Editorial: Stormtroopers vs. Clonetroopers

Stormtrooper vs. Clone

As we learn more bits and pieces about the role of the Empire in The Force Awakens, questions are beginning to arise concerning the Sequel Trilogy’s stormtroopers. Given that we’ve got a bit of a slow news week happening here, I thought it might be a good opportunity to clarify one or two things – after the jump.

 

 

With the TFA teaser trailer apparently confirming early rumors that John “Finn” Boyega enters the story as a stormtrooper, a number of our readers have expressed some confusion as to how Finn could possibly be a stormtrooper, given the fact that he doesn’t look like Jango Fett.

 

 

Finn

 

The short answer is this: Because unlike the Prequel Trilogy’s clone troopers, the OT-era stormtroopers were human-born recruits, rather than clones.
According to the “canon” tab on the Wookieepedia article on stormtroopers:

 

As the clones’ accelerated aging process began causing their skills to deteriorate, they were replaced by non-clone volunteers and conscripts.

 

In other words, as the remaining genetic samples from Jango Fett were used up by the Kaminoan cloners, the Empire simply took the most obvious route and began enlisting their troops rather than growing them.

 

The notion that stormtroopers were human enlistees rather than Kamino-grown clones goes clear back to the original EU novel, 1978’s Splinter of the Mind’s Eye by Alan Dean Foster. While (to my recollection, anyway) it is not specifically stated in that book that the troopers were not clones, they are characterized not as clones programmed to view their dedication duty as the be-all/end-all of their existence, but rather as regular old disgruntled soldiers stuck in a nowhere assignment on a backwater world at the tail end of nowhere, with little to do but to bully the locals. Subsequent EU novels also failed to characterize the stormtroopers as clones, and indicated instead that post-Republic stormtroopers were human recruits who had trained at the Imperial Academy.

 

 

Stormtroopers at ease

 

With all previous EU sources now eliminated from the official Star Wars canon, however, we are currently left with a relatively limited number of sources that support the stormtroopers-as-recruits scenario. But even the limited number of official sources paint a pretty clear picture of what SW canon will be on this issue going forward. According to Wookieepedia, mention was made of the post-Republic move from clones to human enlistees in a recent Star Wars.com live blog about the New Dawn novel. And of course we’ve seen stormtrooper training at the Imperial Academy on Lothal in Star Wars: Rebels.

 

 

SW: Rebels - Lothal Academy stormtrooper trainees

 

So, as far as there being any continuity hiccups involved in casting John Boyega as a stormtrooper in TFA (assuming that that is indeed what he is), there really aren’t any. He would just be another person who enlisted (or was perhaps drafted or shanghaied) in the Imperial armed forces and ended up training to become a stormtrooper.

 

And, in fact, as further illustration of this, let’s have a peek at the actual stormtroopers from TFA:

 

 

Stormtroopers - The Force Awakens teaser

 

Not a single one of these troopers appear to be the same height as one another. And look at ol’ Three there… evidently, as of 30 years after the death of the Emperor, there’s no longer any such thing as “too short for a stormtrooper”.

 

Yes indeed, the Empire’s foot soldiers certainly have come a long way since the days when they were brewed up in a big ol’ vat of genetic soup by Lama Su and company. (Of course, the big question remains to be answered – have they ever learned to hit anything with those snazzy blasters of theirs?)

 

+ posts

102 thoughts on “Editorial: Stormtroopers vs. Clonetroopers

  • January 3, 2015 at 8:22 pm
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    I have a feeling that one of our main characters in inside one of those stormtrooper helmets…

    • January 3, 2015 at 8:24 pm
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      Misleading title. Thought it was gonna be a comparison between clone troopers and storm troopers and who is cooler/better

      • January 3, 2015 at 8:53 pm
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        I considered that, but I didn’t think a one-word article that just read “stormtroopers” would have quite cut the ol’ mustard. ;^)

        • January 3, 2015 at 9:43 pm
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          No contest… Storm troopers FTW.

    • January 3, 2015 at 8:27 pm
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      ya, so?

