Clone troopers
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| Image:Clonetroopers.jpgClone troopers at the Battle of Geonosis. | |
| Class: | Infantry |
| Type: | Front-line soldiers |
| Affiliation: | Galactic Republic |
| Standard weapon: | DC-15 blaster rifle |
Clone troopers comprised the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars in the Star Wars universe. They first appeared in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and returned in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
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Background
Image:Clone troopers cw.jpg The clone troopers were created ten years prior to the outbreak of the Clone Wars by the cloners on the planet Kamino at the behest of Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas, according to the Kaminoans.
The genetic template of the clone troopers was Jango Fett, one of, if not the most, feared bounty hunter in the Galaxy at that time, as well as one of the last surviving Mandalorians, an ancient warrior culture. The clone troopers were outfitted with armor styled after Fett's Mandalorian battle armor and armed with weapons and vehicles produced in secret by Kuat Drive Yards.
Clone troopers were grown with accelerated speed, nearly double that of a normal human,though this rate would slow at the biological age of 10. Template:Cite needed Clone Troopers continue to age faster than humans, giving them a much reduced lifespan. At the age of 10 they are flash-trained in their specific tasks. Their genetic code was altered to make them more docile and subject to military discipline, though some clone units such as the Advanced Recon Clone (ARC) Troopers and Republic Commandos were allowed to retain more of Jango's original personality such that they could more-directly draw on his guile and years of combat experience. It is also noted that while some of the clones do possess a few human emotions including remorse and humor there is little that they can do if an order is given.
The Battle of Geonosis marked the first deployment of the clone troopers as well as the beginning of the Clone Wars. Beginning with the rescue of the remnants of Mace Windu's Jedi strike team, the clone army fought the Separatist forces on the rocky surface of Geonosis, forcing their retreat. Following that battle, the clone troopers were spread throughout the galaxy to engage the Confederacy of Independent Systems.
Clone trooper armies were led by Jedi Generals, who were in turn accompanied by Clone Commanders. Many clone commanders were placed into the ARC Training Program and became ARC Commanders, allowed to add to their standard kit and specialize their armor as well as the armor of their soldiers. Most of the ARC Commanders also took names which replaced their numerical clone designations. Commander Cody, who served with Obi-Wan Kenobi throughout the war, Commander Gree, who served with Jedi Master Luminara Unduuli, Commander Bacarra, who served with Jedi Master Ki-Adi Mundi, and Commander Bly, who served with Jedi Knight Aayla Secura, were all some of the most accomplished and superb examples of the ARC Commander program.
The clone troopers would eventually carry out Order 66 at the behest of Chancellor Palpatine and turn on their Jedi Generals. This marked the end of the Clone Wars, as well as the death of the Old Republic and the birth of the Galactic Empire. It was at this time that the clone troopers became the Imperial Stormtrooper Corps.
History
By the time of the Battle of Geonosis, about 1.2 million clones were ready for duty. Template:Cite needed When the Republic took the ready batches from the complementary Kaminoan clone stations of Baran Wu and Su Des, that army swelled to 3 million clones Template:Cite needed - still woefully inadequate to fight a galactic war against an industrial enemy with the ability to mass-produce large armies in very short amounts of time.
Clone efficiency was far superior to that of their average droid enemy, however. The average clone trooper managed 20 kills during his operational life. Template:Cite needed This superior performance, when combined with the highly-effective combat actions of the specialized clone units such as the Republic Commandos, ARC Troopers, and Clone Intelligence units, allowed the clone army to slowly but surely force the Confederacy of Independent Systems to retreat to the Outer Rim over the three year period of the Clone Wars. However, this was partly due to influence by Darth Sidious, as the Droid Army numbered in the quadrillions<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>, and half of the clone army was dead by the end of the war.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The fate of the clone troopers following the Clone Wars is a subject purely open to speculation. While the connection between the clone troopers and the Imperial stormtroopers in service to the Galactic Empire suggests that some of the original Jango Fett clones survived well into the Galactic Civil War, it has also been suggested from Expanded Universe sources that the original Fett DNA was replaced by other sources in the Empire's continuing clone program which provided the Imperial Stormtrooper Corps.
Only one original Jango Fett clone survived to fight for the Rebel Alliance in the Galactic Civil War: Able-1707, formerly under the command of Shaak Ti.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Able-1707 was stranded on a planet for 20 years after his unit was decimated in battle with Separatist forces. During those 20 years he led secret attacks against the Empire to aid the growing Rebellion. Those battles, of course, are not documented by the Empire. After the Rebellion recognized his potential as a true ally he later became an intelligence agent for the Rebel Alliance.
