The 501st Legion is the gold standard for Star Wars costuming worldwide, and Texas claims two full garrisons that show up at conventions, hospital visits, and charity events across the state every single weekend. Whether you’re in Austin, Houston, San Antonio, or the DFW Metroplex, there’s a chapter near you staffed by trooper builders who take accuracy seriously and give back to the community doing it. This guide breaks down who they are, what they do, and how to earn your armor and join the ranks.
What Is the 501st Legion?
The 501st Legion is an international Star Wars fan organization founded in 1997 by Albin Johnson in South Carolina. The group takes its name directly from the 501st Clone Trooper Legion from the Star Wars prequel films, and every member wears screen-accurate villain-side costumes — Stormtroopers, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Imperial Officers, Sith lords, and related characters from across the entire Star Wars canon. The organization operates in over 70 countries and counts more than 15,000 members globally.
The 501st is entirely volunteer-run and holds no official affiliation with Lucasfilm or Disney, though the group has appeared in sanctioned events and earned recognition from both studios for its charitable work. Members build or commission their costumes to meet strict Costume Reference Library (CRL) standards before earning the right to wear the iconic TK number designation. The 501st motto says it best: “Bad guys doing good.”
Texas Fandoms covers the full landscape of local fan organizations through the Local Creator Hub, where the 501st sits alongside cosplay workshops, maker collectives, and fan film crews operating across the state.
Texas Garrisons: Dewback Ridge and Alamo City
Texas is home to two official 501st Legion garrisons. Dewback Ridge Garrison covers the central and southern portions of the state, including Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. The Alamo City Garrison is a squad within Dewback Ridge specifically rooted in the San Antonio metro area, though Dewback Ridge members operate as a unified garrison at larger Texas events. North Texas — the DFW Metroplex including Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding suburbs — falls under a separate regional arrangement, with members connecting through the central garrison structure or neighboring chapter boundaries.
Dewback Ridge Garrison takes its name from the dewback lizard mounts ridden by Sandtroopers on Tatooine in A New Hope — a nod to the Texas heat that any San Antonio or Austin trooper knows intimately. The garrison runs its own website, social media channels, and a member forum where applicants track costume submissions through the approval pipeline. Garrison events span the full calendar: San Japan in San Antonio, Comicpalooza in Houston, and Austin’s own Texas Showdown Weekend all see Dewback Ridge troops show up in force.
For DFW-area fans, the Dallas Convention Center, Fort Worth Comic Con, and A-Kon in Grapevine are regular troop locations where Texas 501st members appear. The DFW cosplay community is documented extensively in Texas Fandoms’ Fort Worth Cosplay Photography and Maker Prep guide, which covers shooting locations and build resources across the Metroplex.
What Garrison Members Do: Troops, Charity, and Events
501st Legion members call their public appearances “troops,” and those troops fall into three broad categories: convention floor appearances, charity events, and Make-A-Wish or hospital visits. Convention troops at events like San Antonio’s Alamo City Comic Con or Houston’s Space City Con are the most visible — members in full armor walk the floor, pose for photos, and interact with fans all day. These appearances draw thousands of photos and generate the kind of crowd reaction that no marketing budget can replicate.
Charity troops are where the 501st’s reputation for community service earns its weight. Texas garrison members regularly appear at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital events, Ronald McDonald House fundraisers, and school literacy programs throughout the state. Make-A-Wish appearances are handled with strict protocols — members work directly with the foundation to deliver personal, private Star Wars moments for children with serious illnesses. These are not public photo opportunities, and the care put into those visits is what separates the 501st from any casual costume group.
Beyond the emotional weight of charity work, members also troop at grand openings, corporate events, and film premieres. The Houston Astros and San Antonio Spurs have both hosted Star Wars nights at their stadiums where 501st members in full armor stand on the field or court. Texas Star Wars fans checking the Texas Con Calendar can track upcoming events where Dewback Ridge Garrison is scheduled to appear.
Garrison members also participate in internal build workshops where experienced armor makers help newer members with EVA foam work, ABS plastic trimming, and helmet electronics. San Antonio’s local maker community overlaps significantly with the 501st, and Alamo City members maintain informal shop sessions that function like an advanced cosplay workshop.
How to Apply for 501st Legion Membership in Texas
Joining the 501st Legion requires completing a screen-accurate costume that passes the Costume Reference Library standards for your chosen character. The CRL is publicly available on the 501st website and documents every approved costume with photo references, required components, and acceptable material variations. A standard Stormtrooper (TK) build is the most common entry point — the armor pieces are widely available from vendors like RS Propmasters, Anovos rereleases, and ATA (Armor for the Troops Alliance) fan-made kits, or you can scratch-build from scratch using raw ABS sheets.