    • January 4, 2015 at 8:02 am
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      John Boyega signed this photo in person for a fan on the top of the short stormtroopers helmet…… 🙂

  • January 3, 2015 at 8:28 pm
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    To even question why a stormtroopers is a black gup is RACIST.

    • January 3, 2015 at 8:56 pm
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      A gup, ya say? ;^)

      Reminds me of the movie “Take The Money and Run” and the misspelled bank robbery note.

      “I have a gub. Please put fifty thousand dollars into this bag and apt natural.”

    • January 3, 2015 at 9:01 pm
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      Apparently nowadays any opinion against one who is black is racist. It’s just a cheap way to cause drama.

      • January 3, 2015 at 9:38 pm
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        Tell that to the black folks of Furgeson.
        And do it while you are there please.

        • January 3, 2015 at 10:19 pm
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          @anon 21:01
          Yes, saying something against a person on the basis of their skin color is racism. Thank you for defining the term for us.

      • January 4, 2015 at 3:00 am
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        when the person is obviously acting with racist intent; then yes it is racist

        • January 4, 2015 at 7:16 pm
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          If a colored person has committed a crime and a white person calls him a criminal, is that still classified as being racist?

          • January 4, 2015 at 9:30 pm
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            No. However it is racist to refer to a black person as “coloured”. It’s a derogatory term. Get out of the 50’s son.

    • January 3, 2015 at 11:03 pm
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      It’s not racist if one thinks that Stormtroopers are clones of Jango Fett. Knowing that they are not clones of Jango, and questioning why a Stormtroopers is black would be an entirely different thing. let’s not jump to conclusions about people’s point of view. Many of the truths we cling to depend on our own point of view.

      However, didn’t A New Hope confirm that Stormtroopers are recruits. Luke talked about leaving Tatooine to enlist in the academy, but I don’t know if he meant the Imperial academy or the Rebellion.

      • January 4, 2015 at 4:48 pm
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        “Aren’t you a little short to be a stormtrooper?” would imply either troopers are still clones, or they have a minimum height requirement, therefore neither yoga or wicket could apply for the academy, is that racist?

    • January 4, 2015 at 4:29 pm
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      I don’t question it, but I thought the Empire did. The Empire was always racist in my eyes, but if they want to change that, then good on the Empire i guess. Only makes the Empire less evil…

      • January 4, 2015 at 7:25 pm
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        I’m pretty sure the Empire was only racist against aliens, (would that be racism or something else?) I would think that colored humans would still be accepted on the basis that they are still humans.

        • January 5, 2015 at 9:31 pm
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          That would be “Specism” I guess.

  • January 3, 2015 at 9:15 pm
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    It is stated in the Canon novel Tarkin that they went away with clones and went with enlisted troops.

    • January 3, 2015 at 9:47 pm
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      Thanks, soloshot1st. I haven’t read Tarkin yet (though I understand it’s excellent!) and didn’t realize they’d also addressed this point there.

      And so, there we have it. ;^)

    • January 4, 2015 at 11:46 pm
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      Was going to mention this, but you nailed it! The Tarkin book clearly states that clones “aged out” and the imperial army and navy are now made up of regular conscripts from the general population.

      • January 5, 2015 at 9:33 pm
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        There is a trooper though named Crest under Vader’s command who is one of the original clones. 🙂 “Where did ya dig up that old fossil?!”

  • January 3, 2015 at 9:24 pm
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    While watching the OT, I noticed that everyone working for the empire are humans, even though there are so many strange aliens (like Greedo, Bib Fortuna, Jabba, Rookies, Ewoks, all aliens in Cantina, in jabbas palace, etc etc etc)

    Is there a reason why all the Empire are humanoid?

    Reason I asked is because somebody mentioned racism, but there also seems to be species-ism?

    • January 3, 2015 at 9:56 pm
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      The “racism” that is mentioned BTS is refering to other species. Racism as in races other than Human.

    • January 3, 2015 at 11:54 pm
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      The real world answer is that according to Lucas in his speech for receiving the Thalberg award was that Star Wars is about human beings, not aliens and monsters.

