Dark Trooper
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The Imperial Dark Troopers from the fictional Star Wars Expanded Universe Saga are an elite branch of the Imperial stormtroopers. Equipped with advanced armor and training, they are most effectively used in circumstances where versatility is essential. They operate in small numbers, or designated attack squadrons, and are often outfitted with a standard Imperial rocket propulsion mount, or jetpack, for increased flexibility and tactical advantage.
Tak Base on the planet Talay was attacked by the full-powered Dark Troopers in retaliation for the destruction of the first Death Star. The squad of only 12 Dark Troopers was able to slaughter the entire Rebel contingent in the base, leaving no survivors. Later Mon Mothma assigned Kyle Katarn to destroy the Dark Troopers.
Although Dark Troopers were originally introduced as extremely powerful Imperial Battle Droids, they would later be ret-conned, taking into account the purported superiority of creative clones over droids; the final product of the Dark Trooper program was said to be elite Imperial Stormtroopers wearing the Phase III armor as a powered exosuit, combining the advantages of both.
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[edit] Description (Dark Forces version)
Dark Troopers were first introduced in the computer game Star Wars: Dark Forces, where they were revealed to be part of a secret Imperial weapons development project attempting to create the ultimate assault trooper.
Dark Troopers were ultimately revealed to be advanced battle droids, consisting of a Terminator-like phrik endoskeleton wearing a suit of heavy armor. They were equipped with extremely powerful energy cannons as well as jetpacks that allowed them to fly.
The mastermind behind the Dark Troopers was General Rom Mohc, a veteran of the Clone Wars who saw the limited advantages of the Battle droid. They were constructed onboard a special Star Destroyer called the Arc Hammer.
Kyle Katarn succeeded in destroying the Arc Hammer where the Dark Trooper construction facility was located. He even succeeded in defeating General Mohc, who had donned his Dark Trooper Phase III Armour to battle Katarn with. With the death of General Mohc, the Emperor was so infuriated that all research into the Dark Trooper Project ended.
There were 4 different phases of the Dark Troopers, 3 as described in Dark Forces.
- Dark Trooper Phase I was little more than a skeletal frame. Its weapon was a cutting sword attached to its right arm. Dark Trooper Phase I also had a blast shield attached to its left arm capable of deflecting blaster fire. It appears to be a droid, as it is too thin to contain a soldier.
- Dark Trooper Phase II is the standard Dark Trooper. These troopers wielded an assault cannon capable of firing plasma shells and missiles. The suit was equipped with jetpacks enabling it to fly. Its dark grey armor also shared a striking resemblance to the standard Imperial Stormtrooper armor. A Phase II dark trooper was capable of being loaded into hyperspace pods for transportation to destinations; in this phase they weren't droids, but humans (both clones and recruits)
- Dark Trooper Phase III was the last and most powerful Dark Trooper, which dwarfed even Dark Trooper Phase II. Only one Dark Trooper Phase III was ever constructed; it belonged to General Rom Mohc, who used it against Kyle Katarn during a battle onboard the Arc Hammer, but he was nonetheless defeated. Its weapons were an assault cannon and 2 shoulder-mounted homing missile launchers which were hidden under the suit's shoulder plates when not in use.
[edit] Description (Expanded Universe version)
Dark Troopers would later appear in other Star Wars related games and media, most notably the multiplayer game Star Wars: Battlefront, where they appear as the Imperial faction's elite battle unit. Although they are equipped with jetpacks and their armor is superficially similar to standard Stormtrooper armor, with the exception of the colour and the thickness, they appear to be cyborgs of elite Stormtroopers rather than battle droid super-soldiers. Because of their half-human, half-machine selfs, not only are they more powerful than ordinary droids, but they are also more dangerous than clones. Like any organic trooper, they yell out in pain when injured, and can only survive slightly more damage than a regular soldier.
Squadrons of the Dark Troopers have also been characteristically deployed alongside the standard Imperial Troopers and the Imperial Army in battles to add their distinctive advantage. They use their advanced training techniques and jetpacks to go behind enemy lines or outflank enemy positions, contributing to the overall effectiveness of battle maneuvers by creating havoc for their foes. They are equipped with the standard E-11 blaster rifle or a variation of such with a wider blast range creating a shotgun-like effect. Alternatively, they could be equipped with special "Arc Casters", which fire powerful jolts of electricity. They are also issued additional fragmentation/thermal detonation and concussion grenades. They sport increased armor in the boots to ease landing, as well as additional vertical rods and plate layering armor on the back to prevent damage erosion from the jet propulsion, and back injury from the pull of the jet and intense landings.
[edit] Legacy and Contradictions
Dark Troopers appear in other games, like Star Wars: Supremacy/Rebellion, Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds and Star Wars: Battlefront 1 and 2 but they never seem to be the same as those featured in Dark Forces. For example, in Supremacy, the Dark Troopers are described as limited Force users. They appear to be wearing the Phase II suit. It is possible that these Force-using Dark Troopers are a result of a brief appearance in the comic book, Dark Empire II: Operation Shadowhand.
Outside of video games, the Dark Trooper is rarely seen in the Star Wars universe. Kenner, during their short run of 'Expanded Universe' Star Wars action figures, included a Dark Trooper figure.
During the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, unknown to the New Republic, these cyborgs did tremendous damage to the Yuuzhan Vong.
