Republic trooper Republic troopers were special forces of the Galactic Republic created to deal with various threats from the Sith Empire following the Great Galactic War . History . During the Great Galactic War , Republic troopers were deployed throughout the conflict against the Sith Empire , which had returned from its long periods of exile . These soldiers fought in engagements such as the Battle of Bothawui , where a detachment served under Jedi Master Belth Allusis , who died heroically against the Sith onslaught . Their deaths inspired the Galactic Republic , which had previously been fighting a losing war , and gave it hope due to the heavy losses it inflicted on the Imperial Army . Another squad of troopers also fought in the Battle of Alderaan when the Empire invaded the peaceful world . The Treaty of Coruscant in 3653 BBY forged an uneasy truce between the defeated Galactic Republic and the ascendant Sith Empire . Anticipating future conflict if the truce collapsed , the Republic military began developing elite Special Forces units to counteract the military might of the Sith . Members of these elite strike teams were selected based on their martial prowess , discipline and morale . In past millennia , the Jedi Order had participated in the defense of the Republic alongside regular military units . Over the generations , the Republic military had cooperated in military operations and strategy with Jedi . However , following the upsurge of anti - Jedi sentiment following the Sacking of Coruscant , the Jedi had withdrawn to Tython , leading to decreased Jedi presence within the Republic . Such developments led to the increased deployment of regular Republic forces in defending the remaining Republic territories . They saw extensive service during the Cold War and the following Galactic War and were often deployed in small units to the most dangerous battle zones . Whether operating solo or in groups , the trooper could still be a terrifying opponent to the enemies of the Republic . Such was their reputation that they generated fear even among Sith combatants . Nearly three millennia later , the clone trooper succeeded the Republic trooper as the Galactic Republic ' s army in the Clone Wars . Overview . During the course of their career , troopers were able to specialize in different battlefield doctrines . One specialization adopted by certain troopers was that of the Vanguard . These soldiers went into the battlefield wearing unstoppable advanced heavy armor along with an utterly fearless attitude . They were among the first and best line of defense in the Republic military . They proved to be steadfast warriors who ignored personal risk whilst going into the line of fire in order to divert danger from allies or innocents . In combat , they had a tactical role which was inherently dangerous , though Vanguards had an uncanny survival rate due to their expert defensive tactics along with the equally advanced technology at their disposal . The other specialization was Commando . These troopers , trained in advanced assault tactics and weaponry , charged into the battlefield with massive blaster cannons to devastate their enemies with overwhelming and brutal firepower . Their high - powered hardware allowed them to dominate the battlefield , where they were equally capable of taking out enemy bunkers with focused firepower or driving back an Imperial assault with concussive bolts . Commandos were able to lay waste to all foes within their range , and many of the greatest victories of the Republic were attributed to the decisive actions of these troopers on the battlefield . Equipment . Envisaged by Republic military planners as the most advanced force in the galaxy , Republic troopers were trained and equipped to face a wide variety of foes , environments and situations . Since the Great Galactic War , Republic engineers had developed heavier and more powerful blaster rifles . This trend inspired a galaxy - wide shift towards the use of more versatile arms . Since it took a great deal of strength and skill to operate these weapons , they were rarely used outside the military . Due to extensive action in the Great War and the subsequent Cold War and Galactic War , the Republic military was constantly pushed to design more powerful blaster rifles every year . Their defensive armor was specially designed to provide maximum protection and flexibility for a wide range of environments . It could withstand anything from laser fire to a bomb blast . Troopers attached to Special Forces were known to be issued BT - 7 Thunderclap rapid assault ships . With training and proper use of these powerful weapons at their disposal , the Republic troopers were an elite force to be reckoned with in combat . Behind the scenes . In the MMORPG " " , the path progression tree for the trooper class allows players the option of either choosing a Commando or Vanguard specialty , each having their own armor variations and equipment . The Imperial counterpart for this class is the Bounty Hunter .