Ryder Windham - Star Wars Stormtroopers: Beyond the Armor

Final frame of the character Finn (John Boyega) on the planet Jakku in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). Boyega had to endure 102-degree temperatures clad in the stormtrooper armor while shooting theses scenes in Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2015.

The first time I went on set for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was in Abu Dhabi to shoot the scenes for Jakku. The sets were real; the archway was there; the creatures moved; the droids rolled byand I remember thinking this is too much! Were on a planet, a real planet. It was so surreal and amazing.

To be a Star Wars fan, getting cast to be part of the galaxy far, far away is an experience like no other. When J. J. called and asked me to meet him and I heard the words Youre going to star in the next Star Wars, everything froze. After a lifetime of fandom and seven months of auditions... YES! It was real.

My first introduction to Star Wars was when The Phantom Menace was released (yes, I am a child of the 90s). The characters, the ships, the lightsabers, and the whole galaxy captivated me. As I got older and learned about story and character development, I delved into the original trilogy. I came to appreciate the worlds and truly became a fan. I dug into the comics and video games. In taking on the role of Finn, the first stormtrooper we would get to know as an individual, it was a chance to explore a character in a way that had never been done before in the saga.

Stormtroopers, from the history of the franchise and in comics, all look the same, wear the same armor and helmets. They do the same thing and follow orders. They are just one of many. And heres a character who questions that. Its such an important part of Finns journey that he questions that uniformity and investigates what that means to him. He has a complicated history of how he came to be a stormtrooper, and as he comes to question how he got to be where he is, it creates an interesting dilemma for Finn.

But hes not the kind of hero who has it all figured out. He doesnt quite know where he fits in the galaxy. It was fantastic that in The Force Awakens Finn looks sweaty, out of breath, and confused much of the time. It makes him real and relatablehes not smooth... I mean hes no Han Solo.

The day we shot the scene at Mazs castle, with the rubble all aroundthe first day I got to hold the lightsaber and still one of my favorite moments everFinn had to face his former brothers in armor. It was such an impactful day for the character as well as myself. Finn had been betrayed by the lies he was raised to believe, but he knew he had to fight. Hes a character who is obviously trying to do what he thinks is right, to put himself on a purposeful path, which can become quite complicated. But that is what makes Finns journey his own.

Its been a few years since fans met Finn and his story is far from complete, but the reception he received has been exceptional. Theres not much that can prepare you for the massive engine that is Star Wars. The action figures. The costumes. The media events. The fans. I mean, I have no shame as a fan myself. I brought merchandise to the set for people to sign. But seeing the fans line up, in costume, to greet us at each event was amazing. The first day I put on my armor was incredible... a bit uncomfortable at first, so I applaud those fans in the stormtrooper outfits. You all truly bring the galaxy to life.

The moments you spend with the fans, my fellow geeks, are what make being part of this franchise so fantastic. One of my favorite moments happened as I was standing behind a fan watching The Force Awakens trailer. I commented on it. Her reaction, the look on her face, when she turned around was something I will never forget. When The Force Awakens was first released, I did several pop-up appearances at various cinemas in New York and in London. Being able to share those moments and experience it with the fans never gets old.

Filming The Last Jedi was amazing and special in its own wayit was different than filming The Force Awakens because it wasnt the first time. But it should be different. The story and characters are heading in new, perhaps darker directions. As Finn pulls further from his origins as a stormtrooper, hes faced with new challenges, but we might see how that experience as a trooper has shaped him... and learn something new about the men beneath the armor.

Members of the 501st U.K. Garrison pose on the Millennium Bridge in London, England, to promote the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, December 15, 2016.

Leon Neal / Getty Images

George Lucas Star Wars (1977) introduced us all to a world of Jedi, droids, and scores upon scores of fearless, identical white-armored stormtroopersthe foot soldiers of the evil Galactic Empire commanded by the black-armored Sith Lord Darth Vader. Vaders actions, physical appearance, and limited dialogue helped him become an instant pop-culture icon and a symbol of darkness itself. But behind the ominous figure of Vader was the far more numerous, seemingly and infinitely expendable, and perhaps even more enigmatic Imperial stormtroopers.

Who were the stormtroopers? Where did they come from? How many existed? And why were they so willing to kill and die for the Empire?

On January 1, 2007, thirty years after the world was introduced to them, nearly two hundred Imperial stormtroopers, snowtroopers, and scout troopers marched in the 118th annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. The following year, when a smaller number of troops joined Lucas on stage as he promoted Star Wars: The Clone Wars to the National Association of Theatre Owners at their annual convention in Las Vegas, he said, I never go anywhere without my army.

This army consisted of members of the 501st Legion, an international and all-volunteer organization of Star Wars fans who wear movie-quality costumes for charitable causes as well as promotional events. Despite the stormtroopers reputations as villains in the Star Wars universe, the 501st Legions countless appearances and philanthropic efforts have effectively transformed off-screen stormtroopers into goodwill ambassadors. For many fans, stormtroopers have become the public face of Star Wars.

The movies have been an ongoing global phenomenon for decades, but how did stormtroopers become so popular? The idea of the stormtrooper is that theyre anonymous, says Albin Johnson, founder of the 501st Legion. Anyone could be behind that mask. In some regards, without all the evil Empire stuff, they could be soldiers we know todaydedicated to service, strong, brave. The stormtrooper gives us that archetype we can fill in any way we like.

The good work of the 501st Legion has played a large part in the evolving perception of Imperial stormtroopers. No longer entirely bad guys, the troopers have come to represent something more than identical soldiers and the limitless power of the Empire. The stormtrooper is the everyman of the