  • January 3, 2015 at 9:36 pm
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    Most likely Fin IS a stormtrooper…..but couldn’t he just be in disguise and not even be one altogether

    • January 3, 2015 at 9:57 pm
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      Absolutely. Though I’d mentioned that the teaser apparently confirms rumors about Finn being a stormtrooper, we really don’t know that for sure. He could certainly be pulling a “Detention Block AA23” in that shot.

      The idea of him being a defector is certainly a cool one, and could lend itself to any number of compelling stories. But what if, rather than a defecting stormtrooper, he’s a Republic saboteur who’s escaped from whatever he’s just managed to blow up?

      (I don’t have any insider knowledge of the saboteur bit, by the way. It’s just something that I thought up that could conceivably go along with the whole disguise thing.)

      • January 4, 2015 at 2:46 am
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        I stated in one of the threads in the Cantina that Finn could possibly be a “plant” for the Republic to get Imperial intelligence. How accurate that is we won’t know until the movie comes out. But I do like the possibility.

    • January 3, 2015 at 10:08 pm
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      I actually think a disguise is more likely. If not, his is going to be a very defferent kind of Star Wars. Which could be risky but could be worth it.

  • January 3, 2015 at 9:43 pm
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    Lando was undercover when Han was saved. This might be the same thing. Finn may have infiltrated the stormtroopers for some reason. Imagine pre-Jedi if we were chatting about Lando working for Jabba and how he was just a mercenary to the core. We didn’t know what we didn’t know. Just like now.

  • January 3, 2015 at 9:56 pm
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    Why does Boyega have to be a stormtrooper? Were Han and Luke stormtrooers? They had those outfits on in episode IV, didn’t they? Could he possibly be disguised as a stormtrooper and on the run because he got found out?

  • January 3, 2015 at 9:58 pm
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    Watch the original trilogy and you’ll plainly see height differences between stormtroopers. Anyway, I hope this time around the Empire was stricter with recruits at target practice.

    • January 3, 2015 at 10:37 pm
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      Oh crap! I liked your comment because it was funny, but then I saw your name and was like “It’s a different kind of funny!” <:O

  • January 3, 2015 at 10:58 pm
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    “In other words, as the remaining genetic samples from Jango Fett were used up by the Kaminoan cloners, the Empire simply took the most obvious route and began enlisting their troops rather than growing them.”

    Um. The most obvious answer is do all three: clones, droids and recruits. I mean, other than continuity purposes and from a purely logical perspective, why not?

    Jango’s nobody special. Find more capable men and women to be cloned as troopers. Mix it up so we don’t have to keep giving them stupid names and haircuts. Keep them Kaminoans busy.

    Droids are a snap to build, unlike waiting 10+ years for a batch of clone trooper to be completed. Who cares if they don’t make the best soldiers? Why have one or the other when you can have both? Only an idiot would shoot themselves in the foot by halting production.

    AND recruit new talent. Why not? The galaxy’s already under your thumb, and most of them would gladly eat out of your hand. The best ones would be cloned. 😉

    And, while we’re on the subject of henchmen and such for the Empire, where is Palpatine’s Sith Order? Would’ve came in real handy during the OT….

  • January 3, 2015 at 11:02 pm
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    in other words: Lucas fucked up, and the EU was used once more to cover the plot holes in his shitty writing

    • January 3, 2015 at 11:06 pm
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      To be fair, the “Clone” Wars are mentioned in A New Hope

    • January 3, 2015 at 11:08 pm
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      What you say?

    • January 4, 2015 at 12:02 am
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      his “shitty” writing gave us Star Wars, Indy, THX, and American Graffiti. there are plot holes in every movie if you look for them; just relax and let’s enjoy VII.

      • January 5, 2015 at 1:53 am
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        Are you saying TESB has plotholes?!

    • January 4, 2015 at 11:52 pm
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      Clone wars were established in Orginal trilogy.

  • January 3, 2015 at 11:06 pm
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    I will be seeing the saga as 4-9, so there is no contradiction to me. I don’t begrudge fans who enjoy the PT because its a big tent fandom at this point. I still think this trilogy will not have many PT references so you can essentially be a 4-9 fan and won’t skip a beat.

    • January 3, 2015 at 11:10 pm
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      I for one welcome our new overlords.