Ranks
Early Clone Wars
Image:Clone sharpshooter.jpg Initially, the rank of the clone troopers was determined by color worn on their helmet, arm and shoulder armor. Although the rank of each trooper was determined in the cloning process by the Kaminoans Template:Cite needed, battlefield promotions also sometimes took place.
- None - Trooper
- Light green - Sergeant; command squads, made of 9 troops. Green is also the color designated to Jet troopers in the Battlefront series of video games.
- Blue - Lieutenant; command platoons, made of 36 troops (4 squads) Blue is also the color designated to ARC troopers in the Battlefront series of video games.
- Red - Captain; command companies, made of 144 troops (4 platoons). Red is also the color designated to Clone Sharpshooters in the Battlefront series of video games.
- Yellow - Commander, tasked with leading regiments of clones (2,304 in total, 16 companies) into battle. Yellow is also the color designated to Clone pilots in the Battlefront series of video games. Clone commanders were grown with more capacity for independent thought than lower-ranking troops. It was from these ranks of original clone commanders that the ARC Commanders were born. Notable clone commanders included Cody, Bly, Gree, Bacara, Appo, Keller, Neyo, and Thire.
Clone commanders were broken up by rank, similar to real-world generals on Earth. Among these ranks were the Senior Clone Commanders - such as A'den - and the Clone Marshal Commanders, such as Bly. Clone Marshal Commanders typically served under Jedi Knights or Masters serving as Generals in the field.
Clone Commandos typically did not have any rank among themselves and in many cases eschewed the idea, concentrating instead on teamwork.Template:Cite needed Squad leaders were often born through interaction and organization, making the Clone Commandos an unconventional yet extremely lethal unit.
Clone pilots, such as Commander Odd Ball, also gained some notoriety for their audacious maneuvers in many Clone Wars battles, including the Battle of Muunilist and the Battle of Haruun Kal. Template:-
Late Clone Wars
With the introduction of Phase II clone armor, the Galactic Republic allowed more freedom and designated legion, platoon, and battalion designs more so than rank. Some clones added custom shoulder plates and other equipment to their armor such that there were many specialized units with their own armor designs by the end of the War.
Specialized clone troopers
Like with the Imperial stormtrooper and the Battle droid, the Clone trooper has several specialized units.
Clone trooper captains
Clone Trooper captains are specialized Clone troopers bred in Kamino to act in special missions. They are recognised by the red markings on their helmets and torso armour. The Clone Trooper captains are also assigned to leading companies of 144 Clone troopers. Their weapons are the DC-15 blaster rifle and pulse grenades. They are also trained to handle the Aratech military speeder bikes. They first appear during the Battle of Geonosis where they use their Aratech speeder bikes to round up and destroy the huge and clumsy Confederacy spider droids by throwing pulse grenades as they race across the battlefield. Some captains also serve as sharpshooters and scouts for the Republic Army. These clones are armed with long ranged sniper rifles and are tasked with the disruption of enemy infantry.
Clone trooper commanders
Image:Commander Neyo.jpg Template:Main Clone trooper commanders are clone troopers bred on Kamino for leadership roles in the Army of the Republic. They lead regiments of 2,304 clone troopers into battle. At the start of the war they are distinguished by yellow-orange markings on their armor and helmets. They are given special training to fulfill their advanced roles and are also bred with extra capacity for critical thinking and tactical coordination and allowed more independence. In combat, they are often assigned to any command centre that had been set up though sometimes they participate with their fellow clone troopers if badly needed.
Advanced Recon Commandos (ARC troopers)
Template:Main Advanced Recon Commandos - more informally known as ARC troopers - are part of the elite special forces of clone troopers under the Grand Army of the Republic. There are several subdivisions of ARC troopers, including ARC captains, ARC troopers, null-ARC troopers, and BARC troopers.
Galactic Marines
Under the command of Commander Bacara and general Ki-Adi-Mundi, the Galactic Marines are some of the most feared troopers in the Star Wars. They specialized in space and ground battles (mainly in cold regions,) and wear maroon armor with a back-pack that pumps hot water into their suits. The Marines are precursors to the Snowtroopers of Episode V.
Towards the end of The Clone Wars, Master Mundi and Commander Bacara lead the Marines into combat on the planet Mygeeto. After Emperor Palpatine enacts Order 66, the Marines kill Ki-Adi-Mundi.
The Marines wear maroon kama, or "command skirts", similar to the type ARC Troopers wear. They are equipped with DC-17 blaster rifles and the higher ranking ones are equipped with heavy repeating rifles. These troops are among the first to field-test new equipment and combat gear.Template:Cite needed Their use of the prototype spacetrooper powersuit during the Battle of New Bornalex was well documented; when the weapons systems on the suits failed, the troopers used the mechanical musculature to engage the enemy super battle droids in hand-to-hand combat and tore into them with their enhanced manipulators.Template:Cite needed The uniform of the Marines is used as Clone Commanders in Star Wars: Battlefront II as a shock trooper.
