Death troopers, also known as death soldiers, were an elite variant of stormtroopers specializing in stealth, espionage and lethality that served the Galactic Empire. Operating under Imperial Intelligence as the death trooper division, they acted as a protective detail for significant Imperial officers and members of the Tarkin Initiative, as well as special-assignment commandos. Death troopers were trained in unarmed combat, heavy weapons, demolitions, improvised weaponry, guerrilla warfare, and marksmanship.