Walker (Star Wars)

• 2 heavy laser cannons was first introduced in The Empire Strikes Back (as the Galactic Empire's main units against Rebel Alliance infantry during the Battle of Hoth) and also appears in Return of the Jedi and in Rogue One (in the AT-ACT variant). The also appears in a destroyed form in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, explained in the video game Star Wars Battlefront (2015) to be a residue of the Battle of Jakku, which was the Empire's last defeat and resulted in its dissolution, where Rey uses its husk for shelter. Updated forms appear in The Last Jedi (used by the First Order to attack Resistance forces in a former Rebel base). The theme park attraction Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, set after The Last Jedi, features two full-sized AT-ATs in a hangar bay. These walkers, while mostly static, can move their cannons to allow for a scene in which the walker's drivers spot the ride vehicles and fire at them. Origin and design Joe Johnston's original design for the Empire's war machines was a giant, multi-wheeled vehicle; this design later became the "Juggernaut" in West End Games' roleplaying material, and the design was reworked into the clone turbo tank for Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Johnston said Lucas wanted the walkers to look like anthropomorphic walking tanks to make them frightening. For The Empire Strikes Back, however, the final design was a four-legged walker. Inspiration for the came from Paraceratherium, an extinct genus most closely related to living rhinoceroses, and one of the largest known land mammals. The design was also partially inspired by a Syd Mead illustration from a U.S. Steel brochure depicting walking trucks. George Lucas later dismissed claims that the design was inspired by container cranes at the Port of Oakland (across San Francisco Bay from ILM's San Rafael offices), calling it a "myth"; animator Phil Tippett told the San Francisco Chronicle the same thing. ILM created models ranging from in height. ILM filmed the using stop-motion animation against matte paintings created by Michael Pangrazio because attempts at compositing miniature footage against live-action background footage yielded mediocre results. The sound of the AT-AT walking was created by sound designer Ben Burtt using a punch press. Depiction The All Terrain Armored Transport is an assault walker used by Imperial ground forces to blast through enemy lines with its sheer mass and firepower and deploy a platoon of crack assault troops. The thick armor plating on the AT-AT will deflect or absorb anything but the heaviest turbolaser weaponry, the is as much a weapon of terror as anything else, and its mere presence is often enough to intimidate the local populace into obedience. During the battle, the AT-AT designated Blizzard Two is destroyed when Wedge Antilles and Wes Janson use their snowspeeder's tow cable to trip it up and target its now-exposed neck with blaster fire to blow it up. The First Order uses an updated model of the AT-AT during the Battle of Crait at the end of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Built by Kuat-Entralla Drive Yards, these versions of the venerable AT-AT address some of its stability issues and use lighter armor material to increase protection without increasing weight. Analysis In 2011, a fan-led effort to get a life-sized, fully functional AT-AT built was stopped by Lucasfilm as violating their intellectual property. Commenting on the effort, Heiko Hoffman, a robotics expert at HRL Laboratories, argued that building an AT-AT would easily cost US$100 million or more. He also argued that building such a vehicle would pose challenges since structural strength does not increase the same way as mass and there would be tremendous stress on the legs and joints, though he noted the AT-AT's method of walking was "statically stable" and appropriate for a heavy vehicle. A later estimate conducted in 2016 argued that building a real-life AT-AT would cost US$228.5 million. Using the M1 Abrams as a starting point, such a vehicle would weigh over 1,000 tons and generate 19 megawatts of power. Dr. Malcolm Davis, director of the Defense & Strategy Program at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, argues that the AT-AT has several flaws which make it an ineffective design. Compared to tracked vehicles, Davis states that while walking vehicles like the AT-AT can potentially step over obstacles, they cannot run as fast, and destroying a leg would topple one over. The AT-AT also has a limited field of fire with all its weapons mounted in the head and its slab sides would be more vulnerable to shaped charge munitions as opposed to angled sides. He notes however that its height would give its line-of-sight weaponry a greater reach and puts its occupants well above any IED explosion. Joe Pappalardo of Popular Mechanics also argues that the AT-AT is a poorly-designed troop transport, being slow, top-heavy and conspicuous with its legs being a particular vulnerability. He contends that the Empire would have won the Battle of Hoth faster and more easily if they had deployed smaller conventional vehicles. ==All Terrain Scout Transport (AT-ST)==

