1996 Topps Star Wars Shadows of the Empire trading cards fill in the gap between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. It was part of a wider experiment that created a new story and presented in a variety of mediums — basically all but movies or television. A novel, comic books, video games, trading cards — there were a lot of parts and interpretations.
The experimental nature of Shadows of the Empire comes across in the card set as well with things taking a different sort of structure.
1996 Topps Star Wars Shadows of the Empire Checklist Details
All pack-inserted cards in 1996 Topps Star Wars Shadows of the Empire are numbered as part of the base set. But that’s not to say there aren’t a couple of chase elements. Cards that would typically be considered inserts are included in the main set. Like inserts, they use different technology and come with tougher pack odds. But by being sandwiched into the main checklist, they’re harder for set builders to ignore.
Overall, the set has 100 cards. However, it’s often sold as a short set of 90 cards (#1-72, #83-100) without the chase short prints. They go together to recreate the Shadows of the Empire storyline with paintings by the iconic fantasy duo of Greg and Tim Hildebrandt. That means their unmistakable attention to detail, elaborate layouts and rich colors.
Zooming out, along with the comic books, this set can be seen as a definitive visual telling of Shadows of the Empire. While the concept exists in several mediums, the main one from a story standpoint is the novel. There are no movies or television shows to use. Instead there are trading cards.
The first 72 cards are the retelling. All are full-bleed paintings on the front with extensive write-ups on the back. At the end of the set, the final 18 spots on the 1996 Topps Star Wars Shadows of the Empire checklist look at other mediums with Dark Horse Comics cards and some for the video game by LucasArts.
Base Chase
As for the set’s ten short prints, #73-78 are Embossed Foil cards that combine to land 1:9 packs. They’re followed by four Etched Foil cards that are 1:18 packs. All of these are character-based.
Needless to say, having the chase elements makes finishing the 1996 Topps Shadows of the Empire set a challenge, particularly today as there’s not a ton of it out there. As a release that can be seen as an experiment on multiple levels, this is one element that Topps did not repeat in future sets of Star Wars trading cards.
1996 Topps Star Wars Shadows of the Empire Checklist
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Set size: 100 cards
Cards per pack: 9
Packs per box: 36
Shop for 1996 Topps Star Wars Shadows of the Empire boxes and packs on eBay.
Base Set Checklist
100 cards.
Etched Foil (#73-78) – 1:9 packs
Embossed Foil (#79-82) – 1:18 packs
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1 Xizor Is Lurking
2 Leia’s Recurring Nightmare
3 Luke Feels the Dark Side
4 Leia Defends Herself
5 Reunion on Tatooine
6 Xizor Greets Vader
7 Xizor’s Dirty Handiwork
8 Ferreting Out a Traitor
9 Beautiful…and Lethal
10 Xizor Summons Jabba
11 Leia Meets Dash Rendar
12 Vader Stays Sharp
13 Xizor Relishes the Good Life
14 Fancy Flying
15 Luke Scores a Tie
16 Help Me, Obi-Wan…
17 Boba Fett Escapes from Gall
18 Narrow Escape
19 Dealing with Dash
20 Vader Grows Wary of Xizor
21 Xizor Wants It All
22 The Emperor Insists
23 It’th Greedo’th Uncle
24 The Waiting Game
25 Luke Hones His Lightsaber Skills
26 Swoop Troop Attack
27 Luke Axes a Swooper
28 Good Ol’ Beggar’s Canyon
29 Vader Destroys the Rebel Base
30 Guri Does Xizor’s Dirty Work
31 Luke and Dash’s Bothan Mission
32 Dash’s Persuasive Charm
33 Attack on the Suprosa
34 Leia Meets Guri
35 Luke and Melan Are Ambushed
36 Luke’s Taken Prisoner
37 Guri Turns the Tables
38 Boarding Guri’s Stinger
39 Chewbacca in Disguise
40 Leia and Chewie Go Underground
41 Leia Visits Spero’s Plant Shop
42 Vader Seethes Over Luke’s Escape
43 Leia Arrives at Xizor’s Palace
44 Leia Finally Meets Xizor
45 Leia Is Smitten
46 Vader Senses His Son
47 Leia Prepares for Xizor
48 Hyperspace…At Last!
49 Xizor Prepares for Leia
50 The Kiss
51 Take That, Xizor!
52 Xizor Sharpens His Claws
53 Dash Does It Again
54 Luke Becomes One with The Force
55 Xizor’s Troubled World
56 Vader Uncovers Xizor’s Secret Past
57 Same Beast, Different Sewer
58 Dash Fires the Guide
59 Artoo and Threepio Helm the Falcon
60 Luke Blocks Xizor’s Fire
61 Will Xizor Call Luke’s Bluff?
62 Five Minutes Until Impact
63 Guri Goes Toe-to-Toe with Luke
64 Xizor Narrowly Escapes
65 Xizor’s Castle Blows Up
66 Battle Over Coruscant: Part I
67 Battle Over Coruscant: Part II
68 Battle Over Coruscant: Part III
69 Good Riddance, Xizor!
70 Watch Out, Dash!
71 Dash’s Secret Getaway
72 Luke Plans Han’s Rescue
Embossed Foil – (1:9 packs)
73 Luke Skywalker
74 Leia & Chewbacca
75 Lando Calrissian
76 R2-D2 & C-3PO
77 Dash & Leebo
78 Prince Xizor
Etched Foil – (1:18 packs)
79 Guri
80 Darth Vader
81 Jix and Big Gizz
82 Boba Fett
Dark Horse
83 Millennium Falcon
84 Outrider
85 Virago
86 Stinger
87 Swoop
88 Slave I
89 IG-88’s Bold Attack on Boba Fett
90 Fett Fends Off Fellow Bounty Hunters
91 4-LOM Tries His Luck Against Fett
92 Another Narrow Escape for Boba Fett
93 Fett Deals with Zuckuss
94 At Last, Fett Delivers Han to Jabba
LucasArts
95 Dash Battles AT-ATs on Hoth
96 Dash Uncovers the Swooper’s Plot
97 Dash Aboard the Suprosa
98 Dash Attacks Xizor’s Skyhook
99 Dash Rides Ord Mantell Hovertrain
100 Dash Battles IG-88 on Ord Mantell
Mastervision Case Card Checklist
1 card.
Measures 6″ by 10 1/4″.
Darth Vader / Emperor Palpatine
Promo Cards Checklist
SOTE1 Prince Xizor
SOTE2 Darth Vader
SOTE3 Luke Skywalker
SOTE3 Darth Vader / Luke SkyWalker / Prince Xizor
SOTE4 Dash Rendar / Leebo
SOTE5 Boba Fett
SOTE6 Guri
SOTE7 C-3PO / R2-D2
