Sith trooper (Sith Empire)

"Out of our way, citizen. We're on official Sith business. Just stand aside if you know what's good for you!"

- A Sith trooper

Sith troopers were the foot soldiers of the Sith Empire during the Jedi Civil War. Former Republic forces in the beginning, later free people who followed Revan, Sith troopers were the primary infantry units for the Sith Triumvirate during the Dark Wars. The faceless and inhuman design of the Sith trooper armor they wore as well as their aggressive combat tactics gave a sense of fear that would often demoralize enemy forces into surrender.

Jedi Civil War
The majority of Sith troopers of Darth Revan's returning armada were traitorous members of the Republic Army, who were later joined by idealistic volunteers from conquered planets. The weak were 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 instilled in people and the influence they gained from the suit for their own gain, threatening people and intimidating 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 then-demoralized 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 bombing 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.



New Sith Wars
Sith troopers were still in use three-thousand years later after the Jedi Civil War during the New Sith Wars. Sith Lord Daiman used troopers as the bulk of Daimanate's infantry. During the time of Darth Bane in the last decade of the New Sith Wars, Sith troopers were used by the Brotherhood of Darkness as the bulk of infantry forces during the Brotherhoods ground and space campaigns. Their ranks were comprised of poor or desperate beings who felt that the Republic had abandoned their cause while others were mercenaries and bounty hunters hired to fight in the wars.

Galactic Civil War
An army of Sith troopers frozen in carbonite was discovered by the Nightsister Silri shortly after the Battle of Endor, using the holocron stolen by the crime lord Tyber Zann.

Armor
The standard armor and helmet of a Sith trooper was colored either reflective silver or white with black under armor padding as well as a visor covering the wearers face. There was no visible indication of rank of division, although Sith Elite troops and Sith Commandos wore red and/or copper armor for distinction.

Sith trooper armor, while bearing the same level of functionality of most other types of armor, 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, later served as the stormtroopers for the Galactic Empire, 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 red armor and were issued light repeating blasters. 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 also wore red armor, and they were armed with Heavy repeating blasters. 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 Rakata Prime.

Sith grenadiers used 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, who often carried their light repeating blasters or vibroblades.

Sith Advanced Troopers were possibly an early attempt to make better Sith soldiers in the Jedi Civil War. Some of the more skilled soldiers of their kind, they served on the Star Forge when Revan boarded it. Normally they were armed with ion blasters and standard vibroblades. They wore crimson armor as well.

Sith guardsmen participated in the Great Galactic War. These soldiers were distinctive in that they wore crimson armor and seemingly carried staff weapons in order to combat foes.

During the Jedi Civil War, average Sith troopers were armed with Sith Assault Guns and Sith sniper rifles for ranged combat and well as standard stun batons and vibroblades for close-quarters combat. All types of Sith troopers were issued vibroblades for close-quarters combat and may have been issued with Sith energy shields as well. By the time of the Great Galactic War, Sith troopers were armed with TH-17 blaster rifles.

Nonstandard 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
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic
 * Knight Errant 0
 * Knight Errant: Aflame 1
 * Knight Errant: Aflame 2
 * Knight Errant: Aflame 3
 * Knight Errant: Aflame 4
 * Knight Errant novel
 * Knight Errant: Deluge 2
 * Knight Errant: Escape 4
 * Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
 * Darth Plagueis
 * Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption

Non-canon appearances

 * Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes