I think that Andor's doing a good job building up the fear of stormtroopers when regular army troopers are capable of killing well known side characters. Even the Pre-Mor Security guys managed to land a hit on Andor and proved to be at least a threat to their lives. Not to mention that ISB officer Blevin only gets a contingent of army troopers on Ferrix as his escort and garrison showing that the matter is beneath the importance of the stormtroopers.

I've always given Stormtroopers and their armor the credit they deserve. For the empire!

I was always of the opinion that their armor perhaps was protective enough to save them from death. But the energy was dispersed still could knock them out, similar to "bullet proof vests" still leaving bruises and blunt damage. This to me would give them even more confidence to rush in like is shown in the movies, knowing that even if they go down they'll be able to recover readily.

I’ll never forgive Disney for making these badass troopers into comic relief

Thank you for this, I completely agree, stormtroopers need to be portrayed as an elite fighting force because they were. Long live the empire!

What's more terrifying: "can't land a shot on anyone" or "so good they miss on purpose"

Considering how Andor is treating the Imperial army, I really hope they give the same treatment to Stormtroopers, making them look tough and scary to handle and deal with

Let's be perfectly honest , if the stormtroopers were as incompetent as people make them out to be the Emperor would have gathered them all together and made them hold metal rods during a force storm .

What everyone seems to miss about the Stormtroopers in Episode 4 is that they where under order to let the intruders win. When they stormed Leia's ship earlier, they quickly overwhelmed the defenders, despite the defenders having set up a chokepoint.

Not to mention the rebel that was shot on Endor taking cover behind the dish with just his head barely sticking out. That one basically took a bolt right to the temple and went down instantly. The shot also looked like it was from a distance. Then we have the Stormtrooper that popped out of the brush and immediately took out R2 with one placed blaster bolt from a E-11

I always said; if the stormtroopers were terrible shots, what does that say about the rebel troops they consistently defeat? Great video.

I've got a theory/lore idea for why stormtroopers were less viable in the Disney era. Training time was shortened after the destruction of the death star, and the empire just suddenly started slapping stormtrooper armor on normal recruits with fewer and fewer "real" stormtroopers available. Basically after the massive loss of life on both death stars along with the attrition against the rebels meant the empire were running low on trained men.

Yes.....When I first saw Stormtroopers in 1977 I considered them the bad ass warriors of the Empire.... time for them to get their due.. Long Live the Empire...!!!

There is a short part in solo during the Mimban trench warfare scene when you see the stormtroopers that take han away have blaster marks on their armor, extra plating on their helmets, extra pouches, trench ponchos, and are covered in mud and grime. I only remember seeing a few of them while the rest of the army looked like those conscripted soldiers like han solo. I liked that they tried to show they were a more elite unit.

I think it is pretty awesome on what Andor is doing with the stormtroopers. I always thought the clone troopers and stormtroopers were pretty cool especially how their armor looks as much as how they are as soldiers. I have a newfound respect for them especially when I love playing as them in Star Wars Battlefront 2. I am glad to have clicked on this video and learned something new about them.

This is why i like Andor. They show standard imperial infantry... So they have an excuse to die and miss

I hate that stormtroopers are still put down because of their inaccuracy when in the books they are a force to be reckoned with, in heir to the empire they are revered for their prowess and efficiency even doing a number on lando and the shipyards of sluis van as they almost took an entire group of freighters

Stormtroopers are heavily inspired by the German Stoßtruppen from WW1, which used small submachine guns to storm trenches and create exploitable holes in the enemy lines, pioneering the tactics of shock troopers. Though probably not intentional, the Sterling SMG used as a basis for the E-11, shares a direct lineage with the MP 18 used by the original WW1 Stormtroopers.

I don’t think any video as spoken to me more as a Star Wars fan, and a fan of the empire at that, than this one. I been defending these guys forever and finally it’s put into a perfect explanation. Amazing

thank god people can understand stormtroopers are scary as hell

they fr don't get enough credit

ALL MY STORMTROOPERS RISE UP. We're done being misled about and being disrespected!

