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The question is pretty simple: What is stormtrooper armor made of, and how is it constructed?

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  • 2
    I'm pretty sure that i saw this question before...
    – Mithical
    Commented Jan 14, 2016 at 3:43
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    @Mithrandir - nope. the linked Q doesn't actually say what it is made of, that I can seel Commented Jan 14, 2016 at 3:48
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    If the answer is anything other than plastic, I will be disappointed.
    – Ellesedil
    Commented Jan 14, 2016 at 3:53
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    The only real answer is clearly "tissue paper"
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Jan 14, 2016 at 4:56
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    I can never stop emphasizing that the stormtrooper uniform is not actually "armour" but is in fact just an all-terrain environmental protection suit. Its main intent is not to protect you from enemy fire, but from environmental hazards like acid rain, lava, water/atmospheric pressure etc. and limited protection from the vacuum of space. Normal stormtroopers can operate on Hoth, snowtroopers just can do it better and longer that's all. Commented Jan 14, 2016 at 5:09

1 Answer 1

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Galactic empire - Disney Canon

It was made from Plastoid composite (src: Star Wars Rebels: The Visual Guide and "Battlefront - Twilight Company"). The books were Synth-leather.

She slid her feet into her white synth-leather boots and then—always left first, then right—snapped her plastoid greaves onto her legs. The soft click and hum of mechanisms assured her she’d attached the pieces correctly, and their perfect sculpt felt far more natural than anything she could buy as a civilian. Belt and crotch plate came next, then the torso piece—locked into the belt, finally making her feel clothed.

Please note that plastoid wasn't explicitly designed for armor - according to Ezra's Gamble novel, it was also used for buildings:

Ezra walked around the corner and proceeded toward the end of the block. Ake’s Tavern was on the ground floor of a three-story plastoid building with wide, dark windows.

Amusingly, it was made from plants (all quotes from Battlefront)

Twilight had come to devastate Nakadia’s plastoid factories, where millions of tonnes of farm crops were processed into armor-grade polymers and synthetic resins. Namir hadn’t realized such conversions were possible—he couldn’t imagine how plants could be transmuted into industrial materials—but no one else seemed surprised and he’d kept his questions to himself. Looking stupid in front of his colleagues wouldn’t inspire confidence.

Galactic empire - EU/Legends

The outer white plate armor layer was made of plastoid composite. Source: "Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary", section on "Imperial Stormtroopers", p. 34

The black layer was a "body glove" of unspecified material.

First Order

The body plate material wasn't specified (possibly still plastoid?).

However, according to TFA Visual Dictionary, at least 2 elements were made of a new material: both the "ballistic riot shield", and the helmet, were made with "composite betaplast".

Composite Betaplast helmet with integral polarized lenses ("Stormtroopers", p.16)

Lightweight composite betaplast ballistic riot shield ("Close Combat", p.17)

Guess they couldn't afford the final, non-beta, version.

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  • I noticed a few instances in SWFA where the troopers armour shatters after an impact, so the body might be a different material. Or it might not be too.
    – user45549
    Commented Jan 14, 2016 at 4:47

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