Trooper Helmets Lineage

[RogueIce]

Courtesy of the 501st Legion's Facebook page:



Very nice to see them all together like this. I really do appreciate the effort made to have them form a distinct evolution right on down the line. It's pretty neat.

[Ziggy Stardust]

What are the differences between the 3rd and 4th (from the left)? From this angle, they look identical to me.

[FaxModem1]

Looks like the post-Empire helmets are trying to return to the single 'eye' design that the Clone troopers had.

[Purple]

What are the differences between the 3rd and 4th (from the left)? From this angle, they look identical to me.

It's visibly smaller for a start, and I don't just mean because of the perspective. Basically what seems to be happening is as the line goes on the tops of the helmets become less spherical which in turn means a shorter helmet. Also notice the lack of those black square things (some sort of join?) on the sides of the helmet. I think that might indicate that even though they look similar the assembly process has been changed somehow.

[FaxModem1]

Also, the breathing apparatus is connected to the eyepiece, and is missing the grill that the previous models had.

[Batman]

Of course it is. They're both part of the helmet. Could you elaborate what you mean by that?
And if by 'grill' you mean the black stripes on the 'cheeks', it absolutely does have that. The left side one is blocked from view by the #3 helmet but the right side one is clearly visible.

[FaxModem1]

Notice the connection between the breather and the eyepiece, as opposed to earlier models, in which they were not connected.

[Ziggy Stardust]

It's visibly smaller for a start, and I don't just mean because of the perspective.

How can you tell? It looks perfectly consistent with a similarly sized helmet to me, accounting for perspective. Without a shot from another angle, it's impossible to really know how their relative sizes compare more specifically.

Also notice the lack of those black square things (some sort of join?) on the sides of the helmet.

We can't tell whether or not it has those joins from this angle. The helmet in the forefront is blocking that part of the helmet.

Also, the breathing apparatus is connected to the eyepiece, and is missing the grill that the previous models had.

That wasn't the helmet I was asking about. That one is clearly different. It's the 3rd and 4th in line that don't appear at all different to me. (

[Purple]

How can you tell? It looks perfectly consistent with a similarly sized helmet to me, accounting for perspective. Without a shot from another angle, it's impossible to really know how their relative sizes compare more specifically.

Observe the curvature of the helmet top.

[applejack]

What are the differences between the 3rd and 4th (from the left)? From this angle, they look identical to me.

The third helmet is from ANH and the fourth is from TESB. Starwarshelmets.com has a page describing the minor differences that the TESB stormies had from the ANH stormies. Essentially, the helmets are the same with some minor changes like the color of the grimace grill, the size of the eyes, which were trimmed more on the TESB helmets, and the vents on the helmets which were painted on in ANH but were decals/stickers in TESB.

EDIT -

How can you tell? It looks perfectly consistent with a similarly sized helmet to me, accounting for perspective. Without a shot from another angle, it's impossible to really know how their relative sizes compare more specifically.

Observe the curvature of the helmet top.

I think you're thinking of the ROTJ helmets, which is the fifth one in that line up which are indeed smaller than the ANH/TESB helmets. Starwarshelmets.com details the differences.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Thanks, applejack.

The differences between the ANH and TESB helmets are incredibly subtle. Even with side-by-side pictures and a description of the differences it is hard to really distinguish them. And, obviously, the differences were purely a result of slight changes from the practical effects side of things when making the movies. It's a bit silly that they are being considered different stages of the helmet evolution, like the way that the different comic books spawned dozens of new types of Star Destroyer because one in the background was drawn a little crooked or whatever.

[Purple]

That's because as far as military hardware goes such evolution is not really that unusual. You don't really see it that much today because the production batches are small. But in the past when people manufactured millions of rifles or helmets or what ever you'd see an evolution of design as stuff is tweaked for both technical and manufacturing reasons. Swap a few things here and there and your helmet gets 2% cheaper to manufacture? Of course you'll do it for your next order of 10 million. And that's the kind of production numbers the Empire will have. I would not at all be surprised if there are like 20 different patters of helmets floating about among the stormtroopers. And given that for the most part the stormtroopers we see on screen are elite forces we can expect them to have access to the newest kit whilst their old stuff is handed down to other units.

