The stormtroopers from Star Wars are supposed to be dangerous, yet the movies have repeatedly proven that they pose little threat. A series on Disney+ has finally changed that.
The stormtroopers are actually very important for the Empire; after all, they are the foot soldiers and form the core of the powerful army. They first appeared in Star Wars: A New Hope, the kick-off of the saga in 1977.
Even back then, Obi-Wan emphasized that the stormtroopers are very precise shooters, but the reality looked different. The soldiers hardly hit any of their shots fired from blasters.
On the contrary: They often miss, and things explode all around in a highly effective manner. Only their actual targets, such as the rebels around Luke, Han, and Leia, do they not hit.
Moreover, the stormtroopers can be easily manipulated, so Obi-Wan hardly has to exert effort to use his Force tricks. They also seem to be motorically clumsy, which leads to them often banging their heads. You can see the associated, now legendary clip on YouTube.
Over time, the moderately qualified soldiers built up a dubious reputation. Other productions from the Star Wars universe have made fun of them repeatedly.
For example, in The Mandalorian, there is a scene where two stormtroopers fail to hit a stationary target. You can also watch the scene on YouTube. At another point, protagonist Din Djarin – one of the best bounty hunters ever – points out to the character Mayfield that he shoots just as poorly as the stormtroopers.
One of the more recent series, on the other hand, takes a different approach and finally takes the soldiers of the Empire seriously.
Andor restores the honor of the stormtroopers
Which series is being referred to? The first season of Andor was released in 2022, followed by the second and final season in 2025. The series tells the story of the titular Cassian Andor, who was part of the rebels and involved in the theft of the Death Star plans.
The series is significantly darker than many other Star Wars series and films and generally takes a serious tone. Since the 24 episodes take place after Episode 3 but before Episode 4, the Empire and the associated stormtroopers already exist. Those who thought that the soldiers would again be mere cannon fodder and absolute laughable fighters were taught otherwise by Andor.
In several moments, the series shows that the stormtroopers can indeed be dangerous and can significantly influence the plot.
In this box, we reveal two examples – Warning Spoiler
In Season 2, a group of stormtroopers manages to mortally wound the character Brasso. He falls off his speeder and dies. Thus, Cassian Andor loses a good friend to the otherwise so unqualified stormtroopers.
Another example: Later in the season, the stormtroopers ensure that protesters on the planet Ghorman are encircled and killed.
It was long overdue that the iconic soldiers were given a bit more dignity. Andor has accomplished that with great success.
After all, the stormtroopers are one of the hallmarks of Star Wars. Their appearance is highly recognizable. In Andor, they are finally allowed to show what they are truly capable of, even though their actions are clearly anything but good. What do you think about it? Is it important to you that the soldiers of the Empire represent a threat? After all, they replaced the clones: The stormtroopers from Star Wars have a crucial detail over the old clone army
