Small inconsistencies and continuity errors have always been the Achilles heel of Star Wars canon, in spite of George Lucas’ insistence that his creation is comparable to a poem where every stanza rhymes with the last one.
Now, we all know stormtroopers are terrible shots. In fact, they couldn’t be any more incompetent at doing the one job they’re supposed to do even if they tried. Over the years, this phenomenon has turned into a running gag and with The Mandalorian actually taking a jab at this issue, we can safely say the Imperial troopers are officially the worst marksmen in the entire galaxy.
So, why does Ben Kenobi praise their aim in the Original Trilogy? “These blast points, too accurate for sand people. Only Imperial stormtroopers are so precise.” he tells Luke while examining the Sandcrawler. If this apparent plot hole has ever given you sleepless nights, a new theory from Reddit can help you come to terms with why the old and wise Jedi Master would say such a strange thing.
As the Reddit user points out:
“The simple answer: they literally don’t make them like they used to. When Obi-Wan thinks of stormtroopers, he thinks of the clones he used to fight with. They were extremely talented.”
Indeed, from what we’ve learned in the Sequel Trilogy, stormtroopers are largely made up of new recruits from across the galaxy, which makes sense, because clones were engineered in a way that significantly reduced their lifespans. To keep their large armada mobile and maintain military control of the galaxy, the Empire had to recruit many average people without giving them any special training.
Meanwhile, we’ve recently learned that the new Obi-Wan TV show has been delayed indefinitely, so it’ll be a little while before we see General Kenobi struggle to adapt to his life in exile after the rise of the Galactic Empire.
