Star Wars: YouTube User Creates Documentary About Legendary Internet Troll

Star Wars fans go to great lengths to learn any details they can about upcoming projects, scouring [...]

Star Wars fans go to great lengths to learn any details they can about upcoming projects, scouring every corner of the internet in hopes of discovering any information they can. The current state of Star Wars leaks typically results in quick debunking of false information, though in the early days of the internet, fans relied on "SuperShadow," whose legacy is chronicled in the above YouTube video.

YouTube channel HelloGreedo released the documentary, chronicling the internet persona who spent nearly two decades exploiting Star Wars fans, regularly delivering them incorrect information on a daily basis.

As the internet came to prominence in the '90s and with fans knowing that the Special Editions of the original trilogy were on the horizon, SuperShadow became a go-to source of information regarding the future of the saga. SuperShadow claimed to have spies and trusted sources inside Lucasfilm, in addition to a close friendship with George Lucas, regularly sharing every theory imaginable about what fans could expect from Star Wars.

Internet users had no reason to doubt SuperShadow, as there wasn't a precedent for anyone willfully lying to the internet about things that could be proven false. When Star Wars: The Phantom Menace hit theaters and all of SuperShadow's "leaks" were proven incorrect, he continued to push forward with his ruse throughout the entire prequel trilogy.

As the internet continued to flock to SuperShadow for details about upcoming projects, he created his own website to house all of the information and even offered users the chance to ask George Lucas himself questions about the saga. SuperShadow would then concoct phony interviews between him and "Lucas," attracting thousands of users in the process.

In 2010, SuperShadow claimed that George Lucas was developing a sequel trilogy and also noted that he had access to the scripts. He would go on to describe the events of each of those films, years before Disney purchased Lucasfilm and moved forward with an actual trilogy, proving SuperShadow's theories wrong once again.

SuperShadow's posts dried up in 2014, ahead of the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, yet his original Tripod site remains. The thousands of leaks have been scrubbed, with the site now only displaying the message, "I, Mickey Suttle, am extremely sorry and very much apologize for the lies I told on SuperShadow.com for nearly 20 years. I am extremely sorry and apologize to those this offended. I am very, very sorry."

The legend of SuperShadow marks a fascinating entry into the world of Star Wars fandom and the ways in which individuals can intentionally attempt to lie to a fanbase for no real reason. As excitement continues to grow for the series, it's important to keep in mind how many trolls with YouTube pages exist whose sole purpose is to gain views by fabricating false rumors from "sources." Not only that, but the YouTube monetizing system allows these users to not only deceive genuine fans, but to profit off of them.

Do you remember SuperShadow's many "leaks"? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

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