Sideshow Collectibles Review: Shadow Trooper

Sideshow Collectibles

If you’re like me you were probably introduced to the magical myth of Star Wars as a young kid. I mean, who can forget first seeing Darth Vader march onto the Tantive IV shrouded in the still wafting fog of war, flanked by his menacing stormtroopers. But one of the odd little enigmas that plagued my then childish mind was: Why weren’t the stormtroopers all black and evil-looking like Darth Vader? I wanted black stormtroopers. Well, thanks to Hot Toys and Sideshow Collectibles this quirky wish has been fulfilled in spades!

 

Last month Sideshow Collectibles provided us with an awesome Sixth Scale figure of Captain Rex in Phase II armor for review. If you didn’t see it you can read my full review here. This month Sideshow has graced my doorstep with another Sixth Scale selection this time from their epic Hot Toys “Movie Masterpiece Series” — the Shadow Trooper.

 

Sixth Scale Figure

 

First a little backstory: The Shadow stormtrooper, or also known as the “Black Hole stormtrooper,”  is an invention of the Expanded Universe material produced when George Lucas still owned Lucasfilm Ltd. Since Disney acquired Lucasfilm the old EU has been relegated to “legends” status. However, these elite of the elite — and by “elite” I mean these Shadow Troopers can actually hit targets with their blaster bolts — thankfully live on in Sixth Scale glory!

 

The figure finally arrived and I tore into the box like a kid on Christmas, albeit belated. The first thing I noticed is that the box is different from the Captain Rex or other Sideshow figures I have in that it is bigger in all dimensions — wider, taller, and deeper — and just plain bulkier. This is a drawback to me as it takes up more space in my collection. Aside from the bulkiness of the box the major flaw I discovered is that this box doesn’t come with the extremely cool magnetic flap which opens to reveal your figure behind a plastic pane. In fact, no plastic pane either. The box cover slips off, more akin to a shoe box, to reveal the goodies inside. For collectors like me who like to display their collections in the original box this is a bit of a disappointment. I’m not sure if this is because this is a Hot Toys exclusive or not, but brings to mind the old adage, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” Those nit-picks aside the graphics on the box are typically Sideshow cool, this time displaying the Shadow Trooper as a ghostly silver image emerging from the black penumbra that is the box. Awesome!

 

Shadow Trooper_03

 

Since most of us don’t collect Star Wars for the boxes, let’s talk about the main attraction. The Shadow Trooper, the more sinsister shadow aspect of the Imperial footsoldier, features the classic Original Trilogy design aesthetics only in negative which is apropos since these guys are made of nothing but bad intentions. Of course their armor is not “negative” in the strictest sense as only their helmets are a reverse of the standard helmet and the rest of their armor is finished in glossy black with mild weathering affect. (In lore this armor is designed for stealth and includes a limited cloaking device.)

 

Shadow Trooper_04

 

Just like every creation that Sideshow releases the detail is immense — every bit of armor is accounted for, at least fourteen different pieces, and fully removable. The detail and craftsmanship is so intricate he even comes with a leather pauldron for his shoulder and a leather holster for his blaster rifle, a finely detailed blaster rifle with moving parts. Other cool accessories include a pair of leather ammo pouches as well as two explosive charges.

 

Like Captian Rex, the Shadow Trooper comes with extra removable hands (five) for varied gestures. With over thirty points of articulation and removable accessories this is my least favorite. The hands have a very thin peg at the wrist which I fear could be worn down after many changes over the years. This would deter me from changing them very often, but I just inserted his blaster-holding hands and called it good.

 

Shadow Trooper_06

 

Lastly, I need to mention that the display stand is a pretty nifty, if not understated, feature. It’s designed in the fashion of deck plating such that you would find in an Imperial Star Destroyer or some other Imperial base. It also includes a name plate identifying the figure as “Shadow Trooper” in metallic silver.

 

Two of the reasons why I am particularly excited about this figure is it’s rarity; in the roughly thirty eight years since Star Wars was first released many of the characters have been produced countless times. However, this Shadow Trooper has been produced very few times over the years for the collecting community and none in more glorious or painstaking detail as this Sideshow Collectibles Sixth Scale badass.

 

Accessories

 

Secondly, and I have no inside knowledge, the fact that Disney is still allowing certain Expanded Universe “legends” characters to continue to be produced suggests that there are plans for said characters to be incorporated into the canon at some point in the future, whether by film or through animated series. But canon or not you’ll want to get in on these exclusive figures quickly as they are a waitlisted product. Fair warning: there will be no army building a Shadow Squad, unfortunately — these are limited to one per customer. For now, you can go to Sideshow Collectibles to get on the wait list with an expected delivery of February or March. Whether you collect Sixth Scale figures or just troopers this is one must-have figure for you collection!

 

sideshow-web-logo[1]

 

Be sure to share your thoughts about this and other Sideshow Collectibles products in The Cantina’s Sideshow Collectibles thread.

 

+ posts

31 thoughts on “Sideshow Collectibles Review: Shadow Trooper

  • January 24, 2015 at 8:00 pm
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    Cool stuff. xD

    But no matter how accurate their aim is, they’ll never be able to kill a main character. They’re only henchmen and women.

  • January 24, 2015 at 8:01 pm
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    “Why weren’t the stormtroopers all black and evil-looking like Darth Vader?”

