501st Legion Factoids
We estimate that the Legion participates in more than 2,000 events per
year, and that's a conservative estimate simply because there are many
events which go undocumented.
The 501st is indeed an international organization, and we've had
members on every continent including Antarctica where one of our
members was stationed for work-related purposes. We're organized into
units called Garrisons (25 members or more) and Outposts (less than 25
members), and each has a representative or two on what we call the
Legion Council---the decision-making body for the group. We primarily
operate with English as our main language, but are taking steps to
further internationalize the Legion's website and private discussion
forums this year. Here's a current membership breakdown (most
territories are identifiable by unit name):
2009:
-
- Neon City Garrison 27
- New Jersey/New York: NorthEast Remnant Garrison 41
- Japanese Garrison 46
- 70th Explorers Garrison 90
- Golden Gate Garrison 94
- Bloodfin Garrison 59
- New York: Empire City Garrison 41
- Singapore Garrison 46
- Belgium: Belgian Garrison 41
- Belgium: FanWars Garrison 37
- Florida Garrison 204
- New York: Garrison Excelsior 40
- Garrison Titan 42
- French Garrison 93
- Terror Australis Garrison 119
- Polish Garrison 30
- Midwest Garrison 129
- Georgia Garrison 79
- Old Line Garrison 45
- German Garrison 325
- Great Lakes Garrison 77
- Ohio Garrison 100
- Central Garrison 86
- Garrison Carida 88
- New England Garrison 90
- Alabama Garrison 35
- Connecticut Garrison 46
- Bast Alpha Garrison 42
- Dutch Outpost 29
- Mountain Garrison 109
- Cloud City Garrison 52
- Italica Garrison 58
- Alpine Garrison 93
- Pacific Outpost 22
- Dune Sea Garrison 70
- Garrison Tyranus 80
- Mexican Garrison 105
- Carolina Garrison 117
- Southern California Garrison 227
- Star Garrison 133
- Canada: Badlands Garrison 71
- Central California Garrison 51
- Nordic Garrison 66
- Outpost 42 Garrison 29
- Midsouth Garrison 130
- Canada: Canadian Garrison 109
- Brazilian Division Garrison 52
- Spanish Garrison 91
- Rancor Raiders Outpost 23
- United Kingdom Garrison 324
- Swiss Garrison 25
- Icelandic Outpost 1
- Philippine Outpost 15
- Korean Outpost 2
- Aurora Borealis Alaskan Outpost 12
- Outpost Venezuela 5
- Monaco Outpost 4
- Outpost Argentina 4
- Djibouti Outpost 1
- Turkish Outpost 3
- Bolivian Outpost 1
- Saudi Arabian Outpost 1
- Czech Outpost 7
- Romanian Outpost 1
- Taiwan Formosa Outpost 20
- Puerto Rican Outpost 16
- Malaysia-Brunei Outpost 16
- Costa Rica Outpost 14
- Hong Kong Shadow Outpost 15
- Austrian Outpost 10
- Chilean Outpost 13
- Hungarian Outpost 4
- Portuguese Lusitanian Outpost 3
- United Arab Emirates Outpost 1
- Croatian Outpost 1
You'll note that while the majority of our members reside in the US,
we have notably large contingents in Germany and the UK.
While we are still collating data from our last membership census, we
believe we have a 15% female / 85% male gender breakdown with the
majority of our 4431 members falling into the 33-37 year old age
bracket.
A recent poll also indicates that while we are a costuming group, the
majority of our members joined simply as an outlet for their Star Wars
fandom, followed by a desire to give back to the community through
charity and volunteerism. Owning/building a costume was the third
highest reason given for joining the 501st.
Here's some other "fast facts" that you might find interesting:
- The 501st Legion began in 1997 as a simple fan website called
Detention Block 2551.
- The 501st Legion, also known as "Vader's Fist," was first officially
recognized in the Star Wars canon by author Timothy Zahn in the 2004
novel "Survivor's Quest."
- Among the 501st's most notable events are annual appearances at
Dragon*Con, San Diego Comic-Con, and Disney's Star Wars Weekends.
- All 501st members operate on a volunteer basis, donating countless
hours of their time to charity fundraisers throughout the world.
- Dragon*Con 2004 played host to the 501st Legion's first Droid Hunt
game, a thrilling role-playing competition challenging convention
attendees to protect "Droid Badges" and evade capture by the Legion's
finest troops.
- The 501st Legion's extensive list of Honorary Members includes the
likes of Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, Samuel L. Jackson, and George
Lucas himself.
- In 2002, the 501st Legion appeared on stage during a No Doubt
concert as the band played their own striking rendition of the
"Imperial March."
- Among the biggest collectors of 501st t-shirts are Star Wars actors
Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) and Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca).
- Every 501st member is assigned a unique Legion ID number for life.
Some members even have their number tattooed to show their passion for
the Legion.
- Although Stormtroopers make up the majority of 501st members, other
acceptable costumes types include villains such as Tusken Raiders,
Bounty Hunters and Sith Lords.
- The 501st Legion's worldwide ranks are organized into distinct units
called Garrisons, Squads, and Outposts.
