- “Hide and Sleek!”
- —Trap Shadow's official catchphrase
Trap Shadow is a feline hunter who is one of the SWAP Force Skylanders in Skylanders: Swap Force.
Character Development
During development, Trap Shadow originally was a scary character who wielded a bowie knife.[1] In early concepts he appeared as a larger, more muscular bear-like creature, but was eventually refined into a panther with violet fur. [2]
During early playtesting, Trap Shadow was poorly received because he came across as weak. His stealth ability originally had him fire darts that created splashes of shadow on the ground, and stepping into them turned him black as well. However, this power was later simplified into simply holding the secondary attack button to enter stealth mode, and his clawing attacks were given additional effects to make them look stronger.[3]
Background
Personality
The finest feline tracker of his tribe, Trap Shadow was the go-to cat if you wanted something caught. He mostly keeps to himself. However, since becoming a Skylander, he's been trying to become a team player. You have to get up early to catch Trap Shadow out - as the wicked wizards discovered. He sniffed out their plans and trapped them before they could trap him (or Eon, for that matter).[4]
Biography
Once part of an elite tribe of hunters in a remote area of Skylands, Trap Shadow used his cat-like cunning, ingenious traps and mystical stealth abilities to catch nearly everything that could be caught. As a result, his fame around Skylands grew so much that it attracted the attention of an evil cadre of wizards. They plotted to capture Trap Shadow and use his abilities to ensnare the most uncatchable thing of all - Master Eon himself. But Trap Shadow could sense them coming from miles away. Outsmarted and outmaneuvered, each of the wizards was easily captured by Trap Shadow's bewildering array of traps and snares until they were all locked away for good. Having saved Master Eon, he quickly made Trap Shadow a Skylander.
Gameplay
Trap Shadow attacks by slashing enemies with his shadowy claws, and can kick waves of shadows at foes. He can also throw magical traps that snap and damage enemies, and even turn invisible by using shadows, and create an explosion of shadows when reappearing.
Stats
These are the starting and maximum Statistics for this Skylander in the Skylanders games.
- Health: 270 (max. 540)
- Speed: 43 (max. 91)
- Armor: 12 (max. 42)
- Critical Hit: 8 (max. 58)
- Elemental Power: 25 (max. 75)
Warning: These stats are not used in any of the Skylander games. They are only listed for completeness reasons.
- Strength: 140
- Defense: 180
- Agility: 100
- Luck: 80
Abilities
Basic Ability and Upgrades
The primary ability is available from the start of the game. Skylanders can buy new abilities from Persephone/Power Pods.
| Clawing Shadow | Snap Trap | Sharp Magic | Catch! | |||||||||
 Press Attack 1 to swipe shadowy claws at nearby enemies. |
 Press Attack 3 to throw a magically animated trap which will snap at enemies and damage them. |
 Press Attack 1 rapidly to use powerful claw attacks that deal increased damage. |
 Hold Attack 3 to aim Snap Trap, release to throw it. | |||||||||
|
Soul Gem Ability Requires Soul Gem from: Frostfest Mountains | |||||||||||
|
Me-ouch!
Gloom and Boom
|
Nocturnal Predcator
Make It Snappy
|
Shadow Striker | ||||||||||
 Hold Attack 1 to combo into a swipe that knocks enemies into the air.  Traps will explode after a short time, damaging all enemies within a large area. |
 Me-ouch! does increased damage. This kitty has claws... big, pointy claws!  All traps are now more powerful and do increased damage. |
 Press Attack 1 to rapidly to do quick claw attacks. While doing claw attacks, hold Attack 1 to unleash a powerful shadowy dash. | ||||||||||
Basic Ability and Upgrades
The primary ability is available from the start of the game. Skylanders can buy new abilities from Persephone/Power Pods.
| Shadow Kick | Prowl | Nine Lives | Out of the Shadows | |||||||||
 Press Attack 2 to kick a wave of shadows at enemies. |
 Hold Attack 2 to prowl for a short time, causing any enemy touched to be damaged. |
 Health is increased. This cat is never done for. |
 Hold Attack 2 to prowl for a short time, coming out of power causes a large explosion that damages nearby enemies. | |||||||||
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Soul Gem Ability Requires Soul Gem from: Frostfest Mountains | |||||||||||
|
Dark Magic
Shade Steps
|
Black Cat
Bumps in the Night
|
Living Shadow | ||||||||||
 Press Attack 2 to kick a wave of shadow that can damage enemies farther away.  Hold Attack 2 to prowl, moving while prowling leaves behind magical pawprints that damage enemies that touch them. |
 All shadow wave attacks do even more damage.  Shade Steps do increased damage. Huh? Who's footprints are these? |
 Press Attack 2 to prowl and become invisible. Who needs shadows to hide in? Just become one! | ||||||||||
Skylanders can use abilities depending on their level.
