The First Order Stormtroopers in Star Wars: The Last Jedi may have a small upgrade. A new photo reveals that new stormtrooper helmets now have slightly different lines, a more pronounced little rounded-metal stud, and a narrower face plate, all presumably to assist with breathing while attacking Resistance scum.
On Wednesday, Rian Johnson dropped a new on-set photo featuring a gaggle of First Order Stormtroopers. Johnson was promoting his appearance at the upcoming Star Wars Celebration in Orlando, FL. Fans online immediately noticed that the helmet design looks slightly different from the helmets featured in The Force Awakens. That means that sometime between the destruction of Starkiller Base and the events of The Last Jedi, the First Order made some logistical changes. This could be an aesthetic design change, or it could possibly be a real-world upgrade, too. In Rogue One, the classic stormtrooper helmets were altered to include better breathing slots for the actors. But, this also might not be that big of a change. The helmets from The Force Awakens had the little metal stud too, but these seem like a slightly different version. Is this intentional? Are the faceplates that much narrower or is it just the grainy quality of the photo?
There’s also at least one First Order Stormtrooper peeking out from under his helmet. Many fans suggest that this could be Tom Hardy, who has been teasing a cameo in The Last Jedi since before the film had an official title. If that is Tom Hardy clowning around with the stormtroopers, then it’s probably the first time fans have seen new stormtroopers and new faces under those masks at the same time.
The Last Jedi, complete with the slightly revamped stormtroopers, opens on December 15, 2017.
