History Main / DoomTroops

You can tell by looking at them, these are no ordinary {{Mooks}}. Every aspect of them is designed for maximum intimidation; their boots strike the ground with a despair-inducing ''[[StompyMooks tromp]]'' and their [[VaderBreath loud breathing]] sends chills up the enemy's spines. Their [[EvilWearsBlack uniforms are black]], possibly emblazoned with skulls, and [[FacelessGoons almost always have a mask]] [[GasMaskMooks that makes them seem less human]]. Enemy soldiers would rather surrender than fight them, but they are trained to show no mercy. Every action they take is meant to induce MookHorrorShow in the RedShirtArmy and civilian populace.

* Black Ops soldiers from ''VideoGame/HalfLife1: Opposing Force''.

* The Italian ''Bersaglieri'' are a {{Subversion}}: they ''were'' intended as this and have the combat record and reputation to match, but their [[NiceHat Nice]] [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Italnato2.jpg Helmet]] (created to help them aim their weapons, what with their name being Italian for [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin sharpshooters]]) and propensity to run all the time, [[http://www.agropolinews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/La_Fanfara_dei_Bersaglieri.jpg even when playing brass]] (established by their regulations increase their stamina), make them look more ridiculous than scary until FridgeHorror sets in when they unveil [[LightningBruiser their true purpose]] on the battlefield.

** Certain formations of the US Army similarly are known for being particularly fearsome, especially some of the more storied units like the 82nd and 101st [[ItsRainingMen Airborne Divisions]], infamous for their history of dropping behind enemy lines to generally make a mess of things. Probably best known for this trope however, are the Army Rangers, the Light Infantry component of the Army's Special Operations Command, which traces its roots to the original Ranger battalions formed during WWII (and trained by the British Commandos, who presented them with their [[NiceHat trademark berets]]) and Merrill's Marauders, a jungle warfare unit that fought in Asia during the same war.

** The new Primaris Marine elite unit, the Reivers, take the intimidation factor of regular Marines and crank it UpToEleven. The faceplates of their helmets are crafted to resemble skulls and have vox amplifiers built in that turn the Reivers' battle-cries into ear-shattering howls, and the Reivers themselves use grav-chutes and {{Grappling Hook Pistol}}s to infiltrate behind enemy lines and wreak havoc with [[MoreDakka rapid-firing bolt carbines]], [[HandCannon oversized heavy bolt pistols]], and enormous, wickedly sharp combat knives]]. They're essentially the modern Imperium's answer to the old Night Lords Terror Squads.

* ''Videogame/PlanetSide 2'': The [[TheEmpire Terran Republic]]. The TR aesthetic blends [[RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver red and black/grey]] and GasMaskMooks, which is ramped up to eleven with the Player Studio cosmetics; red GlowingMechanicalEyes, gas masks, faceless blank visors, and skull motifs are common. The Terran MAX in particular always sports either glowing red eyes or a featureless red visor, ShouldersOfDoom, and twin rapid-fire arm cannons in many flavors. However, the TR are no more dangerous than the narmy [[FutureSpandex spandex-wearing]] Vanu Sovereignty or the denim-wearing space hillbilly New Conglomerate.

* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': The Trollocs are bogeymen to much of the world because of their [[BeastMen unnatural mishmash of human and animal features]], their [[BloodKnight love of slaughter]], and their taste for human flesh. However, despite their size and strength, they rely on provoking terror; a trained, level-headed human can usually win in a fight.

* The Snatchers and Death Eaters from ''Literature/HarryPotter''.
* Imperial Sardaukar from ''Franchise/{{Dune}}''. The Fremen become this for Paul and both are breed into the Fish Speakers under Leto II, which in-turn merge with the Tleilaxu and Bene Gesserit in the Scattering to become Honored Matres.

* Authority Enforcers from ''VideoGame/{{Rage}}''.

** The new Primaris Marine elite unit, the Reivers, take the intimidation factor of regular Marines and crank it UpToEleven. The faceplates of their helmets are crafted to resemble skulls and have vox amplifiers built in that turn the Reivers' battle-cries into ear-shattering howls, and the Reivers themselves use grav-chutes and {{Grappling Hook Pistol}}s to infiltrate behind enemy lines and wreak havoc with [[MoreDakka rapid-firing bolt carbines]], [[HandCannon oversized heavy bolt pistols]], and [[KnifeNut enormous, wickedly sharp combat knives]]. They're essentially the modern Imperium's answer to the old Night Lords Terror Squads.

* ''Series/SquidGame'': The Pink Soldiers who encore the rules of the titular DeadlyGame are creepy MalevolentMaskedMen with PsychoPink suits, and are greatly feared by the players. Most of them do not speak to the players and coldly execute losers, never speaking or showing emotion, and only a few characters are shown barely able to fight back against them, making them a major source of fear both in and out of universe.

** While Imperial Stormtroopers are generally considered to be just Mooks, in-universe they`re greatly feared. In fact, the reason they're armored in white is to conjure up mental images of bleached bones. It's the black uniformed Imperial Army soldiers in bell-shaped open-face helmets that are the standard poor bloody infantry, and we see stormtroopers so much because we see Vader so much.

* The movie ''SS Doomtrooper'' (which directly inspired the ''VideoGame/{{Ubersoldier}}'' videogame) had a SuperSoldier prototype meant to be one of these. [[PhlebotinumRebel He'd have preferred to stay dead and breaks out]].

