning operation, away from Kamino and under direct Republic supervision. Unknown to all except a select few, millions of clones were being engineered on Centax-2, one of the moons that orbited Coruscant itself.

The new clone army was distinguished from the original clone troopers through two main factors; Arkanian Microtechnologies and Spaarti technology. After relations became strained between Chancellor Palpatine and Prime Minister Lama Su, Arkanian Clone Masters were contracted to develop additional clones in the secret facilities of Centax-2. The Spaarti cloning cylinders enabled them to produce full-grown troopers in one year, as opposed to the ten years that Kaminoans spent creating clones.

Given the short period of time between the gestation process and accelerated growth to adulthood, the "Spaarti" clones' training was rushed just like their development. Through a flash-learning program, the clones were effectively "programmed" as disciplined soldiers. However, the speed of their growth, equaled by a limited form of education, produced less efficient troopers with significantly decreased skills in key areas such as strategy and marksmanship. Unlike the clone troopers from Kamino, the "Spaarti" clones were even less capable of individuality and completely free of any Mandalorian influence.

The secret project ultimately produced millions of additional clone troopers, along with a supplementary supply of starships and weapons. Overall, the "new" army was scheduled for deployment in 19 BBY on a date that roughly correlated with the third anniversary of the First Battle of Geonosis. Before their scheduled debut, a limited number of "Spaarti" clone troopers were field-tested through units such as the 14th Infantry Brigade; others were assimilated into the 501st Legion and the Coruscant Guard's shock troopers.

When Count Dooku and General Grievous led a Separatist surprise attack on Coruscant, which resulted in the capture of Chancellor Palpatine, the "Spaarti" clone army was unveiled for the first time. The introduction of several million new clone troopers and many new starships caught the Separatists by complete surprise, and thus proved essential to the Republic's eventual victory in the Battle of Coruscant. In the aftermath of the battle, thousands of ships and millions of troopers swelled the ranks of the depleted Grand Army as the Clone Wars neared its end.

Despite the lower quality of the "Spaarti" clone troopers in comparison to their Kaminoan-engineered brethren, Chancellor Palpatine was not bothered in the least. During a conversation with a Clone Master from Arkanian Microtechnologies, Palpatine admitted that the new clones did not have to be of the same caliber as their precursors. He merely required Kamino's clone troopers to be the best soldiers for one specific operation, and indeed, the true purpose behind their creation.

Order 66


On the eve of the end of the Clone Wars, the Jedi Council discovered the identity of Darth Sidious; the illusive Sith Lord was actually Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, leader of the Galactic Senate of the Republic. As a result, the Council chose to act swiftly in an attempt to neutralize Sidious as soon as possible. On behalf of the Senate, the Jedi Masters Mace Windu, Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar and Saesee Tiin marched into the Chancellor's Suite in the Republic Executive Building and, with lightsabers drawn, declared Chancellor Palpatine to be under arrest. Despite their efforts, however, the showdown between the Jedi and Sith ended with the deaths of all four Jedi Masters, as well as Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side of the Force.

Promoted to the position of apprentice to the Dark Lord of the Sith, the newly-annointed Darth Vader marched into the Jedi Temple at the head of the 501st Legion; their mission was to kill every living being inside without exception. At the same time, Sidious issued Order66 to the various clone commanders that were dispersed throughout the galaxy as deputies to Jedi generals and commanders. As one of 150 contingency orders for the Grand Army of the Republic, Order 66 labelled every Jedi as a traitor to the Republic. As a consequence, their clone soldiers were authorized to suppress the "Jedi insurrection" with deadly force.



Since Order 66 was issued by the Chancellor, the supreme commander of the Republic armed forces, the clone troopers were obliged to comply without question. Though the clones, such as CC-2224 and CC-5052, came to respect their Jedi leaders after three years of warfare, their indoctrinated obedience to the Republic eclipsed their loyalty to the Jedi. For the most part, the Jedi failed to anticipate the betrayal of the clone troopers. Without a moment of hesitation, CC-2224 ordered a nearby AT-TE to fire on Obi-Wan Kenobi, though the Jedi Master ultimately survived the clones' treachery. Other Jedi, however, were not as fortunate.



The unsuspecting Ki-Adi-Mundi was ruthlessly gunned down by Commander CC-1138 and the Galactic Marines while in the midst of the Battle of Mygeeto; Aayla Secura was repeatedly shot to death on Felucia by several clone troopers, including CC-5052, the clone commander whom she enjoyed a close-working relationship with; Plo Koon, the Jedi Master who developed a deep affinity for the clone troopers, was murdered by Captain CT-55/11-9009 on Cato Neimoidia; Stass Allie was betrayed and killed on Saleucami by Commander CC-8826 and CT-3423; Commander CC-1004 tried to shoot Yoda in the back during the Battle of Kashyyyk, but was instantly beheaded with ease by the Grand Master. But all throughout the galaxy, the clone troopers complied with Order 66, and the Jedi that faithfully served the Republic in its time of need at the risk of their own lives, were systematically slaughtered by the very soldiers they had come to trust and rely on.

On Coruscant, no one inside the Jedi Temple was spared. Although a few were able to survive the initial result of Order 66, such as Kazdan Paratus, Shaak Ti, and Sha Koon, nearly every Jedi that was caught inside of the Temple was killed by Vader and the clone troopers of the 501st. Masters, Knights, Padawans and even Younglings were murdered by their former comrade and the remorseless clones. When sun rose on Galactic City, Operation: Knightfall was a success; the massacre of the Jedi Temple was complete.

Dawn of the Galactic Empire
"The clone troopers, now proudly wearing the name of Imperial stormtroopers, have tackled the dangerous work of fighting our enemies on the front lines. Many have died in their devotion to the Empire. Imperial citizens would do well to remember their example."

- Emperor Palpatine, during the Declaration of a New Order



Even as the clone troopers carried out Order 66, Darth Sidious called for an emergency session of the Senate, which he addressed in his public guise as Chancellor Palpatine. In what became known as the Declaration of a New Order, Palpatine gave his own account on the details of the event that preceded Order 66, naturally fictionalized in order to garner the overwhelming the support of the Senate and the citizens of the Republic. In a prolonged speech regarding the downfall of the Jedi Order and the end of the Clone Wars, Palpatine announced that the Republic would be supplanted by a New Order; the first Galactic Empire, in which he would rule supreme as its first emperor.

Just as the Republic was renamed and reorganized into the Empire, the clone troopers were also affected by Palpatine's reforms. No longer known as the clone troopers who defended the Galactic Republic under the leadership of the Jedi Order, the clones were anointed as Imperial stormtroopers. Without the guidance of their Jedi officers, the stormtroopers quickly became one of the most visible symbols of the new totalitarian regime, emphasized by the brutal manner in which they enforced the will of Emperor Palpatine. In recognition of their loyalty and service to the Empire, the 501st Legion was placed under the direct command of Darth Vader. Under his direction, the 501st built a reputation of fear and brutality as "Vader's Fist."

Despite the stormtroopers' betrayal of the Jedi Order and their new purpose as oppressors, the clones adjusted well to their Imperial duties; CC-1119 was particularly pleased with the continued use of clones as military assets, especially due to his previous assumption that the clones would have been diminished as "glorified policemen" after the Clone Wars came to an end. Over time as the Empire gradually asserted its dominance over the galaxy, Jango Fett's cloned progeny secretly enjoyed opportunities to destroy local insurrections, mainly because of their desire to maintain an efficient military while keeping the Empire feared by its own citizens.

End of the Fett cloning program
"Since the Empire has redirected the clone trooper program to other pursuits and stepped up recruiting inferior humans from the Outer Rim, the operational effectiveness of this army has declined significantly."

- Commander Cody



In 12 BBY, a renegade faction of cloners of Kamino rebelled against the Galactic Empire by using their cloning technologies to create a new army of clone soldiers that were programmed to fight against the Empire. The new military force, composed entirely of Fett clones like the original clone army, was equipped with Anti-troopers and a new generation of ARC troopers. The Empire retaliated with a massive assault on Tipoca City. Boba Fett, due to his extensive knowledge of the complex, led the 501st Legion into the corridors of the cloning facility to retrieve samples of Jango Fett's DNA and to also destroy the Kaminoans' capabilities to create more rebel clones. As the last of the resistance crumbled under the Imperial war machine, two of their LAAT/i evacuation transports were shot out of the air while the remaining clones were wiped out by their Imperial brothers.