Another thing highlighted in Rogue One is that the Plot Armour is legit. Chirrut Îmwe crossed the battlefield chanting in a meditativestate "I am one with The Force and The Force is with me." and was untouched. As soon as Îmwe finished his mission, pulling the switch, or whatever he did, everything turned for the rebels on the ground. The Force was backing the rebels as a whole, but needed to abandon the ones planetside for the mission to be completed. Even if the Stormtroopers were actually trying to land their shots, The Force would protect characters that were integral to the objective, or were strong with The Force, and the ST's shots would miss. Selfish and violent insurrectionists like Guerra would have far less protection than ones like Mothma, who lived to help found the New Republic.

One other side effect of the Stormtrooper armor uniformity is that it's generally quite difficult for their armor to be stolen unless the people stealing it just happened to fall into the physical size requirements. The fact that both Han and Luke were able to fit into the armor is quite lucky for them.

I'd imagine a stormtrooper charging into battle yelling "FOR THE EMPEROR" like space marines from Warhammer 40k

I'd say that another thing we often ignore is just how exceptional the protagonists of these movies/shows are. Force sensitives, Mandalorians, elite mercenaries, veteran soldiers etc. Some of it is silly, but often it's not that the storm troopers are not good, it's that the protagonists are better

You're right man. People been getting Stormtroopers wrong for decades. Glad someone else finally said "No wait. That's not right."

I never actually noticed how powerful the stormtroopers actually were. I mean star wars depicts them as drooling fools in most newer films. I like how in obi wan and rogue one how they made stormtroopers actually formidable opponents. I mean the clones were highly trained and well equipped along with first order stormtroopers but imperial ones just always seemed fragile and stupid. Great video btw and id like to see more content like it

I totally agree with this and am glad to know others understand the true role of the Stormtroopers. The only part I would question is the accuracy of the E-11 blaster. The weapon fires wonderful when the plot armor is not in play, also when the hero’s pick up the weapon they are very accurate with no HUD interface and no real training with the weapon.

we need a tv series about a team of stormtroopers going about their daily lives, and absolutley none of that "relising the empire is bad and joining the rebellion" bullshit

I agree. They need to re-establish the threat storm troopers pose.

My theory was always this: The Feared Elite Stormtroopers were present during ANH, but when the Death Star blew up, most of them went too. Every Stormtrooper we see afterwards are merely conscripts and recruits, forced into Stormtrooper Regiments to "keep the image" of an elite troop for Propaganda purposes.

Their aim is really good in Mandalorian (when they're shooting at blaster proof armor). Soldiers skills bend to the plot and what the creators are trying to demonstrate, not the other way around. Can't think of a franchise that doesn't do this. Similar to how clones can sometimes wallop droids and sometimes can't.

We could see briefly the training in Star Wars Rebels... I always explain to my friends, that stormtroopers aren't supposed to be stupid and their armor should withstand a blaster shot, of course straight hit can kill a stormtrooper soldier but I read a long time ago that the armor is supposed to save life of a soldier behind it, blaster shot can cause burns but not fatal injury... when I watch a Star Wars episode I often wonder how many stormtroopers that were hit and were just laying there to end of combat got back to service after a short time in bacta tank... people think whatever you want but stormtroopers aren't just cannon fodder

4:10 the stormtrooper armor was completely protective of Ezras Slingcaster. It definitely works on the crappier weapons

It does seem like recently, stormtroopers are being treated a little better. The ones in The Mandalorian only do badly when against particularly dangerous people like Boba, and in Andor, they're lack of presence so far indicates that the rebels there are just not worth using soldiers that good, with standard imperial soldiers being properly repesented, and posing a threat already. I expect stormtroopers will appear in Andor at some point, especially with his comment in Rogue One about the ones you don't see being more dangerous. That sounded very much like he was referring to death troopers, especially with how serious and almost afraid he sounded saying it. This clearly implies at that point in time that he's encountered them before, so the death troopers may actually appear late in the series as a major threat.

In a respect thread on Comic Vine i've read that the Stormtroopers undergo 2 years of brutal training on Carida, which is a planet with high gravity. This alone was enough for me to think that Stormtroopers are actually badassess. This is how i wish Stormtroopers were portrayed.

