Dark Trooper

For other uses, see Dark Trooper.

"You're about to face off with the dark troopers. You had your hands full with one. Let's see how well you do against a platoon."

―Gideon^[3]

Dark Troopers were experimental soldiers^[1] created as part of the Galactic Empire's dark trooper program.^[2] Dark trooper models were body suits worn by a human pilot. Nevertheless, Dark Troopers also^[3] resembled the DT-series sentry droids also used by the Empire.^[4] Eventually, research indicated that the human pilot was the final weakness to be removed, heralding in the Phase-III Dark Trooper as a battle droid. However, an entire platoon of these Dark Trooper droids were destroyed by Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker^[3] in 9 ABY.^[5] Moff Gideon then returned the Dark Trooper project to its suit-focus and created the phase four suit with beskar alloy.^[6]

History[]

"Thanks to your planet's rich resources, I have created the next generation Dark Trooper suit forged from beskar alloy."

―Moff Gideon^[6]

TatooineGarrison-Commander — Second-generation Dark Troopers served alongside various Imperial forces in the Battle for Tatooine.

Phase II Dark Troopers were deployed for evaluation by the Imperial Military during the Galactic Civil War and were utilized in the Battle for Tatooine.^[1] By the time of the third-generation dark trooper used in Moff Gideon's Imperial remnant^[3] in the year 9 ABY,^[5] it was decided the human pilot was the last weakness in the dark trooper design, transforming the third generation units into battle droids.^[3]

The third generation units^[3] were deployed on Tython to retrieve Grogu after he was brought to the seeing stone. These dark troopers were equipped with jet boosters in their feet to enable in-atmospheric flight and were capable of launching directly from a cruiser, as opposed to having to be deployed in a troop transport.^[7] Later, when the Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin and his allies attempted to rescue Grogu from Gideon's light cruiser, he activated his dark trooper platoon, though it was eliminated by Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.^[3]

ImperialDarkTroopers-SWL2024update — Third-generation Dark Troopers in action

Sometime later, Gideon changed the Dark Trooper from a droid into a battle armor worn by himself and his new clone army after his Imperial armored commandos rescued him from the New Republic. The armor had a similar style to Mandalorian armor, and was built with beskar alloy. It was also equipped with a helmet and jetpack. Similar to a Mandalorian armor, it had a Ka'rta on the chest plate of the armor.^[6]

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Behind the scenes[]

"Operative, I have apportioned some experimental Dark Troopers to Tatooine for evaluation. I have dispatched them to you for this operation. Do not fail the Empire."

―Kosh in Star Wars: Commander's Imperial campaign^[1]

Dark Troopers were first introduced in the Star Wars Legends continuity in the video game Star Wars: Dark Forces. The canon version seen in Star Wars: Commander, resembles the purge trooper seen in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

The DT-series sentry droid was based on the dark trooper designs.^[8]

Dawn of Rebellion introduced the dark trooper program as an effort to create Imperial battle droids that ended as a debacle, thereby contributing to the Joint Chiefs becoming disenchanted with combat droids.^[2] This matches the program's depiction in Star Wars Legends, where the Phase I dark trooper and Phase II dark troopers were battle droid models.^[9] However, "Chapter 16: The Rescue" suggested the dark trooper program in canon had only recently taken a turn towards fully droid soldiers, with prior Dark Troopers being referenced as armored suits.^[3] Star Wars: Character Encyclopedia, Updated and Expanded Edition^[10] and the "Scene to Stats" article on the Dark Troopers on Atomic Mass Games's website later affirmed that the dark trooper program started as a combat suit effort, before later shifting into droids, in canon.^[11]