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The 501st Legion is Lucasfilm's preferred Imperial costuming group. We take great pride in having high quality, movie accurate
costumes.
The price of a 501st Legion approved costume is considerably higher than any costume you can buy at "ordinary" costume shops
and are often handmade by the member.
Many prospective members ask us which costume they should get and that is very hard to answer. It all depends on how much
money and time you can spend, how skilled you are at costume making and also your physical build. Someone 1,6 meters tall might run into
trouble wearing a Darth Vader costume and someone over 2 meters tall might not want to go for Darth Maul.
We are not permitted to link directly to sellers of armour directly from this site. If you are interested in purchasing a
particular suit then please email the contact for the costume you are interested in and they will be able to point you in the
right direction. or register for our forum and you can post
questions there.
Below you will find some of the costumes which are accepted by the 501st Legion. For a full listing you should visit the
Legion's Costume Reference Library (CRL).
On each costume page you will find a list of what each costume:
MUST have - the basic requirements you must fulfil for the costume to be accepted for membership, for example that a TK
must have an accurate helmet
SHOULD have - the additions to a costume that can take it to a higher level of accuracy. It is often these details that
makes a costume look really great instead of just good, for example that a TD looks better if they have a backpack
MAY have - these are the optional extras that you can choose to have if you want total screen accuracy, for example, not
many people know that Darth Maul actually has a ball earring in his left ear.
Please note that these sections are currently being updated to match more closely with the 501st Legion's Costume Reference
Library. Not all pages have yet been updated with the MUST, SHOULD, MAY have format.
[ Chart showing SOME of the characters in the 501st Legion ]
SITH LORDS (SL)
Darth Vader
The Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader is the prime example of the corruption of the dark side of the Force. From his humble
origins as Anakin Skywalker he progressed into becoming one of the most feared and loathed figures in the galaxy. Darth Vader was
Emperor Palpatine’s chief enforcer andplayed a key role in the destruction of the Jedi Order.
Costuming tips
Darth Sidious / Emperor Palpatine
The supreme ruler of the most powerful tyrannical regime the galaxy had ever witnessed. His Empire was based on tyranny,
hatred of non-humans, brutal and lethal force, and, above all else, constant fear.
Costuming tips
Darth Revan
Darth Revan is a part of the Star Wars Expanded Universe. He was first featured in the video game Star Wars: Knights of the
Old Republic. Although he is male in the Star Wars universe, either male or female costumers can portray this character. Revan
was trained as a Jedi Knight but, after the Mandalorian Wars, turned to the dark side and almost destroyed the Republic with
his apprentice Malak.
Costuming tips
 Darth Maul
As the first student of Darth Sidious, the Zabrak, Darth Maul, was convinced of his own invulnerability. His superior fighting
skills, distinctive double-ended lightsabre and inability to feel any emotion other than rage made him a formidable foe.
Costuming tips
IMPERIAL OFFICERS (ID) & IMPERIAL PERSONNEL
Generic Imperial Officer
While the stormtroopers, in their various guises, are the attack troops of the Empire, it is the Officers who control and
direct their missions. Known for their ruthlessness and cruelty they carry out their orders with cold and calculated efficiency.
Many, such as Grand Admiral Thrawn and General Veers,have achieved fame for superior tactics and ability. Equally many have
themselves become the victim of the Empire’s lack of sympathy when they have failed in their mission. Captain Needa and Admiral
Ozzel were executed by Lord Vader for their failure and even Grand Moff Tarkin perished when his short-sightedness refused to
allow him to accept the chance of the Rebels defeating the first Death Star.
Costuming tips
General Veers
Serving onboard Darth Vader’s personal command ship, the Super Star Destroyer Executor, was seen by many as a fast track to a
sudden death as the Sith Lord brutally punished failure. General Maximillian Veers saw it as an opportunity to serve the
Emperor’s New Order, to which he is fiercely loyal, at the highest level. His chance came when, on Admiral Ozzel’s orders, the
Imperial attack fleet reverted from hyperspace too close to the Hoth system, thus giving the rebel forces at Echo Base enough
time to prepare their defenses.
Veers’ force of All Terrain Armoured Transport (AT-AT’s) and All Terrain Scout Transports (AT-ST’s) landed on the planet and
brought down the rebel base’s shields thus allowing Darth Vader and the Imperial snowtroopers to land and take over the base.
Unfortunately they were just too slow and the Millennium Falcon, with Han Solo and Princess Leia aboard, managed to escape.
Costuming tips
Imperial Gunner
Charged with operation of the super lasers on both Death Stars, the Imperial Gunners are ultimately responsible for the destruction of
Alderaan. When it came time to destory Yavin IV, the gunner on duty hesitated and gave Luke Skywalker time to destroy the Empire's ultimate
weapon.
Costuming tips
IMPERIAL TROOPERS (TR/TK/TD/TB/TS/TC/CT/TI)
Royal Guard (TR)
Emperor Palpatine’s hand-picked personal bodyguards are amongst the most fanatically loyal members of the Empire’s armies.