Thank you, it's about time someone finally addressed how these elite troopers aren't just cannon fodder. And while it's comical at times, it sucks to see how they've been reduced in modern media(aside from Andor it would seem)

It sounds like the armor is about as protective as real life armor

Incredible and beautiful photos used during this video. Thanks for an outstanding essay on the Stormtrooper.

I hope Storm Troopers are really given a chance to shine in Andor. It would go a long way in restoring their narrative credibility with the audience as an elite fighting force to be respected and/or feared. This will in turn elevate the palpable danger the heroes are in, and highlight the struggle they must endure to overcome the odds (suspension of disbelief and all that)

It's taken so long for stormtroopers to get the recognition they deserve, but I'm glad it has happened

The Stormtroopers were always going to be a step down from the Clone Troopers at their best, but that speaks more on how awesome the Clone Troopers are. Stormtroopers being elite soldiers should have been shown in Rebels with only Kanan (and later Ezra and Ahsoka) able to route them thanks to being a Jedi. Instead of the comically inept groups we saw.

You don't know how long ive been looking for a video about how great us Stormtroopers truly are :)

That stuff about letting the rebels go because of orders from Vader or someone else makes complete sense and is my new head canon. As for the joke in Mando about stormtroopers being bad shots, I believe this was New Republic propaganda so as to further minimize The Empire in the eyes of the galaxy. Finally, as to why the stormtroopers in Mando were so bad I believe it’s because of losing the Emperor. Hence they no longer had the iron will and ideological devotion to be elite soldiers. They suffered from low morale and it affected their combat. It could also be that perhaps the Empire had to be less picky with its recruits after they lost at Endor, perhaps resorting to forced labour to fill out some of their battle corps. It’s a lot of mental gymnastics I know, lol

I want to see more of the Stormtroopers we see in Rouge One and Andor. Actually capable and fear inducing soldiers for the Galatic Empire, able to not only land a shot, but a killing one at that. Not the ones who supposedly killed the Jawas and Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru yet can't land a single shot on the 9 ft wookie and man literally charging at them.

Empire at War, the Battlefront series, Commander, and other Star Wars games allow the player to prove how deadly and efficient the stormtroopers are and the empire as a whole

I like the idea that after Endor the empire just made anyone a stormtrooper which is why by the time of the mando they are very poor soldiers

absolutely love the goofy edits!!

I totally agree with everything said in this video. I'd like to add that the plot armor that protects the protagonists actually has an in-universe explanation via the Force. This so-called "stormtrooper syndrome", where stormtroopers appeared inept versus the heroes & elite versus everyone else, was canonized in the old Expanded Universe as the Force manipulating the odds in favor of individuals who are important to fulfilling its will. This can also be seen in the new Disney canon in Rogue One during the Battle of Scarif when Chirrut walks across a field of blaster fire without getting hit to turn off the Imperial signal disruptor, only to be shot as soon as he accomplished his mission.

The real reason Stormtroopers can't hit anything. To quote from Peter Griffith's Han Solo: "Look, we got four or five of the main characters on this ship. I think we're gonna be okay."

Remember how in the original a new hope one stormtrooper bumped his head on the top door of the Death Star? I can’t believe they left that in the final movie lol

I whole heartedly agree, the victory at the end of endor is made less important and significant if the rebels never truly struggled, its like everyone wishes to be a top notch rebel soldier and live their dream of being a part of the rebels taking on the empire, which I too would love to be a part of but then who gets to be the bad guy? no one, just writing em off as expendable canon fodder is enough for today's writers.

Yep, I hate what Disney has done to storm troopers. They had an opportunity to slowly increase the threat of the storm troopers but decided to do the opposite. Now we never really feel like the characters are in any sort of danger. They'll demolish hordes of storm troopers then proceed to surrender to two of them when the plot calls for it.

having read the most of the Expanded Universe novels from the X-wing series to the Yuuzhan Vong crisis, i agree that stormtroopers have been treated as bad jokes by Disney and it's good to see them returned to glory!

