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.
A shadowtrooper with an Artusian crystal embedded in his armor's chest plate and a lightsaber in hand.
Shadowtroopers were armed with lightsabers powered by synthetic Sith crystals. 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 via personal cloaking, similar to an Imperial Saboteur, although a translucent bluish silhouette was visible when the trooper moved. The armor was constructed out of cortosis, a rare mineral capable of resisting lightsabers. This made them tougher to defeat in lightsaber combat.
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, and often used the Strong Style of lightsaber combat mixed with other types. This allowed them to put up better fights against Jedi.
Kyle Katarn fighting a shadowtrooper.
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.
Early concept art of the Shadowtrooper armor
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. Disintegrating a shadowtrooper corpse with the DXR-6 disruptor rifle will make it drop another Artusian crystal.
- The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology