History WesternAnimation / RobotechTheShadowChronicles

* MythologyGag: Although Robotech doesn't officially include any Macross products past the original 1983 series, a few elements of ''Shadow Chronicles'' do seem to be callbacks for fans of both franchises who are aware of the connection.
** The REF taking on the Invid is basically a copy and paste story from Mospeada.

** Daryl Taylor's death scene is very reminiscent of the unnamed Zentraedi who fought Roy Focker to the death in ''Macross Do You Remember Love. When impaled by Invid pincers, Taylor's face blanches for a few seconds and then his helmet visor is stained with blood from his mouth.

A {{prequel}} ComicBook miniseries ''Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles'' published by Wildstorm went out of print when Wildstorm dissolved, which was set up to establish the events between the end of Robotech and prior to the events of the movie.

** Maia's inclusion in the movie is a reference to Robotech II where she replaces Aurora Sterling.

[[caption-width-right:300:Poster of Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles]]

%%* AbsoluteCleavage: Ariel.

* AppliedPhlebotinum: Robotechnology and Protoculture in particular

* TheCaptain: Vince Grant.

* ContinuitySnarl: Janice is an old acquiantance of both Vince and Reinhart in ''Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles''. In the movie, both act as if they didn't knew of her existence until she was found in the destroyed Deukalion.

* HalfHumanHybrid: Maia is half-Zentradi; Ariel is a humanized Invid. [[spoiler:The Haydonites consider Janice a hybrid as well.]]
* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Vince and Jean Grant

%%* MacrossMissileMassacre

* RobotGirl: Janice.
* RobotNames: Janice, or rather JANICE, stands for "'''J'''unctioned '''A'''rtificial '''N'''euro-'''I'''ntegrated '''C'''ybernetic '''E'''ntity".

* {{Retcon}}: Much of the Sentinels and Robotech movie & book canon was retconned out of existence by this movie, although several of its elements were incorporated into it. To be clear, the Haydonites and getting a huge fleet are evidence that ''something'' happened to the SDF-3, after they left for Tirol. It's just that the movie never stops to let us know what all that entailed. And, of course, the nature of the Haydonites lets us know that it's not what the Sentinels novels say [[labelnote:Explanation]]Originally they had a more humanoid design and were shown to be benevolent until the novel ''End of the Circle'' which was the continuation of the original series until the expanded universe was taken out of canon in the early 2000s[[/labelnote]]. It could easily have happened close to the Sentinels novels way (''Prelude'' does in fact show some of the major Sentinels leaders, and while the details of the end of the Sentinels mission are changed form their novel/comic versions, many of the important things [[spoiler: (like T.R. Edwards working with the Invid and Breetai and the Regent dying together in battle over Optera]] ''do'' happen). After all, until the betrayal, they were playing 'nice', to make sure the Expedition fleet swallowed their booby-trapped technology. XanatosGambit really: they don't care who destroys who, they just intend to move in and wipe out whatever and whoever is left.

* SpiritualSuccessor: Although ''Shadow Chronicles'' retcons all versions of ''Robotech II: The Sentinels'' out of existence, the ''Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles'' miniseries also functions as a continuation of the Eternity[=/=]Academy comic version; it even begins at the last panel of the last published ''Sentinels'' comic.

* ZergRush: The Invid. We already knew this was their main tactic, but with the movie showing us the space part of the Battle of Reflex Point we finally see the Invid going all-out, and they're pretty much throwing at the REF more mechas than the REF has ''missiles''. It also finally drives home ''why'' the REF was so terrified by the idea the Invid could expand beyond Earth: their mechas may be cannon folder, but [[WeHaveReserves there are just too many of them]].

* {{Advertised Extra}}: Mark Hamill was in this. Actually, he was the voice of Daryl Taylor who has about three brief lines before being killed early in the movie. He's also the voice of one of the Haydonites, the credits don't say which one. In the documentary extra on the DVD, Mark Hamill even acknowledges that he was just a guest and the real stars were these other guys who "worked on this thing 20 years ago and were coming back".

* FantasticRacism: Marcus Rush goes berserk when he finds out that Ariel is an Invid. He's the brother of Marlene Rush, the girl Scott was originally supposed to marry at the beginning of "A New Generation" (the third series in the Robotech universe), and was killed during their first attack on the Invid.

