@@squintyspade0025 By that logic, every tech priest would be too. A dreadnought is a giant murder coffin, whole Vader is a cyborg. Technicalities aside, though, it’s an amusing thought nonetheless, and one that I will absolutely repeat elsewhere. Heck, I’ll also suggest that you look up Sicarian Ruststalkers, which you may find to be relevant.
I think the general reason is, “If we need a Mech suit, why not just build a droid instead?” Cheaper and easier to just build a droid that does whatever you’d want the Mech suit for. Except for the Clone Wars era of course, droids could/would fill just about any role you might need Mech-assisted technology for. Heavy weapons? Spider droid/B2. Lifters/Loaders? Droids for that. Even droid space fighters and aircraft.
I was gonna say the same thing. If you have mass production for AI that is subservient to the population, it’s far easier, cheaper and more efficient to build a droid for the purpose than to design a suit for a humanoid to pilot. Suits need chambers for the pilot, life support systems, emergency ejection, all sorts of amenities for the life form inside. Droids can drop all that and just use the sensors to go about the specialized mission. You can put the hud and other systems into the helmet of normal armor, you don’t need to be massive sized to get a basic HUD.
true but they never built any large droids either at least none that are halfway effective. as far as the movies are concerned droidekas are the pinnacle of effective droid design.
@@KT-pv3kl well, droideka models were more than overkill for the war, personal shield generators and heavy twin blasters plus exceptional mobility made them the deadliest combatants on the battlefield. And just because heavier droids like the spider droid or the hellfire tank were rare doesn’t mean they don’t exist, nor does a war unit constitute the only kind of droid ever made. There were many droid models that just did maintenance work which exceeded human size, and even without that, droids could be made to fly which made size irrelevant when you can reach any problem without having to be tall. The only reason to build a droid super tall would be if you wanted to equip it with a starship caliber turbo laser, and the power that would require is just impractical for a mobile unit anyways.
I think there's a misconception here between a mech and power armor. Power armor is a suit you wear. A mech is typically a vehicle you pilot, usually by yourself. So the AT-AT, AT-ST, AT-TE, and AT-RT would be mechs.
This is why I always hate when people use terms like "mech-suit". Are you talking about walking vehicles, or mechanically enhanced suits of armor? That's an important distinction, because mechs and power armor are two very different things. So using such a generic term to talk about them is meaningless, and just makes it sound like you don't really know what you're talking about. Especially in this case, since as has been pointed out by other comments, both mechs and power armor do exist in Star Wars.
Star Wars also has a much higher percentage of Robots/androids in military usage compared to other series, and to be frank if they want mech-scale firepower, they'd just use a big droid. See the B3 "Ultra Battle Droid" in the old EU or the Skorpenek droids in Mandalorian. One could also argue that Walkers like the AT-AT are a form of Mech.
Heck, even the Droidekas are a pretty heavy duty bit of hardware. Highly mobile to get to an important location, after which they set up their shields and just barrage the enemy into submission.
Before Disney we had mech suits in Star Wars. The closest we have gotten to mass production were dark troopers which phase one and two were more exoskeleton. Phase three was an entire mech suit itself
Phase 1 were droids only. Phase 0 were Clones in special mechanized armor (What we had in the original Star Wars Battlefront 1+2). Phase 2 armor was a better version of Phase 0 that could be worn by Phase 1 Dark Trooper Droids or worn by a real person. Phase 3 was just an upgraded version of the Phase 2 mechanized suit and had alloys that would allow it to withstand lightsaber attacks. We also had several proto-Dark Trooper designs/projects seen in The Force Unleashed 1+2 that were before they designated Dark Trooper phases.
Phase 3 were technically droids but could also be piloted. Either there was droid only variants or all of them are designed for real people inside with just a droid brain there to help id so desired @@Umbzard
@@mortarion9813 I noticed that too lol. Some I noticed can’t even properly define what a mech is. The only two criteria for something to be a mech are that it walks and has an onboard pilot. I saw someone arguing that the AT-RT isn’t a mech because it has an open top. Like what? Where did he even get that from?
