Stormtroopers (ST)—known as TK stormtroopers and as TK troopers during the early Imperial Era, Remnant Stormtroopers after the Battle of Endor, and colloquially referred to as «bucketheads«—were the infantry soldiers of the Galactic Empire. The members of the Imperial Army‘s Stormtrooper Corps served on the frontline as elite shock troops, and their loyalty to the Empire was absolute as a result of their training. The stormtrooper armor that they wore consisted of white plastoid plates over a black body glove, and their standard weapon was the E-11 blaster rifle. In addition to the standard trooper, various specialized units such as scout troopers and snowtroopers comprised the ranks of the Stormtrooper Corps.

Possibly taking their name from the «storm» of galactic history, stormtroopers served the Empire since its inception at the end of the Clone Wars when the Sith Lord Darth Sidious declared himself Galactic Emperor. The Galactic Republic was supplanted by the Empire, and the clone troopers who formed the backbone of the Grand Army of the Republic became the first generation of Imperial stormtroopers. During the early years of the Imperial Era, the cloning operation on Kamino was shut down as the Empire turned to conscription and recruitment in order to fill the stormtrooper ranks. The remaining clones were retired from service due to their rapid aging, their legacy inherited by natural-born humans who were also trained to render total allegiance to the Emperor and his New Order.

Bucketheads were spread throughout the galaxy during the Emperor’s reign, from the Imperial capital of Coruscant in the Core Worlds, to occupied planets such as Lothal and Tatooine in the Outer Rim Territories. They fought many battles against the forces of the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Galactic Civil War, including the Battle of Scarif, the Battle of Hoth, and the Battle of Endor. Shortly before the Battle of Yavin, Princess Leia Organa was captured by stormtroopers who served under Darth Vader, the Emperor’s Sith apprentice. However, Organa was rescued by Luke Skywalker and Han Solo who, disguised as stormtroopers, infiltrated the first Death Star. The Emperor stationed a legion of stormtroopers on Endor to protect the shield generator of the second Death Star, although they were defeated by the Alliance’s Ewok allies.

With the Emperor’s death, Counselor to the Empire Gallius Rax took control of the Imperial loyalist forces which rallied to his homeworld of Jakku to make a final stand against the New Republic. After losing the Battle of Jakku, the Empire signed the Imperial Instruments of Surrender and the Galactic Concordance, and its stormtrooper forces were consequently demobilized as part of the New Republic’s terms for peace. Despite this, a number of Imperial remnants continued to make use of stormtroopers as soldiers or mercenaries in the Outer Rim, including Moff Gideon‘s faction as well as the remnants on Morak. By the last days of the New Republic Era, a new generation of stormtroopers emerged as soldiers of the First Order.