So, I guess that I’m in the minority here, based upon
talks I’ve had over the years with friends and other Star Wars fans. I always
liked the way the Rebel troopers looked in Episode IV. You know, the ones on
Leia’s ship? (figure 1 in attached picture)- the blue shirts, the vests and the
big, white, clam-shell lookin’ helmets? The first time I saw them was actually
BEFORE the movies, on some Star Wars trading cards. I thought they were cool
looking and I actually expected that there would be action figures released of
them. I mean, they made action figures of ‘Hammerhead’ and ‘Snaggletooth’ and
they were only in the movie for a couple seconds. It only made sense, right?-
that is if you ever wanted to have a ‘good guy army’ versus ‘bad guy army’. But
no such luck. Not until the mid-90’s.
Why do I like the design of the Rebel Trooper uniform?
Well, it’s difficult to say, really. It just appealed to me aesthetically.
Okay, maybe the helmet was a little large, but it seemed mostly functional to
me. In fact, the whole uniform did. They were ‘recognizable’ as soldiers, but
just sci-fi enough to satisfy me. They also stood apart from Stormtroopers,
emphasizing the difference between the two armies in no uncertain terms.
Stormtroopers were intimidating and faceless. Rebel troopers looked a bit
under-equipped (which helped give them that ‘rag tag underdog’ feel), but more
importantly, they were individuals- young and old men fighting for a cause.
I also liked the variation we saw in Episode IV. Different troop types had
different uniforms- again something to differentiate from the Imperials. There
were the flight-crew/tech guys (figure 2) and the dapper, OD Green clad
ceremonial guards (figure 3). Even as a kid, I could appreciate the effort that
went into making different folks look unique, but still part of the same
‘family’. It was just another way that made the movies feel grounded, despite
their fantastic story.
With the growth of the Expanded Universe, the Rebel
trooper has been featured a bit more prominently- namely in comic books, but
also in a few gaming supplements.
Figure 4 shows some of the ‘classic’ blue, black and
white guys duking it out with stormtroopers. I like the addition of bulky ‘ammo
packs’ to the one trooper’s uniform, again giving them a real ‘soldier’ feel.
Figure 5 shows some desert troops involved in a battle on
tatooine. Can’t say I’m really a big fan of the armor, though. They seem to
have shoulder guards, which is cool, but… they also seem to just be wearing a
T-shirt. Why do away wth the vest? Even if it doesn’t provide any protection,
its good for carrying gear.
Figure 6 shows an artists conception of ‘evolved’ rebel
troopers. I like the more practical colors of the uniforms and helmets, but I’m
not a huge fan of the face-plates. I can see where they’d be functional in
certain areas, but they make the troopers seem a lot more…faceless-literally
and figuratively. Plus, we all know that face-plates are the surest way to
invite enemies to disguise themselves as your own troops. I mean, that’s in the
Evil Overlord handbook.
Now, as far as my own concept of the ‘evolved’ Rebel
trooper, the figures along the right side of the image are pretty much it. I
found the base soldier image somewhere online and modified it color-wise. They
have that similar look to the classic Rebel trooper, but with a bit more
military oomph and functionality. They also incorporate a blast-vest in
addition to the helmet. For some reason, I still like the blue-and-grey color
scheme the best. To me, it still says ‘Rebel’ (or in this case, New Republic).
I'm with you, I really love the old school troopers as well. It's gotta be those funky helmets!
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