Shadowtrooper

"Black armor? Not again&hellip;"

- Kyle Katarn

Shadowtroopers were stormtrooper-Dark Jedi hybrid soldiers created by the Dark Jedi Desann and Imperial Admiral Galak Fyyar on behalf of Lord Hethrir's Empire Reborn. Similar to the Reborn soldiers, Desann used the Valley of the Jedi to imbue stormtroopers with Force powers.

Equipment and abilities
Shadowtroopers were armed with lightsabers powered by synthetic Sith crystals and wore fitted Shadow armor made with cortosis. An Artusian crystal was embedded in the armor's chest plate to enhance the power granted from the valley.

Shadow armor also had limited optical stealth capabilities, similar to an Imperial Saboteur, although a translucent bluish silhouette was visible when the trooper moved. Their artificial empowering of the Force enabled them to use the basics of Force Grip and Force lightning, but not to a very high standard, and saber combat was their preferred choice. Unlike the Reborn warriors, shadowtroopers did not taunt their enemies, preferring instead to remain quiet and concentrate on physical combat. The shadowtroopers were competent duelists, possessing more skill than their Reborn counterparts. This allowed them to put up better fights against Jedi.

History


As early as 3 BBY, militiamen who fought the Empire recognized the lightsaber-wielding figure of Starkiller in a TIE fighter construction yard over Nar Shaddaa, as "some kind of shadow trooper." It appears that Force-sensitive stormtroopers that saw action before that time were known as shadowtroopers at least as early as that.

The project behind the shadowtroopers was based at the abandoned Imperial listening outpost on Kejim and Fyyar's flagship, Doomgiver. Desann had experimented with imbuing Empire Youths, who had little potential in the Force, with dark side powers.

Shadowtroopers met their masters' expectations to the extent that some stormtroopers resented them, fearing they would soon be replaced. Shadowtroopers were first deployed in the Cairn Installation against Kyle Katarn. Several others were stationed on Doomgiver to protect the ship.

The majority of shadowtroopers were dispatched to Yavin 4 with Desann for the assault on Luke Skywalker's Jedi Praxeum. With the aid of Kyle Katarn, all of the shadowtroopers dispatched were either killed or taken into custody, and Desann was slain in the battle.

After the death of Fyyar and the destruction of Doomgiver, the project was halted indefinitely.

Behind the scenes

 * Early incarnations of A New Hope featured lightsaber-wielding stormtroopers. It is unknown if the shadowtroopers were based on this concept.


 * In Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, a defeated shadowtrooper would drop an Artusian crystal on the ground, which could temporarily raise Kyle Katarn's Force energy.


 * Shadowtroopers bear a resemblance to Revan's Sith Assassins, which existed approximately 4,000 years previously during the Jedi Civil War and the Jedi Exile's adventures. Whether or not the shadowtroopers were inspired by them is not known, but it seems unlikely, seeing that Jedi Outcast was released a full year before the original KotOR.


 * The name difference between the Desann's Shadowtroopers and the clone Shadow Troopers is that these are spelled "Shadow Troopers" and Desann's soldiers are spelled "Shadowtroopers".

Appearances
battle front
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
 * Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game

Notes and references
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