To be a good little trooper, you must always follow the rules.
1) You must always wear your helmet and gloves when in public, or the 501st will find out and you will have to pay a fine. The fine is $10 per offense. If you are caught not wearing your gloves or helmet more than three times, you will be sent to the brig for one hour.
2) Always walk in a straight line when with other troopers and march every time you see an officer. The officers include: Darth Vader, any Emperor, Palpatine, any Royal Guard, and any Stormtrooper Commander (examples: Piett, Veers).
3) When marching, say “Left right left right left right” in your head.
The last thing I want to say before you go out and purchase your armor is that it is important to remember who you stand for. You represent the Galactic Empire in its finest hour, and it is your duty to maintain a professional demeanor when dressed as a Stormtrooper.
This means no talking (we don’t talk), no laughing (we don’t laugh), no smiling (we definitely don’t smile), and no pointing out that Jango Fett was “the original” or that the Clone Wars were “fought with clones.” And above all: never, ever, acknowledge or give in to the fact that Stormtroopers are notoriously bad shots.
If you follow this guide to heart, you will be well on your way to being a great little trooper!
I don’t mean to be too hard on Storm Troopers. As I’ve said elsewhere, the Empire really is a great place to work. But as someone who’s been in the same uniform for three years now, I feel it’s my duty to warn future recruits that there are some things about this job that can be challenging.
As any officer will tell you, being a Storm Trooper isn’t just a job—it’s a way of life. It’s impossible to be a good soldier without being dedicated to the principles of the Empire. And while it may seem like fun and games at first, you’ll soon find out that this is serious business.
So before you put on that white armor, here are some tips on how to be a good little trooper:
The first thing to realize is that no matter how authentic your Stormtrooper costume is, you are not a member of the Imperial Stormtrooper Corps. You are an actor in a play. Your job is to be entertaining and bring joy to people by letting them take pictures with you and having fun with them.
The second thing to remember is that no one wants to have their picture taken with an angry Stormtrooper, so don’t act like one. A “good trooper” should always be in a good mood, even if you’re tired or dehydrated or stressed out from standing in the sun all day. If you are having a bad day, don’t let it show on your face; keep a positive attitude!
If you see someone making eye contact with you, they probably want to take your picture. If they walk up and ask, then they definitely want to take your picture. If you are lounging around and someone walks up to take your picture, please put down your soda or phone call or whatever else it is you may be doing and pose for them! They came to see a Stormtrooper, not someone sitting on the ground with their armor half off while they talk on their phone.
Remember that these conventions are part of the
I’ve been a stormtrooper for about 10 years now, and have attended numerous events, conventions and parties in the past decade. While there were a few events that I was not allowed to attend in costume (and I can certainly understand why), I’ve never had anything but positive experiences as a stormtrooper.
When you’re attending an event in costume, you are representing the film, the character and yourself. The way you behave while wearing the costume reflects upon all three things. Always remember that even though you may be having a great time, not everyone is necessarily excited to see stormtroopers or other costumed characters.
In addition to being courteous to others (especially children), a good rule of thumb is to use common sense. If it’s not something you would do without the costume on, don’t do it with the costume on. Here are some specific tips for stormtroopers:
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The main body of the text is a series of instructions on how to behave while wearing the costume. It also describes methods to adjust your body posture and facial expressions, so that they are more consistent with the character that you are portraying. The author also provides suggestions on which types of situations to avoid.
The Stormtrooper Costume Resource Page is intended to be the most complete and accurate archive of information on the Imperial stormtrooper costume, its components, history and variations. This page is intended for the use of costumers who build their own costumes as well as for fans who are just curious about this small part of Star Wars lore.
New items will be added periodically, so please check back from time to time. This site also has a companion set of pages dedicated to the Clone Trooper, which can be found by clicking on the ‘Clone Trooper’ link at the top of this page. If you have any questions or would like to contribute anything that you think should be included here, please contact me at the e-mail address below.