In the Star Wars universe, the Empire’s supremacy is most visible in the rows upon rows of its white and black infantry, the Stormtrooper Corps. These soldiers are recruited, trained, and dispatched to police the galaxy and enforce Emperor Palpatine’s iron will as the most visible symbol of Imperial martial law. 

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The Empire created Stormtrooper variants to match the details of every mission, to operate in any environment, and to succeed whatever the cost. They began as clones with the sole purpose of becoming a Grand Army of the Republic. When the Republic was eventually redesigned as the first Galactic Empire by Chancellor Palpatine, the Clone Troopers were conscripted into the Imperial Army and became the first Stormtroopers. It wouldn’t be until their accelerated-aging process made them too old to serve in the Stormtrooper's ranks and forced the Empire to start using human-born recruits.

Updated on June 9th, 2021 by Josh Davison: The Star Wars universe continues to grow with new movies, videogames, television series, and comic books. This means that new designations of Stormtroopers are introduced, and audiences get to see how the Galactic Empire enforced its rule in specific situations across the galaxy. 

36 Pilots, The Guardians Of Imperial & Republic Space

Star Wars Imperial Pilot

Clone and Imperial Pilots were a staple of the Clone Wars and Galactic Civil War. They patrolled the skies and space of the galaxy, and they were specially trained to do so.

Clone Pilots got off lucky with well-made ships intended for longevity in dogfighting. The TIE Fighters used by the Imperial Pilots were mass-produced and were easily blasted apart by laser cannon fire.

35 Galactic Marines, The Soldiers Of Mygeeto

Star Wars Galactic Marines

The Galactic Marines were a specialized group of Clone Troopers intended to fight in various environments and cross-trained to fight on the ground and in space.

These were made up of the Clone Troopers from the 21st Nova Corps, trained by Ki-Adi-Mundi, and notably fought on Mygeeto as seen in Revenge of the Sith. The Galactic Marines were led by Commander Bacara.

34 Bomb Squad Trooper, Defusing Ordnance That Could Shake The Republic

Bomb Squad Clone Trooper Figure

Both the Clone Army and Imperial Army had variants on this concept, and they were a pretty straightforward variety of trooper. They were intended to defuse and dispose of bombs and other kinds of ordnance.

Most notably, Bomb Squad Troopers, or Clone Ordnance Specialists, were enlisted to deal with the bombs spreading the Blue Shadow Virus on Naboo.

33 Storm Commando, Another Deadly Weapon In The Imperial Arsenal

Star Wars Storm Commandoo

The Storm Commandos are a particularly deadly variety of Storm Troopers. They were part of the Imperial Special Forces and intended to instigate unrest on enemy planets or track down high-value targets for the Empire.

They've been lightly mentioned in the post-Disney canon, and they are now known to be part of the 501st Legion and tend to work closely with Darth Vader.

32 Imperial Navy Troopers Guard The Ships & Space Stations Of The Empire

Imperial Navy Troopers

Imperial Navy Troopers look different than most varieties of Stormtroopers, as their faces are actually visible. They are most notably seen aboard the Death Star in A New Hope.

Their mandate is simple: prevent enemy soldiers and dissidents from causing havoc aboard Imperial starships and space stations. They were preceded by the 5th Fleet Troopers in the Clone Army.

31 EVO Troopers & Hazard Troopers, Made To Fight Nonhuman Aliens

EVO Trooper Figure Star Wars

EVO Troopers made their most famous appearance in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. There, they were trying to stop the Starkiller from accomplishing their mission, as they thought him to be a Jedi.

They were meant to fight in deadlier environments and were equipped with heavy weaponry, but the original EVO Troopers were also weirdly intended to fight nonhuman alien species, showing more evidence of nonhuman racism in the Empire.

30 Radiation Zone Stormtroopers, Because Nuclear Bombs Exist In Star Wars

Radiation Zone Trooper Star Wars

Radiation Zone Stormtroopers were a designation of Stormtrooper intended to fight within environments affected by nuclear radiation. They were mostly associated with Grand Admiral Thrawn's fleet.

This variety of Stormtrooper hasn't made a canon appearance yet, but it is still a notable type of Stormtrooper given how weird it is to think of nuclear bombs existing in Star Wars--which they do (at least in Legends).

29 Cave Trooper, Intended For Cave Combat

Star Wars Cave Trooper

Cave Troopers are a fairly straightforward designation of Stormtrooper. They are intended for subterranean cave combat and have armor very similar to that of a Scout Trooper.

The main things that set Cave Troopers apart from Scout Troopers are their bright headlamps and their large Vibroknives made for vicious melee combat. Their armor is often darker in color, resembling a gray or green.

28 Stealth/Special Operations Clone Trooper, A Scalpel In The Clone Army

Special Ops Clone Trooper Star Wars

These Clone Troopers were intended to work from the shadows and deal with special missions in the Clone Army. They had a similar role to ARC Troopers or Republic Commandos.

Their armor is darker, and their helmet is shaped differently than the average Clone Trooper.

27 Magma Trooper, Intended To Fight On Lava Planets

Star Wars Magma Stormtrooper

Magma Troopers were Stormtroopers made to fight in dangerous lava environments. They had a shoulder pauldron like Sandtroopers and were given special breathing apparatus to keep them from breathing fumes.

This variety of Stormtrooper was most notably deployed to Mustafar, Sullust, and Shu-Torun.