* Red Latvian Riflemen during the Russian Civil War. While not amping up the terror factor in appearance, they inspired a saying "If you want an executioner, find a Latvian" solely by following ANY order they were given and their skill and experience from
World War I, including iconic battles like Machine Gun hill and the Death Island.

* Red Latvian Riflemen during Russian Civil War. While not amping up the terror factor in appearance, they inspired a saying "If you want an executioner, find a Latvian" solely by following ANY order they were given and their skill and experience from The Great War, including iconic battles like Machine Gun hill and the Death Island.

** In ''Film/RogueOne''. the Imperial Death Trooper carries this role with their sleek jet black armor, green headlights and spec-ops like appearance. Even [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast their name spells death]].

* ''Series/BlakesSeven''. The black-clad GasMaskMooks of the Terran Federation are introduced massacring a meeting of rebels, and conduct several more massacres over the course of the series. You won't see those gas masks come off unless they need to slightly humanise ThoseTwoBadGuys to act as a GreekChorus for what's going on.

[[folder:Music]]

* The narrator of ''Music/{{Hammerfall}}'s'' "Any Means Neccessary".
* The Earl de Darkwood's soldiers from ''Anime/{{Interstella 5555}}''.

* ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'s'' Iscariot Organization soldiers wear armour and face-covering robes complete with conical hats of the kind traditionally worn during certain Catholic festivals -- most commonly the burning of heretics by the Spanish Inquisition. This is clothing that citizens of the United States have come to associate with the UsefulNotes/KuKluxKlan.

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/SWAT4'': the player character and their teammates always wear dark blue uniforms, black body armor, and balaclavas with helmets, on top of speaking in a RadioVoice and usually toting black assault rifles, [[DarkIsNotEvil giving them a similar appearance]] to stereotypical FPS FacelessGoons. Meanwhile most of the suspects walk around in their street clothes with their faces uncovered. TruthInTelevision. Notably, despite their intimidating appearance, they would very much prefer not having to shoot anyone at all; [[RealityEnsues as they're police officers, not soldiers, and are primarily concerned with getting everyone out alive, as the suspects are still American citizens.]]

* The Italian ''Bersaglieri'' are a {{Subversion}}: they ''were'' intended as this and have the combat record and reputation to match, but their [[NiceHat Nice]] [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Italnato2.jpg Helmet]] (created to help them aim their weapons, what with their name being Italian for [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin sharpshooters]]) and propensity to run all the time, [[http://www.agropolinews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/La_Fanfara_dei_Bersaglieri.jpg even when playing brass]] (established by their regulations increase their stamina), make them look more ridiculous than scary until FridgeHorror sets in when they unveil [[LightningBruiser their true purpose of the battlefield.]]

* The Italian ''Bersaglieri'' are a {{Subversion}}: they ''were'' intended as this and have the combat record and reputation to match, but their [[NiceHat Nice]] [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Italnato2.jpg Helmet]] (created to help them aim their weapons, what with their name being Italian for [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin sharpshooters]]) and propensity to run all the time, [[http://www.agropolinews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/La_Fanfara_dei_Bersaglieri.jpg even when playing brass]] (established by their regulations increase their stamina), make them look more ridiculous than scary until FridgeHorror sets in.

* ''VideoGame/StarWarsBattlefront'' introduces the 501st, Vader’s personal legion. In the movies you might remember them as the blue-striped troopers that Anakin led to the Jedi Temple. They also include the Dark Troopers, hulking cyborg troopers that were first introduced in ''[[VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga Dark Forces]]''. They wear armor similar to the Iconic Stormtrooper Armor, but painted black.
** Wrong Dark Troopers. The hulking Dark Troopers from Dark Forces we’re actually battle droids, with the ones in Battlefront actually being a prototypical model. They were a case of CyberneticsEatYourSoul however, with more than seventy percent of their bodies forcibly replaced by cybernetics.

* The [[SemperFi United States Marine Corps]] has such a reputation in some circles. They've spent the last hundred years [[MemeticBadass fine tuning their reputation]] as a force to be feared on the battlefield, both by deed and by urban legend. You'd never suspect that they are the smallest branch of the US military. Within the Marine Corps, there is Marine Force Recon and MARSOC (which traces its roots to the Marine Raider Battalions of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII), for the more elite troops. They also are usually [[KarmaHoudini allowed to get away with doing]] [[WouldHurtAChild much more horrific actions]] than the other branches of the military.

* ''Fanfic/TiberiumWars'' presents the [[WarriorMonk Black Hand]] as these; when a GDI infantry squad encounters a squad, the corporal in command completely flips out in terror at the sight and the entire squad locks up in fear. Later on, when a Black hand unit ambushes a GDI convoy, the mere ''sight'' of the Hands is enough to terrify a GDI officer into paralysis. [[TheDreaded The reputation]] is well-deserved. Between [[KillItWithFire the weapons]] [[FrickinLaserBeams the Black Hand use]] and the [[ImmuneToBullets ridiculously strong armor they wear,]] the fact that the corporal survived the engagement at all and managed to kill one of the Hand in single combat is seen as impressive.

* On the other hand, the STAG from the ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'' are Doom Troops covered in light gray and often, white. They are however, armed with FrickinLaserBeams, [[CoolPlane VTOL jets]], an aircraft carrier, an AirborneAircraftCarrier, and [[InfiniteSupplies then some]]. They're actually quite tough, and significantly ramps up the difficulty.

* Helghast from ''VideoGame/KillZone'' provide the image, although there's a large amount of evidence that points to [[spoiler:them actually not being much worse than the supposed good guys, considering the circumstances]].