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4 years ago, this question has already been answered here. A lot has happened since then, however, most notable of which is the overhaul of canon to Disney's specifications and the relegation of the EU into Legends fanon status.

In the EU, stormtroopers are elite New Order clone troopers armed with deadly new weapons, blazing new ships and shiny new armour. In the new canon, however, they are just normal folks with none of the genetic modifications clones had. Anyone who has watched Rebels should know that the metaphor "shooting like a stormtrooper" exists in-universe.

So with this in mind, looking at the current Disney canon, are stormtroopers truly known to the Imperial public to be as bad in combat as the movies led us to believe? And did this change after RotJ?

Edit: Put it another way: So far, the only people I've seen talking badly about stormtroopers are people who have reason to - those with outright superior skill like Jedi, clones and bounty hunters, or enemies who basically hate them, like your common "Rebel scum". From the perspective of the common citizenry, however, do the stormtroopers suck?

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thegreatjedi
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    You just referenced the Disney canon reputation with your comment about Rebels. – phantom42 Dec 09 '15 at 13:38
  • @phantom42 what? Sorry I don't understand what you are saying – thegreatjedi Dec 09 '15 at 15:06
  • He meant that they seemingly have a bad reputation according to that statement – Thomas Dec 09 '15 at 15:21
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    " Anyone who has watched Rebels should know that the metaphor "shooting like a stormtrooper" exists in-universe." You're asking if they have a reputation in Disney canon, but mention their reputation in Disney canon right in your question. – phantom42 Dec 09 '15 at 15:21
  • Related: http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/4056/are-all-stormtroopers-as-poor-soldiers-as-the-ones-in-the-movies?lq=1 – Thomas Dec 09 '15 at 21:50
  • @phantom42 ok then, what I mean to say is: The reputation of stormtroopers sucking in Rebels (the only canon source I know of that makes references to it) appear to me as being made by the Ghost crew from their own perspective. Of course stormtroopers suck when compared to Jedi, clone veterans, Mandalorian warriors etc. So, I am asking if this reputation is evident in Imperial society at large, and if it is still so after the Battle of Endor/RotJ. – thegreatjedi Dec 10 '15 at 03:39
  • @thegreatjedi during ANH they had a good reputation on the other hand. For after endor/rotj you have currently mostly EU canon (should mention if you want also that or only new canon) and one book in the new canon so far – Thomas Dec 10 '15 at 13:36

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On the contrary, storm troopers are known to be great shots, though this varies by the speaker. In A New Hope, Obi Wan comments "These blast points, too accurate for Sand People. Only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise."

In the Star Wars: Rebels show (which is Disney canon) we see how the training at the imperial academy is....and no, they are not known as being bad shots. Moreover all imperials receive QUITE some training in physical parts and also in shooting while moving.

If we take how poorly the stromtroopers shoot in the films and Rebels while shooting at the good guys one can only say the force must be VERY strong in them to even survive one encounter in the open like they do time and again; storm troopers should in reality be able to hit anyone out in the open and that with ease. The others get sorted out (probably not seen on screen).

IF we take into account though how characters in Rebels and the films think of stormtroopers, we know that the stormtroopers are seen as inferior to clone troopers and that rebel alliance members make jokes about the abilities of the stormtroopers. So yes they have a bad reputation in regards for their skills -- although they should not have that.

Thomas
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