Before Disney canon we had the Spacetrooper corps in the old EU. These were basically Space marines used for zero G operations such as boarding enemy ships. It's interesting how that idea seems to have been quietly forgotten... Games Workshop perhaps?
West End Games -- They were the ones with the powered space armor ("Zero G Assault Stormtrooper") used in boarding actions.....Showing my geek, I had to break out my Imperial Sourcebook: the armor (with a cutaway view) is on page 40, with the description on page 47....Another thing you don't really hear about is COMPNOR (pg 16)...REALLY interesting stuff, there. WEG did a HUGE amount of VERY good work.
@@Rendell001 Hmmmm -- I do not. I will have to scrounge a source....I do have all the main sourcebooks, though. I have a bunch of the adventures & campaigns, but I've almost certainly missed a few. WEG was almost as prolific as GDW was, back then.
We gonna forget about that one bounty hunter from that episode of the clone wars where they trained a village to defend itself? There’s at least one mech suit in Star Wars
yea i thought of him aswell, although its funny you sayare we gonna forget about him but then call him that one guy from that episode not exactly a top tier character
@@michaeldayman682 they weren’t dark troopers though, that was dark forces. I think they were environmental troops. I’ll boot the game tomorrow and get back to ya.
@@thefuzzysheep3859 might be - I don't believe they were actually named, but I thought they had some level of force powers - or had knock back when they physically hit you. I believe they resisted several force abilities - force push, choke, confusion type.
Seripas from the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode "Bounty Hunters" had a mech suit. Although it wasn't all that powerful. Perhaps the logic is if you are going to design what is basically a large battle droid with room inside for a pilot and controls, why not instead use that space for more weaponry and advanced logic for the droid. If you send in a droid you avoid being in combat entirely. I think it's not that mech suits aren't possible, but that by the time you've invested that much tech into a machine, a droid is an even more effective solution for self preservation than going into battle yourself.
The villain of Iron Man 2 movie said it "Droids are better, suits make you vulnerable trust me doc, I don't want to copy Stark, even if you want me to".
Rock solid question! And surprised we haven't seen more attempts at an equivalent. You know the jedi would train harder and hone spicy techniques if they had to throw down with mechs on the reg!
Actually we have i forget what they were called but it used clones and they could take down a fortress or bust open its walls with ease. And they do use a kind of mech suit.
i dont really see mechs helping with jedi your armour would have to be besker or a meter and a half thick a type of spaced armour might work but be incredibly bulky
@@DoomStroller yea and funny enough its the background pic on this video before it starts. The picture of that clone trooper in that armour. Its a mech suit and they were called seige troopers. Nothing short of a cannon would stop them or overwhelming fire power/numbers
"Too advanced" yes cause having a planet sized Death Station that can just obliterate entire planets wasn't advandced or anything. Or did we forget that Vader is technically in one of these suits?
Vader is a cyborg. His limbs got replaced and he's walking around with a life support suite. He's far more nimble than he's supposed to be capable of because he used the force to manipulate the limbs. Palpatine gave him the worst tech he could to make it as painful and difficult as possible
@mullerpotgieter OK but you missed the point. If you have the technology the create Cyborgs, and the Technology to create Planet destroyers. Then you have the technology to create battle mechs. Integrating Technology with life support systems and robotic limbs and having them function is a far bigger scientific and technological feat than just making g an Iron man style suit. You have to graft the robotic limbs into the nervous system in order to respond properly to your inputs. And even taking Vader aside and ignoring his Force abilities. General Grievous was more advanced and flexible than Vader was and he possessed no force abilities whatsoever. So the fact Grievous was such a menace to an order of force users by using just his pure brute strength and speed alo e speaks volumes for how advanced technology in star wars is.