* ImprobableAge: Maia Sterling, at nineteen, is already a Lieutenant Commander and in charge of Skull Squadron. This improbability becomes even more notable when you consider that her Wolf Squadron counterpart, Lt. Commander Daryl Taylor, is thirty-five. On the other hand, this ''is'' [[TheAce Max Sterling's]] kid we're talking about here and this is pretty much true to ''Robotech's Macross'' roots...

* OneWomanWail: During Marcus' [[spoiler: subverted]] HeroicSacrifice

* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler:Alex, who dies after trying to use his compromised Synchcro cannon on a Invid squadron during the battle of Space Station Liberty.]]

* StealthPun: The cocky, wisecracking SacrificialLion wingman? His name is [[Film/NightOfTheLivingDead1968 Romero]].

A {{prequel}} ComicBook miniseries ''Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles'' published by Wildstorm went out of print when Wildstorm dissolved.

A sequel entitled ''Robotech: Shadow Rising'' was put aside in favor of ''Anime/RobotechLoveLiveAlive'', a retooled ''Anime/GenesisClimberMospeada'' OAV that was released alongside a reissue of ''The Shadow Chronicles'' in July 2013.

* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: Ariel is Princess of the Invid (technically she's a teenage clone of the Invid regess turned humanoid).

* AbsoluteCleavage: Ariel.

* GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe: Ariel is a pink-haired example.
* GoodColorsEvilColors: The Haydonites even have the Darth Vader reverb to go along with their scary appearance.

%%* ConspicuousCG: The ships and mechs are rendered in CGI.

%%* HumongousMecha

* LaResistance: Scott Bernard's role in the Earth resistance to the Invid plays a minor role
%%* LatexSpaceSuit

* {{Retcon}}: Much of the Sentinels and Robotech movie & book canon was retconned out of existence by this movie, although several of its elements were incorporated into it. To be clear, the Haydonites and getting a huge fleet are evidence that ''something'' happened to the SDF-3, after they left for Tirol. It's just that the movie never stops to let us know what all that entailed. And, of course, the nature of the Haydonites lets us know that it's not what the Sentinels novels say [[labelnote:Explanation]]originaly they had a more humanoid design and were shown to be benevolent until the novel ''End of the Circle'' which was the continuation of the original series until the expanded universe was taken out of canon in the early 2000s[[/labelnote]]. It could easily have happened close to the Sentinels novels way (''Prelude'' does in fact show some of the major Sentinels leaders, and while the details of the end of the Sentinels mission are changed form their novel/comic versions, many of the important things [[spoiler: (like T.R. Edwards working with the Invid and Breetai and the Regent dying together in battle over Optera]] ''do'' happen). After all, until the betrayal, they were playing 'nice', to make sure the Expedition fleet swallowed their booby-trapped technology. XanatosGambit really: they don't care who destroys who, they just intend to move in and wipe out whatever and whoever is left.

%%* {{Roboteching}}

%%* ScienceFiction

* WritingAroundTrademarks: At no time does the famous [[SuperDimensionFortressMacross Robotech Defence Force]] roundel appear, and characters from the Macross Saga are shown with original designs during the [[AllThereInTheManual Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles]] prequel comicbook series with Rick Hunter being the only character from the Macross Saga that appears in the movie. Also, there's no mention of the Zentraedi (which according to the canon lore, were a huge part of the Expeditionary Force). This is because Harmony Gold has ZERO rights to create any new animation using the original designs or lore from Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross.[[note]]They can do limited merchandising, but [[ScrewedByTheLawyers Big West took THEM to court over the animated rights]]![[/note]]

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

A sequel entitled ''Robotech: Shadow Rising'' was put aside in favor of ''Robotech: Love Live Alive'', a retooled ''Anime/GenesisClimberMospeada'' OAV that was released alongside a reissue of ''The Shadow Chronicles'' in July 2013.

