There are few things more iconic than the armour worn by Imperial Stormtroopers in the Galactic Civil War era of Star Wars, as it features prominently in almost all media after the prequel trilogy.
However, some features of the armour seem to go without explanation in the actual media, leaving many fans to wonder about the seemingly random “011” print at the back of the armour.
What does it mean, and why is it placed there?
Here’s what you need to know.
Why do stormtroopers have “011” on their backs?
While the indentations on the back of Stormtrooper certainly look like “011” indented in minimalist style, that actually isn’t the case! Stormtrooper armour has several impressive features beyond looking cool, including limited oxygen supplies, an internal heating/cooling system and more.
All these features require myriad electrical and electronic components to be built into the armour.
The apparent 011 is mainly extrusions made in the armour’s backplate to accommodate some of these components. This same design necessity is also the secret behind the shape of all iterations of the stormtrooper helmet, which has to contain the components that power the Heads-up Display, breathing apparatus and more.
Conclusion
Small details like the elevations on the back panel of Stormtrooper armour might seem like they don’t mean much, but that’s not the case. These little tweaks and additions add up to make a franchise feel truly developed.
As long as the new stewards of the franchise continue to follow the same design philosophy that the universe has always had, Star Wars will continue to spawn iconic visuals and discussions for decades to come.
You can find out more about why stormtroopers have bad aim here.
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