    • January 3, 2015 at 11:12 pm
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      I am not a fan of any movies yet but i know what happens 😉

    • January 4, 2015 at 12:04 am
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      I see the saga as I, III, IV, V, and hopefully VII.

      II and VI were good, but not as good as the others.

    • January 4, 2015 at 12:26 am
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      Yep, it’s Harmy IV,V,VI and the new trilogy for me. I know the prequels are out there, but not for me.

      • January 4, 2015 at 11:45 pm
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        How do you know that you will like sequel trilogy?
        Do you have a time machine?

    • January 4, 2015 at 11:42 pm
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      And how do you know that you will like sequel trilogy. Are you seen these movies yet?!

      I’am sure many fans will hate sequel trilogy ( sw fans are like that, bitching about everything, they will find something to hate ), some will like sequel trilogy more than prequel and original. And many will like all 9 of them.

      All 9 movies are star wars and I will like all of them.

    • January 4, 2015 at 11:47 pm
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      All 6 movies are star wars to me. I love all of them.
      EP III and V are my favorite.
      Can not wait for the new movies.

    • January 7, 2015 at 12:52 am
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      I see the saga as IV-V-VI and the Holiday Special with a dose of Droids and Ewoks the Battle for Endor starring Wilfred Brimley.

  • January 4, 2015 at 2:30 am
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    I love that Star Wars like all Art…
    is subjective and left to interpretation.
    Just because Lucas mentioned things in interviews and commentary does not make me change my mind, nor is anything Canon according to Wiki or a Story team or its new writers and directors finite.

    Canon is left up to YOU and to YOURSELF.

    I have realized arguing what or who is a Clone is needless.

    Is Greedo a Clone?
    Is The Tonika Sisters Clones?
    Are Clone Troopers Brothers?
    Is Lando a Clone?
    What is Lobot, and what is Lobot’s Laptop doing with a Stormtrooper and a Clone?

    I know all the answers to these questions, and they will differ from fan to fan.

    Book versions and Movie versions differ as well and simply give a different point of view.

    Is the Monolith in 2001 a beacon?
    Is it something that gave sentience?
    Is it a TV, the demetions of aspect ratio
    Something looking back at us?
    The internet argues these points to the ninth degree.

    What was in Marcellus Wallace’s suitcase?
    I know whats in there do you?
    Mabey it is Dustin Hoffman and some diamonds.
    Mabey it is Gwyneth Paltrow’s head or Mister Wallace’s soul.
    I may care what others think, but I do know whats in there and I’m not telling.

    Is an obvious plot hole always that?
    A head bump is perhaps a genetic trait or maybe just coincidence.
    I love Star Wars and Lucas did not always screw it up or create things on his own, some were as Bob Ross would say, Happy Mistakes.
    Its not always necessary to argue, but that is what art does and is for, a form of esoteric communication through juxtaposed concepts and the interpretation of abstract ideas.

    Is Indiana Jones or Han Solo related, Cloned, or Doppelgangers?

    I think JJ was letting EVERYONE know with the first shot of the teaser that, we are going somewhere new and unexpected.

  • January 4, 2015 at 2:42 am
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    “I think JJ was letting EVERYONE know with the first shot of the teaser that, we are going somewhere new and unexpected.”

    “New” doesn’t always equate to “good.”

    • January 4, 2015 at 3:30 am
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      Just think of all the time you spend with something you are unhappy with.
      I liked Barry Gordy’s the last Dragon.
      Did you?

      I love Afro Samurai
      Do you?

      I saw John Boyega running in a leaked video on this site wearing a white top and black bottoms, just like Master Leroy.
      So far I like everything I’m seeing.

      Shaolin Kung Fu has always been a strong inspiration to Star Wars, I watched an old episode of Kung Fu with David Carradine.
      It was from 1973 it had Harrison Ford in it as a Cowboy, his hair was the same as A New Hope.
      You should check it out, Harrison played a villian.

      I also Love Django unchained and Kill Bill.
      So, I’m liking the old and new that I saw in the trailer and it doesn’t matter who the lead is, if there is a good story I don’t mind who is in the lead.
      If it were Paul Reubens then I would have a problem (although he is a rebel)
      I’ll judge the actors when I see the movie.

