Jumptrooper

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"We've got rocket troopers incoming!"

―Hera Syndulla, upon seeing jumptroopers^[src]

Jumptroopers, also known as Imperial Jump Troopers or rocket troopers, were specialized stormtroopers utilized by the Galactic Empire prior to and during the Galactic Civil War. Jumptroopers were equipped with jump packs or jetpacks that allowed them temporary flight. There were variants of jumptroopers that specialized in different planetary environments such as the Arctic Jumptrooper, the Desert Jumptrooper, and the Forest Jumptrooper.

Overview and equipment[]

Jumptroopers were a variant of the Galactic Empire's stormtroopers; similar to their clone predecessors, they were equipped with a jetpack,^[4] or alternatively, with a jump pack that could suspend them in the air or maneuver through open space.^[5] They served several roles in combat, from being used to bound over walls to attack enemy fortifications directly,^[2] to aerial drops intended on attacking otherwise untouchable enemy positions.^[2]

They could carry burst shields,^[6] RT-97C heavy blaster rifles,^[7] E-11 blaster rifles,^[4] or missile launchers.^[8] Other than their jump packs, jumptroopers were generally suited with standard stormtrooper armor,^[7] but at times instead wore specialized armor, one of which included a mechanism attached to two tubes plugged into the helmet, similar to a TIE pilot's control box,^[2] and another variant with tubes connecting the pack and a distinctively different helmet,^[4] whereby the jumptrooper armor could withstand the vacuum of space.^[5]

History[]

An Imperial jumptrooper assigned to the Mandalorian prison outpost in 1 BBY.

In 2 BBY, a contingent of jumptroopers were attached to Captain Brunson's Arquitens-class command cruiser. On Geonosis, these jumptroopers attempted to board the Spectres' ship Ghost but were repelled by the rebels, Rex, and Saw Gerrera. After the entire unit was killed, Brunson ordered her crew to bury the Ghost by collapsing an air shaft on top of them.^[4]

During the Battle of Atollon, jumptroopers were deployed by Governor Arihnda Pryce to repulse Mandalorian warriors of Clan Wren led by Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren who were attempting to destroy an Interdictor vessel of the Seventh Fleet by attacking its gravity well projectors. The jumptroopers failed in their defense, taking heavy losses in the process, and the Interdictor's destruction allowed the surviving rebels to escape the planet.^[5]

In 1 BBY, jumptroopers defended an Imperial Mandalore prison outpost from Clan Wren, Clan Kryze, and members of the Spectres, who were attempting to rescue Sabine Wren's father, Alrich Wren. After Imperial forces were forced to retreat, Clan Wren, Kryze, and the Spectres discovered that Alrich was already in the process of being relocated, and was not present at the prison.^[9]

Some time after the Mission to Mandalore, jumptroopers commanded by Governor Pryce fought against the Lothal resistance group at the Lothal cliff dwelling during an attempt by the rebels to liberate the planet from Imperial control.^[10] The jumptroopers who survived that battle most likely died with the majority of Imperial forces after the rebels destroyed the Imperial Complex and effectively kicked the Empire from Lothal.^[11] Jumptroopers were used in the Battle of Jakku to defend the Eviscerator from Iden Versio.^[8]

Behind the scenes[]

The jumptrooper 6th scale trooper from Hot Toys

Jumptroopers first appeared in the 1993^[12] video game Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back as airtroopers.^[13] The Star Wars Expanded Universe later canonized the concept in their continuity. On April 25, 2014 the Star Wars Expanded Universe was declared non-canon and rebranded as Legends.^[14]

Jumptroopers were later reintroduced into canon in the 2014 mobile game Star Wars: Commander, where they could be trained with a Level 8 Barracks^[2] and appear visually similar to the Imperial jumptroopers seen in the 2008 Legends video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.^[15]

In the 2015 video game Star Wars Battlefront, jumptroopers wore generic stormtrooper armor with matching jump packs.^[7] In the 2017 video game Star Wars Battlefront II, the jumptrooper had a visor not matching the Star Wars Rebels variant and other errors with the appearance. The developers later edited and changed the jumptrooper's appearance to match the Rebels version.^[8]

The jumptrooper was also used as an exclusive Star Wars: The Black Series figure at the GameStop store in 2018.^[source?]