Sith trooper (Sith Empire)



Sith troopers, otherwise known as Sith soldiers, Sith assault troopers, or Sith commandos were the foot soldiers of the Sith Empire during the Jedi Civil War, the main infantry of the Sith Triumvirate during the Dark Wars, and basic soldiers of the Sith Empire during the Great Galactic War. Their distinctive armor and skills would set them apart from other military forces of the time, as would their often sadistic natures. The Sith armor also obscured their faces, this dehumanization struck fear into the heart of their masters' enemies. Also, the faceless appearance symbolized the soldier becoming another faceless extension of the Sith.

History
The majority of Sith troopers of Darth Revan's returning armada were traitorous of the Republic Army's, who would later be joined by idealistic volunteers from conquered worlds. The weak would be siphoned out through the merciless Sith training schemes, resulting in an efficient and powerful fighting force. The fear present in each trooper not only spurred them on in battle, but also prevented them from turning traitor for a second time.

Some Sith troopers used the fear they imposed in people and the influence they gained from the suit for their own gain, threatening people and bullying citizens into giving them what they wanted. Others, however, saw themselves as simply doing their job, or believed that the Sith would be better at ruling the galaxy.

Following the Jedi Civil War, many of the now-masterless Sith troopers came under the command of the newly formed Sith Triumvirate ruled by Darth Traya, Darth Nihilus, and Darth Sion. At that time, they participated in the Second Battle of Onderon and the Battle of Telos IV.

Sith troopers were often seen as expendable by their superiors, much like battle droids. For example, when Darth Malak was warned by Saul Karath that bombarding the planet of Taris in order to kill Bastila Shan would result in the deaths of thousands of the Sith's own soldiers, he merely warned Karath against the perils of questioning his orders.

Sometime after this time period, the Sith Empire emerged once more and made use of Sith troopers in its army during the Great Galactic War. These soldiers participated in the Sacking of Coruscant on behalf of their Sith masters which forced the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant. At the time, they were also involved in the Invasion of the Jedi Temple where they accompanied a strike force of Sith Lords that penetrated the Jedi Temple where they massacred the occupants within. After storming the capital of Coruscant, the Sith troopers retreated back to their empire leading to a Cold War between them and the Republic.

Sith troopers were still in use three millennia after the Jedi Civil War during the New Sith Wars in the time of Darth Bane. Little is known about the troopers of this latter period or how much they resembled their predecessors.

An army of Sith troopers frozen in Carbonite was discovered by the Nightsister Silri shortly after the Battle of Endor, using a Holocron stolen by the crime lord Tyber Zann.

Armor
The standard armor of the Sith trooper was either reflective silver or white with a black mask hiding the soldier's face. There appeared to be no indication of rank upon the uniform, although elite forces wore crimson and copper variations of the armor.

The armor, while bearing the same level of functionality as that belonging to the Republic forces of the same time period, was designed specifically to induce fear in the opponent. The armor casing was emphasized, while the trooper was completely obscured from view by a one-way visor, creating the impression of a faceless enemy. A similar effect would be recreated thousands of years later in the Republic clone troopers, who, through a fitting twist of fate, would later serve as the stormtroopers for another empire ruled by the Sith.

While stranded on Taris during Sith occupation, a mind-wiped Revan and Carth Onasi stole a suit of Sith armor, in order to enter the Lower City and continue their search for Bastila Shan.

Variants
Sith commandos were elite Sith soldiers, but how they differed in combat role from the standard troopers is unknown. They usually wore scarlet armor and were issued blaster carbines, but commandos seen at the Battle of Telos IV during the First Jedi Purge wore silver-colored armor. During the purge, the Sith Triumvirate deployed commandos on Dxun, Onderon, Citadel Station in orbit above Telos IV, the Ravager, and at the Trayus Academy on Malachor V.

Sith elite gunners wore copper-colored battle suits. They were often armed with disruptor rifles, which were capable of penetrating personal deflector shields.

Sith heavy troopers were rarely-seen heavy weapon specialists employed by the Sith. They wore crimson armor, and they were armed with repeaters. Heavy troopers were sighted only in areas of great importance to the Sith war machine, which would seem to imply that their rank was higher than that of standard Sith troopers, or even Sith elite gunners. Revan fought a host of these soldiers during his assault on the Star Forge during the Battle of Lehon.

Sith grenadiers were known to use grenades, mostly fragmentation or concussion types. They also wielded blaster pistols. They were also known to use thermal detonators in battle.

Sith wranglers used tamed beasts in combat. They were employed in battles where a significant strength was represented by aggressive beasts and sithspawns. In the Second Battle of Onderon, the Jedi Exile faced a number of Bomas and a Drexl larva which were controlled by Sith wranglers.

Non-standard soldiers were typically Sith soldiers who advanced in status or Republic troops of the same class who defected, rather than raw recruits simply placed into their category.

Appearances

 * Iridonian Darkness
 * The Betrayal of Darth Revan
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Timeline 6: Onslaught of the Sith Empire
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic: Threat of Peace Act 1: Treaty of Coruscant
 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
 * Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption