A shadow spirit is a type of free sprit, that I get, but does it fall under one of the ten types of spirits? I see the Sample shadow spirit on page 148. But my question is, can every type of spirit technically have a shadow version? Or is shadow spirits, insect spirits and such their own type?

If I recall correctly, Shadow is essentially a personality type for Free Spirits. So a sinister Fire Spirit could be a "Shadow".

You know, that makes sense. So there are guardian, fire, air, whatever, shadow types then?

Yep.

Actually, from the description in Street Magic, Shadow spirits seem to be a separate "species" of spirit that can't be conjured. Or, at least, there aren't any paths outlined that allow you to conjure them.

Kill these Horrors wherever you find them. They are evil, if anything truly is.

- The Laughing Man

I think thats because shadow spirits can only be free spirits, same as Aimae/Animi, Mimics, Tricksters, vanguards and Wardens. These are only personality traits free spirits tend to fall into once they are free. At least the SM book quotes, "Thaumaturgical research has identified the following six basic motivational matrices of free spirits, with more subjects falling quite squarely into one parapsychological profile:"

Thats why there is no paths for summoning them. They do not exist unless they are free spirits. At least thats how it sounds anyways. Always looking to be corrected if I am wrong, thats why I asked in the first place!

My bad - i must have been thinking about Shadow spirits as a personality of free spirits from SR3. Anyway, since there's a sample shadow spirit on pg 148 in SM and the types discussed are definitely not just other types of spirits with different personality, I'd say shadow spirits are definitly their own type.

Actually, the wraith seems to be pretty much the critter from the SR2 European critter book.

And I thought we had explained this one simply enough.

Shadow spirits are indeed a personality/motivational category that can be applied to a Free Spirit — "shadow" is a descriptor of its motivation and outlook on the world and metahumanity, not a set of characteristics and powers.

Any fire elemental (fire spirit), any a spontaneous wild nature spirit (beast spirit), even Ally spirits can become Free Spirits - consequently any of those can be labelled a Shadow spirit.

For instance - a vengeful spirit of the jungle (plant spirit) who has outlived its conjuror (a twisted Avenger shaman) and who choses to continue a crusade against metahumanity's despoilment of the natural world would qualify as a Shadow Free Spirit. Or to use an example from the novels, a rogue fire elemental summoned in a outburst of hate and rage, that then breaks free and proceeds to stalk its summoner for years would also count as a Shadow Free Spirit.

hmm, shadow guardian spirit. im having a hard time wrapping my head around that one...

That one's easy. Guardian spirit is tasked with guarding some children(or a person, or a dog, whatever), who are then killed by a bad man/men/she-male prison inmate/whatever, and so is the summoner. The guardian spirit goes free, freaks out, and starts hunting people down to stop them as they are obviously a bad species that needs eradicating. Boom! Shadow guardian spirit.

Want a more traditional version? Guardian spirit in an ancestor tradition is summoned and fails to successfully protect it's summoner/descendant. It goes free and stalks the group it feels is responsible.

All it really needs is to take it's motivation to a dark place and go with it, i.e. "Revenge at any cost, I'll kill them all!"

so my initial suspicion was correct, it would be more or less a classical asimov scenario where the "ai" subverts its directive to protect by figuring that the only way to do so would be to kill everyone...

Not necessarily. Maybe a guardian spirit for a Qabbalistic combat magician for the Israeli Defense Force that is used to target jihadists simply takes a liking to the killing and bloodshed and when his summoner is killed in combat decides to become an assassin for hire to satisfy his bloodlust...