Warning! This article contains spoilers for Andor episode 7.Andor episode 7 introduced another connection to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in the form of Shoretroopers. Andor episode 7 ended with the titular character going into hiding on a tropical world to live out his days free of the Empire's clutches, or so he thought. The planet Cassian was hiding out on was Niamos, an original creation for Andor, yet containing a satisfying reference to the Empire's presence in Rogue One.
This reference was the inclusion of Shoretroopers, or their official name Coastal Defender Stormtroopers. These specialty troopers were found on Scarif in Rogue One, alongside normal Stormtroopers, and were shown to be very effective against the Rebel attack when one blew up Bodhi Rook's titular Rogue One ship. Given how Shoretroopers have specified roles in the Empire's ranks, their presence on a galactic scale was small, meaning Rogue One and now Andor are likely two of the only times the Star Wars franchise will use this special type of unit in major ways.
How Shoretroopers Are Different To Stormtroopers
The rarity of Shoretroopers is largely due to their differences from regular Stormtroopers, and their specialties being called for only in specific circumstances as opposed to the wider, more varied use of Stormtroopers. Firstly, Shoretroopers simply look different in their appearance to regular Stormtroopers. Rather than the iconic white armor of regular troopers, Shoretroopers wear armor consisting of other neutral colors, like brown and beige. These colors are offset with red or blue adornments to signify rank. The overall colors match the Shoretroopers' specialties, with the colors linking to the beach-like, tropical environments they are regularly stationed at.
The Shoretroopers are used on planets such as Scarif or Niamos due to their specific training and equipment which suits them better for combat in tropical environments. While Stormtroopers (that have been missing from Andor until now) can certainly fight in these biomes, as shown by Rogue One, the Shoretroopers are better equipped to fight in water-based environments, as well as hotter climates. This is why their official designation is Coastal Defender Stormtroopers. Finally, Shoretroopers in these environments act as sergeants, meaning they commanded small individual squadrons of regular Stormtroopers.
What Happened To Shoretroopers After Rogue One
There are a few appearances of Shoretroopers after Rogue One that explains some of their futures. In 0BBY, Luke and Leia crash-land on an unnamed ocean planet and come into conflict with some Shoretroopers, as shown in the Star Wars 33 Marvel Comics book. After the fall of the Empire, a squadron of Shoretroopers was sent to Morak during the New Republic era and was assigned to the Imperial Remnant at work on the planet. This was shown during The Mandalorian season 2, episode 7, "The Believer". Other than these few instances, not a lot is known about the Shoretroopers' futures after Rogue One. It is likely that the majority of the Shoretroopers under Imperial control were dispatched to Scarif during the Rebel attack on the base, and that many perished when the planet was destroyed by the Death Star. That being said, the small link to this type of Stormtrooper was exciting to see in Andor, even if it does not make much difference to the overall story.
New episodes of Andor release every Wednesday on Disney+.