501st Legion

The 501st Legion is an international fan-based organization dedicated to the construction and wearing of screen-accurate replicas of Imperial Stormtrooper armor, Imperial officer uniforms, and other villains and nefarious characters from the "Star Wars" universe. Members of the 501st Legion make appearances at casual, promotional, and charitable events, often at the request of Lucasfilm's Fan Relations department. Formed by South Carolina residents Albin Johnson and Tom Crews in 1997, the group boasts over 4200 active members in 40 countries as of August 4, 2008, with a 15% female membership.

Formed initially for the pristine white Death Star armored troops, the group now includes all trooper variations, as well as Sith Lords, bounty hunters and other villains from the series. Custom creations are not permitted, and all eligible costumes must be approved to be recorded in the 501st member database.

The armor worn by the 501st is mostly fan-constructed and distributed, and is usually made out of ABS, vinyl or fiberglass. As the costumes worn by the 501st are often not licensed Lucasfilm products, George Lucas has sought legal action on those who sell armor. However, LFL has sanctioned the wearing and presentation of the costumes providing that the participants do not seek a financial profit, and that they represent the franchise in a positive and respectful manner. The Legion does not charge for its services or appearances, although hosts are encouraged to make donations to a charity of their choice in the Legion's name.

Some of the fundamental conditions of being part of the 501st Legion are that members must be 18 years of age or older and their costumes are of professional quality. At formal events, members should appear to have walked off of the screen when portraying characters. At informal events (such as local sci-fi conventions), members show off their creativity with interesting variations of their costumes such as "Elvis Trooper."

As a tribute to the dedicated group of fans, the blue clone troopers in that Anakin Skywalker leads into the Jedi Temple during the Great Jedi Purge were designated as the 501st by Lucasfilm. Although not mentioned in the film itself, much of the support material and merchandising for the film make this reference, including "" and the DK Publishing Star Wars Visual Dictionary books. There are also references to the 501st in other Expanded Universe material including novelizations and the animated Clone Wars feature film released in 2008.

In 2005, George Lucas accepted an honorary membership from the organization. More than 200 501st Legion members and representatives of the Rebel Legion marched in the 2007 Tournament of Roses Parade, where George Lucas served as the Grand Marshal.

Members of the 501st Legion frequently attend Dragon Con, held Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, GA, where for several years they have served as "security" for the yearly Masquerade, escorting participants off stage when their alloted time has run out; often in a comical manner.

Since the Legion's moniker is Vader's Fist, the group's honorary leader is David Prowse, the actor who physically portrayed Darth Vader in the original trilogy.

External links

* [http://www.501st.com/ 501st Legion web site]
* [http://www.starwars.com/databank/organization/501st/?id=bts StarWars.com Databank entry]
* [http://www.HeartOfAnEmpire.com/ Feature Length Documentary Film chronicling the rise of the 501st and impact on society.]
* [http://www.starwars.com/welcome/about/news/f20051223/indexp3.html "Star Wars": The Best of 2005] — StarWars.com article
* [http://www.craveonline.com/scifi/articles/04646615/501st_legion_head_to_pasadena.html 501st Legion head to Pasadena - CraveOnline.com article]
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* [http://www.rebellegion.com/ The Rebel Legion - Website of the sister group of the 501st Legion - Home of the costuming Good Guys of Star Wars]