Stormtrooper Corps / Legends The Stormtrooper Corps was an independent military branch that operated alongside the Imperial Army and Navy of the Galactic Empire . It was the smallest of the primary three branches of the military . Though they functioned under their own command structure , Imperial stormtroopers ultimately answered directly to Emperor Palpatine , the architect of the New Order that incorporated most of the known galaxy under Imperial rule . Regarded as elite shock trooper s and the special forces of the Empire , the Corps also functioned as Palpatine ' s chief enforcers — both within the military ranks and the galactic populace alike — due to their uncompromising loyalty to Palpatine . The first stormtroopers were Republic clone troopers that the Empire inherited after the Clone Wars . However , the Stormtrooper Corps gradually expanded its ranks to include cloned soldiers from different genetic sources . Further changes in policy led to the recruitment of birth - born Humans as enlisted troopers . Before long , the original clones of the Jango Fett line were reduced to the status of a minority within the army that they once held as their exclusive province . Although its direct predecessor was the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars , the Stormtrooper TX - 5532 implied that they may have been comparable to the Rocket - Jumper Elite Advance Unit in terms of an elite , first - attack unit of soldiers in galactic history . Although their ranks were numerous and well - armed with advanced weaponry and armor , stormtroopers were generally less respected as soldiers by the clone troopers who preceded them . Commander Cody , one of the last clones who remained in service years after the formation of the Empire , believed that the operational effectiveness of the Stormtrooper Corps had been severely diminished over time , a setback that he blamed on the infusion of Human recruits into the stormtrooper ranks . With few exceptions , the Corps was predominantly Human throughout the existence of the first Galactic Empire . Under the Empire ' s successor states , however , non - Humans were permitted to serve as stormtroopers in the Empire of the Hand , the Imperial Remnant , Roan Fel ' s revived Empire and Darth Krayt ' s Sith Empire . Role . An independent branch of the Imperial Military , the Stormtrooper Corps supported both the Imperial Army and Navy while belonging to neither . Existing as an elite , fanatically - loyal force of shock trooper s , the Stormtrooper Corps existed to impose the Galactic Emperor ' s will on the military and the galactic populace alike . Their loyalty to the Emperor and Empire was such that , although they were perfectly willing to die for the Empire if needs be , they lacked suicidal thoughts , as they realized that a dead stormtrooper would be useless to the Empire unless it was to further the Emperor ' s wishes , and were also purported to lack fear to such an extent that they don ' t surrender unless facing impossible odds , and even then only after securing the primary objective . Although their primary loyalty was to the Emperor , they also served as honor guards to protect influential Imperial personnel such as Ambassadors , Grand Moffs , Moffs , Admirals , and / or Governor Generals , with such units being composed of at least 10 stormtroopers . When serving with the Navy , Stormtroopers served as Marines and ensured loyalty aboard ships , as well as acting as security forces on both ships and battle stations as well as securing various enemy ships for capture . On the ground , they led assaults , advancing ahead of Army units to take strategic targets like spaceports and gun emplacements , and were deployed to the toughest fighting . A rapid deployment force rather than one for occupation , the Stormtrooper Corps was almost entirely infantry - based and was far smaller in number than either the Army or Navy . Largely because of their serving both military branches depending on the situation , the Corps were far more flexible regarding ground and space operations than their Army counterparts . The Corps maintained its own command structure and training regimens , and generally relied on its own infrastructure for support . The Stormtroopers were the best - known Imperial soldiers , and one of the most iconic symbols of the Galactic Empire ' s military might . The Corps ' reputation was such that even their very presence is enough to act as an effective deterrent against any and all groups save for the most motivated of saboteurs and aggressors . Because of their role as the Emperor ' s chief enforcers and shock troops , and thus , their being deployed when Palpatine requires their service and being recalled when needed elsewhere , the Stormtrooper Corps was unconcerned with long - term occupation of a planet , gaining extraction only when securing a withdrawal point . The only exception to this rule is when prolonged struggles threaten the Empire ' s industrial capacity and / or weaken its strategic positions . Also because of this , the Stormtrooper Corps was streamlined and ready for rapid deployment , operating on every planet in the Empire . They also had little concern about having less members than the assembled ranks of both the Imperial Army and Navy , with TX - 5532 stating that this is just as it should be , comparing it to how a narrow blade is much sharper