| “ | Those aren't just stormtroopers. They're from the Five-Oh-First Legion. Darth Vader's personal legion. | „ |
| ~ Everi Chalis. |
The 501st Legion (later informally known as Vader's Fist) are major antagonists in the Star Wars universe. It was an elite unit of clone troopers commissioned by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine during the Clone Wars that later became a stormtrooper unit.
History[]
Made up of units like Torrent Company, the 501st fought in many battles, such as the Battle of Teth and the Battle of Coruscant, becoming one of the most well-known legions. In 19 BBY, the 501st became Darth Vader's personal unit as he led them during the siege of the Jedi Temple , in which the clones helped take down the Jedi, whom they believed to be traitors to the Republic.
During these same times some members of the 501st were reorganized into the 332nd Company, in order to catch the rogue Sith Darth Maul, who was hiding on the planet Mandalore with his own faction of Death Watch-members. The company was lead by Clone Commander CT-7567 (also known as "Rex") and was accompanied by former Jedi Padawan Ashoka Tano. The mission was successful and the company managed to capture Maul and tried to return to Coruscant on a Venator-class Star Destroyer Tribunal, during which Order 66 was issued by Palpatine, which ordered the execution of both Maul and Tano. Tano managed to free Maul, who went on a rampage through the ship, killing clone.
Rex tried to led the clones through the ship to take down both, but was captured by Tano, who managed to remove his inhibitor chip that was controlling him, and after this he decided to aide in her escape. After this the command over the 332nd Company was given to ARC Trooper CT-5597 (also known as "Jesse"), who led the remaining. Maul managed to destroy the ship’s hyperdrive which led to crashing towards a freezing moon. Jesse led the remaining troopers to stop Tano, Rex and Maul from escaping, but failed, as all three boarded smaller ships and escaped the Tribunal, killing him and all who onboard. Tano and Rex later hurried most of them and some time later Darth Vader and the remaining 501st arrived on the site, in order to confirm the death of both Tano and Maul.
Following the rise of the Galactic Empire, the 501st transitioned into a stormtrooper unit, like other clone units. Given new armor and weapons, the 501st faithfully served the Empire, operating under the direct command of the Sith Lord Darth Vader. After the Uprising of Kamino, the 501st became the last remnant of the Grand Army of the Republic fully composed of Jango Fett clones, as opposed to the ever-growing and more diverse Stormtrooper Corps, where the Fett clones became a minority, with the inclusion of a pool of clones from different templates and birth-born recruits, while others were not clones, but humans from an Imperial academy.
The legion fought in a number of battles during the Galactic Civil War in an effort to defeat the Rebel Alliance and bring peace to the galaxy, However, at the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance destroyed the second Death Star with Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader onboard. The Empire, and the 501st, was in shambles.
Though the 501st was disbanded after the Battle of Endor, the Chiss Grand Admiral Thrawn resurrected the designation by forming a new 501st Legion. He also added more diverse recruits to the 501st, including non-Humans. The reconstituted 501st was stationed in the Unknown Regions, where they protected Thrawn's Empire of the Hand.
332nd Company[]
During the end of the Clone War some members of the 501st were reorganized into the 332nd Company, in order to catch the rogue Sith Darth Maul, who was hiding on the planet Mandalore with his own faction of Death Watch-members. The company was lead by Clone Commander CT-7567 (also known as "Rex") and was accompanied by former Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano.
The mission was successful and the company managed to capture Maul and tried to return to Coruscant on a Venator-class Star Destroyer Tribunal, during which Order 66 was issued by Palpatine, which ordered the execution of both Maul and Tano. Tano managed to free Maul, who went on a rampage through the ship, killing clone.
Rex tried to led the clones through the ship to take down both, but was captured by Tano, who managed to remove his inhibitor chip that was controlling him, and after this he decided to aide in her escape. After this the command over the 332nd was given to ARC Trooper CT-5597 (also known as "Jesse"), who led the remaining. Maul managed to destroy the ship’s hyperdrive which led to crashing towards a freezing moon.
Jesse led the remaining troopers to stop Tano, Rex and Maul from escaping, but failed, as all three boarded smaller ships and escaped the Tribunal, killing him and all who onboard. Tano and Rex later hurried most of them and some time later Darth Vader and the remaining 501st (now in stormtrooper-gear) arrived on the site, in order to investigate what had happened.
Legends[]
Over a century later, the legion was in the service of a new Empire, by then under the rule of Emperor Roan Fel.
When Fel was deposed by Darth Krayt shortly after the conclusion of the Sith–Imperial War, the 501st Legion fell under the control of the Dark Lord of the Sith in the year 130 ABY. Seven years later, however, Fel returned from exile and joined in the war against Krayt in order to reclaim his throne. Under the leadership of General Oron Jaeger, the 501st deserted the Dark Lord's Galactic Empire in order to join the Fel faction.
Gallery[]
Images[]
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (film)[]
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (TV series)[]
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith[]
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story[]
Videos[]
