Stormtrooper

"Only Imperial stormtroopers are so precise."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi

Stormtroopers, informally referred to as bucketheads by dissenting citizens, were the elite shock troops in the Imperial Army, placed under the Stormtrooper Corps, the land-based forces of the Galactic Empire. They were particularly distinguished by their loyalty to Emperor Sheev Palpatine, the founder of the Empire, and were reputedly incapable of betraying either him or the Imperial regime. Stormtroopers wore white armor over a black body glove which, in addition to creating an imposing image, were outfitted with a wide array of survival equipment and temperature controls that allowed its wearer to survive in most environments, but offered limited protection against blaster bolts. Along with standard stormtroopers, there were several specialized subgroups, including the scout troopers, snowtroopers, and the spacetroopers.

History
"Stormtroopers? Here? We're in danger. I must tell the others. Oh, no! I've been shot!"

- C-3PO

The stormtroopers represented the ultimate evolution of the clone troopers, the soldiers who fought on the Galactic Republic's side against the Confederacy of Independent Systems in a prolong conflict that came to be known as the Clone Wars. Following the execution of the Separatist Council, Sheev Palpatine, then Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, transformed the democratic government into a tyrannical regime of his own, which he dubbed the First Galactic Empire. With the development of the new Imperial war machine, the clone trooper armor was upgraded. Additionally, the new Emperor ordered the extermination of the Jedi Order, the members of which had served as officers in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. Within the new regime, the clone troopers&mdash;now known as stormtroopers&mdash;were placed under the guidance of Imperial officers and governors instead. Following the transition, stormtroopers were used to bring any remaining Separatist worlds into line. As the clones' accelerated aging process began causing their skills to deteriorate, they were replaced by non-clone volunteers and conscripts.

During the Galactic Civil War, the Emperor's enforcer Darth Vader commanded a battalion of stormtroopers who served him loyally. With those troops, Vader captured Princess Leia Organa's Alderaan cruiser Tantive IV over Tatooine shortly before the Battle of Yavin.

Stormtroopers were still active approximately thirty years after the Battle of Endor. By then, they were affiliated with a faction known as the First Order, and were equipped with upgraded armor and weapons.

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

Unlike their predecessors, the majority of stormtroopers were non-clone recruits. 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. Stormtroopers were trained to disregard fallen comrades in battle, and to press on no matter cost, even when the odd were stacked against them.

Although they were a rare sight, women were not prohibited from serving in the ranks of the stormtroopers. During training, female cadets were placed in all-female units. Unit Forn was an all-female unit at the Imperial Academy on Lothal.

Among other things, cadets would train to fire blasters, learn to pilot Imperial walkers, and the ruthlessness it took to become a stormtrooper. Cadets who attended Imperial Academies were also forced to face programmable obstacle courses 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.

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.

As cadets were being evaluated, the officers in charge were often instructed to take note of performance that might denote an affinity for the force, and report it to one of their superiors.

Equipment
"I can't see a thing in this helmet!"

- Luke Skywalker

Stormtroopers wore a distinctive set of white armor that was used to instill fear in the Empire's subjects, while also providing the soldiers with an extended range of survival equipment and temperature controls, thus allowing them to survive in almost any environment. The helmet provided skull protection, filtered air, and contained enhanced vision and communication systems. Rank was determined by a color coded pauldron worn over the left shoulder, with orange or red representing the rank of commander, black indicating an enlisted trooper, and white representing a sergeant. They also had an utility belt and a grappling hook attached to it, and primarily used the E-11 blaster rifle, which was the standard weapon for the stormtroopers. However, the stormtrooper armor was not without its downsides. The plates made running hard and offered little protection against a direct blaster shot. While wearing Stormtrooper armor as a disguise, Luke Skywalker had trouble seeing through his helmet, however, this may have been due to his lack of training with the armor rather than a deficiency with the helmet itself.

Specialized stormtroopers
In addition to the "standard" troops, the Empire had created a number of specialized stormtrooper units assembled to operate on varied planets and climates within its territory. Scout troopers wore lighter armor and used speeder bikes to patrol the perimeter of the Imperial garrisons they were assigned to. While Sniper troopers were specialists pulled from Scout trooper ranks and wielded the deadly E-11s long-range blaster. Stormtrooper snipers were also pulled from standard stormtrooper ranks, and wore a blue pauldron over their shoulder and had a visor attached to their helmet, along with a black bandolier across their chest plate. There were also the Imperial combat drivers who piloted many of the Imperial Army's ground vehicles.

Sandtroopers wore modified armor that allowed them to survive on desert worlds such as Tatooine. To deal with problems on frozen environments, the Empire created the cold-assault snowtroopers who wore a special mask and a skirt-like piece of armor that both resembled the equipment worn by the Galactic Marines on Mygeeto during the Clone Wars.

Phase II dark troopers wore heavy armor and were used to attack enemy defenses with assault cannons. Seatroopers were trained to operate in aquatic environments. Spacetroopers wore armor designed to breathe in space. Shock troopers were armed with heavy weaponry and wore stormtrooper armor with distinctive red markings, similar to those of Republic clone troopers who served as Coruscant Guards during the Clone Wars. There also existed Imperial heavy troopers who were equipped with heavy combat armor and electrostaffs, similar to the Imperial riot troopers. Heavy Weapons Stormtroopers wielded large, rotary blaster cannons while the more agile Jump troopers easily bounded over walls and other obstacles to assault targets directly. Stormtrooper grenadiers wielded grenade launchers, and wore a red pauldron along with a black bandolier across their chest, while Stormtrooper chargers took down their opponents with an extreme ferocity.

The First Order utilized a stormtrooper variant called the flametrooper, which used incendiary weapons.