501st Legion

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Affiliation:
  clone troopers, stormtroopers, Galactic Empire

• 

An elite unit of clone troopers, and later stormtroopers, that came to symbolize the might of the Galactic Empire, the 501st Legion were the soldiers under the command of Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith. Also known as "Vader's Fist," they continued to enforce order and Imperial rule well after the death of Vader.

Origins in The Clone Wars

The 501st began just as any of the other initial clone units that blazed across the rocky deserts of Geonosis in the first historic battle of the Clone Wars. They seemed identical to the other clones that infiltrated the Separatist stronghold and pushed the Confederacy forces off-planet. Nonetheless, the Supreme Chancellor himself took special interest in the success record of the 501st.

The core group of the 501st were assigned to Anakin Skywalker, who was served by Clone Captain Rex. Together, the two developed a habit of turning unorthodox and often foolhardy mission tactics into numerous victories for the Galactic Republic. Like the red-emblazoned soldiers that made up the ranks of Palpatine's elite shock troopers, new troopers developed for the 501st underwent training and conditioning not on distant Kamino, but in a top-secret facility on Coruscant known only to select members of Palpatine's command staff. From this headquarters, some members of the Legion saw transfer to other units, where according to asset management charts they were seemingly absorbed. In other records more secure and more private, they remained carefully tracked as members of the 501st to one day return to Coruscant for special assignment.

In the final days of the Clone Wars, the 501st were constantly on the move, shuttled from battlefront to battlefront. The Legion was split into special mission groups, often to supplement other clone missions. In same cases, they operated independent of the command structure already in place. There were 501st troopers protecting the skies over Coruscant during General Grievous' bold strike against the capital. Others provided support to clone units on worlds such as Felucia, Mygeeto, Utapau and Kashyyyk.

Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

By war's end, Anakin Skywalker succumbed to the dark side and swore loyalty to Darth Sidious to become Darth Vader. For Vader's inaugural mission to raze the Jedi Temple, the elite clone troopers of the 501st accompanied him. Their distinctive blue-marked armor set them apart from the other ranks. Their crack marksmanship and coordinated team maneuvers allowed them to outflank the Jedi trapped in the Temple, and mercilessly gun them down. Though these clone troopers emerged from the smoldering Temple with their share of casualties -- some Jedi proved quite difficult to kill -- they were nonetheless successful in their mission.

After Revenge of the Sith

Many of the early missions of the 501st remained classified for decades. Only recently have datapad journals of some of its members come to light, detailing some of their most arduous assignments.

With the rise of the New Order, there were some worlds that objected to the sweeping policy changes enacted by Palpatine. These worlds were soon brought in line. The 501st transitioned from clone trooper ranks to stormtrooper ranks as the Empire consolidated its power.

The 501st were dispatched to Naboo, to eliminate Queen Apailana and her opposition to the Empire's directives. It was the first time the 501st was called upon to "adjust" a planet's government, but it wouldn't be the last. Within months, the 501st gained a well-deserved reputation as "Vader's Fist."

They traveled to Mustafar, to capture Gizor Dellso, a rogue Geonosian droid engineer who had erected his own battle droid factory on the fiery world. Most alarming, the clones of the 501st had to put down a clone uprising on Kamino, as an aberrant batch of mutinous troopers were unleashed by treasonous Kaminoans. For this assignment, they were led by Boba Fett, a mercenary hired by Darth Vader for his intimate knowledge of the cloning environments.

Later, the 501st were assigned with protecting the Death Star as it neared completion. A host of would-be saboteurs and spies were captured by the Empire, and sent to languish in the Death Star's prison facilities. An embarrassing prison break by these Rebels inmates had to be quashed by the 501st.

When the Death Star plans were stolen by Rebel spies, the 501st were dispatched on missions to track down the valuable technical readouts. Such reassignment saved the ranks from destruction when the Death Star's main reactor exploded at the climax of the Battle of Yavin.

The 501st continued to serve Darth Vader throughout the Galactic Civil War, though after the Battle of Endor, their ranks were broken and the unit dissolved as feuding Imperial warlords carved up territory and materiel in their bids to become the next Emperor.

Knowing the value of symbols, it was Grand Admiral Thrawn who resurrected the designation 501st for the stormtrooper units protecting the Empire of the Hand. By this time, any original clones from the 501st's Civil War era were long past fighting age. This later unit was made up of birth-born soldiers, with diverse backgrounds and histories -- including non-human members.

Behind the Scenes

For members of the 501st Legion, a worldwide organization of dedicated Star Wars fans, the stormtrooper costume isn't just something seen on the movie screen -- it's a way of life.

It all began in February 1997, when fans Albin Johnson and Tom Crews attended the Columbia, SC, premiere of the Star Wars Special Edition wearing complete stormtrooper gear. Soon after, Johnson posted pictures of the memorable evening on a personal website, and when others with their own stormtrooper costumes began to write in, he proceeded to post their photos as well. Within a few months, the popularity of the site led Johnson to think it should be a little something more.

"I wanted something that would give the average fans a collective identity at the conventions -- a family of their own," -- says Johnson. With "tours of duty" ranging from convention appearances to volunteer community service, members not only embrace their hobby, they entertain and delight the rest of the world with their devotion. Now with "garrisons" stationed all over the world spanning more than 20 countries, the group's ever-growing membership has surpassed 3,000.

"We consider the members of the 501st part of the extended Lucasfilm family," says Steve Sansweet, head of fan relations for Lucasfilm Ltd. "They have fun and share a sense of community, while at the same time bringing joy to a lot of people through their work with kids, raising money for charities, or just posing for photos with surprised but delighted 'civilians.'"

In recognition of such fandom, the 501st and its fan-created backstory of being Darth Vader's personal legion of stormtroopers known as "Vader's Fist" have now actually been adopted into official Star Wars continuity. In 2004, the 501st had roles in two Star Wars books by Timothy Zahn (Survivor's Quest and Fool's Bargain) and continued into Episode III: Revenge of the Sith itself when the 501st followed a newly turned Anakin Skywalker into the Jedi Temple to slaughter the Republic's defenders of peace.

LucasArts featured the 501st's most prominent role yet -- a storyline completely centered around Vader's Fist in Star Wars Battlefront II.