Nothing better than stormtroopers

Stormtroopers aren’t meant to be joke but when Tala slapped the stormtroopers, they looked incredibly incompetent. But Andor makes them look intimidating. They actually feel menacing and feel like an actual threat to the galaxy.

THANK YOU! I hate the notion that Stormtroopers are incompetent buffoons.

A possible justification for that sequence in Kenobi is already in your video: these soldiers are hard-wired to obey authority. So, if an authority figure (superior officer) all of a sudden decides to beat them up, I think they will hesitate for the few moments it will take to bring them down.

Awesome video!!! Only thing that would make this better would be pictures of all the features you mentioned!! Excellent video!

some solid points about the original trilogy and how stormtroopers operate that definitely flew over my head until now. take my like

I think they need to make a show or something about an imperial or first order Stormtrooper/official and portray them how they really are, because in theory the stormtroppers/officials are capable , but in all the movies and most of the shows they are just cannon fodder without aim or skill, you stumble in videos or books like this where you see the training, equipment and skill that they supposedly have but just don't really see it reflected, I just want some really good portrayal of imperials/F.O that is not a change in sides.

Thank you for the vid and breakdown. As a Shadow Scout of the 501st, it is good to see someone taking the time to give credit to what the Stormtroopers where supposed to be and not what they have been turned into. I tried explaining these same points to a lot of people over the years but they often times don't listen and just point to how they get slaughtered in all the movies and TV shows.

I love the videos that give my homies much needed recognition

Funnily enough, EC Henry did a video about how accurate Stormtroopers really are and found that they are inhumanly accurate. They have better accuracy ratings than most modern career soldiers and are much deadlier, too. Even the fact that they purposefully miss their shots proves just how accurate they are, since even as an experience shooter doing that in a believable and safe way is incredibly difficult. Thank you for this video. As someone who was proud to play as a Stormtrooper in the original Battlefront 2 (and subsequently demolished the opposition with my near perfect aim) it pains me just how badly people misunderstand the Stormtroopers.

Amen, brother. I've known all these things already, but it is greatly appreciated when it is put into a condensed format for public consumption. It gets tiring when people treat that joke as fact. Thanks lots.

This announcement is Sponsored by the 501st Legion :) Seriously, this is an excellent video. I've been a storm trooper fanboy ever since day one when I first saw A New Hope 45 years ago and your explanations do justice to the troopers. I like where Andor is going and hope they continue to correct the image of the Imperial forces.

In the Expanded universe, Storm Troopers are rather tough. Several of the books have battles, with them being brutal affairs. Also, to go back to the West End roleplay game, the armor is strong, and dealing with stormtroopers is never a joke in the game. I played in one tabletop game with a veteran stormtrooper who had killed Jedi and plenty of other rebels.

The bottom line is that a monolithic amount of writing went into salvaging the reputation of expendable goons in cheesy 1970s sci-fi costumes 😂

Absolute agreement. The Stormtroopers, as well as ISDs and similar, should be almost terrifying to all but the absolute top capable Rebels. These aren't incompetents, they aren't small, they're extremely dangerous and effective. The Stormtroopers have been known to just curbstomp those who resisted, due to its scope it could often crush what the Republic Army failed to do. The Stormtroopers were known to train under the most veteran and often bitter clone commanders, there is a tale of them being forced to climb mountains and sheer cliffs without gear, many dying in the process, and that was also mandatory of TIE Pilots who were some of the best pilots the galaxy had ever seen as a full force as well. It's inferred in extended lore that a solid number of the troopers Han and Leia shot were not dead but rather unconscious as the armor, when dispersing energy, can fairly often result in the knocking out of the soldier, but that soldier will be back in the fight within a short rest and minor medical treatment. The E-11 was not the most accurate weapon past a corridor fight but it was entirely serviceable at range. The Empire not only outnumbered but outclassed almost everything it came into contact with, such is especially true when it comes to its Stormtrooper Corps., Navy, and ISB. It did suffer from "fight the last war" syndrome in some officers, and it had issues of political appointments in some parts, but if you were facing the real deep Empire you should be afraid, people such as Tarkin and Thrawn were two of the best strategists the galaxy had ever known with some of the most successful designs in the Galaxy's history. The ISD, regardless of how many people attempt to disparage it, was far beyond any ship of the line that came before and much that came after, surviving over a hundred years of continuous conflict still being a somewhat coveted vessel when everything else from its era had been retired. The galaxy had never before seen a ship as large and powerful as the ISD as a standard line, nor had it seen a force such as the Stormtroopers before that was so elite yet numbered well beyond the trillions in just ship-bound garrisons.