Once you finish your costume, you submit a photo package to your garrison’s Membership Officer (MO). The photos must show the costume from multiple angles against a neutral background with specific lighting requirements. The MO checks your submission against the CRL and either approves it, requests modifications, or declines with specific feedback. Most first-time applicants need at least one revision round — common issues include incorrect belt boxes, visible undersuit colors, or non-approved helmet lenses.
After approval, you receive your TK (or character-appropriate) number and your membership card, and you’re added to the garrison roster. Texas garrison dues are minimal, and the primary commitment is showing up to troop events in approved costume. New members are expected to attend at least a few garrison troops per year, and the garrison leadership tracks activity through an internal event logging system.
The 501st does not accept costumes from the hero side of Star Wars — Luke Skywalker, Rebel pilots, and Jedi belong to a separate organization called the Rebel Legion (covered below). Children under 18 can participate through the Squire program with parental involvement, and many Dewback Ridge families include both parent and child members trooping together at San Antonio events.
Related Texas Star Wars Groups: Rebel Legion, Mandalorian Mercs
The Rebel Legion is the 501st’s official sister organization, focused on hero-side and neutral Star Wars costumes. Where the 501st covers Darth Vader and Stormtroopers, the Rebel Legion covers Princess Leia, Han Solo, Rebel pilots, and Jedi characters. Texas has an active Rebel Legion base — the Alamo Base — that coordinates with Dewback Ridge Garrison on joint charity troops and convention appearances. Seeing both groups at a single San Antonio event is the norm, not the exception, and the organizations maintain a genuinely close relationship at the member level.
The Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club is a third major organization covering Mandalorian-themed original designs — not screen-accurate Boba Fett (that’s 501st territory) but fan-created Mandalorian characters built to the Mercs’ own costume standards. Texas has Mercs chapters operating in Houston, San Antonio, and DFW. The Mercs are entirely independent from both the 501st and the Rebel Legion, with their own approval process and their own troop calendar. Many Texas Star Wars fans hold simultaneous memberships across all three organizations, particularly those who build multiple costume types.
All three organizations — 501st Legion, Rebel Legion, and Mandalorian Mercs — recruit actively at Texas conventions. If you attend San Japan, Comicpalooza, or A-Kon, you’ll find all three groups represented and running recruitment tables. The members at those tables are your best in-person resource for costume advice, build contacts, and vendor recommendations specific to Texas markets and the Texas climate, which puts demands on armor cooling that East and West Coast builders don’t always account for.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 501st Legion?
The 501st Legion is an international Star Wars fan costuming organization founded in 1997. Members build and wear screen-accurate villain-side Star Wars costumes — Stormtroopers, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, and similar characters — and appear at conventions, charity events, and Make-A-Wish visits around the world. The group has over 15,000 members across more than 70 countries and operates entirely on a volunteer basis.
Does Texas have a 501st Legion garrison?
Texas has Dewback Ridge Garrison, which covers Austin, Houston, and San Antonio, with the Alamo City Garrison serving as a sub-group rooted in the San Antonio metro area. North Texas and the DFW Metroplex are served by members connecting through the broader central garrison network. Both areas have active member rosters and regular troop schedules throughout the year.
How do I join the 501st Legion in Texas?
Build a screen-accurate villain-side Star Wars costume that meets the 501st’s Costume Reference Library standards for your chosen character, then submit a photo package to Dewback Ridge Garrison’s Membership Officer for review. Most applicants need at least one revision before approval. Once approved, you receive your member number and are added to the garrison roster with access to the full troop calendar.
What events do the 501st Legion Texas garrisons attend?
Dewback Ridge Garrison members troop at major Texas conventions including Alamo City Comic Con in San Antonio, Comicpalooza in Houston, San Japan, and Austin-area events. Members also appear at Make-A-Wish visits, Ronald McDonald House fundraisers, school literacy programs, and stadium Star Wars nights with teams like the Houston Astros and San Antonio Spurs. The garrison maintains its own internal troop calendar that active members access after joining.
What is the difference between the 501st Legion and the Rebel Legion?
The 501st Legion covers villain-side and Imperial Star Wars costumes — Stormtroopers, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Sith characters — while the Rebel Legion covers hero-side and neutral characters like Princess Leia, Rebel pilots, Han Solo, and Jedi. Both organizations are separate, independently run groups with their own membership approval processes, but they coordinate closely on joint charity troops and convention appearances across Texas.
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