Star Wars: Rebels Peeks Behind The Stormtrooper Helmet

[Fanghawk]

Star Wars: Rebels Peeks Behind The Stormtrooper Helmet

In "Breaking Ranks," Rebels has really hit its groove.

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[RealRT]

Stormtroopers are horrible? They were pretty fearsome at the beginning of Episodes IV and V, while boarding Tantive IV and assaulting the Echo base. Of course they were pretty miss heavy on the Death Star, but remember, Vader wanted to let go of Millenium Falcon so it leads the Imperial forces right to the rebel base.
Of course, there's always Episode VI and... I dunno, they were not ready for Ewoks?

 

[Scarim Coral]

Am I the only one who thought that taking out the crystal scene was somewhat dark eventhought I had no qualms of the Stormtropper death so far until now? I guess being vapourize to death is gruesome in my eyes for some reason.

Also isn't that system seen to be a stupid one? I thought they can sense the force in a person if that person is force user?

 

[nekoali]

A force sensitive person can get the feel when another force sensitive is in the area, but the Inquisitor and Vader can't be everywhere. So it makes sense that officers would keep an eye out for people who might exhibit Force abilities and then contact the Inquisitor to investigate further, or others like him. Still, that makes at least three apparent force sensitive teens on Lothal. Someone might want to pay a bit more attention to the planet, as indeed Agent Kallus and the Inquisitor are doing now.

 

[Neverhoodian]

I wasn't expecting an episode like this, particularly since the series tends to regard Stormtroopers as a nuisance at best and Waspinator-level butt monkeys at worst. I'm happy to see some character and humanity applied to them, even if it's just for a few cadets.

Also, yet another old EU reference with the kyber crystal shipment. I love it. Keep it coming.

 

[Saltyk]

I wasn't expecting an episode like this, particularly since the series tends to regard Stormtroopers as a nuisance at best and Waspinator-level butt monkeys at worst. I'm happy to see some character and humanity applied to them, even if it's just for a few cadets.

Also, yet another old EU reference with the kyber crystal shipment. I love it. Keep it coming.

Really? Well, that just leaves me to assume Disney isn't turning it's back on the EU, but simply picking and choosing what to incorporate into the brand. Something I doubt fans could complain about, but surely will find a way.

Anyway, I enjoyed this episode. So far, this series has proven to be a pretty solid Star Wars adventure for me. And I have yet to be completely disappointed in an episode. Still looking for more information on a few of the Crew members, though. I really hope we get some episodes that focus on the others and flesh out their back stories.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Stormtroopers are horrible? They were pretty fearsome at the beginning of Episodes IV and V, while boarding Tantive IV and assaulting the Echo base. Of course they were pretty miss heavy on the Death Star, but remember, Vader wanted to let go of Millenium Falcon so it leads the Imperial forces right to the rebel base.
Of course, there's always Episode VI and... I dunno, they were not ready for Ewoks?

Stormtroopers are highly effective against anyone who doesn't have the all-important plot armor. They lost, as far as we saw, only four men when they attacked Leia's ship in Star Wars. Two were killed in the breach, another when the rounded a corner, and Leia shot one. Otherwise, they tore that ship apart. So yeah, I agree with you. They also killed several of the strike force members on Endor, and I'm betting that a lot of Ewoks bit the dust too. There were just more Ewoks than them.

Anyway...I saw this episode a week early. I was (and still am) trying to find the episode where they 'rescue' the female Jedi master, but for some reason On Demand had this episode listed in its place. It's still like that, even a week later. It's kind of annoying, because last week's episode sounded great.

 

[DoctorM]

I'm pretty sure the Clone Wars animated series is still canon and kyber crystals were mentioned there. That wasn't a stretch.

And a question to you all: Aren't Stormtroopers supposed to be a revision of Clonetroopers? I was under the impression that clones were being used as cannon fodder to oppress the people. This episode suggests that they're made up of large numbers of regular people that like the Empire and want to fight on its side.

Zuh? I hate that.

 

[leviticusd]

Anyway...I saw this episode a week early. I was (and still am) trying to find the episode where they 'rescue' the female Jedi master, but for some reason On Demand had this episode listed in its place. It's still like that, even a week later. It's kind of annoying, because last week's episode sounded great.

Really? It's still listed On-Demand for me. I also see them a week early like you mentioned (watched next week's episode today). It's called "Rise of the Old Masters" and is still available this evening for me. I watched it with my boys. They don't put them in order and all the little 3 minute clips make it harder to find the actual episode is my only beef.

 

[Abomination]

I found the episode made quite a bit of sense from a "heresy" perspective. The Empire fears the re-emergence of the Jedi and so any trooper that shows any particular skill above average is subject to inquisition - of which the survival rate is nil because an inquisitor does not wish to be potentially responsible for a false-negative finding.

