Starship Troopers is an American military science fiction media franchise based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert A. Heinlein and the satirical 1997 film adaptation by screenwriter Edward Neumeier and director Paul Verhoeven.
Setting The series is set hundreds of years in the future, after a collapse of Western democracy and many resulting wars. In this future, human society is now ruled by the Terran Federation, a government run by military veterans. Military service is voluntary, but required to earn the full rights of citizenship, such as holding office and voting.
Much of the series focuses on the experiences of Juan "Johnny" Rico and the lessons he learns enlisting in military service along with his hometown friends, Carmen Ibanez (a love interest who becomes a pilot) and Carl (who, in the films, is shown as being a psychic who joins military intelligence). Johnny joins the 'Mobile Infantry', the primary foot soldiers of the Federation (depicted in the book as having advanced armored suits equipped with jetpacks and nuclear weapons). While Johnny is in training, an alien species known as the "Arachnids" attacks Buenos Aires, resulting in the death of Johnny's family (only his mother in the books, his entire family in the film). After this, the Federation goes to war and the series follows their attempts to defeat the "bugs", especially by capturing part of the Arachnid ruling class.
Novel Starship Troopers (1959)
At some point between 1958 and 1959, Robert Heinlein put aside the novel that would become Stranger in a Strange Land and wrote Starship Troopers. His motivation arose partially from his anger at US President Dwight Eisenhower's decision to suspend US nuclear tests, and the Soviet tests that occurred soon afterward. Writing in his 1980 volume Expanded Universe, Heinlein would say that the publication of a newspaper advertisement placed by the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy on April 5, 1958, calling for a unilateral suspension of nuclear weapons testing by the United States sparked his desire to write Starship Troopers. Heinlein and his wife Virginia created the "Patrick Henry League" in an attempt to create support for the US nuclear testing program. Heinlein stated that he used the novel to clarify his military and political views.
Like many of Heinlein's books, Starship Troopers was completed in a few weeks. It was originally written as a juvenile novel for New York publishing house Scribner; Heinlein had previously had success with this format, having written several such novels published by Scribner. The manuscript was rejected, prompting Heinlein to end his association with the publisher completely, and resume writing books with adult themes. Scholars have suggested that Scribner's rejection was based on ideological objections to the content of the novel, particularly its treatment of military conflict.
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction first published Starship Troopers in October and November 1959 as a two-part serial titled Starship Soldier.
Commentators have written that Starship Troopers is not driven by its plot, though it contains scenes of military combat. Instead, much of the novel is given over to a discussion of ideas. In particular, the discussion of political views is a recurring feature of what scholar Jeffrey Cass described as an "ideologically intense" book. A 1997 review in Salon categorized it as a "philosophical novel". Critics have debated to what extent the novel promotes Heinlein's own political views. Some contend that the novel maintains a sense of irony that allows readers to draw their own conclusions; others argue that Heinlein is sermonizing throughout the book, and that its purpose is to expound Heinlein's militaristic philosophy.
Films Live-action + Film U.S. release date Director(s) Screenwriter(s) Producer(s) Starship Troopers November 7, 1997 Paul Verhoeven Edward Neumeier Jon Davison Alan Marshall Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation April 24, 2004 Phil Tippett Jon Davison Starship Troopers 3: Marauder August 5, 2008 Edward Neumeier David Lancaster Starship Troopers TBA Neill Blomkamp Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell
Starship Troopers (1997)
Humans, in a fascist militaristic future, wage war with giant alien bugs.
Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation (2004)
In the sequel to Paul Verhoeven's loved/reviled sci-fi film, a group of troopers taking refuge in an abandoned outpost after fighting alien bugs, failing to realize that more danger lays in wait.
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (2008)
Johnny Rico is called back into action to defeat the bugs.
Future In December 2011, film producer Neal H. Moritz announced plans to produce a reboot of the Starship Troopers film franchise. In November 2016, Columbia and Moritz announced the writing team of Mark Swift and Damian Shannon had been signed to pen the screenplay. Verhoeven expressed skepticism at the proposed remake, citing reports that it draws heavily from the original militaristic 1959 novel. In 2025, Neill Blomkamp was announced to write and direct a new adaptation of Starship Troopers which would be closer to the source material than the Verhoeven film.
Animated Film U.S. release date Director(s) Screenwriter(s) Story by Producer(s) Starship Troopers: Invasion August 28, 2012 Shinji Aramaki Flint Dille Shinji AramakiJoseph ChouShigehito Kawada Joseph Chou Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars August 21, 2017 Shinji AramakiMasaru Matsumoto Edward Neumeier Joseph Chou Max Nishi Tomi Hashimoto
Starship Troopers: Invasion (2012)
A black op has gone terribly wrong. Now, Captain Carmen Ibanez and a hardcore trooper famed as Major Henry "Hero" Varro must lead a team of battle-weary troopers to find the missing ship and discover what went wrong.
Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars (2017)
Federation trooper, Johnny Rico's ordered to work with a group of new recruits on a satellite station on Mars, where giant bugs have decided to target their next attack.