• • The name Scout Walker is also used to refer to an . This name was used for the official toy instead of the name. An AT-ST also appears briefly in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, patrolling Jedha City following an attack by Saw Gerrera's forces. A modified AT-ST later appears in The Mandalorian under the possession of a group of raiders, as the Empire has ceased to exist by the time of the series. An updated model of the AT-ST is used by the First Order in The Last Jedi. Shortly before the film's climax, an AT-ST is commandeered by BB-8. Video games such as Star Wars: Rogue Squadron and Shadows of the Empire (in a much expanded Battle of Hoth) include numerous , and these can be destroyed by direct shooting from the player's craft, in contrast to the heavily armored which have to be tripped by tow cables. are also player-controllable units in several real-time strategy games. Origin and design A single AT-ST makes a brief appearance in The Empire Strikes Back alongside the larger during the Battle of Hoth. The was meant to have more screen time; however, one scene depicting a snowspeeder shooting at the model was ruined when the set's background shifted. For Return of the Jedi, ILM made the design more detailed. Depiction According to Star Wars sources, the was constructed as a companion to the larger AT-AT, protecting the flanks during major battles and hunting down infantry and smaller threats which evade the assault walkers. Advanced stability and sensor technology, along with the pilots' dexterity and sense of balance, allow it to move faster than and traverse terrain which would be impassible to an . This helps it fulfill a variety of missions, including patrolling, reconnaissance and mop-up operations. In order to achieve its speed and size, the is forced to sacrifice offensive and defensive capability. Its chin-mounted twin blaster cannon is only effective out to , while the modular cheek-mounted weaponry has less range. Lightweight armor plating is proof against blasters and other small arms but cannot withstand heavier laser cannons and missiles. ==All Terrain Tactical Enforcer (AT-TE)==

• Pilot (1) Tom St. Amand, who worked on the scenes in The Empire Strikes Back, provided his experience to create a similar appearance for the . Their in-universe manufacturer is Rothana Heavy Engineering, a subsidiary of Kuat Drive Yards and long-time enemy to the Trade Federation and Techno Union. The walker's unique six-legged design and flexible midsection gives it excellent stability and allows it to transport two squads of clone troopers across otherwise impassible terrain. Its footpads contain terrain sensors and tractor-field generators which enhance its purchase on rough ground. They can also be magnetized, allowing the to even hang upside-down on metal surfaces. Analysis B.K. Lok of That Hashtag Show argues that the is the best-designed walker in the Star Wars universe. Specifically in comparison to the , they argue it's harder to hit, is more stable, and possess greater all-around weapons coverage. Daniel Dimanna of Screen Rant, however, argues that the is the superior walker. While acknowledging the better stability and maneuverability, he cites the more powerful weaponry, impenetrable armoring, and greater carrying capacity as making it the definitive Star Wars walker. Blake Hawkins of CBR refers to the as "slow, awkward and kind of ridiculous" but states that Episode 10 of The Bad Batch helped redeem it by showcasing its ability to navigate over difficult obstacles and its ability to intimidate the local populace. ==All Terrain MegaCaliber Six (AT-M6)==

• Pilot (1) Origin and design In making a new walker vehicle based on the for the First Order, the creative team behind The Last Jedi wanted to address the tow-cable vulnerability which had been highlighted in The Empire Strikes Back. Kevin Jenkins, the movie's design supervisor, suggested to Rian Johnson that it be based on a gorilla instead of a dog so they could not be tripped up. Photos of real-life gorillas were used as a starting point for the final design and helped to give the a distinctive and aggressive posture. Depiction According to background material, the is considered the First Order's most powerful combat walker. Unlike the preceding which functioned as an assault transport, the is primarily a platform for a MegaCaliber Six turbolaser carried on its back. Capable of penetrating deflector shields rated to withstand planetary bombardments, the weapon requires a dedicated power plant and several auxiliary fuel cells to reduce recharge time. The heavily armored front legs were modified to handle the weight and massive recoil of firing the weapon, and feature ventilation gates which double as cable-cutters. This locomotion system also gives the walker the appearance of a giant simian predator which, combined with firepower to rival a battleship, is meant to help intimidate an opponent into submission. With the Resistance entrenched on Crait at a former Rebellion base, a contingent of are among the First Order forces deployed to the planet's surface to engage them, providing escort for a massive superlaser siege cannon. Despite the Resistance's best efforts, the walkers are able to hold them off and the cannon punches a hole through their defenses. However, the arrival of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker distracts the First Order and allows the Resistance to successfully escape. Analysis In comparing the to its predecessor, Dr. Malcolm Davis notes that, while the specific vulnerability to tow-cable attacks was addressed, many of the same criticisms applied to the still hold true for the First Order's walker. A more realistic design he argues would look similarly to the massive tanks which feature in the Bolo universe. ==List of other Star Wars walkers==

