10 Star Wars Facts You Probably Already Knew Deep Down

8. Stormtroopers Were Designed To Look Like Mechanical Skeletons

Star Wars Return of the Jedi Luke Skywalker Chewbacca
Lucasfilm

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when looking at the infantry constantly found firing their blasters at Rebel scum?

Apart from the fact it must be bloody hard to see in those helmets, just ask Mark Hamill, it's probably that the Imperial stormtroopers often looked like a bunch of creepy, plastic skeletons when moving around various hangers and alien locations.

And this was actually George Lucas' specific intentions when it came to the design of the Empire's troopers.

Confirmed during a WIRED interview with Lucasfilm Vice President Doug Chiang, the mind behind the galaxy far, far away wanted to create some particularly "iconic imagery" when forging his stormtroopers and a design that made the soldiers look like "living skeletons" whenever they were on our screens.

The helmet in particular was made to look like a "stylised skull", one that felt "a touch mechanical but yet still harken back to a living skull."

You probably always knew these threatening troops' get-ups were somewhat inspired by your own bones, and that was very much part of Lucas' plan a long time ago...

Contributor
Contributor

Lifts rubber and metal. Watches people flip in spandex and pretends to be other individuals from time to time...