Clone stormtrooper

"The clone troopers, now proudly bearing the honorable rank of Imperial stormtroopers, have tackled the dangerous work of fighting our enemies on the front lines."

―Palpatine^[3]

Clone stormtroopers were stormtroopers cloned from various templates, including the Mandalorian Jango Fett, whose genetic material was used in the creation of clone troopers during the last years of the Galactic Republic. In the aftermath of the Clone Wars, Emperor Palpatine redesignated the clone troopers as Imperial stormtroopers in his newly-formed Galactic Empire. In addition to the cloning operation on Kamino, where the Republic's clone army was grown, the Empire developed clone stormtroopers through its use of Spaarti cloning cylinders belonging to Arkanian Microtechnologies as well as the GeNode program.

The Stormtrooper Corps became more diverse in the aftermath of a failed rebellion on Kamino; although the 501st Legion succeeded in defeating a force of anti-Imperial clone troopers, Palpatine decided that the Empire would no longer rely solely on genetically-identical soldiers. Clone stormtroopers were henceforth bred from new genetic sources, reducing the Fett-based clones to a minority status in the Imperial Military. In time, the Empire turned increasingly toward recruitment and conscription, using birth-born Humans to supplement the clones in the Stormtrooper Corps.

History

Origins

"Imagine, an army of clones; the training of which you will oversee. They will be modified to grow at twice the rate of ordinary men, and will be programmed for absolute loyalty. They will be magnificent; perfect warriors, like you."

―Dooku, to Jango Fett^[4]

The Coruscant Guard's clone shock troopers were also known as "stormtroopers" during the Clone Wars.

During the final years of the Galactic Republic, Count Dooku recruited the Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett to serve as the genetic template for an army of clone troopers on the planet Kamino. Bred for combat and obedience,^[4] the clones formed the Grand Army of the Republic that fought against the Separatist Droid Army of the Confederacy of Independent Systems^[5] throughout the Clone Wars.^[6] During the galactic conflict, the clone shock troopers of the Coruscant Guard earned the nickname "stormtroopers" in their capacity as military enforcers of martial law on Coruscant. Their presence on the Republic capital was a visible symbol of the planet's new security measures,^[7] becoming the most visible element of the Homeworld Security Command.^[8]

First generation of stormtroopers

"Many have died in their devotion to the Empire. Imperial citizens would do well to remember their example."

―Palpatine^[3]

After the Clone Wars, clone troopers were rechristened as Imperial stormtroopers by Emperor Palpatine.

The term "stormtrooper" was officially adopted by all clone troopers in 19 BBY following the Republic's reorganization into the first Galactic Empire under Emperor Palpatine,^[3] resulting in the troops becoming known as "clone stormtroopers."^[9] The newly formed Stormtrooper Corps served as the Emperor's elite military wing throughout the era of the New Order, using clones of the same template that produced the Republic's clone army.^[1]

The Galactic Empire maintained the same army that enabled Palpatine—the public persona of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious—to gain absolute power over the galactic government. Though the majority of clone soldiers were still produced in the cloning facilities of Kamino, the Empire also retained the services of Arkanian Microtechnologies, a corporation that used Spaarti technology to grow adult clones in a full year's time.^[10] Aside from a few outside sources,^[10] the vast majority of stormtroopers were clones, engineered through Kaminoan and Arkanian processes.^[1]

Enforcers of the Empire

"I was concerned we'd end up as glorified policemen. It's good to have a mission."

―Vill^[11]

Clone stormtroopers enforced the Emperor's reign during the early years of the Galactic Empire.

Clone stormtroopers had been an essential factor to the Empire during its early years, and retained the Phase II clone trooper armor they customized with unit colors and markings during the Clone Wars. As the Imperial code of uniformity became more strict, the stormtroopers restored their clone armor to plain white, emphasizing the Empire's preference for uniformity and obedience in contrast to individuality and creativity.^[1] The clones' use of nicknames, which they had developed under the encouragement of their Jedi officers, also fell out of style as Imperial officers referred to them only by number designations as part of the Stormtrooper Corps' doctrine of absolute loyalty and conformity to the New Order.^[1]

Despite their new purpose as oppressors, the clones adjusted well to Imperial duties,^[11] with their image as elite soldiers to be feared cemented.^[12] The clone stormtroopers were used to subjugate worlds to bring their populations into line, as well as to hunt down fugitive Jedi,^[13] and engaging in operations against Separatist holdouts.^[11]

GeNode clones

"How can they not know they are clones?"

