Prompted by some of the discussion in the Star Wars Ep. 2 thread, I thought we should chat about the origins of the Empire's white clad shock troops. So come on folks, post your views and state your sources.

---

by Milky

Okay I'll try to explain it more clearly.

In Star Wars Ep 4: A New Hope and the other original trilogy movies the stormtroopers are humans(some conscripted from conquered worlds and some who volunteered for military service) and not clones. One way to tell this is in Star Wars Episode 4 when you hear stormtroopers speaking..they all have different voices meaning different people.



Ep 2 - Clones Good
Ep 3 - Some Clones Good, Some Clones Bad
Ep 4-6 - No Clones..only Stormtroopers who can't shoot very well

---

Well just becasue they're clones doesn't mean they can't have different voices. As a clone thier genetic material is the same as that of their template, however the development of the embryo and growth into adulthood yields differences, It's just the same as the way identical twins develop.

There are sources that states Stormtroopers are clones and that they aren't. Some comics, especiallythe early ones state that they were clones, later ones state that they were human and have had human stormtroopers as the characters in the story.

One book I have at hand "Rules of Engagement" published in 97 before the sequels states...

"The origin of the Stormtrooper legions is unknown, they were simply announced early in the Empire's history in a regular information broadcast, and posted in key facilities. Their numbers grew as time went onandtheir sphere of operation expanded rapidly. Their training facilities are unknown. Their recruitment source is unknown. Speculation runs wild, One of the commomest runours is that stormtroopers are clones, grown in secret facilities and imprinted with all the military training they need. Other ruomours suggest that they are recruited and trained on hidden worlds. Still others claim that the stormtroopers are recruited throught the general population, but channeled through a secret training program and imprinted with mindwipe sessions. All, some or several of these may be true. The Stormtroopers have no comment"

Another I have from 1989 entitled "The Imperial Sourcebook" states "Where the men who wear the armour of the stormtroopers are recruited from is unknown"