@@jesseprice8919 Vader isn't really in a mech suit, he's just a torso with mechanical limbs and machine respirators attached to him; the limbs and machines being encased in shell plating and clothes. That's different from a robot designed to be piloted
They do exist, but it’s more internalized. Think less Iron Man and more Batman Beyond. With the invention of Grav Plates some people could carry weapons meant for turrets as HMGs. There’s some E-webs that hover allowing for mobile movements.
if we really stretch it then technically all Walker-class tanks are all "mechs" as well, if we just say Mechs need to 1) have legs 2) have armour 3) have guns ..but proper mech-mechs? Yeah no. You wont be finding those
The idea that Mech suits are too advanced for Star Wars. Technology is utterly moronic. They have the technology to build moon size battle station. They have FTL travel, sentient Androids everything I see about Star Wars demonstrate the technology is clearly advanced enough for that. Never mind that walkers exist which in and of themselves are in the way a midpoint between tanks and Mech suits. I’ve heard though I can’t remember where that Mech suits in real life would be impractical and I tend to think the same reasoning with apply to Star Wars as well.
@@user-mf5qu9qt1c So are hovertanks (against EMPs), but that doesn't stop all the factions from using them and price tag is a shitty reason because the Empire in Legends and "Canon" loves spending cash on all sorts of expensive projects/projects
Is very practical in both worlds. Its only cowardless of people, if peoples not been coward they can charce in enemy lines with speed and crush the enemy in the seconds. And if you can, it can be tactical so very usefull.
I'd argue that the expenses outweighed the effectiveness of the mechsuit. Like it was said the Dark Trooper program was as successful as it was only because there were no more jedi to cut them all down (saw how Luke could cut through a whole platoon of them alone). There were just some situations where a mech suit isn't worth investing in.
I think the most likely reason why we don't see mech suit is simply the Galaxy hadn't bothered or thought about it. You have a civilization where robots are everywhere doing a wide variety of tasks. If there were any mech suits of any kind, i think they would be limited to industrial or a prosthetic for small aliens or someone with grievous injuries like Grievous and Vader. I think the Star Wars galaxy can start making combat mech suits if they are in conflict with a civilization where their standard army utilize it or elite units causing massive casualties. Alternatively, the Star Wars galaxy may be advanced enough to bypass mech suits and make power armor.
While I appreciate the shout out, what you used as the Warhammer 40k example was Space Marine power armor, not a mech. 40k mechs range from the humble Scout Sentinel to the absolutely MASSIVE Warmaster Titan, the only ones Space Marines use are the Invictor Tactical Warsuits (with dreadnoughts _technically_ being mechs, though not really)
You're right, but there's two versions of the space trooper, even in the original Expanded Universe. The Zero-G Troopers, your common Space Trooper were basically flying tanks. You also had light Space Troopers, which just wore basic Storm Trooper armor with better life support systems....and those you can actually see in Episode 4, I believe when the Millennium Falcon is docking on the Death Star. They were in McQuerrie concept art for the scene, but actually made it on screen. Also as others pointed out, Phase 0, 2 and 3 Dark Troopers were also mech suits. Phase 2 and 3 could be worn by human or Phase 1 Dark Troopers(droids). Certain Hazmat Troopers also had mech suits. Things could be argued also for any of the walkers/tanks being Mechs.
I'm inclined to think that, in a verse with "magic", some tech just wasn't made, but st least in Saga Edition D20 Star Wars, one such suit existed, in the battle frame, and Spacetroopers were basically flying around in bulky Iron Man suits, with sealed atmosphere, mag lock boots, rocket packs, and missile launcher weapons. One of my favorite Trooper variants!
Like it said the dark troopers was a type of mech suit. But why spend the money on a suit for a person when they could just make druids or cyber inhansed person. Like Vader and grievous are example.
What's fun is you can actually see a loader mech walking across the top of a Venator Star Destroyer when Anakin and Obi-Wan are talking before Obi-Wan leaves for Utapau in Episode III. They are there, just sitting as largely untapped potential. That, or if you want a big robot, you'd have it be a droid instead of having a person inside it.
@@thorn6070aren't a lit of necessity more drivable than wearable though? That's the main difference between them and power suits. Imo single man, 2 legged walkers like the ATRT def count as mechs
@@kyrogamingvt9716 I guess they can be classed as mechs in a general term, as in mechanized. But I wouldn't go as far as to say mech suit, as their operators are canonically referred to as drivers.