―Milo Strander^[14]

The GeNode program produced genetically-engineered stormtroopers who were unaware that they were clones.

A modified version of the Arkanian cloning process was developed during the early years of the New Order, enabling the Empire to initiate the GeNode program that created clone lines of soldiers that were noted for efficiency and obedience. But unlike the clones that were created through Kaminoan and Arkanian techniques, GeNode clones were conditioned to believe that they were real human beings,^[1] a falsehood reinforced by artificial memories and full names.^[14] As a result of their programming, they could not comprehend the fact that they were clones, nor were they able to discuss cloning with other GeNode clones.^[1]

GeNode clone lines were maintained in clandestine facilities located in the Empire's Outer Rim. The program used at least four genotypes, although GeNode subjects were conditioned with the inability to recognize fellow clones of the same template. A unit of GeNode stormtroopers participated in an Imperial invasion of Kashyyyk, the Wookiee homeworld, where they served under the command of the Emperor's apprentice, the Sith Lord Darth Vader. The GeNode program ultimately fell out of favor due to cases of psychological instability in its clone subjects. Despite all efforts to prevent the clones from discovering their true origins, some GeNodes overcame their programming and were horrified to find themselves surrounded by identical soldiers, leading to several occasions where defective troopers killed their fellow clones in rage and terror.^[1]

Clone rebellion and consequence

"After the Kamino uprising, the Emperor decided that an army of genetically identical soldiers was too susceptible to corruption. Future troopers would be cloned from a variety of templates. Though the 501st itself remained pure, the rest of the Imperial Army gradually became more and more diverse. We never really got used to the new guys."

―Retired clone trooper^[2]

The clone stormtroopers' ranks became varied through the use of new genetic sources, turning Jango Fett's clones into a minority in the Imperial Military.

While making up the vast majority of the early stormtrooper ranks, in 12 BBY, a rebellion on Kamino headed by disgruntled Kaminoan cloners exposed a secret army of clones that had been engineered to fight against the Galactic Empire. Though the Kaminoans and their army of rogue clones were annihilated and the uprising neutralized, the incident convinced Palpatine that the Empire could no longer depend on an army of clone troopers comprised entirely from the same genotype. A vast variety of genetic templates were established soon after the Kaminoan rebels' defeat, leading to the production of soldiers from various non-Fett templates.^[2] While the Fett clones remained a dominant force within the 501st Legion, the rest of their brethren were outnumbered by non-Fett clones whom they referred to as the "new guys."^[2]

Decline and replacement

"Since the Empire has redirected the clone trooper program to other pursuits and stepped up recruiting inferior humans from the Outer Rim, the operational effectiveness of this army has declined significantly."

―Cody^[15]

Clones were supplemented by birth-born stormtroopers after the Empire turned to recruitment and conscription to bolster its forces.

The Galactic Empire had banned the creation of more clone soldiers while also keeping its remaining cloning operations in full production, with these locations of all facilities throughout the Empire were classified and placed under military jurisdiction for security purposes.^[14] However, as the significance of clone stormtroopers steadily declined over the course of several years, enlisted stormtroopers continued to fill this void instead.^[1] Although Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader both personally favored clones as soldiers,^[10] the Empire began to gradually supplement its clone units with birth-born recruits due to the strain that cloning had on the economy and its military. The Kaminoan process created an army that had been hailed during the Clone Wars as the greatest fighting force in galactic history, but their clones were an expensive drain on financial resources and took a decade to mature.^[1] Arkanian technology was meant to compensate for the long growth process of Kaminoan clones,^[16] but their products were well below the efficiency rate that had been credited to the Grand Army of the Republic.^[1]

