Warning: This article contains spoilers for episode 4 of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
One of the most fascinating things about the new load of Star Wars TV shows is how they’ve expanded the show’s canon. Each show has introduced new lore elements and brought elements from the extended franchise into the mainline live-action universe. And nowhere is this truer than the black and red Stormtroopers from episode four of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
What are the black and red Stormtroopers, and where did they come from?
The black and red Stormtroopers are called Purge Troopers. These cool-looking additions to the Stormtrooper ranks made their debut in the comics. Their first appearance was in Darth Vader #13 from 2017. However, instead of revealing their real name in this appearance, they were called Inquisitor Troopers.
They didn’t get their actual name until 2019, when they appeared in the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order videogame. In this title, the Purge Troopers acted as a recurring foe requiring players to use all of their previously learned skills to take them down. The Purge Troopers also played a massive role in the game’s tie-in comic, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order – Dark Temple. Since appearing in the game, the Purge Troopers have received much more attention, including a range of action figures depicting their various armor sets.
Who are the Purge Troopers?
The in-universe history of the Purge Troopers is fascinating. The Inquisitorius led these troopers. They aimed to help the Inquisitorius hunt down and kill any surviving Jedi. Interestingly, this unit was formed around the time of the Great Jedi Purge, meaning a few of these early Purge Troopers were actually the last Jango Fett clones made for the Republic. However, as soon as these clones reached maturity, they were brainwashed into serving the Empire. Since the Purge Troopers were trained to fight alongside the Jedi, they are especially deadly. They know most of the Jedi’s usual tricks, allowing them to easily counter them.
However, as time progressed, these clones became less and less common, with recruited troops taking the Purge Trooper mantle.
What can the Purge Troopers do?
Purge Troopers are very dangerous warriors. They are designed to track down and kill Jedi, meaning they needed to be a cut above the regular Stormtroopers. Purge Troopers were trained with variously ranged weapons, including DC-15A blaster rifles, DC-15LEs, DC-15A blaster carbines, and E-11 blaster rifles. On top of this, they are also skilled with many different melee weapons, including electrostaffs, electrobatons, and electrohammers.
Their armor is one of the most impressive things about the Purge Troopers. The black and red armor sets are not just for aesthetics. This armor is made of lightsaber-resistant material, removing one of the Jedi’s common combat advantages.
All of this information means one thing is for sure. Obi-Wan better bring his A-game if he plans to fight the Purge Troopers.