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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

ST Building armies over the saga and into the ST

Discussion in 'Sequel Trilogy' started by LANDO_ROCKS, Jun 8, 2015.

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  1. LANDO_ROCKS

    LANDO_ROCKS Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2002
    I guess we've had a few different iterations of armies -

    1) The Droid Army - secretly constructed by Dooku and the Trade Federation (but under the guidance of Darth Sidious) the army seemed to only be a way for Sidious to get what he REALLY wanted...a clone army

    2) The Clone Army - also secretly sanctioned by Darth Sidious, the Clone Army were bred to be totally obedient and at the right time would turn on their Jedi leaders.

    3) Stormtroopers - now the ranks were filled by recruits like a conventional army I suppose they were there for the paycheque? Correct me if I'm wrong?

    This is where I'm speculating a slight change may be coming....

    4) First Order Stormtroopers - are they now religious fanatics ala ISIS? Could this be a way to integrate or reflect what is going on in real life in a way?

    It would be an interesting concept, most of the Stormtroopers from the OT era desert the Empire but the ones left might be brain-washed into believing the First Order isn't just an 'army' but a 'holy cause' spearheaded by a charismatic 'Supreme Leader Snoke' ?

    Supreme Leader is the sort of title you give someone when you have a Cult of Personality

    Here's a bit about them -

    "A cult of personality arises when an individual uses mass media, propaganda, or other methods, to create an idealized, heroic, and at times, worshipful image, often through unquestioning flattery and praise.

    Personality cults were first described in relation to totalitarian regimes that sought to alter or transform society according to radical ideas.

    Often, a single leader became associated with this revolutionary transformation, and came to be treated as a benevolent "guide" for the nation without whom the transformation to a better future couldn't occur. This has been generally the justification for personality cults that arose in totalitarian societies of the 20th century, such as those of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Ruhollah Khomeini."

    Perhaps Snoke was a crony of Sidious keen to see the 'Sith religion' continued and expanded in a way that wasn't evident in the OT?

    Remember outside of Sidious and Vader I don't think anyone else even knew or understood what the the Dark Side or what the Sith were.

    What if Snoke wants to change this? Expand the Sith to a huge religion with himself as a sort of evil Pope of sorts?

    Religion is a good way to control the masses, keep people afraid, make them listen to you and fight to the death for 'the cause'.

    Look - all spit-balling of course just an interesting thought that's been rolling around with me for a while.
     
    DaddlerTheDalek likes this.
  2. jc1138

    jc1138 Jedi Grand Master star 2

    Registered:
    Nov 16, 2004
    It's hard to say who knew about the Sith and dark side, based on the films. But, of course, the Jedi in both trilogies knew and spoke at of the dark side (though they didn't say "Sith" specifically in the OT, the title was used in many Star Wars sources long before the PT) and "Sith" in particular in the PT.

    Also, we don't really know how the Imperial brass or Imperial Joe Citizen would have reacted if they knew that Vader and The Emperor were Sith and users of the dark side--we can speculate that most would not have really cared or even knew what that was. They may have seen that as merely a different sort of Jedi. However, some (I'm thinking like Bail Organa, and he probably knew the Emperor was Sith though I don't think it's explicitly addressed in RotS) would have known that Sith in charge was no good for anyone.

    (Yes, I know that some novels touch on this but I'm talking about what we are presented in the films, 1-6)

    I like your thoughts about the New Order troops being a different army iteration from what we've seen. It would make a lot of narrative sense, in that they develop throughout the saga:
    • The separatist/TF droid army. Machines.
    • The clone army. Much more "human" but still created in a "factory" using a template.
    • The stormtroopers. Regular enlistees/draftees that don't display much personality, but are more "natural" and varied than clones.
    • The New Order troopers. Maybe they one-up the stormtroopers by explicitly fighting for beliefs or a cause.
     
    LANDO_ROCKS likes this.
  3. LANDO_ROCKS

    LANDO_ROCKS Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2002
    Exactly, you can compare the Iraqi army to ISIS - it sounds like the brutality and commitment that ISIS shows frightens and quickly de motivates a conventional force like the Iraqi army who after all are probably mostly in it for a paycheque.
     
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