than a thick blade . As such , they can also be deployed in large numbers if a quick victory was essential and / or heavy opposition was expected . However , they are rarely deployed to worlds that have no strategic value to the Empire , and are generally deployed to planets that the Empire deems important enough to function as forward bases , places to harvest natural resources , and / or industrial capacity - related roles . History . The New Order . The Stormtrooper Corps was formed in the year 19 BBY at the same time as the Clone Wars , a galaxy - wide civil war between the Galactic Republic and the Separatist Alliance , came to an end . In Supreme Chancellor Palpatine ' s historic speech addressed to the Senate and citizenry of the Republic , the old political establishment was reformed into the New Order ; a Galactic Empire under the rule of the self - appointed Emperor Palpatine . The same speech detailed a number of reforms that emphasized the policy of Imperialization , including the renaming of all clone troopers as Imperial stormtroopers . Hence , the first stormtroopers were all clones of Jango Fett , the template of the Republic Clone Army . Throughout the reign of Emperor Palpatine , various reforms to the Imperial Military steadily diminished the Empire ' s reliance on clone soldiers . Such changes were also intended to further distance the Empire ' s image from its past as the old Republic . Even before the introduction of stormtrooper armor , the Empire ' s preference for uniformity and obedience brought an end to the Grand Army ' s tradition of unit markings and armor customization , and thus restored the Phase II battle armor to a blank white appearance . The clone trooper ' s DC - 15A blaster rifle was deemed obsolete in favor of the stormtrooper ' s E - 11 blaster rifle . The clones ' use of nicknames , which they had developed under the encouragement of their Jedi officers , fell out of style as Imperial officers referred to them by number designations . Whereas the Jedi Order had taken a keen interest in fostering individuality and creativity within the clone troopers , the Stormtrooper Corps instilled the clones with the doctrine of absolute loyalty and conformity to the New Order . Stormtroopers were an integral part to Emperor Palpatine ' s efforts to consolidate the fledgling Empire . Revolts were spread across the galaxy , ranging from the Emperor ' s home planet of Naboo to the Outer Rim world of Mustafar . The Stormtrooper Corps not only contended with various planetary insurrections , but also the scattered remnants of the former Separatist Alliance . Order 66 , the that instructed all clone troopers to summarily execute their Jedi leaders , also remained in effect throughout the Great Jedi Purge , thus requiring the stormtroopers to kill any Jedi on sight . The introduction of new clone lines and Human recruits to the stormtrooper ranks was the direct result of a new policy influenced by the highly classified Kaminoan Uprising , a clone rebellion on Kamino where the original clone troopers were conceived . Until then , most stormtroopers still consisted of the same genetic makeup , the modified template of Jango Fett . One exception was the experimental GeNode clone line , composed of clones created from several different templates . The GeNodes proved unreliable , however , and were prone to cases of clone madness . By and large , clone stormtroopers were bred from the same gene pool , grown and trained through Kaminoan and Arkanian Micro methods . When the Kaminoans created their own secret army of renegade clone troopers , the Emperor deemed the Fett line to be compromised . The insurrection was thwarted and the Empire regained control of Kamino ' s cloning facilities , but the Stormtrooper Corps became increasingly diverse with an influx of clones from a variety of templates . The end of the clone troopers . Clones remained an essential factor to the Stormtrooper Corps , but their importance continued to diminish over time as the ranks became increasingly filled with enlisted troopers ; birth - born Humans recruited to serve the Empire as Imperial stormtroopers . Both numerous throughout the galaxy and the dominant species of the Empire , Humans were regarded as the solution to the dilemma of cloning . Arkanian processes created subpar troopers , and the Kaminoan method was considered too slow and expensive . From the perspective of the Fett clones , the Stormtrooper Corps had lost the purity that defined the old Clone Army of the Republic . The few remaining clones of the Fett line , such as a veteran of the 501st Legion and Commander Cody , regarded the new clones and enlisted personnel as unwelcome outsiders . Cody especially loathed Human recruits , deeming them to be inferior to clone troopers and the reason behind the significant decrease in the operational effectiveness of the Stormtrooper Corps . Throughout the decade before the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY , the percentage of clone soldiers had been reduced to roughly a third of the overall Stormtrooper Corps . When the once all - clone Stormtrooper Corps opened its ranks to Human recruits , the Imperial Academy System was utilized for stormtrooper training . Most enlisted troopers graduated from the academies on Corulag and Raithal , but the most exceptional stormtrooper cadets were assigned to the Academy of Carida . During the Clone Wars , Carida was a training center for non - clone officers who led clone divisions , and continued to do so with the Stormtrooper Corps . Under the Empire , Carida gained a reputation for producing the best and bravest cadets . Clones bred with greater independence were also stationed at Carida where they developed their leadership skills with a combination of flash instruction and live training . Stormtrooper training consisted of two years of grueling exercises — both physically and mentally — that produced elite soldiers , heavily indoctrinated in the tenets of the New Order . Their personal loyalty to Emperor Palpatine was well - known throughout the Empire ; few stormtroopers could be bribed , blackmailed , or seduced into renouncing their allegiance to the Galactic Empire . In large part because of Imperial NewsNets reporting on the Empire ' s various victories against the forces of Rebellion and chaos , the Stormtrooper Corps proved to be a very popular choice of profession among Imperial citizenry when asked how they were to serve the Emperor . The Battle of Endor and legacy . The Battle of Endor not only marked a turning point in the Galactic Civil War for the Rebel Alliance , but also a sharp and steady decline for the Galactic Empire . While both Emperor Palpatine and the Sith Lord Darth Vader perished aboard the second Death Star during the space battle above Endor , the stormtroopers suffered a devastating defeat against a Rebel strike team and the Ewoks , a primitive race indigenous to the forest moon . Due to the sudden vacuum of power created by the Emperor ' s death , the leaderless Empire fractured into numerous factions , fragmenting the Stormtrooper Corps between various warlords and claimants to the Imperial throne . In some factions ' cases , they even blended the Stormtrooper Corps and Imperial Army together by supplying Imperial Army Troopers with Stormtrooper armor due to the decrease of cloning facilities and academies , while in Zsinj ' s faction ' s case , they were largely replaced in terms of function with the Raptors . In the decades after the Galactic Civil War concluded with victory for the New Republic , the Stormtrooper Corps continued to exist , although in a heavily reduced state , mirroring the Empire ' s devolution into the Imperial Remnant . The Empire of the Hand , a state loosely based on Palpatine ' s Empire , retained stormtroopers as an elite force , but also permitted non - Humans to enter military service . The same policy was also adopted by the Remnant , and retained after its transition into the Fel Empire . At some point prior to 130 ABY the corps stopped being an independent military branch and were made part of the Imperial Army . In 137 ABY , a new civil war divided the resurgent Empire once more , forcing the stormtroopers to fight amongst themselves in the conflict between Darth Krayt ' s Sith Empire and Roan Fel ' s loyalist faction . Organization and structure . Headquarters . Prior to the Battle of Endor and the de facto collapse of Imperial authority , the highest organizational body of the Imperial Military was the Imperial High Command . Below this was Stormtrooper Command , the organizing body that directed all operations of the Stormtrooper Corps . Stormtrooper Command took orders directly from Emperor Palpatine , although some individual units , referred to as Moff ' s Own , were often under the direct command of an Imperial Moff . In addition , Vader implied that the Stormtroopers were lower in the direct command structure of the Emperor compared to himself . In addition , Stormtrooper Command members were held to a high standard : Any that were ruled as incompetent were sentenced to either execution , or otherwise being forced to serve the Corps in the field . Administration . The Stormtrooper Corps , pre - Imperial Remnant , was made up largely of Humans , and primarily of males , with very few females becoming stormtroopers . According to one female stormtrooper , Isila Drutch , the reason behind the comparatively small amount of females in the Corps had more to do with practicality rather than outright prejudice , as the stormtrooper physical training regimen was brutal enough that females were simply more likely to wash out than males due to their physiology , as well as there being no female clone lines . She also implied that the stormtrooper armor ' s design was such that it was impossible for civilians to know the gender underneath and thus it was assumed there were no females in the Stormtrooper Corps . Aliens were generally not allowed to join the Stormtrooper Corps during the New Order , the only exception being the T ' Syriél stormtroopers , due to the officer who recruited them , General Bentilais san Sk ' ar , being an alien himself , specifically belonging to the Kaleesh , and possibly Major Stafuv Rahz , a Gektl , due to his wearing a similar uniform to that of NCO Stormtrooper Corps officers . After the Empire was reduced to the Imperial Remnant , the Stormtrooper Corps started recruiting more females and also started recruiting aliens into its ranks , mostly as desperation in trying to fight off the New Republic . The Stormtrooper Corps belonging to the Empire of the Hand faction also incorporated aliens among its ranks , and the United Warlord Fleets under Admiral Natasi Daala had a small corps of stormtroopers that were composed