Clone SCUBA troopers
Image:CloneSCUBAtrooper.jpg The clone SCUBA trooper was created for the animated series Star Wars: Clone Wars. Clone SCUBA troopers are aquatic assault clone troopers grown on Kamino for the Army of the Republic. As the Confederacy of Independent Systems equips itself with Manta droid subfighters and other aquatic machines - and allies itself with aquatic races such as the Quarren and the Ishi Tib - the war is taken to the oceans of Mon Calamari. Jedi General Kit Fisto lead a clone SCUBA battalion into battle against the members of the Quarren Isolation League and their Confederate allies.
The SCUBA troopers suffer many losses to the Quarren artillery defenses, but gain the upper-hand when they ambush Trade Federation Sub-Carriers and hamper the launch of STAP mini-sub fighters.
The Clone SCUBA troopers are the predecessors of the Imperial Seatroopers.
Clone Shocktroopers
The Homeworld Security Clone Shocktroopers of the 65th Legion are specialized clone troopers of the Galactic Republic/Galactic Empire who serve under Palpatine and are led by Clone Commander Thire. Their armor is painted with distinctive red patterns, with various red stripes and rectangles covering the majority of their armor.
The Shock Troopers, similar to the ARC-Trooper and 501st programs, consist of a batch of randomly selected clones after birth and maturity. Template:Cite needed The Shock Troopers and the 501st legion were both shipped to Coruscant quietly after the Battle of Kamino, along with few cloners, under the order of Palpatine. Both legions are unique, compared to other clone legions, in that neither one ever serves under a Jedi(s) commander during the Clone Wars; the Shock Troopers are used to patrol Coruscant streets and landing platforms, checking identification and protecting key installations. They also act as normal security guards, and are Palpatine's exclusive military force, while the 501st served independently and serve under Lord Vader only after Order 66 and the fall of the Old Republic. During the beginning of the Battle of Coruscant, when CIS forces land on-planet and attack, the Shock Troopers and the 501st effectively defend the planet and hold back wave upon wave of CIS forces, but are still unable to prevent Palpatine's capture by General Grievous. Since Palpatine's capture was pre-meditated and planned, it is possible that Palpatine specifically prevented his own rescue, and the Shock Troopers probably played a role in it.Template:Cite needed
In addition to providing security for Coruscant, the Shocktroopers assist Emperor Palpatine in searching for the body of the presumed-dead Jedi Master Yoda on the Senate floor. Several Shocktroopers accompany Emperor Palpatine to recover Anakin Skywalker after his duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi on the planet Mustafar.
Because of their beginnings on Coruscant and extreme loyalty to the Emperor, the Shock Troopers are probably the only clones that did not have any moral issues with Order 66. Template:Cite needed
Clone Assassins
Clone Assassins are one of the ever-expanding specializations that Advanced Recon Commandos evolve into during The Clone Wars. When the threat of Count Dooku's compatriots became too much for even the Jedi Order, the Clone Assassin Corps is trained and disciplined for the sole purpose of taking down any form of Force-sensitives classified as enemies of The Republic.Template:Cite needed To effectively confront their would-be adversaries, any form of assistance is carefully researched; from agility enhancing stims to Advanced Jedi flow techniques Template:Cite needed and even black market far-ranging weapons technology. They are also taught the martial art known as Teras Kasi making them capable of avoiding most blows. Template:Cite needed
One of their most important and last actions, the elite members of the Corp are deployed to the Jedi Temple to ensure the proper execution of the said-to-be-traitorous Jedi Knights ordered by Emperor Palpatine. After purging the Jedi Temple, Darth Vader assigns them to protect the Jedi Communication Center that will lure the last of the Jedi in the Galaxy. As a last ditch effort to save the remaining Jedi, former General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Master Yoda infiltrate the Jedi Temple to reprogram the message. Even with their incredible prowess and greater numbers, the majority of the Corps are overrun. The Assassin Corps was never reestablished.
The survivors are said to have been reassigned, serving as advanced training overseers for the Galactic Empire's rising new elite purge forces, namely the Inquisitorius, 501st "Vader's fist" Legion, Coruscant Guards and Storm Commandos.Template:Cite needed They share these responsibilities with the Emperor's own, the Emperor's Royal Guards.