I never knew this, thank you for opening my eyes.

Thank you for this breakdown! I’ve thought for a long time that Stormtroopers don’t deserve this part of their reputation

Love Andor and the stormtroopers! Great vid!!!

Yes. Finally, justice for the Imperial troopers.

Very well said, i completly agree

I thought the E-11 was considered one of the most RELIABLE rifle blasters in Star Wars?? It wasn’t a great long distant rifle, but great for mid range and also great for tight quarters and basically a Lego rifle with all kinds of attachments.

Great video displaying your hypothesis on stormtroopers seemingly in aptitude, but the simple fact is that what really made them seem like fools was the element of surprise! Han best displayed this in a new hope when he chased a squad down the corridors a moment before they realized it was just him! Stormtroopers as you’ve stated, were trained and used to being a bully type force who generally stands out in the open in hoards, so it’s easy to manipulate them by all means of distraction and confusion especially when taken out of their element in times when they’re not in groups but just patrolling or guarding something! And of course, there’s the will of the force where I don’t care who you are that if it’s not destined your not hitting the mark(no pun intended on our beloved Luke actor).😱🤷🏻🤣

This was an awesome video and It nails everything regarding the armor and training. I wish more shows and games really worked off of the material out there with respects to the Stormtrooper training and equipment / their purpose as a shock force. I'm hoping Andor makes the Stormtroopers actual threats but also explores some of the humanity behind them, while conditioned to do be die-hards - we know that even they may gradually become disenchanted with the Empire or have their own views but stay with the Empire because they don't see any other alternative. The art in this video could easily be used in story telling, consider a few shorts that take place in the POV of Stormtroopers and other Imperial forces and explore what they endured and their understanding of the war and their reason for being Imperial. Hell, you could make an entire show, movie or game from an Imperial perspective that's tasked with combating the more radical cells of the Rebellion such as Saw Guerra's faction and the horrible things they did on Imperial worlds.

I'm fully on board with this!

Thank you!

I've been waiting for hard core Stormtroopers forever! I'd actually LOVE to see a spin off series that focuses on them and their training. Make them a threat!

Excellent brekadown. Disney only listens to Twitter- or used to. When big channels like yours and other people very STRONGLY and METICULOUSLY break down everything and explain it, well, big players like Disney eventually listen. Sense and logic eventually win over stupidity and ignorance. For the Empire!

Great video!!!!

Justice for my boys the Stormtroopers!!

I'm glad they are not universal degraded, this video was a great one!

Yes, please meet the Storm troopers, more fornible. They should be feared.

Thank you sir

Yeah! A 13 minute video that I can show my friends that will explain why stormtroopers are actually great soldiers!

I agree, they should make a series on the stormtroopers. Really give them the chance to shine.

Great points!

Finally! Someone said it. Stormtroopers aren't plastic meatshields. They're effective soldiers of the Empire.

Finally someone who understands stormtroopers and their aim

Love the art u used in the video.

Rebels is largely to blame for this notion, they completely ruined storm troopers and made them a complete joke. Sure other media have shown them to have issues but rebels has troopers missing Point blank targets some of which didn’t even have a blaster.

👌🏻😎 Nice video!

I think Stormtroopers are the best no matter what or how they do things. Long live the stormtrooper!

I think I read somewhere that the armor thickness of the upper helmet is double that of the rest of the suit. If any piece of armor could withstand a direct hit from a military-grade blaster bolt, it would be the top of their helmets, which makes perfect sense.

Lol the short storm trooper in front

Good presentation sir.

If Stormtroopers be more tactical, that'll be cool.