entirely of aliens . Tactical organization . The Stormtrooper Corps was organized under the Order of Battle . This mirrored the Imperial Army ' s lower - level structure , but unlike the Army , the legion was the highest level in the Stormtroopers ' command structure . In addition , stormtrooper units did not include support personnel . Despite this , however , the Stormtroopers had no issue with gaining enough supplies to maintain the overall sizeable amount within the Corps in addition to siphoning off at least some supplies from the normal chain of logistics . How they were able to do so is unclear , with it being debated that they merely " lived off the land , " had access to a shadow network to enhance their mystery , or simply did not even need a resupply in the first place . Although a Legion was the highest possible standard unit within the Stormtrooper Corps , various legions had been known to merge from other sectors into one unit within a Sector Group for a major offensive . Similarly , even though the squad was the lowest possible standard unit within the Stormtrooper Corps , the squad itself could be further subdivided into two Fire Team s , each being in a wedge formation , with the fire team leader s being at the tip of each wedge , in order to allow for maximum firing range every direction and allow for ready communications between members . Personnel . Specializations . Upon the implementation of a program to recruit from the Imperial citizenry as opposed to relying solely on clones , facilities for the training of new Stormtrooper recruits were implemented . New recruitment policies compensated for the lack of uniformity among non - clone cadets by adopting strict standards of conformity to maintain the integrity of the Corps . The requirements for the Stormtrooper Corps , at least by 0 BBY , required that the recruit have a genetic suitability in comparison to the Human clone template of 97 . 5 % or higher , be between 1 . 79 - 1 . 85 meters in height , a weight of 78 - 85 kg , a Scala body mass / musculature rating of 22 . x5 or less , a Marrev tactical intelligence rating of 790 or higher , and a Minimum Class C in Receptivity to Indoctrination . By seeking optimal morphologic consistency with the previous cloning standards , the Empire saved money by being able to produce interchangeable uniforms and armor . At the height of the Empire , the Corps was almost exclusively Human but for a few experimental units , and overwhelmingly male since very few females could pass physical training , though female Stormtroopers were more common than most laymen realised . Shielded in the eerie anonymity of their white armor , Stormtroopers were trained to think of themselves as expendable and to ignore casualties within their own ranks beyond a tactical standpoint in order to achieve the objective . Extensive indoctrination also produced unswerving loyalty to the Empire : throughout the entire Galactic Civil War , very few attempts to bribe , blackmail or seduce a Stormtrooper succeeded . The Stormtrooper Corps had a variety of stormtrooper specializations , each one trained in a specific role for enforcing the Emperor ' s Will and directly confronting any threats to the Empire . Specialized stormtroopers were selected for training in the field at an early stage , and then conditioned with the appropriate knowledge and psychological training for the field in question . Upon being specialized , their psychological conditioning to their particular identity was rendered strong enough that the trooper almost never wished to change his division . As such , the various Stormtroopers , via a combination of exceptional training and extraordinary armor , also possessed various specialized units to tackle any environment in the galaxy , up to and including various worlds that harbor climates that are hostile to humans . In the Empire Reborn and the Dark Empire factions of the Galactic Empire , there were also stormtroopers that were trained as Dark Jedi called shadowtrooper s and dark troopers , respectively ( not to be confused with Cronal ' s unit of stormtroopers and / or the variant of the Imperial shock troopers , or the battle droids of the same name respectively ) . The latter ' s armor was indistinguishable from the stormtroopers save for a darker complexion , while the former had a significantly different set of armor , having a more cone - shaped helmet as well as a green center . In addition , there were also several elite units within the Stormtrooper Corps , with their duties being directly tied to either defending the Emperor and the Imperial capital , or otherwise to steal technology to use against the Rebel Alliance . Although technically not part of the Stormtrooper Corps due to their actually belonging to differing branches of the Imperial Military and in some cases actually not actually being affiliated with the Empire at all , these stormtroopers nonetheless had some ties to the Stormtrooper Corps in some way , whether it be due to joint cooperation with the stormtroopers , or otherwise being modeled after them for infiltration purposes by a third party . Training . After the Stormtrooper Corps implemented a recruitment policy to replace the cloning stock , the program implemented a strict recruitment requirement for conformity standards to maintain the program ' s integrity as compensation for losing clones and constrain diverse and undirected human genetic stock . In particular , their genetic suitability compared to a human genome - type clone template needs to be 97 . 