Their ceremonial robes may make them look more decorative than deadly but they should never be underestimated.
Costuming tips
Stormtrooper (TK)
The military soldiers unswervingly loyal to the Emperor, stormtroopers represented the most visible extension of Imperial might.
They were shock troopers meant to strike with speed and accuracy, putting down insurrections and maintaining order on the far
flung worlds of the Empire. Stormtroopers served both the ground-based armies of Palpatine's forces, and the space-based Imperial
starfleet.
Costuming tips
Sandtrooper (TD)
The sandtrooper is a desert terrain stormtrooper equipped with modified armor and gear to better withstand missions in harsh,
arid locales like Tatooine. While their armor is superficially similar to that of the standard stormtrooper, advanced cooling
systems in both their helmets and suits offer these troopers protection from the relentless heat.
Costuming tips
Biker Scout / Scout Trooper (TB)
Special lightweight armour allows Biker Scouts to move more freely than their infantry counterparts. They use Aratech 74-Z
speeder bikes to deploy at extremely high speed and to reconnoitre landing areas prior to Imperial landings and to patrol the
areas surrounding established Imperial bases. Although armed with a hold-out blaster, Biker Scouts are expected to withdraw as
soon as possible and report enemy movements rather than engage the enemy themselves.
Costuming tips
Snowtrooper (TS)
At the extreme opposite end of the scale from a sandtrooper, snowtroopers are expected to work in freezing blizzard conditions.
They were instrumental in the successful attack on the rebel Echo Base in the Hoth system. As well as maintaining body temperature
their uniforms ensure they can move and fight in the hazardous conditions they are faced with.
Costuming tips
Clonetrooper - Attack of the Clones (TC)
Exactly how the Grand Army of the Republic came to be created is still not fully known. All that is sure is that the clones,
created on the ocean-world of Kamino, came just when the Republicneeded them. Created in overwhelming numbers they were able to
stem the tide of the Separatist take over of the galaxy. As with the stormtrooper there is a range of specialities, BARC troopers,
Republic Commandos, Star Corps and the ARC troopers to name but a few.
Costuming tips
Clonetrooper - Revenge of the Sith (CT)
As the Clone Wars progressed the equipment give to the clone troops was modified and improved upon. The second phase of
clonetroopers were divided into a higher number of individual units, each designated by a distinct colour scheme on their armour.
From the 501st Legion on Coruscant to the 212th Attack Battalion on Utapau, the clonetrooopers of the Grand Army of the Republic
gave their lives to save the Republic. Little did they know that they were just pawns in Palpatine's games.
Costuming tips
TIE Fighter Pilot (TI)
Totally encased in an airtight helmet and flightsuit to protect them from the vacuum inside their starfighters, the TIE Pilots
take control of the Imperial Navy's first line of defence. Their fierce loyalty to the Empire enables them to operate their
unshielded but more manoeuvrable ships againstthe X-, Y-, B- and A-Wings of the Rebel forces. Later TIE models such as the TIE
Advanced Fighter have extended the life expectancy of their pilots considerably.
Costuming tips
BOUNTY HUNTERS (BH)
Jango Fett
Once among the best of the Mandalorian warriors Jango was contracted by the Kaminoans to be the source DNA template for the
clone army. He lived on Kamino where he trained the clone army together with instructors whom he selected personally. Jango was
known to leave Kamino occasionally when a particularly prestigious bounty was offered.
Costuming tips
Boba Fett
Boba Fett, the only unaltered clone of Jango, is the most successful and deadly bounty hunter in the galaxy. People have been
known to hand themselves in rather than face having Fett on their trail. All about business, with his modified Mandalorian armour
he is a walking arsenal of blasters, rocket launchers, flamethrowers, dart guns and blades. He is known to prefer hunting Wookies
and wears braids of Wookie fur as a badge of honour.
Costuming tips
Boushh
Boushh, a highly successful bounty hunter, made his last mistake when he attempted to blackmail Prince Xizor, head of the Black
Sun crime organisation. Having been eliminated by a Black Sun operative, his armour was removed and presented to Princess Leia so
that she could sneak into Imperial occupied Coruscant and meet with Xizor to discuss a plan to resuce Han Solo from Jabba. Xizor
tried to seduce Leia but Luke intervened and they made their escape. Having escaped, Leia again donned the armour and passed
herself off as Boushh to gain access to Jabba's palace on Tatooine.
Costuming tips
DENIZENS OF THE EMPIRE (DZ)
Tusken Raider / Sandpeople
Living in the rocky Jundland Wastes, Tusken Raiders are the single biggest threat to the continuing expansion of Tatooine
colonists. Wrapped in swathes of cloth to protect themselves from the twin suns, it is not known for sure what species the
sandpeople are, although most believe them to be early colonists who have turned feral. They have also been very successful at
concealing themselves and no accurate measure of their numbers has ever been possible. Attacking with long range blaster rifles
and close up with their vicious gaffi sticks the Tuskens are as deadly as the planet itself.
Costuming tips
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