Shadow Stormtrooper - TAC - Saga Legends

Armed with blaster rifles and dressed in black armor designed to increase sensor-stealth, shadow stormtroopers loyally serve a mysterious agent of evil named Carnor Jax and obey Jax's order to eliminate an Imperial Guardsman named Kir Kanos.

Although the Blackhole Stormtrooper is one of the earliest Expanded Universe characters introduced, it wasn’t until 2006 that Hasbro decided to make an action figure based on this very unique Star Wars character. Other licensees had beaten Hasbro to this character and some of them are some of the most highly sought after collectibles on the market still today. Granted, the EU source that they based the 2006 TSC Shadow Stormtrooper figure on is from a special group of Blackhole Stormtroopers under the leadership of Carnor Jax, but their roots are strong and their appearances are interchangeable. It’s likely no one is going to differentiate between the two. Carnor Jax wasn’t around the time of the first published story Gambler’s World. So this particular Shadow Stormtrooper is technically sourced to Crimson Empire. It’s splitting hairs, but it’s good to be as exact as possible in this very detailed hobby. By 2006, Hasbro had enough great base sculpts to produce a “simple” repaint of a stormtrooper by making it all black. But to be completely accurate, the Shadow Stormtrooper is not just a straightforward repaint either. The date stamp has been relocated from the bottom of the foot to the inner thigh. This friends would classify this figure as a slight retool as well. Aren’t you glad how precise we are in these reviews? It’s alright. You don’t have to care. That’s the joy of being a nerd. You don’t have to care.

Perhaps we’re jumping ahead of ourselves a bit here. It’s important to note that the Shadow Stormtrooper is one of many champions who made it from the 30 (77-07) Saga Legends Fans’ Choice poll. Hosted by our friends at Rebelscum.com, the tournament offered collectors a chance to “bid” on the action figures they wished to see released again. For us, sadly this figure was one of them. The Shadow Stormtrooper is bittersweet for us. Sure, it’s a super-articulated action figure and looks pretty cool, but his articulation leaves a lot to be desired functionally. Based on 2004’s VOTC Stormtrooper figure (but technically more closely based on 2006’s TSC Sandtrooper (SAGA 037) mold), this seemingly excellent figures has about as many plusses as it does minuses. We honestly possess a true fondness and appreciation for it, but its lower body is very frustrating from a collector’s perspective. The legs are too close together and the torso joint is too high and doesn’t like to lock into place. Because of these setbacks, the figure isn’t one that you’re going to enjoy posing in any other configuration than at attention. You’re VERY limited with how you can pose this figure. An Imperial soldier should not be limited in this way. Why waste so many points of premium articulation on a figure like this when any meaningful movement is rendered hopeless? Without sounding dramatic, the figure does have some merit. But we have been unable to understand for years why collectors just want premium articulation when the movement you [don’t] get out of it is actually relevant.

For example, this Shadow Stormtrooper would have majorly benefitted from ball-jointed hips and knees without any ankle articulation than two legs close together with swivel hips and ball-jointed knees and ankles. Originally a StarWarsShop.com exclusive, the Shadow Stormtrooper now is part of the fan favorite Saga Legends line. This line has exceeded expectations and it’s been almost fun to collect the figures from this line as much as the basic figure line. The Shadow Stormtrooper comes a unique black metal coin. The black means Fans’ Choice and most of the “shadow” figures in this line received this special coin. Originally priced at quite obscene $14.99 MSRP, it’s much fairer to buy the Shadow Stormtrooper in the Saga Legends line now for less than half price at $6.99. We are big fans of anything “shadow” ourselves, so we are happy to see this figure again in a basic figure line. The Shadow Stormtrooper deserves a second chance at retail, we just wish he could have been a little more upgraded. There is definitely big fan interest in all things “Blackhole Stormtrooper” or “Shadow Stormtrooper” as well and you really have to admit that they look awesome. Hopefully Hasbro finds ways to make the articulation better and more practical. Again, super-articulation means nothing if it doesn’t allow you to pose your action figure in any meaningful ways. We also would ask Hasbro to add some space In between these action figures’ legs. They need posing room!