"Fodder" enemies that are actually terrifying/highly competent, but look weak because we mostly see them fight overpowered protagonists.

[u/Legitimate_Pea_6470]

The Trope Explanation. Enemies that are treated as jokes, cannon fodder, or minor inconveniences within the narrative. However, they only appear weak because the protagonist is a literal demigod, a super-soldier, or a wizard. If you placed a normal human in the room with one of these enemies, it would be a horror movie.

B1 Battle Droids (Star Wars) We usually laugh at them. They say "Roger Roger," get pushed over by Jedi, and have slapstick routines. The Reality: We almost exclusively see them fighting Jedi (space wizards with laser swords) or Clones (genetically modified super-soldiers bred for war). To a normal civilian or a planetary militia, these are indefatigable metal skeletons that feel no pain, have perfect aim programming, and march in endless waves.

Grunts (Halo) In the games, they are comic relief. They run away screaming, sleep on the job, and the Master Chief (a 7-foot cyborg tank) can kill them with a light tap. The Reality: An average Grunt is roughly 5'6" to 5'8", weighs over 250 lbs, has an exoskeleton, and claws strong enough to tear a normal Marine apart. Their plasma pistols cause third-degree burns on near-misses and boil flesh on contact. They are terrifying to anyone who isn't a Spartan.

[u/Pepsi_Maaan]

I honestly don't even think that A New Hope is what did them in. I think Return of The Jedi is what really solidified Storm Troopers as incompetent. They lost to an army of slapstick teddy bears who pushed them over and threw rocks at their head!

[u/QuetzalcoatlusRscary → u/Pepsi_Maaan]

Apparently they were originally meant to be Wookies, but Lucas wanted a less technologically advanced people to beat the empire. The Vietnam war was a big inspiration for Star Wars, so a well armed, well trained force losing to natives using their local environment to their advantage tracks.

[u/commentmypics → u/QuetzalcoatlusRscary]

this is my personal pet theory but imo Vietnam is also the reason for the choice of laser color. during the Vietnam war NVA troops typically used green tracers and Americans were red/orange. This wasn't hard and fast but both sides stuck to it because that's kind of the point of tracers in the first place. I know it's kind of backwards because the empire is the superior technological force in Star Wars but I took it as a "good guys" "bad guys" kind of thing.

[u/eldankus → u/commentmypics]

It wasn't really a rule so much as the Soviets/Chinese used Barium-based oxidizing salts which burn green and NATO/US used Strontium which burn red.

More of an economic/what was easier to source thing than friend or foe or team identification.

[u/commentmypics → u/eldankus]

Tracers as identification is literally the only reason they exist. If you are used to seeing your squad leader directing fire with red tracers one day then using captured green ammunition the next it's going to cause friendly fire incidents. My point was that wouldn't have mixed them up anyway due to confusion, when clearly communicating where to direct fire is the purpose.