PT Clone troopers: What makes a soldier, the man or the DNA?

I was wondering what other people think of this topic?

In the end does it really matter that Jango Fett was picked above others to make clones? Could theoretically any template have been used with the same results?

It just seems that perhaps anyone could be a fearsome warrior based on certain experiences and mental disciplines.

Edit:
Fixed that for ya.
-Sx3

My personal opinion is it's a little of both. In my experience as an infantryman in the Army I knew people who physically could perform the task of an infantry soldier but mentally weren't up to the job (i.e. couldn't handle long deployments, couldn't handle being yelled out by Drill Sergeants, couldn't handle the stress of always being in harms way, etc.). At the same time I knew people who physically couldn't handle the job required of an infantryman but mentally would have made excellent soldiers. For example, while in Basic, my platoon had 2 people who were discharged before completing training. One guy couldn't handle the stress of training though physically he could and did handle the physical aspects of the training. He told the Drill Sergeants that he had suicidal thoughts and was discharged. The other guy discovered, once he had arrived at Basic, that he had a physical condition which prevented him from completing training (something with his lungs). Even though this guy could not handle the physical aspects of the training, none of us questioned his wanting to be there (he showed us on many occations that he did) and even tried to find some way in which to stay and complete training. Unfortunately he had to be discharged as his condition put him at too great a risk. DNA and genetics can help or hurt, but it's no guarantee of a good soldier.

Ever heard of the Human Genome Project?

In it, they identified thousands of "soldier genes" which would be ideal for making a person genetically predisposed to being a good soldier.

I think an army of Sebulba's would have been great to see!

leap kicking droids, ripping their arms off and growling "is this yours?"



competitive and aggressive in combat, the clone wars would have been over in weeks

The upbringing is important as well - possibly more important. You don't magically become a soldier just because you have the right DNA (as AOTC seems to suggest.) The genes give you the potential to be a good soldier but It’s only potential. I'm pretty sure you could bring up a Fett clone to be a lazy whiny bastard who's totally unsuitable for war.

I imagine some people's genotype predisposes them to be better soldiers than others, provided they get the appropriate training.

Hmm... This is a pretty interesting topic! I would have to guess that it is more of the MAN more than the DNA. If we all remember in Attack Of The Clones they mention that some of the clones started to excel in their own combat.... Some excel more at being a pilot, gernades, rifleman, leadership, etc... We also see this in "The Clone Wars" TV Series. I believe Season 3 Episode 1... Cadet Clones. 5 Clone Cadets are trying to graduate from Cadet school and they cannot work together as a team. Ego's, Bad Leadership all play into factor for them, not to mention the old man clone "99" who is a maintance man at the academy. If everyone was the same than "99" would have passed and the 5 clones would not be having those issues.

I personally Do not know a lot about cloning in real life. Humans, Animals... These are just my judgement calls from Star Wars. Jango Fett probably set the "foundation"down for the clones, but it was up to the indivudals themselves... more MAN THAN DNA in my opinion. They all have their own brain, mind, thoughts, etc...

Interesting topic. : )

I don't think that's in AOTC. Was that in the book?

I think you maybe right. I swear i heard them talking about that somewhere! A video game? Maybe im just overthinking! Lol.

Am I the only one who thought of this from the thread title alone?

seagoat's post made me reminisce of MGS

Agree that its a combination, but I don't think that means you can discount the benefits of starting with a good physical model. Jango is a formidable combatant, and part of the reason for that is his physical gifts. I think it is fair to assume that he has significant physical strength and endurance, he probably has a high pain threshold, isn't prone to injury (muscle tears, etc), has terrific reflexes and hand-eye coordination, and the like. The cloners probably did a little tampering with that - believe it is implied or stated in the movies that there was tampering to make the clones more compliant, if nothing else.

Look at it this way - if you were going to choose someone to be a pro quarterback, would you start with the DNA of "some random guy", or would you start with the DNA of, say, Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, or Joe Montana, etc? Simply starting with that DNA wouldn't be enough of course- the way the clone was brought up would influence temprament, etc - but having a good physical template to begin with would sure seem to make sense.

It's a matter of good hygiene and good dieting.

Exactly. Archie Manning's talent being passed down to Peyton and Eli is probably the best example here. They may not have the same skill, but they all are or were NFL QBs, nonetheless. There was a third son, but I guess he got screwed. lol.

Even though genetics don't guarantee anything, the odds are still good when it comes to physical appearance, intelligence and athleticism. And I'm sure a cloned specimen has even better odds of getting these traits than natural born children, too.

Both, but training brings it all together. Jango having a hand in their training makes a big difference, since their true purpose is to kill Jedi. Jango got the job in the first place because he defeated Dooku's former apprentice.

Really good dieting.

Agreed. The Kaminoans were trying to create the best army possible. Jango was the best. Plus, Jango was on-hand for training and consulting on a variety of other army-related things, such as the armor and weapons.

The DNA makes the soldier, nothing more and nothing less.

Determinism, free will, fatalism....I don't know. I'd think the differences between clones would mostly have social (subjective) causes but first we would need to question the thought that each clone has the same personality.