The Empire’s AT-AT walkers were descendents of six-legged AT-TEs used by the Republic during the Clone Wars. Walkers could simply step over obstacles that stopped wheeled or tracked vehicles, and their massive size and resemblance to huge beasts struck terror in the Empire’s enemies.

The planetary shield defending Hoth’s Echo Base prevented the Empire from bombarding the rebels’ positions with orbiting Star Destroyers. Landing craft deployed AT-AT walkers beyond the shield’s perimeter. From there, the massive war machines planned to cross the snowy plains and destroy Echo Base’s main power generator.

Under the command of General Veers, the AT-ATs advanced, firing on rebel trenches and weapons emplacements defending Echo Base’s perimeter.

The rebels rushed to their troops’ defense with a squadron of snowspeeders led by Luke Skywalker. The nimble T-47s raked the AT-ATs with their blaster cannons, but the armor proved too strong for their weapons to damage.

With Luke’s gunner disabled, Wedge Antilles used his harpoon and tow cable in an improvisational strategy. He maneuvered his speeder in circles to wrap up the AT-AT’s legs with the tough cable.

The plan worked – the mighty AT-AT crashed to the snowy ground. Snowspeeders then destroyed it with concentrated firepower. The Imperial monstrosities were vulnerable after all.

But the Imperial assault was overwhelming. Snowspeeder after snowspeeder fell to the AT-ATs’ guns, while rebel troops bravely tried to hold their ground in the face of withering fire from the walkers and their accompanying AT-STs.

Luke barely escaped death when an AT-AT shot down his speeder and then stomped on the fallen craft, leaving the rebel hero on foot amid the battle.

With the rebel lines crumbling, a confident General Veers closed in on the rebel power generator, telling Darth Vader he could begin landing Imperial troops on Hoth.

Luke brought down another walker by slicing open its armored belly with his lightsaber and hurtling a grenade into its interior. But the battle was lost – the rebels’ only hope was to evacuate as many soldiers and as much equipment as they could.

Veers’s AT-AT closed within range of Echo Base’s power generators and destroyed them with its blaster cannons, bringing down the shield generator. Imperial troops would soon swarm the base.

The Endor Moon’s dense forests neutralized many of the AT-AT’s strengths, leaving the Empire to rely on AT-STs. But the larger AT-ATs were still used for patrols and other duties. After Luke surrendered to the Empire, an AT-AT brought him to the Imperial landing platform, where Vader awaited.