      The Sith Lightsaber design so far has grown on me as well as the title.
      Maybe some Diversity in a diverse Universe as Star Wars will do you some good.

  • January 4, 2015 at 3:04 am
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    Getting back to topic and bypassing all the evidence Dekka put forth for Stormtroopers not being clones, there is one very obvious and cast iron clue which has been missed which proves this point;
    George Lucas who created this wonderful universe we love so much, in his infinite wisdom, decided to mess about with the OT after the release of the PT in the guise of the ‘Special Editions’. Love ’em or hate ’em these new cuts of the OT were designed to fit more with the canon outlined in the PT changing little details to dovetail the two trilogies together. A key change was that Boba Fett’s original lines were re-recorded with a New Zealand accent as we now know he was the son of Jango Fett, however, none of the Stormtrooper voices were dubbed with New Zealand accents. Therefore Stormtroopers are not clones of Jango, fact.
    It is still possible that they could be clones of other humanoids but i tend to agree with those above who reckon that the OT Stormtroopers are in fact recruited humans not clones.

    • January 4, 2015 at 4:17 am
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      I always looked at the stormtroopers as Generic Soldiers not Genetic, all the way to their design. They are pawns, they are Grunts, a soilder without an individualized skill.
      But I never thought they were Clones even though Obi Wan mentioned the Clone Wars.
      Now with everything thrown into the ring I like a mix of each, Clone vs Recruitment or even Drafted. I figure many are drafted and enslaved like Anakin was by Wato, if they defect, their jugular explodes. Not to disimular from Snake Plissken in Escape from New York, at one point in development Snake was a Clone according to Carpenter, I know different franchise. But both were based on Clint Eastwood, as in Boba/Jango and Snake.
      I love Sergio Leone.
      To me there might just be a Jango in the ranks somewhere…or a few.
      There could be ones that discovered love and fled, like a replicant in Blade Runner.
      Due to the beehive theme throughout star wars I say Drones but they all come from the same mother.
      Having Stormtroopers vs Jedi as a possible side Luke could have taken I figured Lucas just originally ment hey do you want to be a drone that takes orders like everyone else or a Jedi that follows their own instincts.
      Due to the Cloning in THX 1138 maybe Lucas had that in mind, but when Luke said he wanted to join the Imperial Academy, I figure Lucas was giving the audience the understanding of choices through our Protagonist Luke.
      It all depends on which avenue you take on what the Academy was,Imperial or neutral.
      The view of story is changed drastically if they are all clones.
      But we all know Luke was to short to ever become an actual Stormtrooper.
      I’m glad the Story is left open.

      • January 5, 2015 at 9:51 pm
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        It’s funny that you say that you never thought of the stormtroopers as being clones. I think no one else did either. In fact, in Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire trilogy, he alluded to the clones as the enemy during the war, not the force used by the republic. The method of cloning was also different. These issues were retconned to fit the film continuity later, but like Zahn, I think most people who even thought about Obi-Wan’s statement before the PT came in to being thought of the Clones as being enemies of the Jedi during the war, not the army of the Republic. I actually like Lucas’s vision, but also Zahn’s concept. Even though I like many EU works, it’s refreshing to know that moving forward we should see less of the crazy retconning. We know the backstory established by Lucas and that will be the basis for everything else. Zahn did a great job, but who can predict the future whim of another writer?

    • January 4, 2015 at 11:50 pm
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      Great point

    • January 5, 2015 at 11:43 am
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      Sorry but this is a ridiculous argument. An accent is not something inherited genetically by an individual but rather something learned during their lifetime. It makes sense that Boba Fett has the accent as he would have learned from his parents but there is no reason to necessarily believe that all clonetroopers would maintain the accent as it has NOTHING to do with genetics. Hell, they could be clones of Jango Fett and only speak Chinese!

