Who are the black and red troopers in Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 4?

The latest episode of Obi Wan Kenobi has brought a new variant of stormtrooper, the Purge trooper, to live action. For fans unfamiliar with this branch, it’s important to have a rundown of what’s known about them so far. Purge troopers aren’t a new creation for Obi Wan Kenobi, but have previously appeared in the videogame Jedi: Fallen Order and the Darth Vader comics.

These stormtroopers are part of an elite branch,  wearing black armor and specializing in killing Jedi or other Force sensitive individuals. They often followed an Inquisitor to assist them in their hunt for any remaining Jedi. It was possible however to see units in places without an Inquisitor, such as on Kashyyyk and Zeffo.

At first, units of Purge troopers were made up of clone troopers, and their helmets resembled clone paratrooper helmets. However, as the years went by, the clones were either phased out or killed. Their armor has also been updated. By the time of Kenobi, they would no longer be clones. A variety of weapons would be used by these units, including electrostaffs, electrobatons, and electrohammers. This allowed them to go face to face with a lightsaber user. Only Purge trooper commanders wore red pauldrons, with standard members had black pauldrons.

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While these units share many visual similarities with Death troopers (notably the black armor), the two were used very differently by the Empire. Death troopers are often seen as protective units for high ranking Imperial officers, such as Grand Admiral Thrawn or Director Krennic. They would be sent on missions that required stealth or lethality, but they wouldn’t be sent to hunt Jedi. An Inquisitor wouldn’t be present around Death troopers. Likewise, Purge troopers wouldn’t protect high ranking Imperial individuals.

Notable storylines that Purge troopers have appeared in is the videogame Jedi: Fallen Order, and five issues of the Darth Vader comics. In Jedi: Fallen Order, Purge troopers assist the Second Sister and the Ninth Sister in their hunt for Cal Kestis across the galaxy. In the Darth Vader comics, Purge troopers assisted him and several Inquisitors in hunting down the Jedi on Mon Cala.

It is likely that Purge troopers will appear in future Canon content, such as Jedi: Survivor, and possibly in the last two episodes of Obi Wan Kenobi.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is now streaming exclusively on Disney+.

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