Official Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker merchandise confirms the Sith Troopers answer only to Kylo Ren. Last month, just before San Diego Comic-Con 2019, Lucasfilm unveiled the latest stormtrooper variant in the Star Wars film franchise. The Sith Troopers don all red armor and are already a major part of the film's early marketing push. Though Star Wars is notorious for squandering the potential of cool-looking villain characters, J.J. Abrams is excited for fans to see the Sith Troopers in action.
Like many aspects of Star Wars 9's plot, the Sith Troopers remain shrouded in mystery. The latest rumors indicate the Sith Troopers are part of a massive fleet that's stationed somewhere in the Unknown Regions. Since the First Order already has legions of stormtroopers (as seen in the previous two installments of the sequel trilogy), one of the biggest questions surrounding the Sith Troopers is who they report to. I would appear they fall under the ranks of the former Ben Solo.
Today, Star Wars officially revealed Sith Trooper merchandise as a way of drumming up hype for the Triple Force Friday event happening this year. One of the items is a t-shirt with text that reads, "The First Order Battalion. Only the finest troopers in the galaxy. Under the strict command of Kylo and the Knights of Ren." Check it out in the space below:
The use of the term battalion is interesting. Usually, that refers to a large group of 300 to 800 soldiers, implying that perhaps Kylo Ren is leading his own personal army that's different from the First Order that antagonized the Resistance in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Per the Star Wars 9 rumors, part of Kylo's mission is to find something called the Wayfinder device so he can locate the secret fleet in the Unknown Regions. Though Kylo is the new Supreme Leader, he clearly does not see eye-to-eye with General Hux, which may cause some sort of leadership schism within the First Order. With that in mind, it's easy to see why Kylo would be interested in commanding hundreds of loyal Sith troopers to fight alongside himself and the Knights of Ren. In all likelihood, a significant number of regular First Order stormtroopers align more with Hux.
It will be interesting to see what else Lucasfilm is willing to reveal about the Sith Troopers in the months leading up to the film's release. Star Wars 9 will have a key presence during this month's D23 Expo, and it's possible fans will get more looks at the soldiers there. At the same time, the studio is renowned for its levels of secrecy, and they're keeping a great amount of The Rise of Skywalker under wraps. Depending on what story beats relate to the Sith troopers, Lucasfilm may decide to keep holding back until it's closer to December.
Source: Star Wars