[Ziggy Stardust]

I would not at all be surprised if there are like 20 different patters of helmets floating about among the stormtroopers.

My post wasn't super clear, but this was pretty much what I was thinking. It isn't really an "evolution" of helmets, per se, but the natural variation you expect in a large military. I guess it is really semantics. But in my mind when we talk about the "evolution" of military hardware I think about the progression from, say, the Sherman to the Abrams tank, but not so much the differences between an M48A1 and M48A2, for example. Though maybe that's not the best analogy.

[Purple]

I would not at all be surprised if there are like 20 different patters of helmets floating about among the stormtroopers.

My post wasn't super clear, but this was pretty much what I was thinking. It isn't really an "evolution" of helmets, per se, but the natural variation you expect in a large military. I guess it is really semantics. But in my mind when we talk about the "evolution" of military hardware I think about the progression from, say, the Sherman to the Abrams tank, but not so much the differences between an M48A1 and M48A2, for example. Though maybe that's not the best analogy.

I get what you mean but basically I disagree with your definitions. What you define as evolution is a massive break where you completely scrap one thing in favor of something absolutely different. That does not really fit the term in any way, shape or form. Evolution is in fact the kind of gradual change you dismiss.

[Zixinus]

Out of curiosity: which helmet impedes vision in the least? Which gives the best peripheral vision?

[RogueIce]

Thanks, applejack.

The differences between the ANH and TESB helmets are incredibly subtle. Even with side-by-side pictures and a description of the differences it is hard to really distinguish them. And, obviously, the differences were purely a result of slight changes from the practical effects side of things when making the movies. It's a bit silly that they are being considered different stages of the helmet evolution, like the way that the different comic books spawned dozens of new types of Star Destroyer because one in the background was drawn a little crooked or whatever.

This is only an evolution/lineage in an out-of-universe sense, going from Episode II - Episode VII.

In-universe, the OT Stormtrooper armor is all meant to be the same. In fact, if you watch this segment from Rebels Recon, Pablo Hidalgo (of the Story Group) basically says as much: it's all the same armor but the differences are pretty much only extant from an OOU perspective because of costuming errors/differences/etc. So the "minor production differences but functionally the same armor" explanation works from an IU perspective (if you must have an explanation*) because that's basically the OOU reason anyway.

*But...you don't really. I mean he as much as says that the Rebels designs is stylized and basically meant to be the same as ANH. Same thing I'm sure with Vader's armor, stylized from the McQuarrie sketches but "in-universe" the same Vader we saw in the movies (his Ep3 armor was identical as near as I can tell). You can in fact chalk things up to OOU reasons, it doesn't all need an IU explanation.

[Lord Revan]

tbh any differences in Stormtrooper armors in the films can easily be explained by different wear and tear on the armors and possible production (as in in-universe production of the armor) errors/differences

as for Vader one can easily explain the lack of symentry in ANH to ROTJ armors as wear and tear and partial repairs during the 20 year timeskip, after all as long as the seals work on the suit there's no reason for the cosmetic parts of the armor to be factory perfect.

[Galvatron]

Has anyone ever said what the rubber "unibrow" on the original stormtrooper helmet was for? Carrying cigarette packs?

[Elheru Aran]

It's just a 'guard strip' like the rub strips you see on a car's doors.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Stormtro ... or#Helmets

See blueprint at the side. I do vaguely recall that the DK 'Illustrated Visual Guide' may have called it a comm antenna of some sort as well.

[Galvatron]

But it is loose enough to hold a pack of Lucky Strikes?

[applejack]

Here's a reverse view of the line up.