  • January 4, 2015 at 3:24 am
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    Genetic samples?? Used up?? You write that like its canon, fact, a given. That makes no sense to me, clones are just that replications. And the “degradinbg ” garbage was made up and is nonsensical. it takes ten yearsto grow them, how many samples does it taketo make abatch? A brigade? An entire army? There was no shortage of samples or degredation. Just time, space, and money! Palpy needed An army to seem to appear out of thin air for his purposes. That’s where the clones came in, an expensive time consuming endeavor when compared to simple enlistment and drafting. Palp didnt have an empire to make his army out of citizens, his mechanical war machine and even if he could it wouldn’t have suited his plans. After Empire day he has literally ALL the resources in the galaxy for his army! So cloning ceases to be an advantage and in fact seems tedious and ridiculous. Once the clones aged out, and the Empire was running full speed ahead there is no choice but to draw from your vast, limitless, FREE, and instantaneous masses to fight to your battles.

    • January 4, 2015 at 3:59 am
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      Finally someone uses some logic and sense before spewing from their mouth.

      • January 4, 2015 at 4:25 am
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        Fingers;)

    • January 4, 2015 at 8:00 am
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      “Made up! Nonsensical!” You do realize that this space fantasy and non-realistic to begin with, right?

    • January 4, 2015 at 11:52 pm
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      True, but they do mention in the Clone Wars cartoon (which is canon) that since Jango died, they’ve lost their source material and all the clones now are basically copies of copies and therefore inferior to the first few batches.

      Not to say they couldn’t clone someone else! Just thought that was an interesting line in the show.

  • January 4, 2015 at 3:40 am
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    After empire day no need to clone your army. The galaxy IS palps army! Clones swiftly fell out of the rank, aging at a double pace. So your normal combat effectiveness is cut in half! That’s no way to run an empire lol. It IS a genious way to run a coupe. They served their original function after order 66.. No way ANY storm troopers we see in the OT are clones, of Jengo or any other. Nice read though, thanks.

  • January 4, 2015 at 4:29 am
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    The more TFA directly contradicts things introduced in the prequels and special eds the better. R2 units having no jet propulsion? Yes! C-3PO manufactured the same way as other protocol droids? Bring it on! We learn that Like and Lea’s mom is named Lira instead of Amidalla? I’m all for it.

    • January 4, 2015 at 4:58 am
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      Who is Like, Lea, and Lira.

      • January 4, 2015 at 8:15 am
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        I think for Lea he meant Leia….lol Lira is anyone’s guess.

        • January 4, 2015 at 9:08 am
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          Lira is Stofolupinoid’s name for his/her re-imaged version of Padmé Amidala. S/he is basically saying, s/he hopes TFA will re-write SW history and Amidala will have a new name or perhaps be a new character altogether.

          The PT is NOT going anywhere. I’m sure the PT will be referenced in the ST; Disney will not re-image or ignore events or characters from the PT. How much the PT plays a part in the ST is anyone’s guess.

          While I do not think the PT was of the same calibre as the OT, I do enjoy all three films in the PT. I for one am looking forward to the ST being a continuation of the Saga that starts with Episode I.

    • January 4, 2015 at 3:33 pm
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      I agree the PT aren’t great movies, but I don’t have any problem with the world they inhabit. If they’d been better acted and edited I think they’d be accepted…

      • January 4, 2015 at 11:52 pm
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        The Prequels had good actors. Ewan’s McGregor is great in most films, Ian McDermott is a phenomenal actor and I hear that even Hayden and Natalie Portman show some chops in other films. The problem in the prequels was mostly in the story, the dialogue, and directing (including the directing of the actors).

        • January 5, 2015 at 1:52 am
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          Natalie Portman won an Oscar. She is a great actress.

          • January 5, 2015 at 5:01 am
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            I agree many of the actors are quality, but their acting in PT was lacklustre. Poor direction? Green screen? Dubious script? All 3? Sure. But the fantasy world it took place in was acceptable. I have no problem with the events in the PT being referred to in tfa…

    • January 4, 2015 at 11:37 pm
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      PT is great and it is a canon. ST will not rewrite anything.

      Disney does not care for haters.

    • January 4, 2015 at 11:38 pm
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      I like all 6 movies. Stop bitching…

    • January 4, 2015 at 11:54 pm
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      ”Lira”, ”Like” WTF.. are you on drugs?!