With the drawbacks of the Imperial Military's dependence on cloning, the Empire had no such shortage of Humans that could be recruited to serve as stormtroopers. The number of enlisted troopers increased exponentially throughout the decade before the Battle of Yavin, culminating in their rise as the dominant majority in the ranks while clones became a rarity^[1] by 1 BBY.^[15]^[17] Commander Cody, a veteran of the Clone Wars, lamented the state of the Imperial Military by the time he was stationed on Kamino during the Imperial Era. Tasked with overseeing the Imperial garrison on the Kaminoan homeworld, he viewed the non-clone Human stormtroopers under his command as incompetent and inferior to clone troopers.^[15]

Thrawn's clone army

"With Mount Tantiss and the Emperor's collection of Spaarti cloning cylinders, the initiative is once again ours. Very soon, we'll begin taking planets back from the Rebellion… For that, we will need a well-trained army."

―Thrawn, to Gilad Pellaeon^[18]

The deaths of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader in 4 ABY left the Galactic Empire in a state of utter chaos and disorder following the Rebel Alliance's victory at the Battle of Endor. Without a clear line of succession, the central government on Coruscant failed to prevent the Stormtrooper Corps from becoming fragmented into smaller units under the control of various warlords who squabbled over leadership of the Empire.^[1] By 9 ABY, five years after the Imperials' defeat on Endor, Grand Admiral Thrawn launched a campaign to reunite the fractured Imperial remnants under his own leadership by destroying the rebels—now reconstituted as the New Republic.^[18]

Grand Admiral Thrawn attempted to create a new generation of clone stormtroopers during his conflict with the New Republic.

In order to realize his dream of a resurgent empire, Thrawn replenished the Stormtrooper Corps with a new army of clone soldiers engineered via several Spaarti cylinders. The clones were bred from a variety of templates, including General Maximilian Veers, Baron Soontir Fel, Corporal Terkuss of the Imperial Army and Lieutenant Creb of the Imperial Navy. In addition, the stormtrooper clones were cut off from the Force via the use of ysalamiri, resulting in the production of clones in a matter of weeks, putting them at an advantage.^[19] The creation of clone stormtroopers rejuvenated the Empire's depleted manpower, but the Imperial counteroffensive against the Republic was short-lived due to the assassination of Thrawn by his own Noghri bodyguards.^[18]

Legacy

"My old man was a trooper. Member of the 407th. Always talked about 'the honor of the armor'."

―Anson Trask^[20]

The new Galactic Empire made use of enlisted stormtroopers, Humans and aliens alike, instead of clones.

After the Galactic Civil War ended in 19 ABY with the decisive victory of the New Republic, the Stormtrooper Corps survived the dissolution of Palpatine's New Order, but as a remnant of its former glory. Stormtroopers still existed throughout the decades after the Battle of Endor. However, the Empire of the Hand, the Imperial Remnant and various other successor states of the original Empire became heavily reliant on the recruitment of enlisted troopers. Under Palpatine's reign, stormtrooper recruits and clones were exclusively Human.^[1] The reforms introduced by the Hand and Remnant governments allowed Non-Humans to join the Stormtrooper Corps.^[21] By 130 ABY, clone stormtroopers were virtually unheard of as the military became heavily diverse in a sea of enlisted troopers from a variety of different backgrounds.^[1]^[22]

Equipment

"Armed with deadly new weapons, blazing new ships, and shiny new armor, our presence let the galaxy know that the days of the Old Republic were well and truly over."

―Retired clone trooper^[2]

Clone stormtroopers wore Phase II clone trooper armor until the development of the Imperial stormtrooper armor.

Retaining their Phase II clone trooper armor, clone stormtroopers initially retained custom insignias, colors, and attachments on their armor. As the Imperial Era dragged on, the clones eventually restored their armor to its original plain white plates, emphasizing a preference for uniformity and obedience in contrast to individuality and creativity. The standard-issue weapons of clone stormtroopers was the DC-15S and the DC-15A blaster rifle. Clone stormtroopers would eventually transition into standard stormtrooper armor as the Imperial Era dragged on.^[1]