Stormtroopers inStar Warshave always been an essential aspect of theGalactic Empire. They are the soldiers who attempt to keep order throughout the galaxy, conquering and oppressing those who do not. There were many differenttypes of stormtroopers, each serving a different purpose. They were volunteer conscripts trained to have no personality and follow the orders of their oppressive overlords without question. This starkly contrasts with the soldiers they were appointed to phase out: theGalactic Republic’s clone troopers.
On the other hand, clone troopers were bred by Kaminoans from a DNA strand of famed bounty hunterJango Fett. They were designed to follow orders and show absolute loyalty to the Jedi, and would never have turned on the Jedi willingly if not for theinhibitor chipsin their heads. They also created a tremendous brotherhood among their ranks. They cared for one another deeply and were, far in a way, the bravest soldiers ever created in theStar Warsfranchise to date. But who was really better, clone troopers or stormtroopers?
Clones Are More Efficient, But Stormtroopers Are Cheaper
They also served different purposes
Clone troopers were designed to fight a war against the Separatists and their army of battle droids. OnceOrder 66was executed, they began to fulfill their secret mission of wiping out all the Jedi they had fought beside, andsuddenly, they were not needed anymore.Star Wars:The Clone Warsfeatured episodes that discussed how expensive clone production was, and their cost caused the Galactic Republic to deregulate the banks as the war continued to drag on.Star Wars:The Bad Batchalso formally introduced the Defense Recruitment Bill.
This topic is especially covered inThe Clone Warsseason 3, episode 11 “Pursuit of Peace” andThe Bad Batchseason 2, episode 8 “Truth and Consequences.”
Thanks to this new bill, the stormtrooper program was created. By introducing volunteer conscripts, the Empire could create a new army while reducing the cost of making one. Clones were soldiers bred to fight and were extremely good at it. However, after the war, they became more of a security force and started getting assigned menial tasks.Considering how they were utilized, it makes sense why the Empire decided to do away with the clonesand move on to the cheaper stormtroopers.
And troops that were not associated with the Republic
Stormtroopers were a giant security force designed to be the eyes and ears of the Empire’s dictatorship. Having expensive clones coming off the heels of fighting a war was no longer necessary.What was needed was a significantly larger, cheaper force that fully bought into the ideology of “The Empire.” Having enough soldiers to cover every inch of the galaxy took precedence over the soldiers' skill.
Star Wars Reveals The Tragic Impact Of Stormtroopers Replacing Clones
Palpatine chose to discard the clone army after the prequels, and Star Wars is finally showing why their replacement by stormtroopers was so tragic.
The Bad Batchhelped show that the clones struggled to adjust to the new Imperial way, causing some to defect. While clones were loyal under the command of their Jedi generals, their morals and scientific potential saw them subjugated after the Republic was dissolved.The Empire was able to kill two birds with one stone; they were able to use their new, larger army to play security while getting rid of the army that was a remnant of the Republic they wanted to erase.
Should The Empire Have Stuck With Clone Troopers Instead?
Probably, but they did not want the clones anymore
Stormtrooper aren’t better soldiers than clones, but they served the purpose the Empire asked of them. Clones were hardcore soldiers with remarkable skills that were sharpened in battle. After ordering the destruction of Kamino, Emperor Palpatine manipulated the situation to convince the Imperial Senate to phase out the clones for stormtroopers. In doing so, he gained a significantly bigger and cheaper army entirely loyal to him.
Stormtroopers became the backbone of the Imperial Army. While clones completely outmatched them in every aspect of being a soldier, stormtroopers were exactly what Palpatine wanted once he took control of the galaxy. They were a force that followed every order without a thought, and without question.By doing this, Palpatine could have eyes everywhere, knowing that at any time, they could be asked to perform abhorrent tasks. If the Empire had stuck with clones, they would have stayed in power longer, but they were not wanted.
Clone troopers are way better than stormtroopers as soldiers. It was what they were born to do. Instead of sticking with them, the Empire wanted a cheaper, larger force that had none of their baggage or morals. The Defense Recruitment Bill passed inThe Bad Batchhelped Palpatine get the soldiers he wanted to watch over his Empire, conscripts loyal to the Empire’s ideology. TheStar Warsuniverse would undoubtedly have been different if clones remained the fighting force of the Imperials. Thankfully, they went with stormtroopers instead.
