Dark Rider

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Dark Rider
The Dark Rider, from Sonic Speed Simulator.
Appearances
First appearance	Shadow the Hedgehog
Game appearances	Shadow the Hedgehog Flash Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Sonic the Hedgehog (Minecraft) (cameo) Sonic Speed Simulator
Appearances in other media	Sonic Comic Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (film)
Statistics and overview
User(s)	Amy Rose Chef Amy Easter Amy Gothic Amy Kunoichi Amy Pixel Amy Popstar Amy Racesuit Amy Racesuit Classic Amy Riders Amy Summer Amy Valentines Amy Android Shadow Blue Android Shadow Green Android Shadow Orange Android Shadow Purple Android Shadow Red Batten Rouge Big the Cat Angler Big Holiday Cheer Big Racesuit Big Black Rose Blaze the Cat Holiday Cheer Blaze Magical Girl Blaze Maid Blaze Racesuit Blaze Chaos Sonic Charmy Bee Cream the Rabbit Easter Cream Racesuit Cream Riders Cream Winter Cream Witch Cream E-10000G E-123 Omega Gold Style Omega Pumpkin Omega Racesuit Omega Espio the Chameleon Invisible Espio Mummy Espio Ninja Espio Gemerl Jet the Hawk Racesuit Jet Winter Jet Knuckles the Dread Knuckles the Echidna Adventure Knuckles Camper Knuckles Diesel Punk Knuckles Fake Metal Knuckles Pixel Knuckles Racesuit Classic Knuckles Racesuit Knuckles Reindeer Knuckles Riders Knuckles Skeleton Knuckles Treasure Hunter Knuckles Knuckles the Echidna (Paramount) Series Knuckles Metal Sonic Chrome Metal Sonic Circuit Metal Sonic Hologram Metal Sonic Holographic Metal Sonic Neo Metal Sonic Racesuit Metal Sonic Reaper Metal Sonic Metal Sonic Mach 3.0 Golden Metal Sonic 3.0 Miles "Tails" Prower Aviator Tails Detective Tails Elf Tails Fake Metal Tails Mechanic Tails Pixel Tails Racesuit Classic Tails Racesuit Tails Sailor Tails Toy Maker Tails Miles "Tails" Prower (Paramount) Rebel Rouge Renegade Knucks Rouge the Bat Prime Rouge Racesuit Rouge Riders Rouge Witch Rouge Rusty Rose Shadow the Hedgehog Cheetah Shadow Clockwork Shadow Dark Shadow Flame Shadow Gold Style Shadow Hero Shadow Racesuit Shadow Riders Shadow Rockstar Shadow Royal King Shadow Vampire Shadow Winter Shadow Silver the Hedgehog ESP Silver Gold Style Silver Holiday Cheer Silver Racesuit Silver Sonic the Hedgehog Adventure Sonic Birthday King Sonic Easter Sonic Fake Metal Sonic Frontiers Sonic Gold Style Sonic Grind Shoe Sonic Holiday Cheer Sonic Holiday Classic Sonic Pixel Sonic Racesuit Classic Sonic Racesuit Sonic Riders Sonic Rockstar Sonic Sonic (New Yoke Style) Sonic (No Place Style) Sonic the Werehog Stealth Suit Sonic Steampunk Sonic Summer Sonic Super Sonic Tuxedo Classic Sonic Tuxedo Sonic Valentine’s Sonic Vampire Sonic Winter Sonic Zebra Sonic Sonic the Hedgehog_(Paramount) Storm the Albatross Tails Nine Vector the Crocodile Gold Style Vector Riders Vector Wave the Swallow
Purpose	Transportation Racing
Description	A GUN motorcycle

Dark Rider was originally a standard issue motorcycle used by the military group G.U.N. (Guardian Unit of Nations). It only gained the name "Dark Rider" after Shadow modified it so that he could compete in the All-Stars Grand Prix!

— Fearless: Year of Shadow website

The Dark Rider, also known as the Bike, is a vehicle that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is Shadow the Hedgehog's personal motorcycle.

Description

The Dark Rider, from Fearless: Year of Shadow.

Originally, the Dark Rider had the GUN logo emblazed on it. This has since been replaced with the symbol of the Black Arms that Shadow reclaimed.

