Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,850: Shadow Stormtrooper (The Vintage Collection)

SHADOW STORMTROOPER (The Force Unleashed redux)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. F2710
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #194
Includes: Blaster, rifle
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: June 2021
Appearances: The Mandalorian
Bio: Shadow Troopers were a branch of Imperial shock troopers deployed during the Rise of the Empire era. These units were often either under the command of stormtrooper commanders, or the Emperor's Shadow Guard. They had many encounters with Galen Marek. (Stolen from Wookieepedia. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Thanks to a churn of new fans and a taste for endless repaints, the non-canon status of the Shadow Stormtrooper from The Force Awakens games is an easy redeco that delights fans over and over. The two games from the series were rendered unnecessary by Rogue One, but they're still neat - and thanks to a massive marketing initiative with tons of merchandise, fans really stuck with it. Few games before - and none since - have enjoyed this level of Hasbro action figure tie-in product.

The excellent trooper redesign from The Mandalorian and Rogue One is used yet again - there are some minor sculpt differences from the classic movie designs, such as the pistol - and molded in clear blue and sparkly grey colors. This is unlike the other Shadow Stormtrooper, which is a black figure. For those keeping track at home, there are at least three classes of Stormtrooper that fit the "Shadow Stormtrooper" bill - the silver lensed black ones from the Russ Manning comics, the black lensed ones from Crimson Empire, and also these blue ones.

Using the best Stormtrooper sculpt and a very good paint job puts this ahead of the Toys R Us one from about a decade ago [FOTD #1,371]. This brings the figure more in line with the figure's art and representation on the packaging, while the previous one - which used a different, older mold - was better about keeping the "cloaked trooper" gimmick at the forefront. They're each good for different reasons, but this one seems to borrow on the then-popular Tron: Legacy look with the blue striping and the dark armor.

The packaging is great, but it's best to open it - with two blasters and the best articulation of any Stormtrooper mold at this size, it would be great if these were easier to get so you could grab an army. They're online exclusives, so they may be in relatively short supply for a while. If and when Hasbro ever makes a new Galen Marek - a "Starkiller" with a better likeness from the first game would likely sell preposterously good numbers - but for now, you can pre-build or augment your armies. You know, for the Imperial playsets we all hope to someday get but haven't for a couple of decades.

For (at least) the fifth release of this mold in slightly different colors, it's nice to have something that's a real departure from previous versions. The paint is clear, the blue lenses are sharp, and there's no better trooper at this size for pretty much any pose you might want. Sure, there's no holster, but it's not like they're particularly fantastic on older 3 3/4-inch Stormtroopers. Given what a departure the deco is on this trooper from previous releases, I'd say get one or two. It's not like you're going to see a whole heck of a lot from The Force Unleashed any time soon - so horde what you can.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,850: August 26, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,708: Shadow Stormtrooper (The Black Series 6-Inch)

SHADOW STORMTROOPER Blue
The Black Series Gamestop Exclusive Gaming Greats 6-Inch Figure
Item No.: No. E9622
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #n/a
Includes: Blaster pistol, blaster rifle
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: June 2020
Appearances: The Force Unleashed

Bio:  Star Wars: The Force Unleashed follows Darth Vader's secret apprentice, trained to hunt down and destroy Jedi, while Shadow Stormtroopers use cloaking devices to ambush enemies.   (Taken from Hasbro's marketing copy.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Hasbro is sure getting the most out of this mold  before the new one comes out!  Shadow Stormtrooper legions attacked you in The Force Unleashed, a game for the PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and a few other systems.  It was pretty cool - and it was also previously sold as a 3 3/4-inch figure as a Toys R Us exclusive.  While the figure was released in 2020, the character design is nifty in how dated it is.  

Over the years, you sometimes hear people clamor for things and then it just kind of fizzles out - Indiana Jones toys come to mind, and peoples' alleged fandom for and love of all things Tron.  Some people love it, but more people say they love it.  The movie's sequel received a not-entirely-surprising amount of fanfare and the stylish designs and costumes certainly inspired a whole lot of people - including game developers.   This Stormtrooper seems to draw influence from the late '00s, with a dark body featuring blue outlines and highlights.   It's a great looking figure, but much like faux woodgrain dates things to the 1970s, this is very much of a specific era.

