CT Why did the empire stop using clones?

The clones were better soldiers and almost totally loyal. Why would the empire favour a conscription model instead.

 

When you think about it, it's a huge gamble, putting all of your security in the hands of the Kaminoans, who we know to be strictly mercenary about their designs. One big, secret money transfer from the right Moff, Senator, Admiral, General or Dignitary, and an entire batch of clones can be programmed to switch allegiance with a single phrase. I would switch to conscripts, as well.

 

That sounds like a question in search of a story.

 

I doubt if such an event occurred the kaminoans would live long enough to spend those credits. Besides, one cash payment or an endless stream of Imperial credit?
It wouldn’t make much sense to side against the emperor.

You also have to think that Palpatine had contingencies in place against to prevent such outcomes.

 

Plus, it costs money to create clones. Money that the Empire would want to direct elsewhere.

 

You have a point. While you still have to feed, clothe, train and equip conventional troops that could be done in matter of months in a pinch. A clone takes 10 years.

 

They all started behaving naughtily and they wouldn't give Palpatine any Life Day presents.

 

Because Lucasfilm didn't want children to confuse Republic clone troopers and Imperial stormtroopers, and cheer for the Empire. That's the real world explanation.

In universe, it makes absolutely no sense for the Empire to stop using cloning.

 

Like said before, I think it mostly boils down to cost.

Once the Empire established itself, it "colonized" and enslaved a vast number of planets. It also disenfranchised several worlds and I'm sure the economy was in shambles. At least in some systems. So considering that the Empire could just recruit out of these systems as well as prisons, I feel like economically and even militarily it would serve better than relying heavily on one source for your military.

 

Exactly — why rely on only one source for your military when you have literally dozens of planets from which you can conscript soldiers?

 

Plus, The Galaxy was not in a warring state, so there were less need of clones. Recruited Stormtroopers were more than enough to what was needed-subduing ragtag rebel groups and maintaining security. I also have the suspicion that the empire was less interested in having an elite army, they were too busy mass producing star destroyers and building the Death Star.

 

More than that : stormtroopers were enough to subdue what the Imperial public was led to believe was a rag-tag band of revoltees rather than revolutionaries seeking a full-fledged civil war.

 

There had to be an explanation for an instant army ready for the clone wars. And a secret set of clones fits the bill. And it doubles down on the idea that the Jedi were oblivious and the Sith at work.

 

I got the impression that the Clone Army was bankrupting the Republic.
It cost a fortune, and then the Senate would approve another batch of them.
All part of the destruction of the Republic.

And building millions of B1 droids had a similar economic drain.

Recruiting suckers with a bit of propaganda for the Glory of the Empire was cheaper.

 

Why not widen the base clone template then?

Select 50 or 100 of the best human specimens available based on natural aptitude.

 

I would agree with this. If I remember rightly one episode of TCW even had Padme protesting about the increased military spending going into Clone production.

 

There was a rather boring two part episode about the banks in season 6 as well. Didn’t some greedy bankers run off with the galaxy’s money or something?

 

There is no real reason to choose conscripted soldiers fighting against their will over clones born and bred to fight.

At first the Stormtroopers WERE clones. Hasbro even produced several OT trooper figures with Clone faces beneath. All was going well (IMO) until Pablo Hidalgo asked Lucas why the original Clonetroopers were effecient fighters and the Stormtroopers couldn't hit what they were aiming at. Instead of the stating the obvious, that the heroes were protected by plot armor, he said that Jango was copied too many times and then the Empire started getting clone templates from other (less skilled?) people. Then the idea of conscription was added (an EU idea???) and that was the end of it.

In my Star War 'verse, every OT trooper who continuously wears a mask is a clone of Jango Fett.

 

The Kaminoans were ridiculously expensive and got very greedy as the Clone War went on. Not to mention that likely had mountains of evidence that would have been something the Imperial Senate could have used to level charges against Palpatine if he decided to cut them out and they wanted to use leverage against him to make more demands. Not to mention, riding the massive popularity high that Imperial government would have been on following the war, propaganda would likely have had people out in droves wanting to enlist to serve the glory of the new Empire, make money and so on and so on. When you have a galaxy of trillions willing to work for you out of sheer loyalty and admiration alone or because the army is their only real hope for advancement, why would you pay for super expensive murder meatbags?

 

I think the Imperial army was a mix of clones and conscripts. It's just people like Jango Fett are one in a million. It's hard to get someone without the force as skilled and awesome as him.

 

Interestingly, we never got an explanation as far as Lucas canon is concerned. In that canon, the Empire may even still be using clones.

The invention of Stormtroopers being recruits is a purely EU creation. But when trying to consolidate Lucas' intention of them evolving from a clone army, we had the updated EU explanation that the Stormtroopers are a mix of both. And somehow Disney canon is now pushing for a primarily recruit army (I think this became movie canon with Solo). So it's hard to give an explanation when we don't have a definitive notion of what Stormtroopers even are on film, and the EU explanations coming from people not involved in the film vary and are often contradictory.

 

Then how come they have different heights?

 

Real world answer: No CGI to make them all look alike.

In-Universe Answer: Perhaps they're different ages (batches) or, who really cares?

It's as ridiculous a complaint as the claim that Stormtroopers are terrible shots when Obi-wan clearly states otherwise.

 

George clearly intended for clone troopers to be stormtroopers when he was making the AOTC. That's why they have the similar white armour and that's why he even added that clank sound to the ANH DVD version in 2004 when one of the stormtroopers hits his head on the Death Star, to harken back to when Jango hits his head in AOTC when leaving Kamino.

Then TCW happened and George changed his mind. For the worse.

And now Disney/Lucasfilm is fully pushing the idea that stormtroopers are all conscripts or volunteers. Which sucks.

 

Is there any more of this specifically? Is there a quote where he or someone else says that this is directly correlated to them being clones? Even then that sounds like quite a reach.