5 % or higher , their height needed to be within 1 . 79 - 1 . 85 meters , their weight needed to be in the range of 78 - 85 kilograms , their body mass / musculature rating needed to have a Scala scoring of 22 . x5 at maximum , their tactical intelligence rating needed a Marrev testing result of at least 790 , and their receptivity to indoctrination ' s rating needs to have a minimum class of C . According to Nala Se , the resulting recruitment standards were such that they met the same minimum physical benchmarks as Kamino - grown clones , and the recruitment program was such that it allowed for interchangeable uniforms and armor as a bonus . After passing recruitment standards , Stormtrooper recruits were deployed for training at one of the stormtrooper academies . At least two are known : The first , Academy of Carida , was one of the more well - known facilities , which focused on training stormtrooper officers . As part of their training , the recruits at Carida undergo wilderness survival ; desert warfare simulations ; underwater battle tactics ; experimental weapons testing ; flash - memory instruction in military history ; self - discipline through emotional suppression ; and education in the principles of the Emperor ' s New Order . In addition , the Stormtrooper training composed of both grueling physical tests ( which were caused in part by the planet Carida having a stronger than average gravity field ) as well as extensive indoctrination , which was strong enough to produce unswerving loyalty to the Empire , and leaving very few successful attempts to bribe , blackmail , or seduce them . Leia also noted that the indoctrination was extremely thorough to such an extent that they can ' t even be reasoned with , let alone deprogrammed , and as such , makes the ideology terrifying . In addition , this training was also credited as a large part of why the Stormtrooper Corps were victorious , in addition to their uniformity and ability to bring to bear overwhelming firepower . Their training was rigorous enough in its conditioning that Stormtroopers tended to favor their right side and adopt identical kneeling positions . It is also implied that , besides wilderness survival , desert warfare simulations , and underwater battle tactics , recruits to the Stormtrooper Corps also were extensively trained to survive in any environment , including those that harbored climates hostile to that of humans . The second was the Royal Guard Academy on Yinchorr , which , befitting its unforgiving nature , was a very severe training facility . As indicated by the name , it primarily trained members of the Emperor ' s Royal Guard at the citadel , while smaller complexes trained other stormtrooper divisions , most notably those belonging to the Imperial riot troopers . The Royal Guard recruits are trained in various combat techniques as well as the art of Echani , with their practicing in the Squall arena . Their final test involved a battle to the death , which required the Emperor to personally oversee the test . Owing to the importance of the Yinchorr facility , it was kept top - secret , with even officers for the Empire with a high enough military rank to be allowed access to the " " , the Imperial Military ' s field manual , not possessing the clearance level to know anything about the facility beyond generalities . The Stormtrooper Corps , or at least those within the 501st Legion , were also known to be superb marksmen , with Obi - Wan Kenobi noting that they were extremely precise in their executing the Jawas on Tatooine . Leia also implied shortly after her escape from the Death Star that members of the Stormtrooper Corps generally don ' t miss their targets unless they were deliberately trying to lure their targets into a trap . In some cases , the stormtroopers were also trained to fly TIE fighters . Ranks . Like in the rest of the Imperial Military , officer ranks within the Stormtrooper Corps was denoted by a specific combination of colored squares and code cylinders worn on the uniform . When out on the field , they generally also wear orange pauldrons and / or colored stripes on their armor . One of the few exceptions to this were the Cold Assault Stormtroopers , which wear rank insignia on the breastplate even while on the field . Equipment . Uniforms . The Stormtrooper Corps members had a variety of uniforms . Officers , when they aren ' t commissioned , wore a black uniform with a double - breasted tunic , trousers , and a matching cap displaying an officer ' s disc . When commissioned , the stormtrooper officers instead wore variations of the stormtrooper armor denoting their rank . One variant , designated for field stormtrooper officers , just gave the armor markings of a stripe over the helmet , stripes over the right leg and feet , stripes across the chest in a Y - shaped pattern , stripes on the arms , and blue - color pauldrons , with the color representing the unit they held command over . The other variant , used on the field , had them wearing an orange shoulder paudron as well as bearing specific rank insignia . Stormtrooper armor overall is composed of enclosed white armor over a black vacuum - sealed bodysuits . Variations , however , have existed depending on