Stormtrooper Stormtroopers were the assault / policing troops of the Galactic Empire . Dissenting citizens sometimes referred to them as bucketheads , a derogatory nickname inspired by the bucket - shaped helmets of stormtroopers . They wore white armor made from plastoid over a black body glove which , in addition to creating an imposing image , was outfitted with a wide array of survival equipment and temperature controls that allowed its wearer to survive in most environments , and were designed to disperse blaster bolt energy . As members of the Stormtrooper Corps , an independent branch that operated under the Imperial Army , stormtroopers represented the backbone of the Imperial Military — trained for total obedience to the command hierarchy , as well as absolute loyalty to Emperor Sheev Palpatine and the Imperial regime . Stormtroopers were trained at Imperial Academies , and used a variety of weapons . In the aftermath of the Clone Wars , the clone trooper s who served the Galactic Republic became the first stormtroopers , tasked with suppressing rebellious worlds and enforcing the new Emperor ' s will across the galaxy . Over time the clones were retired from Imperial service , leaving the stormtrooper ranks open to birth - born human recruits . Though they fought against the Rebel Alliance throughout the Galactic Civil War , the Empire was ultimately defeated and the Emperor slain at the Battle of Endor . The remnants of the Empire were subsequently compelled by the New Republic to sign the Galactic Concordance . Among its conditions , the peace treaty forbade the recruitment and mobilization of stormtroopers . However , a new generation of stormtroopers would be trained under the guidance of the First Order , a military junta inspired by Imperial ideology and determined to reclaim the legacy of the Empire . In Stormtrooper command , A squad of stormtroopers consisted of 10 stormtroopers , with 5 squads in a platoon , 4 platoons in a company , 4 companies in a battalion , 4 battalions in a regiment , and 4 regiments in a legion , for 12 , 800 trooper s in a legion . History . The stormtroopers represented the ultimate evolution of the clone trooper s , the soldiers who fought on the Galactic Republic ' s side against the Confederacy of Independent Systems in a prolonged and protracted conflict that came to be known as the Clone Wars . Following the execution of the Separatist Council , Sheev Palpatine , then Supreme Chancellor of the Republic , transformed the democratic government into an autocratic regime of his own , which he dubbed the First Galactic Empire . With the development of the new Imperial war machine , the clone trooper armor was upgraded . Additionally , the new Emperor ordered the extermination of the Jedi Order , the members of which had served as officers in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars . Within the new regime , the clone troopers — now known as stormtroopers — were placed under the guidance of Imperial officer s and governor s instead of Clone commanders or officers . Following the transition , stormtroopers were used to bring any remaining Separatist worlds into line . As the clones ' accelerated aging process began causing their physical skills and abilities to deteriorate , they were replaced by non - clone volunteers and conscripts . < ref name =