In "Star Wars - Episode II: A New Hope: Special Edition" You thought it was forgotten, Mim?, the Empire sends Sandtroopers to Tatooine to look for the 'droids. They're on foot, on dewback, in the desert wastes and in Mos Eisley (and, presumeably, Mos Espa ... assuming they're close ...)
Now, they differ from Stormtroopers in three major ways:
a) They wear back-packs (presumeably filled with water and survival gear)
b) They wear shoulder pads (I want to say 'pantaloons').
c) They're really dirty.
The 'pantaloons' (I think) are all different colors. Some have grey, some white, some red.
So ... what I want to know ... do the different colors signify anything?
Posted by Jernau Morat Gurgeh (Member # 318) on :
Don't know, but I have to tell you there's a mistake in your post, it's IV, not II. Sorry, but I feel a bit obsessively compulsive today.
Oh, and:
pan�ta�loon (pnt-ln) n.
Men's wide breeches extending from waist to ankle, worn especially in England in the late 17th century. Often used in the plural. Tight trousers extending from waist to ankle with straps passing under the instep, worn especially in the 19th century. Often used in the plural. Trousers; pants. Often used in the plural.
Posted by Vogon Poet (Member # 393) on :
Could the word you want be 'epaulettes?'
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
No, I'm pretty sure not. Doh! It is episode IV! Mim will kill me!
[ November 21, 2001: Message edited by: Malnurtured Snay ]
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
No, I'm pretty sure not. Doh! It is episode IV! Mim will kill me!
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
No...But pantaloons are...um...pants. Like from the 16-17th centuries. Think Shakespeare in Love.
Don't know if they signify anything, but I don't think Lucas was thinking of it when he had 'em designed.
-MMoM
Posted by Vogon Poet (Member # 393) on :
Say what you want, at least epaulettes have this whole "worn on the shoulder" thing going that pantaloons are sorely lacking.
Personally, I always wondered what they were trying to say when 2 out of the three Stormtrooper weapons seen are of British design - the sidearm is a modified Sterling SMG, you got this Vickers machinegun here (or was it a Lewis? Always mixing them up); the third of course being a German MG-34.
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
Got it. "Pauldron."
So -- what do the different color pauldrons mean?
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
I only ever remember seeing orange. Maybe it helps them stand out against the desert background?
But I think Mim is right though...I think they just wanted to do something a little different with the ground based troopers than all the ones we'd see up to that point. I doubt tons of thought was put into what everything "meant".
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
There were also white and grey.
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
White, Grey, Orange, Red, and Black, to be precise.
-MMoM
[ November 21, 2001: Message edited by: The Mighty Monkey of Mim ]
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
Well, I guess they probably denote rank. Black for Captain, Red for Lieutenant, White for Sergeant, Orange for Corporal, Grey for Private? ::shrug::
Posted by akb1979 (Member # 557) on :
I seem to recall something about colours and the British Army. They have a rank called "Colour Sergeant". This guy or gal is in charge of soldiers under a colour - almost like a team. At school (years and years ago) the classes were split into four teams for sports and "team work" (kinda like homework)- red, yellow, green and blue. I'm totally guessing here that these different coloured segments of the uniforms represent a similar meaning. Anyone British who knows what I'm talking about, please prove me right or wrong! Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
I have no idea.
Aren't you British anyway, Akabay? (And isn't there something easier we can call you? That name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.)
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
Uh, there's color guard in the U.S. too. As far as I know, they both just do stuff with the flag and what not.
Posted by akb1979 (Member # 557) on :
From the Star Wars Visual Dictionary:
“Officers in field units may wear coloured shoulder pauldrons as high-visibility rank indicators.”
“Squad leaders, who lead units of seven troopers, wear orange shoulder pauldrons.”
What is a "pauldron" anyway? I have no definition anywhere.
quote:Originally posted by PsyLiam: Aren't you British anyway, Akabay? (And isn't there something easier we can call you? That name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.)
Yes I am British - well spotted! And what's wrong with my name? Why is it not "easy"? What would you call me?
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
It's the shoulder thingy they wear.
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
pauldron \Paul"dron\, n. [See Powldron.] (Mil. Antiq.) A piece of armor covering the shoulder at the junction of the body piece and arm piece.
Posted by Spike (Member # 322) on :
Well, Alan, there were several cunning clues which led me to deduce that you are British. The first was that you keep spelling "colour" correctly. The second was that your location in your profile is listed as being "Nottingham, England". And I don't think we need a third.
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
I pronounce color as "keller".
Posted by Aethelwer (Member # 36) on :
And what's wrong with my name? Why is it not "easy"? What would you call me?