The eternal struggle between the light and the dark in Star Wars demands a lot of attention. After all, not much gets done in the galaxy that the two sides don’t have their fingerprints all over. What’s easy to forget is that, at least in the Skywalker Saga, the Jedi and Sith don’t do most of the heavy lifting. Sure, red and blue or green lightsabers clash at the end of every movie, but they only get the chance because of the soldiers who put their lives on the line. Of course, Star Wars doesn’t leave everyone hanging, as the clone troopers headline a TV series that shows their struggles and triumphs leading up to Order 66.
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The force that takes over for the Grand Army of the Republic, the Imperial Army, doesn’t get the same treatment from the powers that be. Being part of a tyrannical regime makes it hard to sympathize with the Imperials and their lackeys, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any interesting stories to tell. In fact, Star Wars’ latest show is going out of its way to flesh out stormtroopers, proving that they aren’t the faceless killers the original trilogy makes them out to be.
Star Wars Is Done Leaving the Stormtroopers Out to Dry
Since discovering the benefits of a streaming presence, Lucasfilm has been greenlighting projects left and right. While almost all of them are part of the official Star Wars canon, there are a few outliers. The LEGO shows get a pass because they’re all in good fun, cooking up scenarios that put the magic that kids create while playing with their action figures to shame. Star Wars: Visions is a different case, though. Each episode tells a different story that’s inspired by a galaxy far, far away, and not all of them have an easy-to-follow narrative. Season 3 features what’s easily the series’ strangest entry, “BLACK,” which explores the inner demons a stormtrooper faces.
While it’s difficult to surmise whether “BLACK” is about two different stormtroopers or two sides of the same man, the message is consistent throughout: war is terrible for everyone. The Rebels are attacking the Death Star, and the stormtroopers that are fighting back are struggling to find their footing. The lead soldier spends the duration of the battle struggling to find peace, and by the end, he’s down for the count, failing to make amends with himself before moving on to the great beyond. “BLACK” ends on a truly somber note and asks far more questions than it answers. However, at least it sticks to its guns because not every Star Wars project that attempts to flesh out stormtroopers can say that.
The Sequels Wish They Had as Much to Say as “BLACK”
Other than “BLACK,” there’s only one good example of a Star Wars project allowing a stormtrooper to talk about how they feel. At the start of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren is tearing the galaxy apart while seeking the map to Luke Skywalker, killing anyone who gets in his way. One of the soldiers who has to carry out the villain’s orders is FN-2187, who doesn’t enjoy shooting innocent people. FN-2187 helps Poe Dameron escape from the First Order and takes on the name Finn. The Resistance welcomes him with open arms, and by the end of the sequel trilogy, he’s a hero on the level of Han Solo and Chewbacca.
What the sequel trilogy forgets to do for Finn is have him struggle with killing his former brothers and sisters. There’s a bit of it during The Force Awakens, but all the uncertainty is gone in the next two movies. Meanwhile, “BLACK” never even thinks about letting its main character off the hook. He’s part of a horrible machine, and that weighs heavily on him. It’s hard to believe Star Wars: Visions runs circles around an entire trilogy of movies in a little over ten minutes, but that’s precisely what happens.
Star Wars: Visions is streaming on Disney+.
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