* {{Retcon}}: Much of the Sentinels and Robotech movie & book canon was retconned out of existence by this movie, although several of its elements were incorporated into it. To be clear, the Haydonites and getting a huge fleet are evidence that ''something'' happened to the SDF-3, after they left for Tirol. It's just that the movie never stops to let us know what all that entailed. And, of course, the nature of the Haydonites lets us know that it's not what the Sentinels novels say [[labelnote:Explanation]]originaly they had a more humanoid design and were shown to be benevolent until the novel ''End of the Circle'' which was the continuation of the original series until the ''timeline reboot''[[/labelnote]]. It could easily have happened close to the Sentinels novels way (''Prelude'' does in fact show some of the major Sentinels leaders, and while the details of the end of the Sentinels mission are changed form their novel/comic versions, many of the important things [[spoiler: (like T.R. Edwards working with the Invid and Breetai and the Regent dying together in battle over Optera)]] ''do'' happen). After all, until the betrayal, they were playing 'nice', to make sure the Expedition fleet swallowed their booby-trapped technology. XanatosGambit really: they don't care who destroys who, they just intend to move in and wipe out whatever and whoever is left.

* WritingAroundTrademarks: At no time does the famous [[SuperDimensionFortressMacross Robotech Defence Force]] roundel appear, and characters from the Macross Saga are shown with original designs during the [[AllThereInTheManual Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles]] prequel comicbook series with Rick Hunter being the only character from the Macross Saga that appears in the movie. Also, there's no mention of the Zentraedi (which according to the canon lore, were a huge part of the Expeditionary Force), this is because Harmony Gold has ZERO rights to create any new animation using the original designs or lore from Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross.[[note]]They can do limited merchandising, but [[ScrewedByTheLawyers Big West took THEM to court over the animated rights]]![[/note]]

* MaleGaze: Maia Sterling is shown through this at the beginning of movie while she's maintaining her veritech.

* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Everyone from the third chapter of ''{{Anime/Robotech}}'' except Scott and Ariel.
%%* ConspicuousCG
%%* CoolShip

%%* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt
* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: Ariel is Princess of the Invid.

* {{Retcon}}: Much of the Sentinels and Robotech movie & book canon was retconned out of existence by this movie, although several of its elements were incorporated into it. To be clear, the Haydonites and getting a huge fleet are evidence that ''something'' happened to the SDF-3, after they left for Tirol. It's just that the movie never stops to let us know what all that entailed. And, of course, the nature of the Haydonites lets us know that it's not what the Sentinels novels say. It could easily have happened close to the Sentinels novels way (''Prelude'' does in fact show some of the major Sentinels leaders, and while the details of the end of the Sentinels mission are changed form their novel/comic versions, many of the important things [[spoiler: (like T.R. Edwards working with the Invid and Breetai and the Regent dying together in battle over Optera)]] ''do'' happen). After all, until the betrayal, they were playing 'nice', to make sure the Expedition fleet swallowed their booby-trapped technology. XanatosGambit really: they don't care who destroys who, they just intend to move in and wipe out whatever and whoever is left.

* SacrificialLion: Alex.

* TheSquad: Skull Squadron

* WritingAroundTrademarks: At no time does the famous [[SuperDimensionFortressMacross Robotech Defence Force]] roundel appear, and characters like Rick Hunter are shown obscured by static, because Harmony Gold has ZERO rights to create any new animation using the original designs.[[note]]They can do limited merchandising, but [[ScrewedByTheLawyers Big West took THEM to court over the animated rights]]![[/note]]

* ZergRush: The Invid. We already knew this was their main tactic, but with the movie showing us the space part of the Battle of Refles Point we finally see the Invid going all-out, and they're pretty much throwing at the REF more mechas than the REF has ''missiles''. It also finally drives home ''why'' the REF was so terrified by the idea the Invid could expand beyond Earth: their mechas may be cannon folder, but [[WeHaveReserves there are just too many of them]].

* CurbStompBattle: The Haydonites annihilated the REF fleet stationed at Liberty Station, [[spoiler:thanks to the various back-doors the Haydonites secretly inserted inside the REF's Shadow Technology]].

* CurbStompBattle: The Hayndonites annihilated the REF fleet stationed at Liberty Station, [[spoiler:thanks to the various back-doors the Haydonites secretly inserted inside the REF's Shadow Technology]].