The Crusader armor came in two versions, the Imperial Mark III (seen on the left) and the Rebel Mark II (on the right). It is important to note that the armor's color was determined by the wearer and could therefore vary.
During the time of the Galactic Civil War, the Black Sun organization engineered the creation of the Crusader armors. These armor models, influenced by Mandalorian designs, were intended for use by both the Galactic Empire and the Alliance to Restore the Republic.
Following the events of the Battle of Yavin, the criminal syndicate known as Black Sun identified a valuable business opportunity stemming from their successful partnership with the Death Watch. Capitalizing on advancements in their armor production using Mandalorian technology at the Death Watch Bunker located on the Forest Moon of Endor, Black Sun determined they could manufacture and supply different types of combat armor to both the Galactic Empire and the Rebellion.
The Rebellion received the Mark II series, while the Empire was supplied with the Mark III series. The Black Sun design team intentionally created distinct visual differences between the two armor sets. This was done to prevent either the Empire or the Rebellion from discovering that their armor originated from the same source. This deceptive strategy allowed both factions to unknowingly provide support to Black Sun, thereby enhancing the organization's autonomy throughout the duration of the Galactic Civil War. Both armor series were priced the same, leading to similar protective capabilities.
Around 1 ABY, the Crusader armors made their debut and were first deployed in combat during the Battle of Restuss on Naboo's moon, Rori. The armor was utilized by a number of Alliance and Imperial officers, as well as specialized units such as Rebel Elite Commandos. Furthermore, spacer aligned to either faction who earned battlefield commendations could exchange these awards for items like this armor from their respective Rebel or Imperial commendation officer.
The Crusader armors were featured in Star Wars Galaxies, a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game released in 2003. This video game was developed by Sony Online Entertainment and published by LucasArts, and it was active until its shutdown on December 15, 2011. The Crusader armors were integrated into the game alongside the "Battle of Restuss" PvP zone as part of the "Chapter 1.1" update, which was released on June 27, 2006.
As part of the Battle of Restuss narrative, players had the opportunity to earn commendation items by aiding their chosen faction in the conflict. These commendations could be accumulated and exchanged with Commendation Officer non-player characters for various rewards, including this armor.