Character 17, also known as Renegade Shadow, was added to the Fortnite island following update v23.20. He can be found at Woodsy Ward, a landmark located east of Breakwater Bay.
When interacted with, players can hire him for 100 gold bars and/or purchase a Heavy Shotgun (Epic) for 250 gold bars. Keep in mind that the weapon cannot be purchased after the NPC is hired.
Who is the Renegade Shadow in Fortnite, and what is he doing on the island?
Master the game with our Fortnite Interactive Map v33.00 here!
In addition to being an NPC on the island in Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 1, Renegade Shadow is also one of the first skins to be introduced to the game during Chapter 2 Season 2.
Given his naming scheme and time of arrival in the Item Shop, there's no doubt that he's part of the spy and military faction known as SHADOW. His bio reads:
"After a stretch of being a lone agent, Renegade Shadow is looking for a new score. And he may have found one...if he's not afraid of getting in Wild Card's way."
Based on the bio, it's rather evident that Renegade Shadow is up to no good on the island. Considering that the Wild Card mentioned in his bio is a heist expert, both of these characters, who are now NPCs, are planning something. But what could it be?
While the storyline in Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 1 is focused on Oathbound and the Rifts, it's not unlike Epic Games to introduce overlaying developments. This has been done time and time again over the years. Although most of these lead to a dead end, they keep the community engaged.
A good example is Doctor Slone and the Secret Bunker in Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 8. The developers used tiny map changes to hype up this mini-storyline to keep players busy for the entire season. Although the Secret Bunker was a letdown, it was fun while it lasted.
Similarly, with Renegade Shadow now on the island, something might take place in the form of a mini-storyline. However, for the time being, there's no concrete evidence to go on. That said, there is a rather interesting theory that can be explored.
More hints point toward Midas' return?
Since SHADOW was set up by Midas in Fortnite Chapter 2, could Renegade Shadow be a herald cryptically signifying his return? While this does make sense, there's no evidence to support the theory.
However, with Midas being teased both in-game and by Donald Mustard on social media, it's only a matter of time before he makes a comeback. The only questions that remain are when, where, and how?
After being consumed by a Loot Shark at the start of Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 3, it's not easy to imagine that Midas is alive. However, given that he was able to outsmart the Imagined Order and build The Doomsday Device under their noses, cheating death is a trivial task for their golden mischief-maker.
With all that said, while Epic Games may be using Renegade Shadow to signal the arrival of Midas, it's too soon to tell. With the main storyline now focused on the Rifts and Rift Warden Stellan, Midas seems secondary for the most part, or at least for the time being.