Many vehicles were created for various Star Wars media and depicted as technological evolutionary predecessors and successors to the walkers featured in the original trilogy. In film and television ;Utilized by the Republic, Empire and First Order • All Terrain Attack Pod (AT-AP): Featured in Revenge of the Sith and Clone Wars media, as a variation of the AT-PT. Alex Jaeger designed the AT-AP per Lucas' request to "diversify the Clone armor". Nicknamed the "sniper tank", the AT-AP features a variety of artillery weapons, a retractable third leg for stability, and other offensive features. The AT-OT can transport 34 clone troopers, who are protected by thick armor and four laser cannons. During the late stages of Revenge of the Sith's development, it was called the "Clone CAT walker". • All Terrain Recon Transports (AT-RT): Introduced in Revenge of the Sith operated by clone troopers searching for Yoda (Frank Oz) on Kashyyyk. The AT-RT is described as a precursor to the AT-ST, though it also shares similarities to the AT-PTs of the same era. A scene cut from Revenge of the Sith would have shown Yoda distracting clone troopers while Chewbacca removes them from their AT-RT in a manner similar to how he obtains control of an AT-ST in Return of the Jedi. AT-RT animators studied AT-ST movement to recreate part of the "original funkiness of movement" caused by the stop-animation style used in the original trilogy. • All Terrain Mobile Artillery (AT-MA): Introduced in The Force Awakens, the AT-MA is a model of quadruped base defense walker used by the First Order to defend Starkiller Base. While it resembled the All Terrain Armored Transport once used by the Galactic Empire in terms of size and weaponry, the AT-MA was primarily designed for defense, rather than transport or assault. Several of these walkers were deployed across the planet to protect its installations, and at least three of them were present during General Armitage Hux's speech before the destruction of the Hosnian system. Several AT-MAs were portrayed in the ground vehicles storage area of a Resurgent-class Star Destroyer. • All Terrain Armored Cargo Transport (AT-ACT): Introduced in Rogue One, these walkers are slightly larger than the standard AT-AT, with a hollowed-out center section that can hold a cargo container. Director Gareth Edwards instructed the film's concept artists to design walkers based on their idealized memory of the AT-AT. According to background material, the AT-ACT was built for hauling cargo at Imperial construction sites and research facilities. Larger than AT-ATs at tall, an AT-ACT's central container can hold of cargo. Although not meant for use on the battlefield, the AT-ACT is heavily armored against most handheld weapons and equipped with two Taim & Bak MS-2 heavy laser cannons, allowing it to be deployed into combat in an emergency. • All Terrain Heavy Hauler (AT-HH): Featured in The Last Jedi, the AT-HH is described in Star Wars sources as a tug walker, a vehicle designed to pull heavy loads on the battlefield. The walker measures in length, in width and in height, and has a crew of two pilots, one commander, two engineers and four gunners. With thirty-one legs in total split between three rows, the AT-HH can lose twelve of its legs and still fulfill its mission, using tow cables (each a bundle of 27,572 steelton wires) to drag objects into position. In addition to heavy armor plating, each AT-HH is defended by medium fire-linked dual laser cannons, one per corner. • All Terrain Heavy Scout (AT-HS): A model of walker fielded by the First Order. The LEGO version of the AT-HS was based on a piece of concept art for The Last Jedi which, although canon, was ultimately not used in the final cut of the film. • All Terrain Cold-weather Mobile Heavy Cannon (AT-CMHC): A remodeled variant of the Umbaran UMHC used by the Imperial Military. This prototype model was specialized in sub-zero temperatures. ;Utilized by other factions • Skara Nal Keeper: An ancient droid walker and superweapon created by the Ancients long before the founding of the Jedi Order, this walker was buried on the planet of Skara Nal, with a crystal known as the Heart of the Mountain keeping it dormant. The walker was massive and was propelled by four legs, and was armed with a head-mounted superlaser that was capable of significant amounts of destruction. It was the subject of a pirate legend that the Bad Batch investigated with treasure hunter Phee Genoa, who activated it by removing the Heart. The walker was destroyed when the crystal was returned to prevent the destruction of the Bad Batch's shuttle Marauder. • Umbaran mobile heavy cannon (UMHC): Used by Umbarans during the Clone Wars. The AT-PT is also featured in several video games, including Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, Star Wars: Force Commander, and Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds. • Mountain Terrain Armored Transport (MT-AT): Introduced in Jedi Academy Trilogy, dubbed "spider walkers", are octrupedalism specially for mountain terrain. These specific walkers can walk almost vertically, and are delivered through pods launched from larger ships • All Terrain Anti-Aircraft (AT-AA): Featured in various Expanded Universe media, is a four-legged anti-aircraft vehicle used by the Galactic Empire. The All Terrain Advance Raider (AT-AR) appears in Marvel Comics' Star Wars series, and an All Terrain Experimental Transport (AT-XT) appears in LucasArts' Star Wars: The Clone Wars game. DK Publishing's Attack of the Clones: Incredible Cross-Sections book mentions an All Terrain Heavy Enforcer (AT-HE). ==Merchandise==

Kenner released AT-AT and AT-ST toys as part of their Empire Strikes Back line, and Hasbro released toys based on those molds when the Special Edition trilogy was distributed. Micro Machines also released AT-AT, AT-ST, and AT-TE toys. Both Decipher Inc. and Wizards of the Coast published AT-AT and AT-ST cards for their Star Wars Customizable Card Game and Star Wars Trading Card Game, respectively. Lego has released AT-AT, AT-ST, AT-DP, AT-AP, AT-OT, AT-RT, AT-TE, AT-M6, and AT-HS models. ==See also==