The Kaminoan uprising provoked Emperor Palpatine to decide that an army of genetically identical clones was far too dangerous to himself, just as they turned out to be to the Jedi. Thus, the Emperor instituted several reforms that gradually caused the Fett clones to become overshadowed under a pool of clones from different genetic templates, as well as enlisted troopers recruited from real Humans. Although the Jango Fett template would still be used to produce more clone stormtroopers, the Fett clones would rapidly become lost under the number of recruits, conscripts and different genetic template-based clones. For all of their loyalty to the Republic and the Empire, the Fett clones were "rewarded with the chance" to fight alongside "inferior" and far less skilled soldiers. None of Jango Fett's progeny, especially those belonging to the "Fett-pure" 501st Legion would ever truly grow used to fighting alongside the stormtroopers that they dubbed as the "new guys".

Ultimately, the cloning program that was used to produce almost 50 percent of the stormtrooper ranks was finally ended with the defeat of the Galactic Empire via the Battle of Endor. After Palpatine and Vader's death, clones became increasingly rare and obsolete as the Imperial Remnant turned to birth-born recruits, both Human and non-Human alike.

Armor


The first year of the Clone Wars saw the Republic's army outfitted in what is commonly referred to as Phase I armor. The armor, designed under the close supervision of Jango Fett, closely resembled the armor of the Mandalorian Shocktrooper, the most obvious example being the helmet's distinctive T-shaped visor. The armor itself comprised twenty form-fitting plates made of plastoid-alloy composite, all sealed to a black body glove. All together, the armor weighed just under forty kilograms. In spite of its bulkiness, the armor allowed for a reasonable range of motion.

The Kaminoans see in the ultra-violet spectrum of light, so even though Humans see a clones armor as plain white, the clones' armor could have been designed very intricately. The Kaminoans also took in the fact that the clones were Human, so they added stripes to indicate rank, and various markings to indicate achievements in combat. Such is the case with ARC captain Fordo, or Captain Rex, both of whom received Jaig eyes for their bravery in battle.

The armor's principal drawback, no doubt rooted in the Kaminoans' limited knowledge of Human anatomy, was that the armor was intensely uncomfortable to sit down in. Phase I armor was also notoriously ineffectual against sustained shrapnel and concentrated blaster fire. Because of this, the armor was routinely referred to as a "body bucket" by those with close ties to the GAR. In an obvious reflection of the stark sensibilities of its Kaminoan creators, all armor was issued with a pristine-white coat of paint. Officers' and NCO's armor, however, featured colored stripes running the length of their arms and helmets that denoted their rank and position within their units.



Some months into the war, however, armor coloration came to denote unit affiliation as opposed to rank. While many troopers still maintained their armor to be the traditional white, some chose to customize it in its color and design.

On the starships of the Republic Navy however, there were some clone officers, such as Commander Wolffe who wore white-colored versions of the dress uniforms worn by non-clone naval officers.

In the second year of the war, Phase II armor was implemented. The enhanced version's introduction saw a rise in personalization and the modification of one's armor. The state-of-the-art armor also featured an improved heads-up display in the helmet and put an end to the discomfort that came with sitting down. The armor itself was also more reliable in combat, and could sustain much more punishment from enemy fire, and some commando models had an ablative anti-blaster coating applied to reduce the effectiveness of heavier blasters fired from Super Battle Droids. Even with the introduction and widespread adoption of Phase II armor, however, some units and individual clones continued to utilize Phase I clone trooper armor.

Clone trooper armor was also equipped with and outfitted for many communications devices and similar technologies. The clone trooper's armor formed the foundation of an integrated communications system of which their vehicles, such as the LAAT, and other equipment formed part. Individual troopers could receive command signals and relay their status via this system, and could transmit video imagery from their helmet visors. Their helmets were equipped with a multi-spectral imaging system that could penetrate smoke, fog, and other typical battlefield obstructions. In addition, their blaster rifles could interface with their helmet displays, providing a video gunsight on their helmet's heads-up display. The armor was heat resistant, allowing clones to pass through shields as droids could, as well as deflecting glancing blaster shots and dampening direct hits enough to improve the soldiers chances for survival.

