This stormtrooper, a Human serving in the Imperial Stormtrooper Corps, participated in events during the early stages of the Galactic Civil War. He was part of the garrison stationed on the original Death Star in 0 BBY, before the Battle of Yavin. He belonged to a squad of troopers that were sent to the gantry office situated above Docking Bay 327, where they came across the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO. Not long after this encounter, the Alliance to Restore the Republic attacked and obliterated the Death Star while it was positioned over the Yavin system.
When Imperial forces discovered a breach on the first Death Star, the Empire became aware that a security control center that overlooked Docking Bay 327 had been locked under suspicious circumstances. This particular stormtrooper was a member of the squad tasked with investigating the situation. The squad leader managed to unlock the door, but as the team rushed inside, this stormtrooper misjudged the height of the doorway. Because of the restricted field of vision afforded by his helmet, the stormtrooper collided with the doorframe, which slowed his entry. Inside the room, they found R2-D2 and C-3PO, along with the deceased bodies of a gantry officer and his [aide](/article/aide-legends]; however, the droids were assumed to be Imperial assets. Subsequently, the stormtroopers departed the room, following the droids' instructions to pursue the "madmen" who had supposedly assaulted the officer on the prison level. A short time later, the Battle of Yavin took place, during which the Alliance to Restore the Republic mounted an offensive against the Death Star above the Yavin system, successfully destroying the battle station.
The stormtrooper who bumped his head made his debut in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, which was released in 1977. The actor playing the trooper accidentally hit his head on the door frame while entering the set.
Laurie Goode has recalled hitting his head on set while portraying a Stormtrooper, which has led many to speculate that he may be the unidentified head-bumping stormtrooper. Michael Leader also remembered a similar incident, and upon his death in 2016, at least one media outlet identified him as the actor who played the head-bumping stormtrooper. Consequently, the true identity of the stormtrooper remains unknown.
The "head-bumping stormtrooper" error, one of the most noticeable bloopers from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, was later highlighted by Lucas himself. In 2002's Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, George Lucas paid tribute to the scene by including a moment where Jango Fett bumps his head on the low-clearance door of the Slave I. In the 2004 DVD re-release of the original trilogy, the "head-bumping stormtrooper" incident was emphasized with an exaggerated sound effect to further highlight the mistake. Despite Lucas' suggestion that this stormtrooper was a clone of Jango Fett, the stormtrooper's voice and accent did not match Fett's when he spoke.