  • January 4, 2015 at 4:34 am
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    Some people see Star Wars as onlys EP 4-9?
    Know nothing inocent!
    If the prequels don’t exist star wars would be dead and george maybe want to make ep 7 and screw everything, so better ‘screw’ the prequels and give ep 7 to a new director! After batman and robin comes the dark knight, after TPM comes The Force Awakens!
    The prequels are great! Yes I said it! So stop crying you virgins nerds! You make have shame of being a star wars fan!
    You arge about anakin being whiny and arrogant but you are just like him, so stop before you fall to the DORK side!

    • January 4, 2015 at 4:49 am
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      Not all debates are hostile arguments, its the fun of interpretation and learning other points of view, it will be alright

      • January 4, 2015 at 8:07 am
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        You made great points about the difference between discussion and argument. But, your last line ruined it “it will be alright” was mocking and condescending.

        • January 4, 2015 at 9:53 pm
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          The comment I replied to was rather arrogant and insulting, so like Bob Marley said, Every ting gonna be alright.

          • January 5, 2015 at 12:46 pm
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            Fair enough!)

    • January 4, 2015 at 11:56 pm
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      People did not seen EP 7-9 yet.
      They will find something to hate in them too. Just wait and relax.

  • January 4, 2015 at 4:46 am
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    I do think Boyega is a Stormtrooper.
    Some say he is Stow away. But if he is on the ship that the trailer shows when troopers are running down the ramp, then you have to ask how could he stand in ranks that long without one going, hey WTF?
    Your to short to be a Stormtrooper.
    If he is a Tie Pilot like the rumours say, then he is in the wrong outfit.
    Perhaps Rey puts on his outfit later.
    No one knows and with how Lucasfilm is leaking this is brilliant.
    I think the Ship ramp, and standing in ranks exit scene could be from two different scenes cut together.

  • January 4, 2015 at 8:55 am
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    The transfer from Clonetrooper to Stormtrooper is explicitly outlined in the opening pages of the new canon book, Tarkin. Finding it a difficult read (read: boring) thus far, but worth it for tidbits like this.

    • January 4, 2015 at 3:35 pm
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      Boom. If anyone actually immersed themselves in the new continuity they would see these stupid questions have already been answered. I forgot it was covered there, thanks for sharing that.

  • January 4, 2015 at 4:00 pm
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    By A New Hope most Stormtroopers were normal human male recruits. Only the 501st legion aka Vader’s Fist were still using Jango Clones. Every other legion used recruits or other clone templates.
    I hope Finn is a Stormtrooper as it will give at least one of them personality.
    Likewise Luke Skywalker was planning on going to the Imperial Academy and become a Pilot like his friend Biggs Darklighter. Biggs later deserted and joined the Rebels.

    • January 4, 2015 at 4:43 pm
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      In a deleted scene, Biggs confided in Luke, telling him that he was already planning to defect to the Rebellion as soon as he got off Tattooine. Maybe Luke was going to “Join” the Empire to fight “for” the Empire 😉 😉

  • January 4, 2015 at 4:49 pm
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    The stormtroopers were always non-clone recruits, I was never confused about that, EVER.
    I am confused why the Empire has suddenly adopted progressive enlistment quotas (i.e. Empire’s not racist anymore, which they totally were in the OT)
    But then again the Empire has less recruits to draw from what with partially losing a war and all.
    Either that or the Empire is less evil and is changing it’s ways to include diverse soldiers.
    I never had a problem w/ Lando, Ackbar or Boyega (Finn, if those cards are to be believed). I’m more surprised at how non-racist the Empire is. But that’s what they’re doing so I’ll run with it.

    • January 4, 2015 at 7:33 pm
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      I grew up in the 70’s and I too always knew that the stormtroopers were non-clone recruits.

      I agree that I think the Empire is going to be less evil than in the OT. They will be like a nation that has lost a major war (i.e. Germany post WWII) and is now trying to rebuild it’s image on the galactic scene. Just because Palpatine and Vader are gone, along with countless high-ranking officers who were on the 2nd Death Star, the Empire did not die that day. The Empire was vast and those who had a great stake in the Empire (other high-ranking officers, for example) who were left behind surely want to hold on to whatever amount of power they can. Rebuilding the Empire and their image seems logical. Perhaps they will be persuaded in VII to be evil again when the Force ‘Awakens’ and the evil-doer that it awakens promises those left-over high-ranking officers more power if they join him/her in his/her quest to rule the universe.