26 Novatrooper, The Special Stormtrooper To Fight On Naboo

Star Wars Nova Trooper

Novatroopers were a particularly special Stormtrooper designation. They wore black and gold armor and were deployed to significant locations like Naboo, the birthplace of Sheev Palpatine. They were also known to be deployed onto enemy starships.

They were well-trained Stormtrooper specialists intended to put extra fear into galactic denizens where needed.

25 Dark Troopers, Mechanical Murder Machines For The Empire

Dark Troopers Star Wars

The Dark Troopers are a marriage of Stormtrooper and Battle Droid more deadly than either. They were initially created by General Rom Mohc and intended to replace Stormtroopers. However, they weren't implemented into the late stages of the Galactic Civil War.

In the new canon, they were created by Moff Gideon in the aftermath of the Galactic Civil War and covered in Beskar armor, making them near-indestructible. However, they were swiftly dismantled by Luke Skywalker.

24 Elite Corps Troopers, A Clone/Enlisted Hybrid Squadron

Elite Squad Trooper Bad Batchc

Elite Corps Troopers were initially the 41st Clone Trooper Legion led by Clone Commander Gree. They were deployed to more dangerous locations with heavier fighting such as Kashyyyk.

However, the name was repurposed for a special Stormtrooper squadron that brought Jango Fett clones together with enlisted men. This Elite Squad was recently introduced into the canon by Bad Batch and was specially mandated by Admiral Tarkin.

23 Sith Troopers, The Emperor's Hidden Army On Exegol

Sith Trooper Hot Toys

The Sith Troopers were a hidden army trained and armed on the Sith planet known as Exegol. They were intended to reinstate Emperor Palpatine as the ruler of the Galaxy and supplant the First Order. They were deadlier than First Order Stormtroopers, and they were clad in crimson armor.

These Sith Troopers were largely wiped out with the fall of Palpatine and the Final Order on Exegol when the galaxy united for one last push against Palpatine and the Empire.

22 Republic Commandos For The Galactic Republic's Special Assignments

Star Wars Republic Commando

Republic Commandos were a special brigade of Clone Troopers trained by Mandalorian drill sergeants. Their missions involved espionage, assassination, and infiltration.

The most famous Republic Commando squadrons were Clone Force 99 (aka the Bad Batch), Delta Squad, and Omega Squad.

21 ARC Troopers (Advanced Recon Commandos), The Deadliest Of The Clone Army

Star Wars Clone Wars Captain rex and jesse umbara

ARC Troopers were the best of the best in the Clone Army. They were the most heavily trained and well-equipped Clone Troopers in the army. They were often deployed in squadrons but could just as easily cause mayhem for the Separatists while alone.

The most famous ARC Trooper is Captain Rex of the 501st, but other notable ARC Troopers include Alpha-17, Ordo, Fives, Echo, and Captain Fordo

20 Stormtrooopers, The Basic Soldier Of The Galactic Empire

Star Wars Stormtroopers

As part of the Imperial Army’s Stormtrooper Corps, Stormtroopers graduated from the Imperial Academy with a sworn devotion to the Empire and to Emperor Palpatine. They wore white body armor and helmets made from Plastoid over a black body glove, were equipped with a utility belt full of survival gear, and carried E-11 blaster rifles. 

The Stormtrooper ranks were once populated by clones. The advanced aging process of the clones eventually meant that they would have to be retired. Since a single legion of Stormtroopers needed 12,800 recruits, human-born conscripts took their place in the Imperial Army's ranks. 

19 Patrol Troopers, The Localized Police Force Of The Empire

Solo Star Wars Patrol Trooper

During the first few years of the Galactic Empire, Patrol Troopers began popping up. The local planetary defense forces in place were gradually replaced by these specialized Stormtroopers, who covered ground by cruising on their C-PH Patrol Speeder bikes, armed with EC-17 blasters.

Their helmets are slightly larger than regular Stormtroopers to allow for enhanced imaging electronics that gave them the ability to scan an individual’s face and compare it to the information stored in its internal database. They also receive data on things like traffic and construction common congestion problems in urban environments.

18 Riot Control Troopers, The Stormtroopers Needed For Close Combat Battles

Star Wars Riot Control Troopers

The First Order has a few variants on the standard Stormtrooper, most notably in the form of the Riot Control Troopers that attack Finn in The Force Awakens. Riot Control Troopers serve one purpose and one purpose only: Keep order on First Order-controlled worlds.

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Unlike the Galactic Empire, the First Order has trained its troopers in riot control tactics and gave them equipment that is non-lethal, such as Betaplast ballistic riot shields, and Z6 riot control batons. However, should a situation arise when diplomatic methods are no longer appropriate, F-11D blaster rifles are also adequate to suppress a planet’s inhabitants.

17 Seatroopers, Needed For Fighting Underwater Battles

Star Wars Seatroopers

Stormtroopers that specialized in the fully submerged aquatic assault were known as Seatroopers. In the age of the Galactic Empire, many worlds under its control were primarily aquatic, with natural ecosystems and urban environments underwater. 

Seatroopers had lightweight armor, worn over a glove-like bodysuit that repelled toxins in water and acted as a sealant. They could stay fully submerged for over an hour at a time, with a back-mounted propulsion unit that let them glide through the water with speed beyond their swimming skills. Their boots had flippers and came equipped with propulsion systems as well. Their SG-4 blaster rifles were capable of firing miniature harpoon darts underwater.