Imperial Navy trooper Imperial Navy troopers , also known as Naval Troopers , were soldiers in the Galactic Empire who were assigned by the Imperial Navy as part of Imperial Fleet Regiment s to serve as guards , military police and soldiers onboard its many Star Destroyers and other installations , such as the Death Star . Overview . Members of the Alliance Special Forces believed that the Imperial Navy troopers were considered a joke and that such soldiers rarely ever expected to enter into combat engagements . While this was the opinion of SpecForce members , this was not entirely true as Navy troopers tended to be both well equipped and adequately trained for their tasks . In addition , they did see combat but tended to lack the edge that blooded troops got from their engagements . Vessels and installations that were located in more remote regions tended to rely more on their Navy troopers . In some cases , such as those units stationed in the Outer Rim Territories , the Navy soldiers had gained enough experience to be a credible threat to their enemies . However , in general , Imperial Navy troopers were not considered a challenge to members of the Rebel Alliance ' s SpecOps . These men backed up stormtroopers and were created to provide the Imperial Navy a corps of troops separate from the Imperial Army and the Stormtrooper Corps for protection of their ships . After the initial boarding operations were conducted by Stormtroopers , Imperial Navy troopers often moved in to conduct mop up actions . However , Crix Madine , a former Imperial soldier - turned Rebel General , indicated that the naval troopers are more likely to be encountered during a boarding action . Besides serving the Galactic Empire as soldiers and security guards , they handled hangar control traffic , monitored sensor arrays , and performed various other duties . They guarded the main conference room on the Death Stars and both arrested and escorted prisoners to their cells . The Death Star trooper s were the first to wear the distinctive black protective helmet and black uniform that soon spread to the other Imperial Navy trooper units . Their primary weapon was either a DH - 17 blaster pistol or an E - 11 blaster rifle . History . During the Imperial Period , low - ranking Navy troopers piloted and monitored the orbital climate control mirrors around Coruscant . This was known as " " riding the mirrors " " and was considered the loneliest as well as most tedious assignment at the Galactic Capital . During the Galactic Civil War , Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin selected the most highly trained elite Navy troopers in order to form a special detachment known as the Death Star trooper s . These soldiers were the best and brightest within the Empire and were stationed on the Death Star I and the Death Star II . Some were selected to serve in the Imperial Navy Special Forces . Behind the scenes . This soldier was sold by LEGO in 2008 ' s Death Star , 2009 ' s Battle of Endor , and 2012 ' s TIE Fighter sets . These characters are not to be mixed up with the Imperial gunner s , although the " " video game features a similar Imperial militia group called the Imperial Navy commando s .