- "Personally, I like that it's so quiet out here. I can catch up on the reg manuals."
- ―Clone trooper Echo
The clone troopers of the Republic Military were given regulation manuals on how to act, with the clones themselves referring to the guides as "reg manuals." The manuals could be read on datapads and they featured an entry on what a unit was to do without their sergeant present. One rookie clone trooper, Echo, enjoyed reading the manuals and did so in Rishi Station on the Rishi Moon of the Outer Rim.
Description[]
- "What do we do without the sarge?"
"The reg manual says the next—" - ―Clone troopers Fives and Echo
Readable on datapads, regulation manuals were given to the clone troopers of the Republic Military to educate them on how to behave. One entry covered what a clone unit should do if their sergeant was unable to command them. The clones took to shortening the manuals' title when speaking about them, calling the guides "reg manuals."[2]
History[]
- "Echo, what is wrong with you? We should be out on the front lines blasting droids."
"Aw, leave him alone. They kept him in his growth jar too long." - ―Hevy and Cutup react to Echo's adherence to the regulation manuals
During the galaxy-wide Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and Confederacy of Independent Systems, Echo, a clone trooper stationed at the Rishi Station outpost on the Rishi Moon in the Outer Rim,[2] was very focused on protocol, the regulation manuals,[3] and his orders.[4] In fact, Echo had received his nickname from his habit of repeating regulations[5] and orders.[6]
One day[2] in 22 BBY,[1] Echo walked into the station's command center while reading one of the manuals.[2] When heavy weapons expert[7] and fellow rookie Hevy complained about the lack of combat on the moon, Echo revealed he enjoyed their station's peace, citing that it allowed him to catch up on the manuals. The comment confused Hevy, who rebutted by saying their purpose was to fight against the Separatist Droid Army. When another rookie, Cutup, joked that Echo had been kept in his growth chamber for too long, Echo was annoyed and turned his attention back to the manual until Clone Sergeant O'Niner spoke up.[2]
A short time afterward, the station was attacked by a team of BX-series droid commandos, resulting in the deaths of many clones stationed in the outpost. O'Niner was among those killed, making trooper Fives question what to do. Echo began to recite what the regulation manuals ordered, only to be interrupted by a Rishi eel that killed Cutup.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
- "One of them is just really into his own books and studying protocol. That's really—"
"Maintenance clone." - ―Story editor Henry Gilroy and Supervising Director Dave Filoni
The regulation manuals first appeared in "Rookies," the fifth episode of the first season of the animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars,[2] which first aired on October 24, 2008. They were first identified by their full name in the StarWars.com episode guide for "Rookies."[9] In a behind-the-scenes featurette for the episode, Supervising Director Dave Filoni joked that Echo's strict adherence to the regulations made him a maintenance duty clone.[8] The StarWars.com article for their rewatch of "Rookies" framed Echo's strict adherence to the rules as his rookie mistake, making him the opposite of the eager-to-fight Hevy. According to the blog post, Echo had nervous responses to anything that bent the rules because he had yet to understand they should only be a guideline.[10]
Appearances[]
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Rookies" (First appearance)
Sources[]
- The Clone Wars Episode Guide: Rookies on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link) (First identified as regulation manuals)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season One
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season Three
- "Rookies" Episode Guide | The Clone Wars on StarWars.com (backup link)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of "Rookies" to 22 BBY. As the clone trooper regulation manuals appear in the episode, the manuals had been released by that year.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Rookies"
- ↑ "Rookies" Episode Gallery on StarWars.com (backup link) (Slide 2)
- ↑ Arc Trooper Echo in the Databank (backup link) (version archived on April 20, 2021; now replaced)
- ↑ Star Wars Helmet Collection 16 (Databank A-Z: E-11 Blaster–Cornelius Evazan)
- ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Clone Cadets"
- ↑ Rise of the Separatists
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season One
- ↑ The Clone Wars Episode Guide: Rookies on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ The Clone Wars Rewatch: Sacrifices and Mistakes in "Rookies" on StarWars.com (backup link)
External links[]
- The Clone Wars Rewatch: Sacrifices and Mistakes in "Rookies" on StarWars.com (backup link) (Indirect mention only)