- In 2003, the Legion first performed on stage with musical artist
"Weird Al" Yankovic during an encore performance of his song "The Saga
Begins." In 2007, the 501st provided on-stage support for multiple
stops on the "Straight Outta Lynwood" Tour.
- In 2004, the 501st Legion hit the gridiron to rally support for the
Oakland Raiders during a NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- An independent documentary film called "Heart of an Empire"
premiered in 2007 chronicling the life and times of the Fighting 501st
Legion.
- The members of the 501st have appeared in many Star Wars fan films
including such award-winning productions as "The Jedi Hunter,"
"Recruitment," "Silent But Deadly II," and "Return of Pink Five."
- The 501st's ongoing charity work includes such notable beneficiaries
as the Ronald McDonald House, the Special Olympics, Toys for Tots, and
the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
- The 501st Legion takes great pride in making dozens of hospital
visits each year to brighten the lives of sick children.
- In 2005, LucasArts paid tribute to the 501st Legion by making them
the central characters of the video game Star Wars: Battlefront II.
- The 501st Legion boasts a variety of highly-detailed costumes, some
of which have been used as the "real-life" references for official
Lucasfilm illustrations.
- In October 2005, starwars.com added the 501st Legion to its growing
databank of officially-recognized characters with behind-the-scenes
details recognizing the original fan organization.
- In November 2005, costumed 501st members starred in a series of
commercials promoting a special Star Wars-themed episode of Donald
Trump's popular reality show "The Apprentice."
- In June 2005, George Lucas was presented the American Film
Institute's highest honor---the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award. To
help set the stage for the gala event, members of the 501st Legion
were recruited for an opening song and dance skit featuring William
Shatner (Star Trek's Captain Kirk).
- Star Wars Celebration III was one of the largest gatherings of 501st
members to date with nearly 500 members appearing in a single group
photo and over $10,000 raised for charity during the 4-day event.
- One Legion member made good use of his costume by delivering his
personal resume to an prospective employer wearing full Sandtrooper
gear. He left such an impression that he was eventually awarded the
job.
- November 26, 2005 was officially declared "Golden Gate Garrison Day"
by the mayor of Santa Cruz, California, in honor of the significant
charitible contributions made by local 501st members.
- In 2006, Toy manufacturer Hasbro immortalized the 501st in plastic
by producing an exclusive 501st Legion Stormtrooper action figure
whose packaging was designed around the group's popular trading card
series.
- As early as 1998, the 501st Legion's ranks included several female
members dispelling the notion that a Star Wars costuming club would
have a predominately male base. Today's Legion boasts a 15% female
membership.
- The current record for continuous time spent in full Stormtrooper
armor is held by Legion member TD-9292 at 85 hours.
- New York City's Mayor Bloomberg officially declared October 13, 2005
"Star Wars Day" during a press conference for the Digital Life Expo.
The proclamation was officially accepted by the 501st, who were there
in there in force to help promote the LucasArts game Battlefront II.
- On January 1, 2007, 200 members of the 501st Legion marched down
Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, as part of the official
Star Wars entry in the internationally-televised Rose Parade. The
Legion's participation was at the personal request of parade Grand
Marshal George Lucas.
- In July 2007, Lucasfilm and Hasbro produced an action figure of
R2-KT, a pink Imperial droid honoring the memory of Katie Johnson,
daughter of Legion Founder Albin Johnson. Subsequently, $100,000 was
donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to make dreams come true for
sick children.
- The 501st Legion was included in the 2008 edition of the Guinness
Book of World Records as the "World's largest Star Wars Costuming
Group."
- Emphasizing the fact that the 501st is a global organization, the
Legion had an active member on each of the Earth's seven continents in
2007---including a trooper stationed in Antarctica!
- Director Dave Filoni was so touched by the story behind R2-KT that
he gave the Legion's favorite pink astromech a cameo appearance in the
Clone Wars feature film.
- After receiving their Honorary Memberships, the enthusiastic
creators of the Robot Chicken television comedy series, went on to
show off their 501st Challenge Coins on the red carpet Hollywood
premiere of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars director Dave Filoni was so impressed by
501st costumes that he incorporated a wide variety of new trooper
variants in the animated series to ensure the Legion had inspiration
for years to come.
- 50 of the Legion's finest troopers were dispatched to the 2008 Spike
TV Scream Awards to help Samuel L. Jackson present the Comic-Con ICON
Award to filmmaker George Lucas.
- In 2008, as a result of the Legion's help in promoting a line of
vintage-style Star Wars linens, Pottery Barn Kids donated $15,600 to
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in the name of the 501st.
- The 501st Legion's very own biweekly podcast, the 501stCast, was
launched in October 2007 to disseminate Legion news, mission reports
and exclusive interviews.
- In April 2008, Stormtroopers of the 501st starred on the television
show "Deal or No Deal" alongside Carrie Fisher and 26 models in Slave
Leia bikinis to give away a $1 million game show prize.
- In October 2008, Star Wars artist Matt Busch became the first
Honorary Member to become an official 501st armor-wearing
member---TK-3477.