Jumptroopers, also known as Imperial Jump Troopers, Imperial jet troopers, rocket troopers or jetpack troopers were specialized stormtroopers utilized by the Galactic Empire prior to and during the Galactic Civil War. Jumptroopers were equipped with jetpacks that allowed them temporary flight. There were variants of jumptroopers that specialized in different planetary environments such as the Arctic Jumptrooper, the Desert Jumptrooper, and the Forest Jumptrooper.
A version of the jumptrooper
Jumptroopers were a variant of the Galactic Empire's stormtroopers; similar to their clone predecessors, they were equipped with a jetpack that could suspend them in the air or maneuver through open space. They served several roles in combat, as they could be used to bound over walls to directly attack enemy fortifications, or in aerial drops intended to attack enemy positions which were otherwise untouchable.
They could carry burst shields, RT-97C heavy blaster rifles, E-11 medium blaster rifles, or missile launchers. In addition to their jetpacks, jumptroopers were generally suited with standard stormtrooper armor, although they occasionally wore specialized armor, one form of which included a mechanism attached to two tubes plugged into the helmet, similar to a TIE pilot's control box. Another armor variant utilized tubes to connect the pack to a distinctively different helmet, whereby the jumptrooper armor could withstand the vacuum of space.
An Imperial jumptrooper in one of the several armor types used by the jumptrooper class
In 9 BBY, jumptroopers participated in Imperial operations on Jedha. They were also stationed on Imperial Post 8L-055 on the planet Koboh, where they enganged in combat with the Jedi Knight Cal Kestis.
In 2 BBY, a contingent of jumptroopers were attached to Captain Brunson's Arquitens-class command cruiser. On Geonosis, these jumptroopers attempted to board the Spectres' ship, the Ghost, but were repelled by the rebels, Rex, and Saw Gerrera. After the entire unit was killed, Brunson ordered her crew to bury the Ghost by collapsing an air shaft on top of them.
During the Battle of Atollon, jumptroopers were deployed by Governor Arihnda Pryce to repulse Mandalorian warriors of Clan Wren led by Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren who were attempting to destroy an Interdictor vessel of the Seventh Fleet by attacking its gravity well projectors. The jumptroopers failed in their defense, taking heavy losses in the process, and the Interdictor's destruction allowed the surviving rebels to escape the planet.
In 1 BBY, jumptroopers defended an Imperial Mandalore prison outpost from Clan Wren, Clan Kryze, and members of the Spectres, who were attempting to rescue Sabine Wren's father, Alrich Wren. After Imperial forces were forced to retreat, Clan Wren, Kryze, and the Spectres discovered that Alrich was already in the process of being relocated, and was not present at the prison.
Some time after the Mission to Mandalore, jumptroopers commanded by Governor Pryce fought against the Lothal resistance group at the Lothal cliff dwelling during an attempt by the rebels to liberate the planet from Imperial control. Jumptroopers were used in the Battle of Jakku to defend the Eviscerator from Iden Versio.
The jumptrooper 6th scale trooper from Hot Toys
Jumptroopers first appeared in the 1993 video game Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back as airtroopers. The Star Wars Expanded Universe later canonized the concept in their continuity. On April 25, 2014 the Star Wars Expanded Universe was declared non-canon and rebranded as Legends.
Jumptroopers were later reintroduced into canon in the 2014 mobile game Star Wars: Commander, where they could be trained with a Level 8 Barracks and appear visually similar to the Imperial jumptroopers seen in the 2008 Legends video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game.
In the 2015 video game Star Wars Battlefront, jumptroopers wore generic stormtrooper armor with matching jetpacks. In the 2017 video game Star Wars Battlefront II, the jumptrooper had a visor not matching the Star Wars Rebels variant and other errors with the appearance. The developers later edited and changed the jumptrooper's appearance to match the Rebels version.
In the 2023 video game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, jumptroopers (labelled as jetpack troopers) appeared as an enemy type. The armour worn is the same armour that originally released in Star Wars Battlefront II. It is unclear if this was intentional or not.
- LEGO Star Wars
- Star Wars: The Rebel Files
- Star Wars Bust Collection 2
- Dawn of Rebellion
- The Star Wars Book