Game appearances

Shadow the Hedgehog

Shadow on the Dark Rider, from Shadow the Hedgehog.

The Dark Rider first appears in Shadow the Hedgehog as an unnamed vehicle. It is shown in the game's intro, where Shadow uses it to smash into a Black Arms soldier, blowing it up in the process. It can be found and ridden in Lethal Highway.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)

Shadow riding the Dark Rider, from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).

In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), the Dark Rider reappears. Here, it can be used in Radical Train and Aquatic Base. It also appears in Shadow's seventh Town Mission, "Motorcycle License Test". It has been completely redesigned, is now armed with machine guns, and its speed can be increased using an ability called the Boost Dash. Unlike in Shadow the Hedgehog, the Dark Rider is needed on certain missions to advance as it allows Shadow to travel faster.

In gameplay, the Dark Rider is harder to steer. While it is faster than the Buggy and can jump higher from Ramps, the Dark Rider has weaker armor. Additionally, should the rounds for its machine guns empty, it will reload in seconds. If the Dark Rider rams at into a wall at full speed, it will overturn and cannot be flipped back unless the player gets jumps off of it and back on again. When its Health Gauge is critical its engine starts to smoke, and when it empties, the vehicle will explode (without harming the player).

To board or dismount the Dark Rider, the player can press /. Pressing / makes it reverse/brake, pressing / twice triggers a Boost Dash, and / fires its machine gun.

Other game appearances

Shadow the Hedgehog Flash

In Shadow the Hedgehog Flash, the Dark Rider appears as an unnamed vehicle. It is ridden by Shadow in the entirety of Westopolis Act 2.

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing

In Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, the Dark Rider appears as Shadow's vehicle. Its appearance is identical to that in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), but it lacks its machine guns. Instead of the GUN insignia, it has the Black Arms insignia on its fuel tank. It has the following statistics:

Speed	Acceleration	Handling	Turbo-Boost
5/10	9/10	9/10	6/10

Sonic Speed Simulator

Rockstar Shadow riding the Dark Rider in City Escape, from Sonic Speed Simulator.

Within Sonic Speed Simulator, the Dark Rider appears as a ridable mount named "Dark Rider Motorbike". It can be unlocked by completing all five tasks during the "Dark Rider Event". Once unlocked, the Dark Rider can be used by any of the playable characters within the game, though Shadow is the only character who is designed to properly fit within the bike. The Dark Rider has an in-game rarity of "Legendary".

Another Dark Rider is used by Shadow when facing him in the Radical Highway Drag Race.

In other media

Books and comics

Archie Comics

In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics, the Dark Rider debuted in Sonic Universe #23. In its debut, Amy asked why Shadow had the bike, since he could run as fast as Sonic, and he explained that all G.U.N. agents must be issued with a vehicle. Rouge pointed out that he did not need it, but customized and maintains it himself, to which he admitted that he "really like[s] that bike." Shadow sometimes works on the bike when he is stressed out.

Merchandise

Dark Rider toy, by Jazwares.

Currently, all merchandise of the Dark Rider uses its design from Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing. The Dark Rider was first made into a toy for the Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing 3" scale action figure series by Jazwares, coming with a Shadow figure with hands especially molded so that they could wrap around the handlebars of the bike, thus keeping him on it. A miniature version was also made by Jazwares. The Dark Rider was made into a radio-controlled toy with a working headlight by NKOK. A miniature pullback toy of the Dark Rider was made by Gacha/Tomy. In 2024, a Lego minifigure-scale version of the Dark Rider was included with set 76995, which also debuts the Lego Shadow minifigure.

Trivia

• The Dark Rider bears resemblance to the 2003 Harley Davidson XL1200 Custom Anniversary Edition.

References

Shadow the Hedgehog (game)

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Main article · Scripts (Main Story, Last Story) · Credits · Manuals · Glitches · Beta elements · Library Sequences · Gallery

*Only playable in the GameCube and PlayStation 2 versions · **Only playable in Battle Mode
V·T·E · Category

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)

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Main article · Scripts (Sonic, Shadow, Silver, Last) · Credits · Manuals · Glitches · Beta elements · Gallery

*Unused
V·T·E · Category

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing

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Main article | Staff | Glitches | Gallery