Starting Powers
- The One-Two Claw (Primary Attack): Press (Y) continuously to perform a two-hit melee combo.
- Bite Trap (Secondary Attack): Press (X) to throw a biting trap that will chase enemies and latch on to them.
- Stealth (SWAP Force Power): Press [L] to perform the Stealth SWAP power. While stealthed, enemies cannot see you. If you attack while stealthed, the effect ends, and the damage of that attack is tripled.
Upgrades
- Displacer Slash (requires level: 3): Hold (Y) for a short time to activate a dashing attack at an enemy, setting you up behind them to continue the assault.
- Midnight Hunt (requires level: 6): While using the Stealth SWAP power (L) you can now mark enemies by touching them. When coming out of stealth, you will attack any nearby marked enemies.
- Bite Trap Buzzsaw (requires level: 9): Hold (X) to continuously swing a trap around your head in circles, damaging enemies near you.
Quests
Basic Quests
- Bad Guy Basher: Defeat 1000 enemies.
- Fruit Frontiersman: Eat 15 fruit.
- Flawless Challenger: Complete a non-Story Mode level at full health.
- True Gladiator: Win 10 PVP matches.
- Totally Maxed Out: Reach level 20 and purchase all Upgrades for this Skylander.
Elemental Quests
- Elementalist: Deal 7500 elemental bonus damage.
- Puzzle Power: Push a Laser Puzzle Beam to defeat an enemy.
- Mage Rivalry: Defeat a total of 25 Cyclops Gazermages or Cyclops Sleetthrowers.
Unique Quest
- Oh Snap!: Defeat 50 enemies with your traps.
Quotes
Battle Cries
- "Hide and Sleek!"
- "Snap a trap!"
- "Stay out of my way!"
- "Into the shadows!"
- "That's how to make an entrance!"
- "Beyond the shadow of a doubt!"
- "Oh yeah!"
- "The claws have it!"
- "Better luck next time!"
- "Nice try, but nice only gets you so far!"
- "You fell right into my trap!"
- "Another success!"
- "Gotcha!"
- "Payday!" - treasure
- "I needed that" - levelling up
- "Power boost!" - levelling up
- "The numbers don't tell the whole story." - when checking stats
- "My credentials." - when checking stats
Character Trailers
Gallery
Trivia
- After purchasing his Soul Gem ability, "Shadow Striker", Trap Shadow wears the bandanna around his neck over his muzzle.
- His catchphrase is a pun on "hide and seek".
- When he turns invisible, his eyes glow purple, but in the Sneak SWAP Zone, he will fully vanish while leaving his purple aura shown at the bottom.
- His appearance has some of the features of a saber-tooth cat (long fangs), panther (facial features), and tiger (fur color patterns).
- He is the second SWAP Force Skylander with the ability to turn invisible, but only when his Soul Gem ability, "Living Shadow", is purchased. If not, enemies and bosses will spot him. Also, he stays invisible much shorter than Stink Bomb and can do so while the second attack button is held down.
- He is the only SWAP Force Skylander on the 3DS with no dash attack upgrade.
- He has many abilities that would later be associated with the Dark Element, such as hiding in shadows and using dark magic.
- Trap Shadow was one of the many Skylanders planned to appear in Skylanders: Ring of Heroes. Before the game's closure, only concept art of his Awakened Form was released.
- While Trap Shadow is in stealth mode, music, ambient sounds, and dialogue become muted.
- In the animated intro to his Soul Gem, Trap Shadow's eyes appear a much more vivid green than they do in-game or in his art.
References
- ↑ Character Balance in Skylanders: More than the Numbers. (Date Posted - Apr 22, 2017). YouTube
- ↑ Strata: The Art of Skylanders Swap Force. (Date Posted: Feb. 19, 2024).
- ↑ Child's Play: Playtesting with children in the world of Skylanders, 24:10 timestamp. (Date Posted - 2014). GDC Vault.
- ↑ Skylanders Universe: The Complete Collection (SWAP Force), page 121