    • January 6, 2015 at 1:03 am
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      The Empire, if not racist in the fixated Nazi sense, could still be extremely ethnocentric even if it utilizes non-white people among it’s foot soldiers. French colonial forces enlisted black African soldiers to try to subdue Southeast Asia and both British and American forces utilized Native Americans against each other during the American revolution. None of the aforementioned forces would have aspired toward diversity as far as I am aware.

    • January 6, 2015 at 10:42 pm
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      I could see that if the prequels are not part of your Star Wars Cannon. But if you do consider the prequels cannon then the empire was multi-ethnic from the very beginning because Jango clones aren’t caucasian.

  • January 4, 2015 at 6:38 pm
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    Clonetroopers are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better.
    Stormtroopers where just there…

  • January 4, 2015 at 7:10 pm
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    This is how I always seen it. Also note that all storm troopers are human. By that I mean you don’t see a four legged alien in a storm trooper outfit.

  • January 4, 2015 at 9:33 pm
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    Another thing the Empire only seemed to have human males as troopers, pilots and crew of ships. Not so surprising as women have only been allowed into such roles in our world since the 1990s. Likewise I very much doubt the Empire had to keep feminists happy.
    I doubt the Empire ever had a problem with POC as long as they were fit, male and human.

  • January 4, 2015 at 10:09 pm
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    What was the pic above of the unhelmeted stormtroopers from, as in what comic or graphic novel?

  • January 5, 2015 at 10:41 am
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    Simple! Werent’ Luke and his buddies wanting to go to the imperial academy to train a pilots? I doubt as shuttle or freighter pilots! As fighter pilots, who flys tie fighters? Stormtroopers!

  • January 5, 2015 at 5:13 pm
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    Couple of thoughts ladies and gents:
    1. A “plot hole” is not an unanswered question; it is an instance where a storyline is not internally consistent; where 2 events contradict each other in universe or when an event is inconsistent with in-universe rules. Thus, the clonetroopers/stormtroopers schism is not a “plot hole”; it is simply an unanswered question.
    2. Posters above have already explained the switch from clones to recruits. A harder question to answer is why the non-use of droids anymore. Would seem to fit perfectly with the Empire’s MO…Cold, inhuman, unthinking, etc…..My only thought on that is that droids operate on the “mother ship” principle, which has been shown to be their demise in the PT and new EU (Tarkin).
    3. Also remember that the clone wars were engineered by the Sith on both sides to destroy the republic….what good is an empire if you have no subjects left to control after you take over?
    4. There is a “plot hole” in the OT in that in ep. IV, Luke is dreaming of joining “The Academy” (which can only be the Imperial Academy, as Tatooine is an ‘occupied’ planet), but later states the he “hates the empire.”
    5. A more pertinent question is why does storm trooper armour suck? Technology-wise, everything the Empire employs seems to be a downgrade from republic era tech.

    • January 5, 2015 at 5:24 pm
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      I think Luke always wanted to be a rebel. He only said he wanted to join the Academy, to his disapproving uncle who would probably be even more disapproving if he knew Luke wanted to be Rebel Scum. Biggs was also “in” the Academy, only to drop out later. Luke was lying to Owen. Academy was code for something else.
      M2C

    • January 6, 2015 at 10:54 pm
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      As far as the OT era having non-droid imperial troops with downgraded armor; Maybe it’s like McDonalds getting more and more successful as the food and service get worse and worse. We can imagine the Empire to have made a calculation that the cost of one human life plus the cost of armor (provided the armor is relatively inexpensive) is less than the cost of an equally effective droid soldier. Maybe it’s about decreasing their overhead.

      • January 6, 2015 at 11:17 pm
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        Hell, they were always all about that anyway. “Why shield our TIE fighters? There are always more pilots where those schlubs came from!”

        ;^)

  • January 5, 2015 at 10:22 pm
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    Luke viewed the planet as a dump and joining the Imperial Accademy was a way to escape. Likewise he could always desert to the Rebels who would welcome a trained pilot.

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