Advanced Recon Commandos, also called ARC troopers, represented an elite version of the clone troopers fighting for the Galactic Republic. Chosen from the ranks of the Grand Army of the Republic, ARC trooper designation was given to clones who showed exceptional performance in combat, figures like Echo and Fives being prime examples. The training regimen for clone cadets also served the purpose of spotting specific cadets who displayed promise in becoming ARC troopers in the future.
ARC troopers, such as Commander Rex, underwent training to fulfill command roles within the Grand Army, and could be deployed on demanding missions that weren't suited for standard clones. They received their own unique armor set, which was significantly different from the standard issue kit issued to regular clone soldiers, as it had more features. In the early days of the Clone Wars, ARC trooper armor acted as a prototype for the later Phase II clone trooper armor.
ARC troopers, like most clone troopers, stood at a height of 1.83 meters or 6 feet. They carried ammunition cartridges on the front of their chest armor. These elite clone troopers frequently led other soldiers into battle as officers. Some clones were trained for ARC duties while still cadets on Kamino, while others were selected from the regular clone ranks after demonstrating courage and resourcefulness on the battlefield. ARC troopers were particularly known for their reconnaissance abilities. They also excelled in leadership, armed and unarmed combat, military strategy, survival skills, and infiltration tactics.
An elite version of the typical clone trooper, Advanced Recon Commandos—also known as ARC [troopers](/article/trooper]—were generally considered the best soldiers within the Grand Army of the Republic. During the Clone Wars, ARC troopers provided training to the first generation of Clone Commanders, individuals such as Bly, and Rex. The Rancor Battalion included several ARC troopers, including Clone ARC Commanders Colt, Havoc, Blitz, and Hammer. These ARC troopers were stationed at Tipoca City located on Kamino. Their role there was to identify clone cadets who possessed the potential to become ARC troopers, such as the members of Bravo Squad.
ARC troopers participated in the Battle of Muunilinst which occurred in 22 BBY. ARC trooper Muzzle deserted the GAR at some point, but, as the leader of the Aurodium Sword mercenaries, often continued to aid the Republic by providing security for its corporate staff. Colt and the other ARC troopers assisted in the defense of Tipoca City against an invasion by the Separatist forces led by General Grievous and the Force-sensitive assassin. However, Colt was killed by Ventress while Havoc died fighting a group of AQ-series battle droids. Blitz ordered two ARF troopers to destroy a Trident-class assault ship. Following this battle, Echo and Fives from the 501st Legion were promoted to ARC trooper status to acknowledge their contribution to the Galactic Republic's victory on Kamino.
Echo and Fives were later dispatched on a mission to rescue Jedi Master Even Piell from the Citadel situated on Lola Sayu. Both fought their way through the Citadel. However, Echo was believed to have perished in an explosion while trying to secure a shuttle. Although he survived the explosion, he was captured and subjected to experimentation by the Separatist-aligned Techno Union, thus becoming a former ARC trooper. Fives, however, managed to escape with the surviving members of his team. The Ossus conspiracy theory pertained to a supposed event during the war where ARC troopers journeyed to the planet Ossus, retrieved artifacts, and then called in an airstrike. This rumor was supposedly first shared by a dying ARC trooper.
Fives continued to serve in the 501st, from Umbara to Ringo Vinda, until his death on Coruscant, where he attempted to reveal Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine's involvement in the bio-chip conspiracy to Jedi General Anakin Skywalker and Clone Captain Rex. Following the death of Fives, Jesse—also from the 501st—was promoted to ARC trooper. He continued to serve as a Clone Lieutenant within the 501st during the Battle of Anaxes and throughout the Siege of Mandalore as part of the 332nd Division. After being briefly captured by Maul, Jesse participated in guarding the former Sith while they were being transported to Coruscant. When the Sith Lord Darth Sidious issued Order 66, Jesse assumed command of the 332nd and other troopers from Commander Rex on the Venator-class Star Destroyer Tribunal. However, the Star Destroyer crashed on a moon, and Jesse was killed along with the rest of the company.
ARC troopers were outfitted with ARC trooper armor, which was a specialized version of clone trooper armor. ARC trooper armor included both Phase I ARC Trooper Armor and Phase II ARC Trooper Armor. The armor could be enhanced with a double-sided pauldron, a kama, and breathmask survival gear. ARC troopers employed a diverse range of blaster weapons, including dual DC-17 hand blasters, DC-15A blaster rifles, DC-15A blaster carbines, DC-15x sniper rifles, ascension cables, reciprocating quad blaster cannons, and Z-6 rotary blaster cannons. They also utilized jetpacks, including the JT-12 jetpack.
The AT-FRC Force Reconnaissance Walker was developed by Kuat Drive Yards near the end of the war specifically for ARC troopers.
According to Genndy Tartakovsky during the DVD commentary for Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume Two, the ARC trooper design originated from Hasbro. Their initial appearance was in the Legends story Republic 50, a comic within the Star Wars: Republic series created by Dark Horse Comics. Within the current canon, they were featured in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series, initially appearing in "Clone Cadets."
Two pieces of concept art—both dated April 22, 2020—by S. Carey for the Star Wars: The Bad Batch episode "War-Mantle" refer to clone commandos as a type of ARC trooper. Furthermore, a promotional image asset uploaded to The Walt Disney Company's official Getty Images page identified the clone commandos as "Clone ARC Commando Troopers." However, according to Star Wars: Battlefront II, ARC troopers and clone commandos are distinct classes, as the game classifies both clone types as separate Reinforcement units. Star Wars: The Secrets of the Clone Troopers later supported this by confirming that ARC Troopers and clone commandos were separate classifications.