Emperor Palpatine (With Shadow Stormtroopers) - TAC - Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Commemorative Collection

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.

While most of the initial products from The Force Unleashed shipped much earlier than the video game, a few things like 2008's TAC Stormtrooper Commander from GameStop and The Force Unleashed Commemorative Collection sets from Walmart were held back for when the game became available. For a while, Walmart was responsible for bringing collectors a set of (usually three) figures in a unique box set based on some Star Wars media that just got released. But for The Force Unleashed sets provided collectors with new characters and they were made from high quality sculpts. The Emperor Palpatine With Shadow Troopers may initially allow you to think that these are all repacks, but you would be egregiously wrong. Hasbro put together a nice package for collectors and smartly included army builders in both that ensured sell through (and a subsequent reissue in The Legacy Collection which also sold through briskly). As a quick way to add more dark stormtroopers to your ranks, this set was essentially a steal at a remarkable and extremely tolerable $14.84 which averages to $4.95 a figure. (The same can’t be said when the set was reissued as a Toys R Us exclusive). The Force Unleashed video game is full of new Imperials and these multipacks from Walmart have captured forever two of them in a wonderful gift set.

Both Shadow Troopers are repaints of the 2006 TSC Shadow Trooper which was a Star Wars Shop exclusive before becoming a Fans’ Choice wiiner and released as 2008's TAC Shadow Stormtrooper Saga Legends line. The figure is a great sculpt. (It is a slightly modified version of the 2004 VOTC Stormtrooper figure. While the figure has great upper body and arm movement, the legs are extremely close together and can’t be posed as much as is needed to make him look more exciting in your collection. Basically, this figure is an upright soldier for your collection. Even if you pose one leg in a different plane than his other leg, he will quickly fall over which is a big shame. But the good news is that Hasbro has given the new The Force Unleashed Shadow Troopers a new and exciting paint job. Instead of being completely black like a piece of charcoal, Hasbro has expertly cast him in a dark gray plastic for the main body and has accented it with silver on the helmet and lower chest and well as the lower legs. What’s more, you will find awesome red accents on the figures feet and knees which brings a whole new level of “cool” to this figure. You can make out the Shadow Trooper’s features very well and we have to say it is one of the best paint jobs you will find on a Star Wars action figure. And this figure will actually alert you to how back the first Shadow Trooper was. (And they could be two completely different characters, but the Shadow Trooper in this set is just so sweet.)

The Shadow Troopers in this set should definitely see release on basic cards in the main line. The two are identical but we are sure some of you may find a few variances here and there in the set. They come outfitted with the basic stormtrooper blasters and it is honestly all they need. As if you need another, the three-pack also comes with a repack of the 2005 ROTS The Sith Evolutions Emperor Palpatine. While it is a repack, our sample clearly has a darker flesh color than our 2005 figure.... don't worry, it's not that noticeable. We attribute this difference to the factories making the same product in two different time periods. But there are no intentional differences between the figures. He fits in the set very well, but we think we would have preferred to se a third Shadow Trooper in this set than another Emperor Palpatine. Your opinions may vary. This set came and went very quickly in Walmart. Apparently Hasbro noticed and reissued the set in the “ugly” blue and white packaging of The Legacy Collection. It too sold through very well and has been out of circulation ever since. The 30 (77-07) packaging is much more “vintage-esque” so we would rather recommend that set to you, but if you want these figures and you display or play with them then packaging is not a detail for which you are concerned. This set is a must-have for us, but we are lovers of everything The Force Unleashed. But if you want a definitive Shadow Trooper, then this is the set to get him.