501st Legion

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The **501st Legion**, also known as the **501st** or **501st Battalion** during the Clone Wars and later known as **"Vader's Fist"**, then the **Killers of the Stars** and the **Five Hundred and First**, was a brigade-sized Legion of elite clone troopers that was secretly commissioned by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine during the Clone Wars that later became a unit of the Stormtrooper Corps. Since the Battle of Geonosis, the 501st had gained a reputation for being an effective fighting force, often being victorious in battle even against overwhelming odds. While the Legion fought for the preservation of the Republic, they would secretly undertake covert operations that would boost the agenda of Chancellor Palpatine.

During the Clone Wars, the Legion initially wore the standard white Phase I clone trooper armor, but had transitioned to wearing Phase II armor with navy blue markings during the final years of the war. Made up of units like Torrent Company, the 501st fought in many battles throughout the war, such as the Battle of Coruscant, becoming one of the most well-known clone trooper Legions. In 19 BBY, Palpatine issued Order 66 and the 501st became Darth Vader's personal unit as he led them during Operation: Knightfall, in which the clones helped take down the Jedi, whom they believed to be traitors to the Republic.

Following the rise of the Galactic Empire, the 501st transitioned into a stormtrooper unit, like other clone units. Given new armor and weapons, the 501st faithfully served the Empire, operating under the direct command of the Sith Lord Darth Vader. After the Kamino uprising, the 501st became the last remnant of the Grand Army of the Republic fully composed of Jango Fett clones, as opposed to the ever-growing and more diverse Stormtrooper Corps, where the Fett clones became a minority, with the inclusion of a pool of clones from different templates and birth-born recruits, while others were not clones, but humans from an Imperial academy.

Sometime after the death of Darth Vader in 2 BBY, the 501st were soon under the command of Palpatine's new apprentice, Lord Starkiller.

The legion fought in a number of battles during the Galactic Civil War in an effort to defeat the Rebel Alliance and bring peace to the galaxy, eventually earning a new nickname "*Killers of the Stars*."

## History

### Galactic Civil War

#### Battle of Hoth

*"Sir, a squad of stormtroopers from the 501st Legion have breached the corridor ahead."*

―Lietuenant Marsen, to Lord Starkiller

In 3 ABY, the 501st took part in the Battle of Hoth along with Blizzard Force. The unit destroyed the Alliance's shield generator, and a squad of 501st snowtroopers infiltrated Echo Base. However, they were ambushed by Rebel troopers in one of the corridors near the main hangar.

At the same time, Starkiller proceeded to the hangar as well. Along the way, his liaison, Lieutenant Marsen, informed Starkiller via comlink about the 501st's predicament. Starkiller aided the troopers by killing all of the insurgents and wampas in the area. The Imperial soldiers then attacked the remaining Rebels in the hangar while the Dark Lord of the Sith confronted Luke.

In the midst of a crossfire between Imperials and Rebels, Trark was shot and he collapsed. In his final moments, he witnessed many of the insurgents getting gunned down, and took pride in the fact that the Empire had won the fight before dying.

## Appearances

* *Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game*
* *Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition*
* *The Dark Side Unleashed*