Summary
Archex was born on Jakku some time during the Galactic Civil War. His parents died early in his childhood, leaving him to fend for himself on the harsh desert world. At the end of the civil war in 5 ABY with the Battle of Jakku, Archex and many other “worthy” orphans were invited by Brendol Hux to join the First Order. He was inducted into the Stormtrooper Cadet programme with the designation CD-0922.
He would go on to become one of the first and greatest of the First Order’s new Stormtroopers, eventually becoming a Captain and the new head of the Stormtrooper training programme as well as personal bodyguard to General Brendol Hux. He was rewarded with a new set of red Stormtrooper armour personally designed by Hux and given the name Cardinal. Years later, he would develop a fierce rivalry with Phasma, the latest Stormtrooper recruit to be personally brought in by Brendol Hux. Cardinal suspected her of being out only for herself and of later murdering his mentor.
Powers and Stats
Tier: 9-A physically and with blasters
Name: Archex (original name), CD-0922 (Stormtrooper designation), Cardinal (new name given by Brendol Hux)
Origin: Star Wars
Gender: Male
Age: Likely Mid 30s (At least ten years older than Finn and roughly in the same age bracket as Phasma)
Classification: First Order Stormtrooper Corps Captain (formerly), Resistance Agent
Powers and Abilities: Superhuman strength and agility, Masterful hand to hand combatant, Weapon Mastery (Masterful with all sorts of weaponry including daggers, staffs, batons, blasters, etc), likely a highly capable pilot/driver with all sorts of vehicles, highly capable combat instructor and martial arts teacher, likely a capable tactician
Attack Potency: Small Building level physically (Even with a punctured lung, broken ribs, and severely injured left leg, he was capable of trading blows with a large adult male Karkarodon, whose armour-like skin can repel heavy blaster pistol and even blaster carbine shots) and with blasters (His standard equipment includes an SE-44C blaster pistol and F-11D blaster rifle. Being a military issue heavy blaster pistol and blaster carbine respectively, they should be capable of such kinds of firepower)
Speed: At least Peak Human, likely higher (Can keep up with Phasma in combat)
Lifting Strength: Likely Peak Human (Comparable to Phasma)
Striking Strength: Small Building level, higher with crushgaunts
Durability: Small Building level (Should not be weaker than Finn and should be overall comparable to Phasma, his physical equal who can take his blows). Likely higher with his armour (His armour is of a superior make to that of the standard First Order Stormtrooper armour, which has proven itself so tough that bladed weapons which can slice through rock don’t even put a dent in it. Also includes plastoid composites designed to absorb the energy of at most one bolt from a heavy blaster pistol or blaster rifle and allow the wearer to survive)
Stamina: At least Peak Human. Despite a punctured lung, broken rubs, and severely injured left leg, he is capable of taking on some of his own best Stormtrooper students in hand to hand combat. With First Order Stormtrooper armour on and after taking a stim-shot, he was able (despite the previously mentioned injuries) to briefly trade blows with three tough opponents - Lieutenant Wulfgar Kath (one of the physically largest and strongest soldiers of the First Order), a large adult male Karkarodon (an alien species known for their superhuman durability and superhuman strength), and one of Kath's finest Stormtroopers.
Range: Extended melee range with riot control baton, dozens of metres with blaster pistols, up to 800 metres with blaster rifles.
Standard Equipment: His custom red First Order Stormtrooper armour, custom armorweave cape, SE-44C blaster pistol, F-11D blaster rifle, Z6 riot control baton (as a First Order Stormtrooper Corps Captain). A holdout blaster pistol, various painkillers and stimulants (as a Resistance Agent).
Intelligence: High. Cardinal is a superbly well trained and highly lethal soldier. He is also a highly capable mentor and combat instructor and martial arts teacher; his training programmes churning out some of the best soldiers in the entire First Order. He appears to have an outstanding memory much like that of Phasma; he can recall minute details of events from years prior, and has memorized the serial numbers and minutest tendencies of all of his pupils. On his mission to Batuu, he proved that he was quite skilled at infiltration, distraction, and a competent tactician who could make tough but intelligent decisions while in the middle of combat and despite barely retaining consciousness due to severe injuries and concussions.
Weaknesses: Despite all his training and skill, Cardinal lacks in real combat experience. Furthermore, his combat style is too clinical and predictable, unlike Phasma’s completely wild and random style. Vi Moradi also noted that Cardinal has predictable body language, allowing highly skillful opponents to quickly get a read on him. It was due to these factors, not superior physical might or speed, that Phasma was able to defeat him.
Notable Matchups
Victories:
Losses:
Inconclusive: