They may get a pretty bad rap, but Star Wars’ most iconic villains are more than just disposable,
nameless bodies in plastic-looking white armor.
Here are a few facts you might not have known about stormtroopers.
Dark origins
Okay, so they don’t exactly goose-step around the Death Star, but Imperial stormtroopers
are indeed heavily inspired by the stormtroopers used by Germany in the first half of the twentieth
century.
During the First World War, the German Empire used small units of soldiers called Sturmabteilung,
or "storm troops," to break through enemy lines using clandestine infiltration tactics.
In the early 1920s, Hitler gave the same name to the paramilitary group which provided him
protection at party meetings, who are today better known as the SA.
Recognizable for their brown shirts and black jackboots, the SA often utilized violence
against enemies of the burgeoning Nazis and were heavily featured in both pro and anti-fascist
propaganda.
The brown shirts had much in common with their bucket-headed offshoots, including their knack
for spreading terror and their unwavering allegiance to their evil leader.
The fact they share a name isn’t a coincidence, you know.
Lightsabers
Back in 1975, when George Lucas and his team were first laying the foundations for the
Star Wars universe, lightsabers weren’t a weapon limited to the Jedi Knights.
Ralph McQuarrie's early concept art featured stormtroopers wielding lightsabers along with
their own handheld shields.
Lucas originally envisioned the iconic weapons being as being as commonplace in the galaxy
as blasters, but quickly decided to limit their usage to the Jedi to add to their mystique.
Seems like Han was right after all.
“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side,
kid.”
Famous faces
By now, everyone knows that Bond star Daniel Craig had a brief cameo as an easily-mind-tricked
First Order stormtrooper in The Force Awakens, but he wasn’t alone.
Rogue One composer Michael Giacchino, Radiohead's Nigel Godrich and Clerks director Kevin Smith
all donned the iconic mask for appearances throughout the film.
Even Mark Hamill donned stormtrooper duds and surprised fans along Hollywood Boulevard
as a prank for charity in 2015.
Princes William and Harry made Imperial cameos in The Last Jedi too, though their scene was
cut because they were too tall.
Becoming the mask
Though the Republic genetically engineered their soldiers on Kamino, rather than using
human recruits like the Empire and First Order, clone troopers actually had more freedom to
express their own individuality.
Each clone trooper was given a designation number, but they quickly established distinct
personalities, gave each other nicknames, and even used facial tattoos and markings
as a way to identify each other.
Clone troopers established a real sense of camaraderie and often referred to one another
as "brother."
But that didn't last.
All stormtroopers in the Empire and First Order were thought of as faceless and nameless,
and were only allowed to refer to one another by numerical classification whilst on the
job.
The rules
It’s probably not much of a shock to find that the leaders of the Empire were pretty
big control freaks, and that was no different when it came to the stormtroopers.
All their conversations were not only recorded via their helmet comlinks, but downloaded
and reviewed in an effort to cut down on non-essential talking on duty and curtail any potentially
rebellious behavior.
So no discussing your favorite cantina bands or whining about how much your boss sucks.
Uniforms, including helmets, were to be worn at all times in order to maintain a sense
of discipline and represent the Empire in a positive light.
And don't even think about turning on the A/C. Imperial stormtroopers were forbidden
from using the internal cooling systems in their armor in non-critical situations because
of how much power they’d drain so good luck if you were stationed on Tatooine.
Survival of the fittest
First Order and Imperial stormtroopers all receive extensive training beyond basic combat,
including survival skills in extreme climates.
Their 18-piece armor, worn over a sealed black body glove, features temperature control and
enhanced vision capabilities, so they can easily adapt to any condition.
The black body glove is insulated so stormtroopers can work relatively comfortably, no matter
the weather and even in vacuum conditions.
Stormtroopers also have an air purification system to filter out toxins and create breathable
air in harmful environments.
Their training, coupled with their environmental controls, allowed for the creation of specialized
units like snowtroopers, sandtroopers and scout troopers, who are able to serve in harsher
climates.
Trust the Empire to get the job done.