Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker's Sith Trooper Revealed At SDCC 2019

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will introduce to the storied film series a striking new variation of Stormtrooper, the first look at which was unveiled during San Diego Comic-Con 2019. 

Lucasfilm began its dazzling Stormtrooper exhibit at SDCC on Thursday, and started strong with the reveal of the sinister Sith trooper, a new kind of First Order soldier. Dressed head to heel in cherry red armor, a menacing contrast to the all-white get-up that standard troopers wear, the Sith troopers pay homage to soldiers seen in previous Skywalker saga entries like Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith with their design – and at the same time tease the threat coming to the Rebellion in the saga's concluding chapter with their color. Is this a clever hint that The Rise of Skywalker will blend old with new in more ways than one? Something to chew on, friends. 

The co-producer of the SDCC Stormtrooper exhibit, Lucasfilm archivist Madlyn Burkert said of the Sith trooper, "It has some really unique aesthetics to it. And it has some subtle ties to previous stormtrooper designs, which I think fans will enjoy discovering. We're really excited to show this design history. It takes us from the beginnings of Star Wars and leads us right to the final chapter of the Skywalker saga." 

J.J. Abrams, who directed The Force Awakens and returned to the helm for The Rise of Skywalker, is particularly excited about the Sith trooper design, saying, "The materials, the color, the lines, there was something about the aesthetic of it that just felt absolutely right. I cannot wait for people to see the work that everyone's done."

The Sith troopers will obviously play an enormous part in The Rise of Skywalker as Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) assumes his dominance within the First Order and unleashes their collective wrath on the side of the opposition — the growing Rebellion spearheaded by Leia Organa (the late Carrie Fisher), Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Isaac), and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran). Classic white Stormtroopers will still make an appearance, but fans should expect this stunning-and-scary trooper to take precedence in the last movie of the current Star Wars trilogy.

See the Sith troopers in all their glory when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20.