CT What motivates the Storm Troopers to fight? What's their cause?

The Empire was a meritocracy and a force for good, or had the potential to be.

"Lies, deception are the Rebels way."

 

I do not care what people say. Gary is Canon!

 

Agreed. I think those scenes just make you appreciate the Empire even more!

I mean that poor Stormtrooper (probably an officer in the 501st). And when Vader tells the Rebel, that people like Gary can't spend time with their family because of people like him! That was epic.

And I feel like that FG clip is basically what the Rebellion is, save for our heroes. It was trying to reinstate the corrupt ways of the Old Republic!

 

I really don't think it makes sense for Palpatine to go from clone troopers to mostly human troopers unless there was pretty widespread, genuine support for the regime.

 

Most likely fear

 

Vader had Clones, Vader's First a.k.a. 501st Legion were clones.


The Empire had Media, the Rebels we're most likely shown as terrorist. Most people didn't know about the Evil acts of the Empire, unless they were victims

 

I’m certain most troopers believed in their cause, and thought they were on the right side of the fight.

 

I agree. Frankly the galaxy as a whole must love the Empire. It brought peace, stability, order. It wasn't apathetic like the corrupt old Republic. It fought corruption, established a meritocracy. It also has a presence fighting crime in places where the Old Republic didn't even bother to police or even exist (e.g. Mos Eisley).

As for the troopers, I actually prefer the notion that when you switch from ROTS to ANH, that you indeed see Imperial (Clone) troopers who have been renamed Stormtroopers in action against now not the Droid Army, but the Rebel scum.

I would have thought that officers (who may be wearing Stormtrooper uniform) might be commanding these troopers versus the old Jedi Generals. And perhaps other elite recruits would be mixed in with each batallion/division. Of course, the naval officers seemed to be recruits. And don't forget even Luke himself was about to join the Imperial Academy.

I believe most troopers believed in doing their part to maintain peace and order for the galaxy to progress as one.

Also this:

 

To me it's not really clear what the "Imperial academy" is. It appears more like a non-military institution. I didn't get the impression Luke at any point wanted to enlist as a soldier in the Empire. He makes that very clear in ANH, Biggs says he wants to be on the RIGHT side, "the side I believe in". He clearly meant to join the Rebellion. Luke also he says to Kenobi "I don't like the Empire either, I HATE it". That's a pretty clear standpoint. I always thought he meant to become a pilot at that academy, then somehow join the Rebellion. Luke looks up to Biggs and is impressed by him. At first he thought him foolish to join the Alliance, but he sure agrees with his ideals. The novelization has this to say:

The Empire is clearly seen as a threat. Luke just doesn't know much about what is really going on. At that point he is too inexperienced and naive. But I think that talk with Biggs changed him a lot.

 

I like to think that it's left ambiguous on the screen, or even suggestive that the majority of troopers are cloned and led by Imperial Academy trained officers (to replace the treasonous Jedi Generals), with the Imperial Navy being primarily of trained officers and cadets.

Either way, one must think about it sometimes. Watching ROTS and (Rogue One and then) then ANH, you actually wonder, who are the good guys when you see the storming of the Tantive IV.

As for the question of the thread, the Stormtroopers fight to maintain safety, security and justice in the galaxy. The Galactic Empire's peacekeepers. Luke Skywalker himself was off to join the Imperial Academy himself one day.

Their cause is to preserve order. To enforce the law across all worlds under the domain of the Empire. And to protect it from the scum and villainy, slavers etc of the galaxy.

 

Thing is, as we're shown in the Rebels premiere - the Empire are slavers - mining the Spice Mines of Kessel using Wookiee slaves.

Hence the Rebels are able to masquerade as slave transporters "I'll just jettison them here and let you explain to Grand Moff Tarkin why the Empire has one less slave" being used to bluff their way aboard.

The episode ends with them going to Kessel, and successfully rescuing some Wookiee slaves in the face of opposition from Imperial stormtroopers.

 

To correct the OP, the idea of stromtroopers being clones is decades older that AOTC. Way back in 1978 there was a Star Wars poster book that stated stormtroopers are clones, and decribed how they are grown which was similar to what we see in AOTC. Plus there have been other hints of them being clones in the 80s and 90s. I agree with CLee that it doesn't make sense for Palps to switch, as the films show he is a man who only upgrades, never downgrades.

ANH implies the Empire is losing popularity, and hence the need to rule though fear and the construction of the DS to fulfill that. The academy Luke mentions is never stated on film that it is an imperial one, and Biggs states in the deleted scene he is leaving it before he gets drafted out of it by the Empire. Military usually do not draft people who are already in a military academy. Both Luke and Biggs mention that they hate the Empire.

No matter what exactly stormtroopers are, their motivation is likely the result of brainwashing, social control, and high level propaganda.

 

Both hate them empire? Luke wants to leave his miserable home by any means necessary before he talks to Obi-wan, even if it is through imperial means. Sure in the movie it never specified on what "the academy" was but surely I find it imperial (what else would there be in that section of the galaxy hiring outer-rim kids as people in the outer-rim are detested in the core). Luke doesn't mention that he doesn't like the empire in the off-the-conversation he has with Obi-wan giving excuses on why he can't leave his Uncle. I don't think in that moment he hated them I think he was just using it as another excuse... He would of happily joined the empire if it meant his family wouldn't get hurt and he could get the hell away from Tatooine.

 

I think it depends on the individual trooper, but I think it’s safe to say that the fear of what would happen should they choose not to obey is what drives all of them.

 

Hmm, to the extent that Lucas says the Empire was inspired by America, at least or especially as lead by Nixon (though Nixon didn't actually start American military involvement in Vietnam), and thus Stormtroopers are comparable to American soldiers, historically and in the '60s/'70s many American soldiers were soldiers just because they were drafted although many also were because they supported its role in the conflict or they didn't particularly support the specific conflict but did support defending America from threats in general.

Edit: BTW if they're to be thought of as just enforcing laws as much or more than as soldiers that invites the question of why the planets themselves couldn't and don't just have their own domestic (non-military) law enforcement officers, that kind of really emphasizes that membership in the Empire isn't voluntary (although it probably actually wasn't in the Old Republic too).

It's pretty interesting that the Clone War conflict basically is evil vs. evil (or heavily flawed vs. heavily flawed), the government and rebels both bad, and then getting back to the OT conflict it is supposed to be seen and interpreted as good vs. evil, the rebels not to be doubted.