Kit
The soldier was issued the DC-15A blaster rifle, or its more compact counterpart, the DC-15S blaster carbine. In addition, clone troopers often carried one or more grenades of varying types, such as the Merr-Sonn V-1 thermal detonator, LXR-6 concussion grenades, V-6 haywire grenades, and/or EC (electro-static charge) detonators. The pouches and compartments of a trooper's highly functional utility belt contained a multitude of equipment, including a grappling hook, spare ammunition, ration supplies and a rudimentary medical kit containing enough synthflesh and bacta to keep a wounded soldier alive until a medic could arrive.

Special unit divisions

 * 5th Fleet Security
 * 7th Sky Corps
 * 9th Assault Corps
 * 14th Infantry Brigade
 * 38th Armored Division
 * 41st Elite Corps
 * 55th Mechanised Brigade
 * 85th Infantry Brigade
 * 91st Reconnaissance Corps
 * 182nd Legion
 * 187th Legion
 * 212th Attack Battalion
 * 327th Star Corps
 * Third Systems Army
 * 442nd Siege Battalion
 * 501st Legion
 * Combat Engineer Battalion
 * Coruscant Guard
 * Galactic Marines
 * Homeworld Security Command
 * Lancer Battalion
 * The Muunilinst 10
 * Sky Corps
 * Squad Seven
 * 2nd Airborne Company

Specialized clone troopers
The initial clone trooper units produced included a limited number of soldiers trained for specialized roles, such as piloting or command. As the Clone Wars progressed, the Grand Army became increasingly specialized, leading to the development of units specialized for specific environments, equipment use or combat roles.

Combat role-specialized variants

 * Advanced Recon Commandos performed special reconnaissance missions.
 * Alpha-class Advanced Recon Commandos represented the GAR's most elite and deadly soldiers.
 * Null-class Advanced Recon Commandos, though not initially activated due to instability, madness, and dislike of the Jedi, were the lead intelligence units.
 * Clone assassins were trained to move very quickly and kill their targets efficiently with only two vibroblades or a sniper rifle.
 * Clone commandos trained, lived, and worked together in four unit teams to perform covert and commando style actions. They were as deadly and efficient as the ARC troopers, although it was true they were technically inferior to the ARCs.
 * Clone blaze troopers were units using heavily-armed and armored battlesuits for heavy engagements.
 * Clone marines were trained specifically to attack Separatist boarding parties during a space battle or sabotage enemy capital ships.
 * Covert Ops clone troopers offered stealth advantages.
 * Clone ordnance specialist were troopers trained for ordnance disarmament and disposal.
 * Clone recon troopers carried out reconnaissance and surveillance for Jedi Generals.
 * Clone scout troopers performed reconnaissance and scout missions.
 * Clone trooper commanders combined enhanced tactical knowledge with advanced combat skills.
 * MEC trooper, a heavily armed class of clone trooper variants
 * Clone shadow troopers were an elite group of stealth troopers to worked undercover for Republic Intelligence.

Environment-specialized variants

 * Clone cold assault troopers were trained specifically for battle and survival in extremely cold regions.
 * Clone SCUBA troopers were adapted to work and fight underwater.
 * Clone shock troopers were assigned to Homeworld Security Command and tasked with enforcing law and order on Coruscant.

Equipment-specialized variants

 * AT-RT drivers piloted AT-RT walkers.
 * AT-TE commanders led the massive AT-TE walkers.
 * BARC troopers, special BARC speeder riders.
 * Clone blaze troopers and clone trooper grenadier provided heavy, close range anti-troop firepower.
 * Clone engineers were a special group of trained troopers that repaired vehicles and did demolition work.
 * Clone heavy troopers were specialists with missile and rocket launchers and specialized armor.
 * Clone jet trooper provided aerial tactics with jetpacks.
 * Clone lancer troopers operated speeder bikes and jousted with power lances.
 * Clone paratroopers were a elite group of clones specially made for high-altitude combat jumps with specialized helmets and armor.
 * Clone snipers were specialized troopers whose primary objective was to kill enemies from a distance.
 * Clone heavy gunners were troopers that specialized in heavier anti-troop weapons.
 * Clone trooper pilots were trained to fly anything from a military speeder to a Venator-class Star Destroyer and serve as field technicians.
 * Clone flame troopers were specialized in using flamethrowers and other incendiary weapons.

