Phase I schematics.
The droid was little more than a skeletal frame equipped with a vibrosword attached to its right arm and a blast shield on its left, plus basic artificial intelligence.
Its actual military purpose is unknown as it never participated in battle, but it is known that it was used as a guard in some Imperial installations such as the mines of Gromas 16 and Ice Station Beta on Anteevy.
The Dark Trooper Project was shut down by the Galactic Empire after the destruction of the Arc Hammer at the hands of Kyle Katarn.
In Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption, these droids can only be created on a planet if Arc Hammer is placed above that specific planet. They were also featured in some of the story missions.
The Phase I Dark Troopers were also made into figures by Hasbro in 2009.
Phase I Dark Troopers also appear in the 2001 video game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds and its 2002 expansion pack, included with an Imperial fortress during gameplay, alongside the Phase II dark troopers.