Shortly after the Republic became the Empire, he began the Dark Trooper project, also using the Noble Tagge family’s L8-L9 and Z-X3 droid soldiers. A veteran of the Clone Wars, Mohc valued the Clone Troopers under his command but was obsessed with creating a more adequate battle droid than his CIS opponents. Later video games - such as the Legends-era Battlefront and Star Wars Galaxies series - would add even more Dark Trooper variants, explained to be prototypes to General Mohc’s three mainline phases of the project. The game featured three phases of Dark Trooper: a fast-moving Phase I, a heavily armored Phase II, and the hulking Phase III which was used as an exoskeleton by the project’s creator, General Rom Mohc. The Legends-era Dark Troopers first appeared in the 1995 video game Dark Forces, as an elite experimental droid military force to back up (or sometimes replace) the recruited human soldiers of the Imperial Army and Stormtrooper Corps. Related: The Mandalorian Code Explained: What Rules They Must Follow The Sentry Droids may be an early droid model within the Dark Trooper Project, potentially one of its “phases.” Dark Troopers are also referenced in Star Wars Rebels, which featured deadly Imperial DT-Series Sentry Droids. The Dark Troopers in this game are designated as “Phase II Dark Troopers,” and the Dark Trooper Program they are part of is referenced four years later in the Dawn of Rebellion sourcebook. 2014’s mobile game Star Wars: Commander featured them as an elite Imperial ground unit. Season 2 of The Mandalorian technically isn’t the first appearance of Dark Trooper in the current canon. Those familiar with Legends lore will recognize Gideon’s imposing droid soldiers right away, but how do the current canon’s Dark Troopers compare to the Legends version?ĭark Troopers are heavily armed and armored Imperial battle droids, possibly meant as a more expensive and effective Imperial answer to the Separatist Alliance’s cheap but adequate B2 Super Battle Droids. As Din Djarin, Boba Fett, and Fennec Shand fight Moff Gideon’s Stormtroopers, he deploys elite Dark Troopers to abduct the vulnerable Jedi child Grogu. The Mandalorian season 2, episode 6, 'Chapter 14: The Tragedy' notably featured the exciting return of Boba Fett, as well as providing a first look at The Mandalorian's version of the Dark Troopers.

Phase 3 dark trooper