This would in turn explain how crap on average Storm Troopers are in Episode 4-6 - there's a glass ceiling.

Or I'm probably reading too much in to it.

 

[Neverhoodian]

I'm pretty sure the Clone Wars animated series is still canon and kyber crystals were mentioned there. That wasn't a stretch.

And a question to you all: Aren't Stormtroopers supposed to be a revision of Clonetroopers? I was under the impression that clones were being used as cannon fodder to oppress the people. This episode suggests that they're made up of large numbers of regular people that like the Empire and want to fight on its side.

Zuh? I hate that.

Huh, I wasn't aware kyber crystals were in the Clone Wars series. Still, I'd wager that show was inspired by the old EU novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Splinter_of_the_Mind%27s_Eye].

As for non-clone Stormtroopers, there's a convoluted explanation in the old EU. A group of Kaminoan scientists went rogue and bred a secret batch of clone troopers to stage an uprising against the Empire. Loyalist Stormtroopers were deployed, pitting clones against one another for the first time. Though the uprising was crushed, it led Palpatine to believe that an army comprised entirely of clones from a single genetic template couldn't be trusted. Future Stormtroopers were either cloned from a variety of templates or trained from the regular human population via conscripts and volunteers.

I'd imagine Imperial propaganda and coercion played a factor in "convincing" folks to join the Empire. Moreover, some old EU literature like The Stele Chronicles suggests that there was widespread resentment (particularly in the Outer Rim territories) regarding the impotent and corrupt Republic Senate, leading some to welcome the Empire's "reforms" with open arms. They may have been authoritarian and evil, but at least they got shit done.

 

[Legomaniac91_v1legacy]

This episode highlights a point that has always bugged me about the original trilogy; why does Palpatine still follow the "Rule of Two?" I get that it was intended to ensure that the Sith order would survive and to cut down on infighting. Here's the thing though, at the end of Episode 3 the Sith have won! Palpatine and Vader succeeded in a way Darth Bane couldn't have possible predicted. I know Palpatine is supposed to be pretty paranoid about be usurped, but the Jedi are dead and the only Sith left are utterly loyal to you. If I was in his position, I'd be rebuilding the Sith order (using a pretense like "these will be better defenders than the Jedi ever were") and recruiting force sensitives to be trained as Sith either on Korriban or demolishing the Jedi Temple ruins to build a new facility, just to piss on the Jedi's grave. The inquisitor(s) could be like the police of the new order, hunting down treacherous Sith or finding new recruits (maybe invoke the old law of "any Force sensitives must be trained as Sith or be killed as traitors to the Empire"). If Order 66 was a knife to the heart of the Jedi, rebuilding the Sith empire to its former glory would be giving the knife a sharp twist.

 

[Ishal]

If Order 66 was a knife to the heart of the Jedi, rebuilding the Sith empire to its former glory would be giving the knife a sharp twist.

The entire reason the Rule of Two was established was because of what happens when a Sith Empire reaches a state anywhere near "glory." They destroy each other.

The only Sith left was never really loyal of Palpatine at all. In Episode 3 Anakin was already talking about overthrowing him, and in Empire Strikes Back he wanted to get rid of him to rule the galaxy with his son. Disloyalty and hunger for power are hallmarks of the Sith.

 

[nekoali]

In regards to the storm/clone troopers. They answered that question on one of the 'Inside Rebels' episodes. Being force grown to adult hood meant that clones also age about twice as fast. Once Palpatine took over and forged the Empire, he stopped production on the clones and started recruiting citizens to the army and navy. Most of the clone troopers have aged out of service by Rebels time which leads us to the storm troopers we know. Who apparently don't get that much training. The officer in charge during this episode said they would take young, raw recruits and turn them into storm troopers in a few weeks. That doesn't leave very much training time for boot camp.

As far as the Rule of Two, I don't think it's been followed anymore. As pointed out, there's not a lot of reason, since the Jedi Order has been decimated and the survivors are to busy hiding to hunt down any Sith. They don't seem to be in to big of a hurry to recruit new Sith though. The Inquisitor's job is to find force sensitives and either recruit or destroy them. And Vader tried to recruit Luke by the Emperor's command (though he was planning to betray him eventually and take over himself). The Inquisitor himself has Dark Jedi training, like Asajj Ventress, but never revived Sith training. So they might be holding back on that, out of fear of their lackeys becoming to powerful.

 

[DoctorM]

I'm pretty sure the Clone Wars animated series is still canon and kyber crystals were mentioned there. That wasn't a stretch.

And a question to you all: Aren't Stormtroopers supposed to be a revision of Clonetroopers? I was under the impression that clones were being used as cannon fodder to oppress the people. This episode suggests that they're made up of large numbers of regular people that like the Empire and want to fight on its side.

Zuh? I hate that.

Huh, I wasn't aware kyber crystals were in the Clone Wars series. Still, I'd wager that show was inspired by the old EU novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Splinter_of_the_Mind%27s_Eye].

