The Phase-III Dark Trooper, alternatively referred to as the Dark Trooper of the third-generation design, represented an advanced type of third-generation battle droid prototype. These droids were products of the Imperial Department of Military Research and saw deployment by Moff Gideon's Imperial remnant. These black and silver-plated droids possessed a humanoid form and were characterized by a pair of red photoreceptors.
These battle droids demonstrated resistance to both heat and blaster fire. They also possessed considerable physical strength, sufficient to inflict significant damage upon Imperial blast doors, but were notably slow overall. Dr. Penn Pershing noted that maintaining them in a constant state of readiness required excessive energy consumption, necessitating their storage in cold environments and resulting in a multi-minute deployment delay.
Initially, Dark Trooper armor was intended as a wearable battle suit for human soldiers. However, this approach revealed inherent vulnerabilities. The third-generation iteration was, therefore, conceived as a droid to address these shortcomings. Dark Troopers were equipped with paired rocket boosters, one integrated into each foot. While the Dark Trooper armor could withstand blaster impacts, exposure to a flamethrower, and multiple strikes from whistling birds, it remained susceptible to lightsaber attacks. This allowed the Jedi Luke Skywalker to effectively eliminate an entire platoon using his lightsaber with relative ease. Their unprotected neck also presented a vulnerability, which Din Djarin exploited after disorienting a Dark Trooper with whistling birds. The droids were also incredibly strong.
A single Dark Trooper could force open the doors of its containment cell and effortlessly lift and hurl Djarin. Two Dark Troopers, working in concert, could inflict severe damage on blast doors through repeated impacts. Furthermore, a lone Dark Trooper proved capable of severely damaging a wall of Gideon's light cruiser by repeatedly slamming Djarin's beskar helmet into it, embedding him within the structure, though the helmet itself remained intact. In addition to their armor and raw strength, Dark Troopers were armed with substantial blaster rifles, which they employed with notable accuracy. This was demonstrated when a Dark Trooper fired multiple shots at Djarin, all of which struck him but were deflected by his beskar armor. For enhanced combat effectiveness, Dark Troopers could be deployed alongside a death trooper escort, which would command the battle droids.
In 9 ABY, a platoon of third-generation dark troopers were being held in a cargo hold aboard Gideon's light cruiser in a state of hibernation. Following a skirmish on Nevarro that resulted in the destruction of an Imperial base, Elia Kane informed Moff Gideon, who was observing rows of dormant Dark Troopers alongside a group of scientists, about the presence of a homing beacon on the Razor Crest. After Gideon tracked the Razor Crest to Tython, he dispatched four Dark Troopers to the planet's surface with the mission of abducting a Force-sensitive alien child known as Grogu from his guardian, the Mandalorian Din Djarin. The droids successfully completed their objective and returned to Gideon's light cruiser with the child.
During the rescue of his foundling, Djarin managed to destroy one of the droids by impaling its unprotected neck with a beskar spear. Subsequently, Djarin ejected the remaining droids through the airlock and into space, only to have them return to the cruiser using their rocket boosters. They nearly succeeded in retaking the cruiser on their own. Just moments before they could breach the bridge blast doors, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker intervened. He used his lightsaber to cut through them, destroying all of the Dark Troopers. Following his extraction from New Republic custody, Gideon established a hidden secret Imperial base on the planet Mandalore, where his remnant utilized Mandalorian resources to develop the fourth-generation Dark Trooper design. This iteration reverted to a suit-based design, constructed from beskar alloy and worn by Gideon himself.
The Dark Trooper of the third-generation design made its initial appearance in "Chapter 12: The Siege," which served as the fourth episode within the second season of the live-action Disney+ series, The Mandalorian. This episode was originally broadcast on November 20, 2020. The audio description accompanying the episode on Disney+ was the first to identify it as a Dark Trooper. The Sideshow Collectibles figure later revealed its full designation as the third-generation design Dark Trooper.
For "Chapter 16: The Rescue," the Dark Troopers were brought to life using stunt performers in full-body suits, enhanced with CGI. The production team determined that this approach was the most effective method for realizing the scene and aligning with the aesthetic of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.