    I always loved how they were white and instantly skeletal, providing great contrast between the earth-toned rebels and evil Vader. I’ve never thought of stormtroopers as evil so much as brainless soldiers, skeletal and zombie-like.

    • January 24, 2015 at 9:13 pm
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      Spot on. Their black and white armour also symbolises their black and white outlook.

      • January 25, 2015 at 10:29 am
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        I believe the script describes the stormtroopers as being dressed in “fascist white”.

        If their suits had been black, it might have diminished the impact of Darth Vader, who would not have stood out the way he does.

  • January 24, 2015 at 8:09 pm
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    Looks awesome!!! The first paragraph of the article says, “I wanted black stormtroopers.”
    There should have been an extra sentence included:

    I wanted black stormtroopers. And I don’t mean John Boyega.

  • January 24, 2015 at 8:20 pm
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    “I wanted black stormtroopers. Well, thanks to Hot Toys and Sideshow Collectibles this quirky wish has been fulfilled in spades!”

    LOL, careful! ;P

    • January 24, 2015 at 9:23 pm
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      lol !’

    • January 25, 2015 at 4:51 am
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      Ooh careful
      Careful

  • January 24, 2015 at 8:24 pm
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    Haha wow you deleted the Kanan article you just posted for this??

    • January 24, 2015 at 9:00 pm
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      The Kanan piece was wrong, that’s why we deleted it. That was not young Kanan in TCW but another kid.

  • January 24, 2015 at 8:36 pm
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    I would like to see a rainbow coloured Stormtroopers. Gay pride Stormtroopers

    Also, I would not mind Red Stormtroopers. Red can be an evil colour like Satan
    Like the Emperor’s Guardsmen

    • January 25, 2015 at 5:44 am
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      Those are the Red Stormtroopers

    • January 25, 2015 at 6:52 pm
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      Is it just me, or do gays alway align themselves with the party that will ultimately kill them in the end?

      Empire is Black, White and sometimes Red. BTW, Red Stormtrooper are Lava Trooper.

  • January 24, 2015 at 8:39 pm
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    Seems a little wishful thinking on them being added to the canon. This seems more like a cash grab due to cool looking storm trooper.

  • January 24, 2015 at 10:28 pm
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    Come on guys, we aren’t all stupid here. At least be honest and tell us you’re an affiliate for that toy company. Give us news please and keep your advertising in the sidebars.

    • January 25, 2015 at 6:24 pm
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      Exactly! That was a very long ad for a toy.

      And, this ties into TFA on the basis of hopeful thinking?

    • January 25, 2015 at 10:05 pm
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      Hey, like many YouTube review channels, we show interest, and they send us products to in a sense, advertise. As for TFA connection, there have been leaked photos for Shadow Troopers in a Lego set, not marked for Star Wars Rebels, so there is a decent possibility.

    • January 26, 2015 at 7:01 am
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      ACTUALLY…they ARE affiliated with this toy company and have already had a post about it a long time ago. It isn’t their fault that you’re obviously new here and did not see that article..

  • January 24, 2015 at 10:38 pm
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    “Why weren’t the stormtroopers all black and evil-looking like Darth Vader?”

    Aesthetically, don’t look really good.

    And for me this photos are the perfect exemple.

  • January 25, 2015 at 4:03 am
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    I always loved the antiseptic white of stormtroopers in that white hall. It was as if you, their enemy, were just biological waste that they were disposing of and nobody would ever mention your existence again.

  • January 25, 2015 at 4:26 am
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    don’t forget that are the trolls who made this site so cool

  • January 25, 2015 at 5:48 am
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    Type of Stormtroopers that we know of?

    1.Stormtroopers
    2.Scouttroopers
    3.Shadowtroopers (Black ones)
    4.Emperortroopers (Red ones)
    5.Snowtroopers

    Have I missed any?

    • January 25, 2015 at 5:17 pm
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      6. At-At Driver
      7. Tie Fighter Pilot

      • January 25, 2015 at 8:53 pm
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        8. Sandtroopers

    • January 25, 2015 at 5:21 pm
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      If I recall they had ShadowTroopers in Jedi Outcast II videogame, those guys had invisibility, they also had Lightsabers.
      That game was made a long time ago though, like 2000s or something. The shadowtroopers in the game were intimidating though, nothing like those friggin’ Jedi-Police-Trooper Assholes in Force Unleashed, no the Shadow-Troopers actually put up a fight but were also reasonably mortal. The invisibility was also a key feature, in some of the more busy, complex maps the Invisibility could really fool you and catch you off guard.

  • January 25, 2015 at 7:52 pm
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    Maybe they’ll make a white Darth Vader suit next.

  • January 25, 2015 at 10:18 pm
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    I remember a game that had Kyle katarn in it he was sent as a spy for the rebels to get info on the Empires plans for a improved Storm Trooper, Was this the Storm Trooper?

    I think the game was Dark Forces but i’m not sure.

    • January 27, 2015 at 2:46 pm
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      No, the troopers on the game were the dark troopers, and they actually were droid troopers. But Phase III dark trooper could be used in both ways: as a droid or as an exoskeleton

  • January 26, 2015 at 2:12 pm
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    Damn you hot toys, you’ve taken my money again

  • January 28, 2015 at 12:28 pm
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    The reason the original Storm Troopers aren’t black is because the OT wasn’t designed by FRICKIN’ 12YOs! If you want 1-dimensional characters who are either good, bad or ugly through-and-through, GO WATCH THE PT!

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