First Order stormtrooper armor First Order stormtrooper armor was the standard armor of the stormtroopers of the First Order , a military junta inspired by the ideals of the former Galactic Empire . Noted for its stark white appearance , First Order armor was derived from the respective designs of its clone trooper and stormtrooper predecessors . Description . The First Order stormtroopers wore stark white - colored armor , the design of which drew inspiration from that of the foregone Republic clone trooper s of the Clone Wars and the Imperial stormtrooper s of the Galactic Civil War . The First Order , during its conflict with the Resistance and its supporting government , the New Republic , sought to have the recognizable and once - feared stormtroopers once again lead the charge against the former enemies of the Galactic Empire . The design of past stormtrooper armor was improved upon , adding at least greater flexibility through an updated joint design . One stormtrooper captain , Phasma , wore her own distinctive stormtrooper armor polished in chromium as a representation of power . Other specialized stormtroopers , such as flametrooper s and snowtrooper s , wore a variant of the First Order stormtrooper armor representing their specializations . To denote rank , commanding stormtroopers wore color - coded pauldron armor plates . The stormtrooper helmets had a glossy betaplast finish , which required constant cleaning . They were also equipped with a smoke filtration system and an external tank hook - up , although the helmets could not filter toxins . Aside from providing standard protection for the wearer ' s head , the stormtrooper helmet had both communication and targeting systems for the foot soldier s , although quadnoculars were required for any enhanced imaging . The helmets contained polarized lenses and night vision , but lacked advanced imaging gear in order to keep the helmet ' s weight down . The armor was immune to fire . History . The signing of the Galactic Concordance in 5 ABY marked the end of the Galactic Civil War with the New Republic claiming victory over the Galactic Empire . In the aftermath of the war ' s conclusion , the Empire was further reduced in power through severe reparations and a disarmament policy imposed by the Republic . As a result , the mobilization of stormtrooper forces and the production of their armor were strictly forbidden by the treaty between the two powers . In the galaxy ' s Unknown Regions , however , a number of former Imperials regrouped and ultimately formed the First Order . Eager to reclaim the Empire ' s legacy by challenging the Republic ' s sovereignty over the galaxy , the First Order secretly violated the treaty ' s stipulations and engaged in a vast rearmament program , resulting in the production of a new set of armor for a new generation of stormtroopers . Behind the scenes . For , director Rian Johnson subtly changed the stormtrooper armor seen onscreen from its previous appearance in . The changes included changing the color from a creamy white to a toned - down off - white with a very slight grey tint ; and altering the shape of the black " mouth " on the helmets to make them look meaner and more skeletal .