Theory: Darth Vader May Have Been Behind Stormtroopers' Terrible Aim
Warning! Spoilers for Star Wars: Darth Vader #12
Darth Vader might have been partly behind the stormtroopers' terrible aim throughout the Original Trilogy. The bucket heads have been mocked since Star Wars began for their clumsiness with a blaster, but it’s possible that was always a part of the Empire’s plan, weirdly enough.
Throughout the Empire’s tyranny over the galaxy, the stormtroopers haven’t appeared as much of a threat for the Rebel Alliance. Due to their comedically poor aim with their blasters, they’ve always been a fairly easy enemy to take down. Even The Mandalorian poked some fun at a few scout troopers who couldn’t manage to hit a target just feet away from them. However, there might actually be a reason why the Empire’s army isn’t so competent with a blaster, as alluded to in Star Wars: Darth Vader #12 written by Greg Pak with art by Guiu Vilanova.
It turns out that stormtroopers’ aim might be compromised by their bulky white helmets, implying that they actually have a decent ability to use a blaster. In a flashback to The Empire Strikes Back when Han Solo is in the process of carbon freeze, Darth Vader stops Boba Fett from shooting the enraged Chewbacca. Of course, Vader previously had to tell the hired bounty hunters specifically not to kill Han before they left on their assignment. Although a stormtrooper raises their blaster, the Sith isn’t so concerned they might fire it. Similarly, Vader hasn’t had to pull aside any troopers before to tell them “not to kill someone.” Instead, it seems like Vader knows they’re incompetent — at least while they’re wearing their white buckets.
While it isn’t directly addressed in the issue, Darth Vader never seems to be concerned that a random stormtrooper might kill Luke Skywalker. It’s also worth noting that while Vader has the rebels in his proximity during the carbon freeze session, he allows them to live. The thought of a stormtrooper killing one of them never even seems to cross his mind as a possibility. As hinted recently in The Bad Batch, the Empire makes a transition from the Republic’s clone trooper army to use trained soldiers, taking on the name “stormtrooper.” By this logic, the soldiers who are recruited should be the top of their class, capable of hitting any target. Whereas the clones and Boba have a more sleek look to their helmet designs, the stormtroopers' bulkier armor seems to hamper their skills that earned them a spot on the Imperial front lines.
This strange reveal is in line with other recent retcons explored throughout Darth Vader comics. Just as the Emperor apparently always knew that Vader would betray him, the stormtroopers’ were always meant to be ineffective soldiers on the battlefield. This is an awkward “subversion of expectations,” and arguably feels overly apologetic in providing a backstory for something as minimal as stormtroopers’ inability to hit a target. By now, Star Wars should have learned that not everything requires an extensive line of reasoning.
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