501st Legion

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This article is about the fan organisation. For the fictional Legion, see 501st Legion (Star Wars).
File:501st Legion Badlands Garrison.JPG
The Legion stands guard at movie premiers and charity events.

The 501st Legion is a fan created organization dedicated to the creation and wearing of screen accurate replicas of Imperial Stormtrooper armour and Imperial officer uniforms from the Star Wars universe. Formed by Albin Johnson and Tom Crews in 1997, the group boasts over 3,000 members in 21 countries (as of 2005). Members of the 501st Legion often make appearances at science fiction conventions and charitable events, sometimes at the request of Lucasfilm's Fan Relations department.

Dubbed Vader's Fist, the group's honorary leader is David Prowse, the actor who played Darth Vader (though his voice was dubbed over) in the original trilogy. Formed initially for the pristine white Death Star armoured troops, the group now includes all trooper variations, as well as Sith Lords, bounty hunters and other villains from the series.

The trooper armour worn by the members is all fan-constructed and distributed, and is made out of ABS, vinyl or fiberglass. As the costumes worn by the 501st are often not licensed Lucasfilm products, George Lucas can (and has) sought legal action on those who sell armour. However, LFL has unofficially sanctioned the wearing and presentation of the costumes providing that the participants are not reimbursed financially for their appearances, and that they represent the franchise in a positive and respectful manner. In 2005, George Lucas accepted an honorary membership from the organization.

As a tribute to the loyal group, the legion of blue clone troopers in Revenge of the Sith that Darth Vader leads into Jedi Temple during the Great Jedi Purge is designated as the 501st. Although not mentioned in the film itself, much of the support material and merchandising for the film make this reference, including Star Wars: Battlefront II. There are also minor references to the 501st in other Expanded Universe materials.

External links

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