Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: New [Spoiler] Trooper revealed at SDCC 2019

Spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ahead.

Get ready to paint the galaxy red. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker‘s title might implicate the ascendancy of the Light side of the Force but that doesn’t mean the Sith, Kylo Ren and possibly Emperor Palpatine himself don’t have any sinister machinations in place. One such element to be revealed in the upcoming film will be the brand-new Sith Trooper design and fans attending San Diego Comic Con 2019 (July 18th-21st) will be the first to see the unveiling of a brand new Stormtrooper. In person, anyway. Here’s your first look at the Sith Trooper reveal from the Star Wars Show:

According to StarWars.com, the Sith Troopers, who resemble Storm Troopers in design but bear the red hued armor like the Emperor’s Imperial Guards, are “the next evolution in Imperial/First Order soldiers.”

“It has some really unique aesthetics to it,” says Madlyn Burkert, a Lucasfilm archivist who is co-producing a History of Stormtrooper Design exhibit at SDCC 2019. “And it has some subtle ties to previous stormtrooper designs, which I think fans will enjoy discovering.”

A few more looks at the Sith Trooper via the Hot Toys advance release:

Is the Sith Trooper somehow related to the presaged return of Emperor Palpatine? Or did Snoke’s death in Star Wars: The Last Jedi cause Kylo Ren to transform the Storm Troopers under his command into ones more indicative of his affiliation/infatuation with the Sith?

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20th, 2019.