The Different Classes of Imperial Stormtrooper

Imperial Stormtrooper Ranks and Basic Stats

Unlike their predecessors, the majority of stormtroopers were non-clone recruits. Imperial 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. Cadets could be as young as thirteen standard years. Stormtroopers were trained to disregard fallen comrades in battle, and to press on, no matter the cost, even when the odds 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.

Those who were selected for stormtrooper training had to undergo extra reconditioning. This has the effect of dehumanizing the cadets, who came to refer to themselves by their operating numbers rather than their names.

Cadet

Imperial cadets were individuals recruited by the Galactic Empire to be trained as stormtroopers and other service-related professions in the Imperial Military.

Following the transformation of the Galactic Republic into Emperor Palpatine’s First Galactic Empire, numerous Republic Military academies and complexes would be transferred under the oversight of the newly formed Imperial Academy system. Imperial cadets would come to serve in the ranks of the academy, with young children offered classes on pro-Imperial history such as Current Events. Some academies began training cadets as young as 13 years old.

Given white and grey uniforms, children in one-year junior academies such as in the Outer Rim world of Lothal’s Academy for Young Imperials would often undergo tasks such as facing a programmable obstacle course known as the Well, along with learning the loyalty it took to become a stormtrooper. Following completion, students could return to their former lives, but could also continue their education in the Imperial Academy’s many senior academies before entering specialized service academies, eventually becoming a member of the Empire’s many governmental organizations.

Imperial cadets wore a white helmet along with gray and white clothing. The uniforms represented symbols of unity, solidarity, discipline, and prestige.

In training exercises, cadets carried E-11 medium blaster rifles locked to the low power setting.

Trooper

The Trooper is the first rank is the lowest rank for enlisted Stormtroopers. Their stats reflect they have completed basic training and have the skills to follow orders and to complete basic tasks with guidance from higher ranks. They did not wear a pauldron.

Corporal

Stormtrooper Corporals are in charge of Troopers when a sergeant or higher rank is unavailable and can preform duties with little supervision. They wore a black pauldron on their right shoulder.

Sergeant

The Stormtrooper Sergeant is experienced with higher stats than a Corporal or Trooper and the first rank of Non-Commissioned Officer. They serve as the squad leader when an officer or Chief was not in charge. A sergeant would usually command squads of nine troopers. When operating as a Squad Leader a Sergeant wears an Orange Pauldron, otherwise they wear a White Pauldron.

Chief

A Stormtrooper Chief wore a Red Pauldron and commonly served as second-in-command of a platoon. Chiefs served largely an administrative role and would rarely be seen in stormtrooper armor but rather in their military dress uniform.

Officer

Stormtrooper Officers graduate from the Imperial Academy and typically begin service with regular Imperial Army soldiers. Officers that are selected to lead Stormtrooper Commands return to the Imperial Academy and train alongside Cadets and learning Stormrtrooper tactics. Upon graduation they would wear the rank of Captain. Typically Stormtrooper Officers did not wear armor, but when they did they would have on an Orange Pauldron on their right shoulder to show they are in charge. During normal working conditions Stormtrooper officers would wear their dress uniform. Stormtrooper Officers ranks were Captain, Major, Battalion Commander, Regimental Commander, Senior Commander, and Marshal Commander.

Imperial Stormtrooper Occupational Specialty

Imperial Stormtrooper

Stormtroopers (STs)—known as TK stormtroopers, and colloquially referred to as “bucketheads”—were the elite shock troops of the Galactic Empire and were part of the Stormtrooper Corps, an independent military branch operating under the Imperial Army, and served as frontline infantry where they were fanatically loyalty to the Empire as a result of their training. The stormtrooper armor that they wore consisted of white plastoid plates over a black body glove, and their standard weapon was the E-11 medium blaster rifle. In addition to the standard trooper, various specialized units such as scout troopers and snowtroopers comprised the ranks of the Stormtrooper Corps.

Possibly taking their name from the “storm” of galactic history, they were first known as TK troopers during the early Imperial Era and served the Empire since its inception at the end of the Clone Wars when the Sith Lord Darth Sidious declared himself Galactic Emperor. The Galactic Republic was supplanted by the Empire, and the clone troopers who formed the backbone of the Grand Army of the Republic became the first generation of Imperial stormtroopers. During the early years of the Imperial Era, the cloning operation on Kamino was shut down as the Empire turned to conscription and voluntary recruitment in order to fill the stormtrooper ranks. The remaining clones were retired from service due to their rapid aging, their legacy inherited by natural-born humans who were also trained to render total allegiance to the Emperor and his New Order.

Scout Trooper

Scout troopers, also known as biker scouts were specially trained stormtroopers of the Imperial Army’s Stormtrooper Corps. They were used by the Galactic Empire on a range of missions, which mostly involved reconnaissance. They had lighter armor than standard stormtroopers, much like their urban counterparts, patrol troopers, who used C-PH patrol speeder bikes to navigate dense urban environments.