There was a Star Wars comic strip in late 70's early 80's that had one storyline being Han Solo teams up with a woman who wears a battlesuit from an ancient order. For the finale close quarters battle inside a imperial ship versus Storm Troopers where the pair absolutely ploughed through the Troopers, Han also wore a battlesuit - but he didn't wear a helmet as it was damaged or something. Which enabled the artist to draw Hans face into the action so the two battlesuits could be told apart. The battlesuits had blasters on each arm and blasters mounted on the helmet. Plus maybe some more like shoulder mounted blasters, but hey, it was 40+ years ago, and I was a kid reading it once in the Sunday Morning comic section lift out.
Based around the technology throughout the history of SW I’m sure mech suits could’ve been utilized, but depending on the era, the planets currency and resources, as well as the type of metal that was used they were sort of obsolete. That being based on ground vehicles, ships, and the massive armies of the different eras. Arming every individual with there own mech suit would’ve been crazy expensive not just to create but also to replace if some got damaged.
For the most part I think droids limit the necessity of mechsuits in warfare. But I'd be totally stoked if they added mechsuits into starwars I think there would be some really cool ways you could implement it.
There is also during the clone wars animated series. There is an episode where obi-wan, Ani, and Ashoka crash on a planet. There they meet bounty hunters protecting crop farmers. One of the aliens uses a mech suit as well.
There were also zero-g clonetroopers in legends. They had "power armour" designed so they could fight in zero g, and had some weapons on par with starfighters
Although not shown, Darktrooper Phase 1 and 2 is a mech suit with operator inside. The one we saw in Mando Season 2 is Phase 3 and fully mechanical droid
The Imperial spacetroopers (stormtroopers in pressurized armor) did have zero-gravity exosuits that were used for sabotage. These were notably deployed by the Chimaera under Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Expense is the best reason. Trying to equip even just specialists across an entire galactic Army with powered armor would be mind-breakingly expensive, especially when advanced armor materials can keep a soldier alive, and heavier firepower and armor can be covered with Droids. As for not seeing it used by bounty hunters and the like, again economics answer. There's no economy of scale for powered armor production, so any suit will, again, be so horribly expensive to acquire and maintain that even the best of mercenaries and special forces just don't bother.
HUD and advanced systems were pretty common in Star Wars, Clone Commandos, storm troopers and clones are all noted to have advanced scanners and extra cameras in their helmets.
That one obi wan and anakin comic shows them encountering an entire planet of mech piloting mercenaries who literally use timberwolves from mechwarrior.
Not tô mention about anime gundam were They dont only pilot giant mecha knows as mobile suit, however the was also mini Human sized mecha called petiti modules
Mech suits were used in the Open and Closed war (very imaginative name, I know), which was a minor planetary war. Thus it is unlikely that the mech suits are too advanced, but rather that mech suits are considered impractical for usage. The experimental mech suits used by the Empire and the Republic are more like Power Armour from the Fallout series than larger mech suits.
There's also the Space Troopers who used an exosuit that provided better environmental protection and a jetpack for EVA maneuvers, and had a built in proton torpedo tube for taking on enemy vehicles. Unfortunately, they were lost in the Great Aquisition Purge of 2013.
It's actually stated in the Knights of the Old Republic games that mandalorians used to mech suits during one of their first major Wars with the Jedis and Republic
I have one thought. They "could" make armored cores in Star Wars. They have the tech for large mechanized walkers, and have anti-grav tech to make things fly around. Put those together and get and you get an AC.
Most of the walker type vehicles could be considered mechs. What you and the question seem to be referring to is called power armor. Things are only really mechs when they aren’t directly controlled by body movements and are a vehicle class rather than an armor class. The mechs from the matrix are a pretty good example since the arms while directed by the pilot’s arms aren’t directly linked to them. If the arm of the mech is blown off it’s entirely separate from the human’s arm.
It's just that they weren't used often, there are multiple moments in the clone wars you. Can see industrial mech suits being used for cargo transport, it wouldn't be too hard for someone to graft some weapons and armor plating to it to make a combat suit
I mean the ATAT is absolutely a mecha, it's a 4 legged walking mecha like a Zoid. The reason they probably done have much more than that is those and the ATST become evident in the potential weaknesses of a raised leg mecha
Also it really just comes down to choosing the machine for the environment, why use a Mecha to traverse rough environments when you have flying and hovering options.