187th Legion

The 187th Legion was an elite clone trooper legion of the Grand Army of the Republic led by Jedi General Mace Windu. The legion participated in the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, subsequently serving the Republic's successor government, the Galactic Empire, as members of the Imperial Army and enforcing the Empire's rule. The legion shared its name with another unit led by Windu during the Clone Wars; the 187th Battalion.
==Description==
The elite 187th Legion was a clone trooper legion of the Grand Army of the Republic, and as such contained various members led by a Jedi General. The 187th was then part of the Imperial Army. The troopers of the legion customized their white Phase II clone trooper armor with purple and light blue accents, which was partly shared with their Jedi General's unique purple-bladed lightsaber.
The helmets of the 187th contained purple on the helmet's central fin and chin, with light blue vertical stripes across the top of the T-shaped visor and light blue coloring on the helmet's cheeks. Other versions of the helmet replaced the armor's light blue replaced by a light gray. Purple accents were painted on the shoulder armor plates, the chest, knees, and boots, while blue stripes were located on the arm and leg armor. The lower half of the leg armor was fully painted in purple. Like other units in the Republic Army, 187th clone troopers utilized utility belts fastened around their hip, though also painted in purple. 187th clones wielded the DC-15A blaster carbine and DC-15A blaster rifle. Other members additionally donned pauldrons with ammunition pouches.
==History==
The elite 187th Legion participated in the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems and was under the command of Jedi General Mace Windu. When Phase II clone trooper armor was introduced by the Battle of Mon Cala in 20 BBY,Star Wars: Timelines the 187th was equipped with the model of clone trooper armor. The 187th Legion shared the same unit designation as the 187th Battalion, another unit led by Windu.
Despite the ideals of the Jedi Order, the helmets, combined with their coloration, of Windu's troops struck fear into the hearts of their enemies. After the death of Windu and destruction of the entire Jedi Order with the implementation of Order 66, a secret Executive Order Code that marked the Jedi as traitors,Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, transformed the Republic into the Galactic Empire. As such, the Republic Military transitioned into the Imperial Military.
With clone troopers forced to obey the will of Palpatine, secretly Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious, and carry out Order 66 by their behavioral modification biochips, the 187th continued to exist as a legion within the Imperial Army. In that capacity, it was the task of Windu's former troops to defend the regime that openly hunted the Jedi. At some point during their service history, the 187th was present in a desert.
==Members==
The legion fell under the command of Jedi General Mace Windu, Master of the Jedi High Council.Rise of the Separatists
==Behind the scenes==
===Continuity===
The 187th Legion was introduced into the canon era of Star Wars as an elite force depicted through the "Republic Fighter Tank" set from LEGO Star Wars that was revealed by This Week! in Star Wars on March 31, 2022 by Kristin Baver. The 187th then appeared in the Happy Celebration 45th Anniversary A New Hope, a non-canon animated LEGO short created to celebrate 45 years of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope and Celebration Anaheim 2022. At Celebration Anaheim, a helmet of the 187th Legion was featured as one of eight collectible pins from the Mystery Helmets Collection. The 187th Legion initially debuted in Star Wars Legends, first appearing in the 2006 Hasbro exclusive set for Target in "Mace Windu's Attack Battalion."
The box cover art for the "Republic Fighter Tank" set depict two B1-series battle droids fighting against Mace Windu, two 187th Legion clone troopers, and an 187th Clone Commander aboard a TX-130 Saber-class fighter tank in a mountainous and desert surface. In the set, the clones had markings that included a small, dark pauldron on their right shoulder. Their commander utilized clone paratrooper armor with purple markings, a similar pauldron, and a beige kama. The legion's status as a canonical unit was fully confirmed by a 2023 Hasbro figure set, "Mace Windu & 187th Legion Clone Trooper," for Star Wars: The Black Series. The Hasbro Pulse listing gave the name "Mace Windu & Clone Trooper," but the complete name is located on the release's box.
===The Clone Wars===
A clone unit, the 187th Battalion, led by Mace Windu appeared in the first episode of the seventh and final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, titled "The Bad Batch" and released in February 21, 2020. The episode had originally aired in an unfinished format during Celebration Anaheim on April 17, 2015. According to Lucasfilm Story Group member Leland Chee, the decision to not use the purple color scheme of the 187th Legion was made in the first season of the series, which began airing in 2008. The unit was later named the "187th Battalion" on the Hasbro Pulse livestream for May the Fourth, 2022 as a Star Wars: The Black Series set.
In the penultimate episode of the first season that aired on March 13, 2009, titled "Liberty on Ryloth," Clone Commander Ponds served under Mace Windu and had customized his armor with similar color of Mace Windu's unit in the seventh season. Sources including Star Wars Helmet Collection 76 and Star Wars: On the Front LinesStar Wars: On the Front Lines clarify that Commander Ponds served as the leader of Lightning Squadron of the 91st Mobile Reconnaissance Corps. Chee further elaborated that it was a conscious decision to try to keep them as different units rather than the same unit that uses two different color schemes. The reveal of the Black Series Hasbro figure accidentally conflated the 187th Legion and 187th Battalion.
==Appearances==
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==Notes and references==
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Category:Grand Army of the Republic legions
Category:Imperial Army legions