Jump Trooper

Jumptroopers, also known as Imperial Jump Troopers, Imperial jet troopers or rocket troopers, were specialized stormtroopers utilized by the Galactic Empire prior to and during the Galactic Civil War. Jumptroopers were equipped with 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.

Jungle Trooper

Jungle troopers Also known as Forest Troopers, were Imperial stormtroopers trained to operate in dense jungle / forested environments. To that end, they wore special, camouflaged stormtrooper armor. During the Galactic Civil War, a number of forest troopers were stationed on Kashyyyk as part of its garrison.

Heavy Assault Trooper

Heavy Assault troopers were a variant of the Galactic Empire’s stormtroopers. They were deployed in various military installations and other combat theaters across the galaxy. Distinguished by either their standard white stormtrooper armor with gold markings, or white armor with dark gray pauldrons, heavy assault troopers were known to partake in hit and run attacks during the course of the Galactic Civil War against the Alliance to Restore the Republic.

Mine Trooper

Minetroopers, also known as tunneling underminers, were specialized stormtroopers specifically trained for operating in mining environments. They wore orange on their shoulders and carried a jetpack. Minetroopers were deployed as security to the spice mines of Sevarcos II and Kessel’s mines.

Cave Trooper

Cave troopers were a type of specialized stormtrooper. They wore scout trooper armor and carried blaster carbines, as well as oversized vibroknives. Cave troopers were also equipped with low-light vision gear to help them see in darkness and rappelling cables.

Bomb Squad Trooper

Bomb squad stormtroopers, commonly called bombtroopers, were an elite class of Imperial stormtroopers trained in the activation and deactivation of explosive charges.

Shadow Trooper

Shadow troopers were elite and highly trained stormtroopers that served the Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War against the Rebel Alliance. They wore distinguishing black suits of experimental armor coupled with portable cloaking devices, rendering them almost completely invisible and highly suited for stealth missions. Shadow troopers overwhelmed their enemies by attacking in hordes, using various weaponry such as T-21 heavy blasters and flash grenades.

Purge Trooper

Purge Troopers, also known as Purge Stormtroopers, were an elite variant of stormtroopers that served the Inquisitorius during the early reign of the Galactic Empire. Trained as expendable death squads, they were assigned to hunt down any surviving Jedi, and were activated after the Great Jedi Purge and subsequent termination of the cloning operation on Kamino. Not every Purge Trooper was one of Jango Fett’s clones, but at least one group was from the last generation produced from the bounty hunter template. As with their precursors in the Grand Army of the Galactic Republic, Purge Troopers were programmed to obey Order 66, making them hostile against all Jedi.

Coastal Defender Stormtrooper

Coastal defender stormtroopers, more commonly known as shoretroopers and also known as the coastal guard, with those stationed on the planet Scarif referred to as Scarif stormtroopers, were a specialized variant of the Galactic Empire’s stormtroopers trained and equipped for combat in tropical environments. Shoretroopers operated effectively as sergeants which allowed them to command small squads of regular stormtroopers. One of the notable aspects of coastal defender stormtroopers was that the position they served in was temporary and subject to change along with their rank. On a galactic scale, shoretroopers as a whole were scarce, as the conditions for necessitating their employment were few and far between, as few stations or garrisons were located on coastal/tropical planets.

Cold Weather Assault Stormtrooper

Cold weather assault stormtroopers, commonly known as snowtroopers, were the elite stormtroopers of the Galactic Empire trained and equipped to operate in frigid environments.

Shock Trooper

Imperial shock troopers, also known as Coruscant shock troopers and Imperial clone shock troopers, and as clone shocktroopers and clone guards under the Galactic Republic, were elite stormtroopers who served in the Coruscant Guard of the Galactic Empire. During the Clone Wars, the shock troopers were specialized clone troopers who served as a security police force on the planet Coruscant, capital of the Republic. Noted for their distinctive red and white clone trooper armor, they supplemented the Senate Guard as bodyguards for galactic senators and Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine. In addition to protecting the government facilities and officials of the Galactic Senate, shock troopers specialized in guarding prisons, maintaining civil order as anti-riot police officers, and escorting diplomats for off-world assignments.

Death Trooper

Death troopers, also known as death soldiers, were an elite variant of stormtroopers specializing in stealth, espionage and lethality that served the Galactic Empire. Operating under Imperial Intelligence, they acted as a protective detail for significant Imperial officers and members of the Tarkin Initiative, as well as special-assignment commandos. They wore black suits of body armor and specialized helmets with vocal scramblers, micro-motion sensors, and heads-up displays with data on enemy and friendly positions on the battlefield. Death troopers were trained in unarmed combat, heavy weapons, demolitions, improvised weaponry, guerrilla warfare, and marksmanship. Experts at covering their tracks, death troopers left little to no evidence of their missions. Identifiable by their distinct black armor, death troopers struck fear in the heart of anyone who crossed the Empire.

Demolition Trooper

Demolition Troopers were specialized heavy weapon specialist stormtroopers within the Stormtrooper Corps who carried Smart Rockets and SE-14C blaster pistols. Keeping to a safe distance on the battlefront, they wore standard stormtrooper armor, often without a helmet, though some were known to wear them. Demolition troopers were stationed on Chinook Station on the planet Bespin some time after the Battle of Endor, and were involved in a skirmish there against members of Inferno Squad.

Desert Stormtrooper

Desert stormtroopers, or sandtroopers, were specialized stormtroopers who were trained and equipped for desert operations. Organized into a specialized division of the overall Stormtrooper Corps, they served the interests of the Galactic Empire in deserts throughout its reign.

EVO Trooper

The EVO Troopers (Environmental) were specialized stormtroopers that acted as support units, or working in hazardous environments. The very heart of this variant consisted of stormtroopers that expressed hatred towards non-Humans. They were equipped with FA-3 flechette launchers. They were eventually replaced by a stronger unit, the hazard stormtroopers.

Incinerator Stormtrooper

Incinerator Stormtroopers, often referred to as Incinerator Troopers, were cloned-pyromaniac soldiers that specialized in the use of flamethrowers. They were often used to burn out entrenched enemy positions, or commit acts of genocide under their commanders. They had red markings, similar to that of Palpatine’s Coruscant Guard.

Patrol Trooper

Patrol troopers were a specialized variant of the Galactic Empire’s stormtroopers, acting as a rapid response policing force within urban environments. As the Empire reinforced its hold on planets across the galaxy, local defense forces were being supplemented and eventually completely replaced by stormtroopers. To cover distances across sprawling settlements and cities, patrol troopers policed the streets aboard their swift C-PH patrol speeder bikes and were armed with EC-17 hold-out blasters.

Novatrooper

Novatroopers, also known as Nova-class Stormtroopers, were stormtrooper honor guards who were assigned to historically significant locations such as Emperor Palpatine’s birthworld of Naboo, as well as captured enemy starships. Novatroopers were somewhat better trained than the average stormtrooper, but they were similarly equipped. Elite Novatroopers were distinguished by their black and gold colored reinforced stormtrooper armor, but different Novatrooper variants existed. Novatrooper Medics wore black and red armor, and other Novatroopers wore all black armor, doubling in their duties as shadow stormtroopers. Although Novatroopers at times participated in patrols to crackdown on Rebel Alliance activity, and were involved in a number of invasions, they were rarely encountered outside of official Imperial ceremonies.

Sea Trooper

Seatroopers were stormtroopers in the Stormtrooper Corps of the Galactic Empire that specialized in aquatic environments. They were equipped with various aquatic equipment including scuba backpacks, underwater propulsion jets, and flippers. Seatroopers saw action on the planet Mon Cala in 18 BBY. Other seatroopers were also stationed on the planet Lothal.

Special Commando Advanced Recon Trooper (SCAR)

Special Commando Advanced Recon Troopers, also known as SCAR troopers and the project known as the SCAR program, were elite stormtroopers in the military forces of the Galactic Empire. According to Rebel General Crix Madine, they were afforded an unusual degree of autonomy, and were deployed in small squads led by a sergeant. One such unit was Task Force 99, which consisted of a squad of SCAR troopers led by Sergeant Kreel. One of their battles with the rebellion was when they were alerted to the rebel presence on Crait. Each member of a unit specialized in different tactics.

Mortar Trooper

The Mortar Stormtrooper, also known as artillery troopers, mortar troopers or shell trooper, was a stormtrooper variant within the Galactic Empire’s military which were skilled with indirect fire weapons. Equipped with explosive loaded backpacks, some used Model 201 mortars, including one trooper who fought on the planet Tython following the Empire’s fall as part of an Imperial remnant.

Swamp Trooper

Swamptroopers were stormtroopers in the Stormtrooper Corps of the Galactic Empire that specialized in amphibious warfare. During a blockade and crackdown on Pipada, the Empire deployed garrisons of swamptroopers that led the Drabatans to protest. Eventually, the protests turned to massacres, and following a very public execution of Sa’Kalla, soon led to uprisings throughout Pipada.

Spacetrooper

Spacetroopers were stormtroopers equipped to operate in Zero-G environments. They wore a variant of the stormtrooper armor fitted with a rebreather pack. They wielded E-11 medium blaster rifles, thermal detonators, and specialized heavy blasters. At the time of the Galactic Civil War, spacetroopers were part of the stormtrooper contingent aboard the Chimaera, the flagship of Grand Admiral Thrawn’s Seventh Fleet. At one point, Thrawn ordered the deployment of a spacetrooper patrol in order to examine the hull of a wrecked way station. Spacetroopers were later used to patrol the outside of the Death Star, a moon-sized battle station.