The figure itself is just the same basic Stormtrooper mold, cast in clear, and covered in black, silver, and seemingly sparkly paint.   Out of context this should be a hit with fans of the high-end Kaiju sofubi figure scene or indie designer toys as well as fans of the 2008 The Force Unleashed video game.   The figure itself doesn't feel too Star Wars-y in how it looks, but then again, neither due the bright orange and blue uniforms on Star Tours. I don't know why Hasbro dragged its feet so long to do weird Stormtrooper repaints, but now they're here and they're welcome.   With a $5 premium price you might not want to troop build this one, but it's certainly good enough to warrant grabbing one to add to your growing "Gaming Greats" stash.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from GameStop's web site.  

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,708: July 16, 2020

Figure of the Day: Day 1,371: Shadow Stormtrooper (Clear)

SHADOW STORMTROOPER Clear Trooper  

The Legacy Collection Toys "R" Us Exclusive Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Figure Packs Item No.: Asst. 97910 No. 97911 and 97912  

Manufacturer: Hasbro  

Number: #1 and #2 of 2  

Includes: Blaster  

Action Feature: n/a  

Retail: $29.99  

Availability: April 2010  

Appearances: The Force Unleashed Bio: Shadow stormtroopers also carried cloaking devices that rendered them invisible for a short period of time. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)  

Image: Adam Pawlus' kitchen.  

Commentary: This Shadow Stormrooper reminds us that after the black repaint, collectors often enjoy the clear repaint. Originally meant to be two different figures (one with a removable helmet), Hasbro instead opted to double-up on this clear figure, putting one in each of its two Force Unleashed 5-packs earlier this year. Based on the 2004 Vintage Stormtrooper mold, this figure is super articulated, cast in clear plastic, and given various black and blue highlights to make it a little more interesting. 

An all-clear figure would look pretty cruddy. If you like Stormtroopers and are looking for something different, this certainly qualifies-- it does have a sort of a "phasing" quality as seen in the game, and even his gun is clear. 

 Collector's Notes: The set includes 4 additional figures, and if you open it take care to store it apart from other, non-clear toys. Clear plastic can discolor over time and sometimes will absorb other plastic color dyes-- so don't put him next to your red Royal Guards in the display box. As it is currently the only completely clear Stormtrooper available, you may as well get it, or get both sets so you can have two.  

 --Adam Pawlus

Day 1,371: September 15, 2010

Figure of the Day: Day 1,228: Shadow Stormtrooper

SHADOW STORMTROOPER and Emperor Palpatine 30th Anniversary Collection Wal-Mart Exclusive 

Item No.: Asst. 87576 No. 87578  

Manufacturer: Hasbro  

Number: n/a Includes: Blaster  

Action Feature: n/a  

Retail: $14.99  

Availability: September 2008  

Appearances: The Force Unleashed  

Bio: Among the Emperor's elite shock troopers, the Shadow Troopers utilize advanced cloaking technology to ambush enemies. They can remain completely undetectable until the moment they strike. With keen tactical awareness, the Shadow Troopers can cross Rebel lines undetected and use their stealth skills to gather intelligence that can be used to organize future Imperial attacks. (Taken from the figure's box.) Image: Adam's yard.  

Commentary: Low-hanging fruit. The second figure with the name Shadow Stormtrooper is from the popular video game, and rather than being pretty much entirely black, this one is a dark grey with little flecks of silver and blueish lenses. While some dismissed this and the other figures released around the time as "skittletroopers," I dug the fact that if we were going to get more repaints, at least it was something kind of fun. 

Were these cheaper I don't doubt I'd have bought several more, but I am a sucker for things from the early Empire. The articulation (and mold) are nearly identical to the 2004 "vintage" Stormtrooper, and in the set, you get two of these and the Emperor. For $15, it wasn't a bad deal, and I really enjoyed these despite being funky color Stormtroopers.  

Collector's Notes: This set was rereleased as a Toys "R" Us exclusive early in 2009 in the white-and-blue Legacy Collection packaging, but at a higher price point. 

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,228: February 26, 2010