the nature of the training Stormtroopers have undergone , and to some extent the specific mission environment . Freshly recruited Stormtroopers that , for obvious reasons , were rarely seen in direct combat , wore weaker armor than the more seasoned counterparts . Assault trooper s utilized similar armor to the basic Stormtrooper armor , although it was given yellow highlights around the arms and helmet , giving them a slight similarity to the armor worn by Phase 1 clone trooper commanders . They were generally assigned to assault key Rebel Alliance bases , carry out head - on attacks , and were generally capable of fighting Rebel SpecForces when ambushed , and were frequently tasked with invading enemy planets and cities in full - scale . Imperial heavy trooper s , due to particular emphasis on hand - to - hand combat especially against larger aliens such as Wookiees and Trandoshans , wore a specialized form of Stormtrooper armor that was thick enough to withstand a lightsaber blow to some degree , and had a passing resemblance to Phase II clone armor , albeit with a slightly darker tone . Armored Stormtrooper s wore a heavily armored version of the Stormtrooper armor , and also possessed orange pauldrons similar to the Imperial Marines , and their helmet included a red monocle device . There are also cases where stormtroopers who had been specialized in a certain type of firearm were given a variation of their armor that included pauldrons with colors indicating their assigned tasks , such as yellow for riflemen and blue / white for snipers . The latter also had slightly more durable armor . In other cases , stormtroopers of a particular specialty don ' t have any major differences in terms of armor , like the Stormtrooper Grenadier . Although the Emperor ' s Royal Guard generally wore armor that resembled that of the Sun Guard , they have occasionally entered the field in crimson - colored stormtrooper armor . In some cases , Stormtrooper armor was customized . Weapons . The standard rank - and - file members of the Stormtrooper Corps had as their standard weapon the BlasTech E - 11 blaster rifle and the SE - 14r light repeating blaster , the only exception being Stormtroopers who had been assigned to heavy and / or special weapons . Aside from these weapons , they also have at times been seen using weapons such as the DLT - 19 heavy blaster rifle , as well as the DLT - 20A blaster rifle s , T - 21 light repeating blasters , T - 28 repeating sniper rifle s , and Imperial Heavy Repeater s . They also had access to modified blaster pistols . The stormtroopers that served under the Empire Reborn faction of the Stormtrooper Corps were also known to have used Golan Arms FC - 1 flechette launchers . They also came equipped with Baradium - core code key thermal detonator , which were attached to the back of the torso . In order to ensure an enemy doesn ' t use the detonator against the Stormtroopers if stolen , it requires a specific code that only the stormtrooper it was assigned to knows , and the buttons are left unmarked to ensure the enemy can ' t input the code even if they did find out the code . Aside from the Baradium core detonators , they have also been known to use up to two LXR - 6 concussion grenade s . Some stormtroopers also had their own armory for their assigned roles . Stormsniper s , for example , utilized the RT - 97C heavy blaster rifle . Although stormtroopers did not utilize lightsabers , the Cuis clones did utilize lightsabers due to their being force - sensitive as a result of being cloned from the deceased Emperor ' s Hand Sa Cuis . In addition , stormtroopers were also trained to operate E - Web heavy repeating blaster s . Vehicles and steeds . The Stormtrooper Corps , aside from the vehicles assigned to them during joint missions with either the Imperial Army or the Imperial Navy , also had access to some of their own vehicles , such as the " Delta " - class DX - 9 stormtrooper transport , the Imperial escort carriers and TIE / HU Hunter multi - role starfighter s used by the Storm Commandos , as well as the Emperor ' s Royal Guard TIE / In starfighter for members of the Emperor ' s Royal Guard . During the early stages of the Empire , when stationed on former Separatist worlds , the Stormtrooper Corps would make use of battle droids such as the DSD1 dwarf spider droid , ironically enough to help clear the remaining Separatist hold - outs in the early stages of the Empire . Even afterwards , they often had them near checkpoints . In addition , they have also utilized Dewback lizards as steeds when conducting ground operations . These stormtroopers , known as Dewback troopers , often used them to attack mechanized weaponry such as Rebel combat speeders and Rebel attack tanks as well as patrols , though they were also suited for taking down troop centers . Although they were most suitable for desert areas due to their reptilian nature and thus were mostly part of the desert stormtroopers , they were also observed being used even in areas such as Hoth . Behind the scenes . The Stormtrooper Corps is roughly analogous to the following real - world organizations : Contrary to popular belief , there is little to suggest that the Stormtrooper Corps were analogous to the of Nazi Germany in any way other than the latter also being called " Stormtroopers " . Appearances . " All sources , in which Stormtroopers appear . "