In Star Wars: Battlefront and Star Wars: Battlefront II, clone assassins are used as snipers. All assassins were required to have special training to improve their eyesight so that they could use their sniper rifle to take out any enemy threats in the battlefield efficiently.Template:Cite needed
In the video game Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, clone assassins are used to guard the Jedi Temple's signal beacon. They are armed with twin vibroblades and were extremely fast. They are also invulnerable to Jedi mind tricks.
Clone commandos
Template:Main The Clone commandos, also known as a Republic Commando, are elite Special forces soldiers of the Grand Army of the Republic. Trained in sets of four from the day of their birth, they are placed under command of soldiers hired by Jango Fett. (Many of which are Ex-Mandalorian soldiers, much like Jango himself. <ref>Template:Cite book</ref> These sets of four—based on Kamino's native Aiwha predators—are encouraged to think for themselves in a similar way to the ARC troopers. As a result of being in such small groups, they develop a very strong sense of Camaraderie. <ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Jet Troopers
Clone Jet Troopers were an experimental concept designed to take advantage of the so-called 'genetic memory' of their predecessor, Jango Fett. To this end, they wore jetpacks to zip quickly around the battlefield and reach otherwise inaccessible vantage points, and carried advanced weaponry. Only clones who had reached Sergeant rank or higher were eligible to join this semi-elite group of specialists.
Their jetpacks expanded on the ones used by Jango with increased fuel loads allowing for longer flight times. They were also far more controllable as they used miniaturised repulsorlift technology to dodge round corners rather than using just rockets to gain a quick boost of speed. Jet Troopers were equipped with an experimental EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) generator that fired a torpedo of roiling EMP energy towards a target. If that target was unfortunate enough to be a droid, the pulse would completely overload all of their systems and blow the droid to pieces. If used against living targets, the effect was less devastating, but it would still severely shock anything caught in the blast. Unhappily, though, the generator was bulky and could only carry enough ammo for 12 shots and was also slow to reload. For this reason, Jet Troopers were also equipped with one of the more dangerous blaster pistols ever to see widespread front-line service, the DC-17p.
Jet Troopers proved so effective in the early stages of the conflict that they continued to form a specialist legion until the end of The Clone Wars. The late-war Jet Troopers were equipped with more advanced armour but carried much the same weaponry. Their new armour was not coloured based on their specialist status but rather to indicate legion affiliation like normal Clone Trooper armour. Late-war Jet Troopers saw service in many legions thanks to their huge versatility in battle and their ability to cover large amounts of ground very quickly. Jet Troopers are only seen in Star Wars: Battlefront and Star Wars: Battlefront II. They resemble Clone sergeants in Battlefront I and Appo in II.
Other variations include the Skytrooper, designed for Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the Blaze Trooper, seen in Star Wars Episode III the Video Game, and it is rumoured that the idea evolved into the Dark Trooper, combined with the Battle Droid idea.
Clone pilots
Image:Clonetrooperpilot.jpg Clone trooper pilots were Clone troopers bred in Kamino for the purpose of piloting the air vehicles of the Republic Army. They could fly anything from a LAAT/i gunship to a Venator-class Star Destroyer. Their uniforms featured yellow markings and specialized helmets.They first appeared during the Battle of Geonosis where they flew the LAAT/i gunships, LAAT/c cargo gunships, and AT-TEs.
Image:OpeningBattle1-002.jpg When the ranks of the Grand Army of the Republic were revamped with new armor midway through The Clone Wars, the clone pilots also were revamped, wearing a grayish jumpsuit reminiscent of later pilot flightsuits with one of two helmets; either an enclosed pilot helmet (very similar in design to the standard clone helmets, but with black markings) which were worn by pilots of such fighters as V-wings, or a helmet that had the face exposed used by pilots flying ARC-170 starfighter. The latter helmet is a cross between the helmets of pilots of the Rebel Alliance and Imperial Stormtrooper pilots of the Galactic Empire, as seen in the original Star Wars trilogy. Many of these newly clad pilots were then reassigned to the recently unveiled Venator-class Star Destroyers and ARC-170 starfighters.
Specialized pilots are battlefield engineers, constructing and repairing turrets and vehicles, supply troops with supplies and plant timed explosives (Star Wars: Battlefront series.)
The Clone Pilot's helmet was one of the last things to be designed for Attack of the Clones. It was a cross between the Imperial pilots's helmet and the standard Clone Trooper helmet. The Clone Pilot's suit in Revenge of the Sith is based more closely to the Imperial Pilot's suit.
For more information, pleasee see: Star Wars: Databank | Clone trooper pilots. Template:-
Other types
For more Clone Trooper classes and types, please see List of units in Star Wars: Battlefront II.
References
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See also
- Imperial Stormtroopers
- Star Wars: Republic Commando
- List of Star Wars clone trooper legions
- 501st Legion (Star Wars)