Television Series Episodes First released Last released Showrunner(s) Network(s) Starship Troopers 6 October 25, 1988 December 17, 1988 Tetsurō Amino Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles 36 + 4 clip shows August 30, 1999 April 3, 2000 Richard Raynis BKN
Starship Troopers (1988)
Mysterious monstrous alien creatures attack Earth's colonies. This six-part OVA focuses on Juan "Johnnie" Rico who joins the army because of Carmen, a girl he likes, his days in boot camps, his losses and Earth's first counterattack.
Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles (1999–2000)
The missions of a Mobile Infantry squad as they participate in a war of survival against a ferocious alien insectoid invader.
Video games Video game U.S. release date Developer Publisher Platform(s) Starship Troopers 1979 Dendron Amusements Dendron Amusements CP/M Klendathu 1982 Leo B. Christopherson Tandy Corporation TRS-80 Color ComputerStarship Troopers1997MGA EntertainmentMGA EntertainmentHandheld LCD gameStarship Troopers: Battlespace 1998 Mythic Entertainment Kesmai Windows Starship Troopers: Terran Ascendancy October 23, 2000 Blue Tongue Entertainment Hasbro Interactive Windows Starship Troopers October 27, 2005 Strangelite Empire Interactive and Destineer WindowsStarship Troopers: Roughnecks 2007 Elocom Mobile Ojom MobileStarship Troopers: Invasion - Mobile Infantry November 13, 2012 Spectre Media Spectre Media iOS Starship Troopers: Terran Command June 16, 2022 The Artistocrats Slitherine Software Windows Starship Troopers: Extermination October 11, 2024 Offworld Industries Offworld Industries Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series XSStarship Troopers: Continuum November 14, 2024 XR Games Sony Pictures Virtual Reality PlayStation 5, Meta QuestStarship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! March 16, 2026 Auroch Digital Dotemu Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series XS, Nintendo Switch 2
Cast and characters This table shows the principal characters and the actors who have portrayed them throughout the franchise. A dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film or video game, or that the character's presence in the film or video game has not yet been announced. A indicates a voice only role. Character Anime series Original series Animated films Animated series Starship Troopers Starship Troopers Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation Starship Troopers 3: Marauder Starship Troopers: Invasion Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles Fed Net Announcer John Cunningham Stephen Stanton Corey Burton Andrew LoveJuan D. Rico Yasunori MatsumotoCasper Van DienCasper Van DienDavid MatrangaCasper Van DienRino RomanoCarl JenkinsYūji MitsuyaNeil Patrick HarrisJustin DoranRider StrongCarmencita Ibañez Rei SakumaDenise RichardsLuci ChristianTish HicksCharles Zim Akira KamiyaClancy BrownClancy BrownYvette DeladrierMika DoiBrenda StrongEmilio Rico Shinji OgawaChristopher CurryMrs. Maria RicoKazuko YanagaLenore KasdorfSmith Alphard Kazuhiko InoueMatt LevinPat Leivy Shō HayamiJake BuseyIan FrankelTomomichi NishimuraTheodore C. Hendrick Kazuyuki SogabeGreg PatersonHirotaka SuzuokiT. AzumaShūichi IkedaS. CherenkovMasahiro AnzaiCleaSaeko ShimazuDunnShingo HiromoriIsabelle Flores Dina MeyerDina MeyerElizabeth DailyShujumiAnthony RuivivarJean RasczakMichael IronsideJamie HanesZander BarcalowPatrick MuldoonNicholas GuestBreckenridgeEric Bruskotter"Birdie" ByrdUngela BrockmanDjana'DTami-Adrian GeorgeKatrina McIntireBlake LindsleyLei SaharaColleen PorchV.J. DaxRichard BurgiPavlov DillLawrence MonosonDede Rake ()Brenda StrongDix HauserBoris KodjoeLola BeckJolene BlalockOmar AnokeStephen HoganEnolo PhidAmanda DonohoeHolly LittleMarnette PattersonBull BrittlesStelio SavanteJ. KirbyNicole Salandra"Slug" SkinnerGarth BreytenbachA. SundayTanya van GraanLink ManionCécile BrecciaA. DannerGraeme RichardsM. HightowerAntonio SummertonElmo GoniffJoe VazTony Daugherty Sam Roman "Ice Blonde"Melissa DavisTia Durer Emily Neves"Mech"Jovan JacksonHenry Varro David WaldOtis Hacks Andrew Love"Ratzass"Leraldo Anzaldua"Holy Man"Kalob MartinezFrancis BruttoDavid DeLuiseRichard LaCroix James HoranJeff Gossard Bill Fagerbakke"Colonel" T'PhaiSteve StaleyMarlowThomas WagnerMiriam RedwingIrene BedardSanchezR. Lee ErmeyEarl WalkerMichael Harrington
Reception
Critical and public response Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore Starship Troopers 72% (82 reviews) 51 (20 reviews) C+ Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation 33% (6 reviews) Starship Troopers 3: Marauder 43% (7 reviews) Starship Troopers: Invasion (4 reviews) Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars (4 reviews)
References
Sources
External links starshiptroopers.com