Stormtrooper

"Only Imperial stormtroopers are so precise."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi

Stormtroopers were elite shock troops in the Imperial Army, 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 and the snowtroopers.

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 during the Clone Wars. At the end of the conflict, Sheev Palpatine, then High 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. 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.

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

- Luke Skywalker

The stormtroopers wore a distinctive set of white armor that was used to instill fear in the Empire's subjects. That armor provided 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. However, the stormtrooper armor was not without its downsides. The plates made running hard and offered little protection against a direct blaster shot. Furthermore, the helmet diminished the wearer's field of vision.

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. To deal with problems on frozen environments, the Empire created the cold-assault snowtroopers. Those wore a special mask and a skirt-like piece of armor that both resembled the equipment worn by Clone Commander Bacara on Mygeeto during the Clone Wars. Scout troopers wore lighter armor and used speeder bikes to patrol the perimeter of the Imperial garrisons they were assigned to. Also, dark troopers wore heavy armor and were used to attack enemy defenses with assault cannons.