13 Ways Star Wars Just Improved The Empire’s Elite Shadow Troopers

Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 3 has introduced a new type of Imperial agent that improves upon the Empire’s elite Shadow Troopers. While these clones are called “shadows,” their black armor and stealth abilities imply that they are an early version of the shadow troopers seen in 2015’s Star Wars: Battlefront. The shadow troopers’ appearances in Star Wars canon have been limited so far, but if they are the same as the shadow agents in The Bad Batch, then the show has succeeded in making these troopers even more deadly.

The shadow troopers in The Bad Batch are different from the ones previously seen in canon, but their various skills more than make up for it. Self-sufficiency, comprehensive training, and shocking characteristics are only a few of the traits that make shadow troopers effective antagonists in The Bad Batch. Their portrayal proves why they should return for more episodes of The Bad Batch and future Star Wars projects.

13
Shadow Troopers Don’t Need A Cloaking Device For Stealth Missions

This was their signature trait in Star Wars: Battlefront (2015)

The shadow troopers seen in Star Wars: Battlefront had portable cloaking devices that turned them invisible, but the agents in Star Wars: The Bad Batch don’t need them. This version of the Imperial shadow trooper relies on stealth and deception, sneaking past or taking down other highly-trained clone troopers. While a cloaking device would make a trooper more efficient, ambushing targets without them demonstrates a shadow trooper’s tremendous skill.

12
Shadow Troopers Are Excellent Snipers

They are just as skilled as Crosshair

Crosshair learned that shadow troopers are just as skilled as him with a sniper rifle, perhaps even more so. Shadow troopers can use their scope to survey an area before moving in or take out their target instantly, which one did to a fellow shadow trooper the moment his cell door was opened. Combined with their incredible stealth, shadow troopers could snipe a target and disappear before anyone realized what had happened.

11
Shadow Troopers Are Only “Activated” To Hunt Targets

This is their sole purpose

Like clone commandos in the Star Wars Legends timeline, shadow troopers are only activated when a target needs to be hunted down. This is all they are trained for, and the Empire considers them valuable enough to save for extreme circumstances. Unlike troopers who feel the weight of continual combat, a shadow trooper will be fully prepared for every mission.

10
Shadow Troopers Are Fanatically Loyal To The Empire

Most clones aren’t this loyal

Shadow troopers have always been described as fanatically loyal to the Empire, but Star Wars: The Bad Batch shows it through their actions. They are completely brainwashed by the Empire, willing to kill each other when compromised and do whatever it takes to complete the mission. The shadow trooper who fights Crosshair even scolds him for missing his chance to be one of them and betraying the Empire.

9
Shadow Troopers Have A Tragic Backstory

They had no choice in serving the Empire

Star Wars: The Bad Batch has shown how terribly the Empire has treated clones, but the shadow troopers’ backstory is especially tragic. Shadow troopers are the culmination of the Empire’s cruel and unusual experiments and Mount Tantiss, reconditioned to be loyal while having their identity stripped away. The shadow troopers may do terrible things, but knowing their actions aren’t their fault makes it especially sad.

8
The Empire Can Track Shadow Troopers Anywhere In The Galaxy

Shadow troopers lead the Empire to their targets

The Empire has created a new tracking device that the clones can’t detect in The Bad Batch, meaning the shadow troopers can lead reinforcements to a target if captured. Even if a shadow trooper loses, the Empire wins, raising the stakes for any rebel cell that takes prisoners. It would also be impossible for a shadow trooper to leave the Empire behind if their clone brothers managed to help them.

7
A Shadow Trooper Is A One-Man Army

Highly trained in every form of combat

A shadow trooper is trained in multiple forms of combat and sabotage, making them just as effective as an army. The shadow trooper sent after Omega planted bombs that took out most of Rex’s men, shot down the Bad Batch’s ship, and went after them on his own. It’s remarkable that a single trooper did what would usually take several squads to accomplish.

6
Shadow Troopers Don’t Break Under Interrogation

A byproduct of their loyalty to the Empire

The shadow trooper captured by Rex refused to cooperate, implying that he was trained to resist interrogation. Rex and the clones didn’t push him or resort to torture, but the shadow trooper would likely have resisted even if they did. Staying silent allowed the shadow trooper to buy time until the Empire could arrive to ambush the rebels.

5
Shadow Troopers Get Inside Their Enemies’ Heads

Most stormtroopers only attack their enemies

In a surprising turn of events, the shadow trooper finally spoke when the Bad Batch entered his cell, immediately turning everyone against Crosshair. Not only are shadow troopers trained to resist interrogation, but they are adept at getting inside another person’s head when necessary, making rebels doubt each other and distracting them from the real danger. The shadow trooper only warned them the Empire was coming to make them anxious before a surprise attack.

4
Shadow Troopers Are Truly Evil

They enjoy what they do

Although the shadow troopers did not ask to be brainwashed by the Empire, their reprogramming clearly made them enjoy their work. Whereas the shadow trooper had been silent when at a disadvantage, he smiled and bragged when presented with an opportunity, then let out an evil laugh when the Empire attacked. This adds a sinister trait to the shadow troopers that most Imperial soldiers don’t possess.

3
Shadow Troopers’ Combat Skills Rival Hunter’s

They can kill a target up close or from a distance

The shadow trooper’s fight with Crosshair illustrates remarkable combat training that would rival Hunter’s, particularly with a knife. Had Howzer not intervened, Crosshair would have been killed, making the shadow troopers more than a match for the Bad Batch. Shadow troopers are effective from a distance and up close, giving them the advantage in every situation.

2
The Bad Batch’s Shadow Troopers Show The Evolution Of Order 66

Clones under the Empire’s absolute control

All clones were given inhibitor chips that forced them to obey Order 66, and the shadow troopers’ brainwashing takes this to another level. Many clones later removed their chips and defected from the Empire, but the shadow troopers’ reconditioning made them completely loyal. Having clones who obey all the time is just as frightening as controlling them once to carry out a mass execution.

1
Any Clone Could Be A Shadow Trooper

Shadow troopers can be sleeper agents

Because clone troopers are secret, brainwashed clones with no identity, any clone could be a sleeper agent. They could remain undercover to feed intel to the Empire or betray their fellow clones when they least expect it, creating a threat that no one can fully anticipate. Clone Force 99 is sure to face the Empire’s elite shadow troopers again in Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 3, as one of them could already be in their midst.