Antitroopers

 * Anti-troopers were designed specifically for the Kamino Uprising against the Imperial stormtroopers.

Rank notation
In the start of the Clone Wars, rank of the troopers was determined by color worn on their helmet, arm and shoulder armor except for major legions like the 501st and some commanders like Commander Fox and Captain Rex.
 * White&mdash;Private (standard trooper).
 * Olive green&mdash;Sergeant; commanded squads made up of nine troops.
 * Blue&mdash;Lieutenant; commanded platoons made up of four squads (36 troops).
 * Red&mdash;Captain; commanded Battalions made up of four platoons (144 troops).
 * Yellow&mdash;Commander; commanded regiments made up of four battalions (2,304 troops). Many of these commanders were grown with more capacity for independent thought than their troops, and were sometimes known by names rather than numbers. They also received training from the ARC trooper Alpha-17. Notable clone commanders included Cody, Bly, Gree, Bacara, Appo, Neyo, Thire, Keller, and Salvo

With the development and distribution of Phase II clone trooper armor, clone troopers no longer used color markings to denote rank. Instead, color patterns on troop armor signified legion designation and position.

Troopers with Phase II armor, or at least, Commander Cody, also wore colored stripes along their arms indicating the campaigns they served in.

Designations


Clone trooper commanders received the designation CC- or CRC (for clone regimental commander). Null-class Advanced Recon Commando were designated N- or Null-. Alpha-class Advanced Recon Commando were identified with an A- or Alpha- designation, and Clone commandos the RC- (for Republic commando) designation. Clone trooper captains and Clone trooper lieutenants were designated CC- or CL-, respectively. They also had the CT- designation of the Clone trooper sergeants and the rank and file clone troopers.

Behind the scenes
All of the clone troopers were digitally created in both Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Their voices were provided by Temuera Morrison, who also provided the faces for Commander Cody, Odd Ball, and Captain Jai'galaar, wearing a blue bodysuit that would be replaced in post production by the character's clone trooper armor. Morrison would also provide the voice of clones in many games, principally Star Wars: Republic Commando (while the regular clones' voices were provided by Roger Jackson) and the Battlefront series. Younger clones were portrayed by Daniel Logan (in Attack of the Clones) and Bodie Taylor (in both Clones and Sith). In the Clone Wars cartoon, the voice of the clone troopers was provided by André Sogliuzzo. In the Revenge of the Sith game, Andrew Chaikin provided the voice of the clone troopers, and Dee Bradley Baker provided the voice of the clone troopers in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Before the release of Attack of the Clones, it was often assumed by Expanded Universe authors and fans that the clones of the Clone Wars would be on the side against the Republic. This misconception was caused by promotional material portraying the clones as the background for Dooku, Jango Fett, et al. This is half true as the army was really created as part of Palpatine's plot to destroy the Jedi.

In Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, enter LEGION as a cheat code to unlock the clone trooper skin.

Non-canon appearances

 * LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
 * Star Wars Miniatures: The Clone Wars ad
 * Tag & Bink: Revenge of the Clone Menace
 * Kowakian Monkey-Lizard
 * Giant spiders are awesome
 * Always count your clones before take-off
 * You can't hit the brakes in space
 * Orders are orders
 * Sith make the best pancakes
 * That's no Space Station
 * Spinning isn't Always a Good Trick
 * Every brick has a beginning
 * A droid in the hand is worth two in the asteroid belt
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2 game
 * Clones don't even know the meaning of the word surrender
 * Do Clones dream of Electric Mynocks?
 * A clone trooper always obeys orders
 * A clone by any other name
 * Clones are famous all across the galaxy
 * Clone troopers are excellent diplomats
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2 film
 * LEGO Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick
 * Star Wars: Republic Commando: Order 66 video game
 * Old Wounds
 * ''LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Padawan Menace