At the time of their introduction, the Republic clone trooper represented the future of galactic warfare. Far superior to the battle droid armies of the era, the clone troopers formed the backbone of the Republic's new military initiative that battled against the forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. So pervasive and symbolic were they of the times, the galaxy-wide conflict that saw their debut took its name from their ranks: the Clone Wars. It would be a long and bloody conflict in the years to come, but the efficiency of the clone trooper infantry would be proven time and again on many scattered worlds.
According to Jedi investigations, the clone army was apparently commissioned by one of their own a decade previous to their introduction on the battlefield. Using the original genetic code of bounty hunter Jango Fett, the Kaminoans carefully tampered with the material to produce clones with diminished independence and accelerated growth. For a decade's time, the clones were constantly trained in fighting techniques, vehicular skills and battlefield tactics. Yet, they still maintained a spark of independent and creative thinking, making them far better suited than droids to handle the unexpected turns of warfare.
Identical in form, physical prowess, stamina and mental capacity, each of the first generations of clone troopers were fully encased in hard white armor, each identical face concealed behind a t-shaped visor. Eventually, color-coded flashes on the armor denoted rank and later came to signify individual units, who often became more customized with mission specific gear and armor modifications.