As for non-clone Stormtroopers, there's a convoluted explanation in the old EU. A group of Kaminoan scientists went rogue and bred a secret batch of clone troopers to stage an uprising against the Empire. Loyalist Stormtroopers were deployed, pitting clones against one another for the first time. Though the uprising was crushed, it led Palpatine to believe that an army comprised entirely of clones from a single genetic template couldn't be trusted. Future Stormtroopers were either cloned from a variety of templates or trained from the regular human population via conscripts and volunteers.

I'd imagine Imperial propaganda and coercion played a factor in "convincing" folks to join the Empire. Moreover, some old EU literature like The Stele Chronicles suggests that there was widespread resentment (particularly in the Outer Rim territories) regarding the impotent and corrupt Republic Senate, leading some to welcome the Empire's "reforms" with open arms. They may have been authoritarian and evil, but at least they got shit done.

Thanks, that was a deeper explanation than I expected. That really clears things up.

I'm starting to suspect that while they are jettisoning the EU, they aren't ruling out borrowing from it. Also, the 'appearances' section of the SW wikia lists what episodes of Clone Wars mentioned kyber crystals: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Kyber_memory_crystal

 

[Kontarek]

Also, yet another old EU reference with the kyber crystal shipment. I love it. Keep it coming.

Really? Well, that just leaves me to assume Disney isn't turning it's back on the EU, but simply picking and choosing what to incorporate into the brand. Something I doubt fans could complain about, but surely will find a way.

Oh don't you worry; fans are already complaining about Disney's pick and choose approach to the EU. The argument is basically that Disney has no good ideas of it's own, and therefore has to steal stuff from the EU in spite of disowning it. A fact they seem to find ironic and/or infuriating depending on what form of childishness plagues them.

Personally, I think it's just fine. I never had any problem with Disney's announcement that the already imaginary stories of the EU would now be a slightly more arbitrary form of imaginary stories (*gasp* non-canon!). And I think the little nods here and there to some of the EU's more successful elements are great.

This is coming from someone who owns and has read like 80 of those damn books by the way.

I can also confirm that the Kaiburr crystal was mentioned first in Splinter of the Mind's Eye (the first ever EU novel), and then again in The Clone Wars series. The canon statuses of both of those as a whole, however, are still in question. You know, if you actually care about that sort of thing (you shouldn't).

Question about Rule of Two

Look, the Rule of Two is stupid and there's no getting around that. If 1000 years of preparation can be undone by the apprentice turning good and killing the master, or vice versa, or both of them being on an exploding ship, or someone getting bored and deciding to take up salsa dancing instead of the dark side somewhere down the line, then it's a system that is doomed to failure. The whole thing is a very transparent effort at re-contextualizing why there were only two Sith in the original Star Wars films (the real answer: to keep shit simple).

This is just one of the few things in Star Wars that you have to not think too hard about so you can enjoy the fun stuff.

 

[jabrwock]

I'm pretty sure the Clone Wars animated series is still canon and kyber crystals were mentioned there. That wasn't a stretch.

And a question to you all: Aren't Stormtroopers supposed to be a revision of Clonetroopers? I was under the impression that clones were being used as cannon fodder to oppress the people. This episode suggests that they're made up of large numbers of regular people that like the Empire and want to fight on its side.

Zuh? I hate that.

EDIT: Deleted. My explanation was crap compared to better ones earlier. Teach me to answer before reading others' posts.

 

[jabrwock]

Rebels had room for a more complex take where Ezra trusted both students, only for one to turn against him and impress his Imperial headmasters.

Too obvious maybe? You spend the whole time expecting the kid to turn Ezra in.

 

[jabrwock]

Stormtroopers are horrible? They were pretty fearsome at the beginning of Episodes IV and V, while boarding Tantive IV and assaulting the Echo base. Of course they were pretty miss heavy on the Death Star, but remember, Vader wanted to let go of Millenium Falcon so it leads the Imperial forces right to the rebel base.
Of course, there's always Episode VI and... I dunno, they were not ready for Ewoks?

Any formed group is going to flouder a bit when ambushed. They rallied pretty quick, but then the Emperor was killed, which then led to confusion as the Battle Meditation broke down.

 

[RealRT]

Stormtroopers are horrible? They were pretty fearsome at the beginning of Episodes IV and V, while boarding Tantive IV and assaulting the Echo base. Of course they were pretty miss heavy on the Death Star, but remember, Vader wanted to let go of Millenium Falcon so it leads the Imperial forces right to the rebel base.
Of course, there's always Episode VI and... I dunno, they were not ready for Ewoks?

Any formed group is going to flouder a bit when ambushed. They rallied pretty quick, but then the Emperor was killed, which then led to confusion as the Battle Meditation broke down.

I don't think Battle Meditation is a thing anymore.