| << Previous episode | — | Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings Finding the Way |
— | Next episode >> |
"Finding the Way" is the second episode in the Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings web series. It first aired on the official Sonic the Hedgehog channel on YouTube, on October 3, of 2024.
Synopsis[]
Shadow's search for answers brings him into the crossfire with his allies and Dr. Eggman. Is Shadow's unrelenting quest for answers worth the cost? And what will it cost Shadow to get the support he needs?
Appearances[]
Characters:[]
- Abraham Tower (flashback)
- Badniks
- Egg Breaker
- Samurai Egg Pawns (multiple)
- Death Leech (flashback)
- Maria Robotnik (flashback)
- Team Dark
- Sonic the Hedgehog (mentioned)
Races and species:[]
- Black Arms
- Eagle (end credits only)
- Human
Locations:[]
- Sonic's universe
- Earth
- Hidden Base
- Soleanna (end credits only)
- Moon
- Space Colony ARK
- Earth
Items:[]
- Air Shoes
- Dash Ring (end credits only)
- Jump Panel (end credits only)
- Limiter Ring
- Ring (end credits only)
- Spring (end credits only)
- Star Post (end credits only)
- Wind switch (end credits only)
Misc.:[]
- Boost (end credits only)
- Chaos powers
- Doom Powers (end credits only)
- Doom Surf (end credits only)
- Grinding (end credits only)
- Guardian Units of Nations (mentioned)
- Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome
- Sonic's birthday (mentioned)
- Spin Attack
Plot[]
Like the previous episode, this episode begins 50 years ago aboard the Space Colony ARK. Maria Robotnik is seen walking down a hallway with a clipboard in hand. She is about to step into a room when a young boy runs past her, shouting at her to tell that "freak" to stay away from him. Annoyed with his remark, Maria shouts his name, "Abe", as he runs away.
Maria steps into the room, only to find Shadow the Hedgehog, staring intensely at a container holding a Death Leech. Concerned, she asks him if he's okay, to which Shadow replies that he is. Shadow admits that Professor Gerald made him using the DNA of the Black Arms. He remarks that his DNA is the same as the "ugly, heartless creature" in front of them. Shadow tells Maria that although he may look like a hedgehog, he feels he is really no different from the leech.
Maria responds to this by hugging Shadow, bringing him out of his thoughts. She reassures him, telling him that what he feels is not true. She goes on to say that she knows he has a big heart, and that even though he has trouble expressing his emotions, she knows he truly cares about her and everyone else. Abe watches them through the door with a frustrated look on his face. Maria further comforts Shadow and expresses her belief that he will eventually find answers even though he is currently struggling to find meaning in his life. Maria gives Shadow a small smile and tells him that he will find more people he can trust once he finally finds the answers he's looking for.
The scene fades to the present day again, where Shadow is launching an assault on several of Doctor Eggman's samurai armor-clad Egg Pawns at Hidden Base. Shadow is soon joined by Rouge the Bat, who is gathering intel for G.U.N., and E-123 Omega comes along as Rouge's support unit. Rouge asks Shadow what he's doing at Hidden Base, to which he replies that he needs a spacecraft to reach the ARK because he suspects that the Black Arms may have returned. Rouge replies that her mission is only a supply depot, but she is cut off due to a giant Egg Breaker showing up and launching an attack at her. Shadow saves her, and the three of them rally to fight the Egg Breaker, reuniting Team Dark in the process. They easily destroy it, and Rouge reveals that she will help Shadow find a ship on the condition that he attend Sonic the Hedgehog's birthday party afterwards. Shadow reluctantly agrees, and Rouge teasingly asks him if he wants to raid a G.U.N. base, drawing the episode to a close.
Trivia[]
- This episode reveals why Shadow shows up to Sonic's birthday party at the end of Sonic Generations.
- This episode marks the first canon appearance of Commander Abraham Tower in nineteen years in a non-port game since Shadow the Hedgehog.
- The Commander's name (or at least, technically, his nickname), Abe, is a reference to Commander Abraham Tower in the Archie Comics. The next episode confirms his full name to be the same as in the Archie Comics.
- The Egg Pawns have their design from Sonic Colors (specifically, the Samurai-inspired ones in Aquarium Park), which further confirms the animation taking place in the timeline just before Sonic Generations.
- The Egg Breaker is an independent Badnik model rather than a piloted mech similarly to its appearance in the IDW Comics.
- The scene where Shadow observes a captive Death Leech resembles a scene from The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog.
- This scene also makes it clear that Shadow was aware of his ties to the Black Arms prior to the events of Sonic Heroes. In Shadow the Hedgehog, it was left ambiguous as to whether or not he knew of his ties to the Black Arms prior to his amnesia.
- The full version of Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings implies that Black Doom regenerated from the Death Leech that Shadow observed in the flashback, which was ultimately confirmed in Shadow Generations.
- This scene also makes it clear that Shadow was aware of his ties to the Black Arms prior to the events of Sonic Heroes. In Shadow the Hedgehog, it was left ambiguous as to whether or not he knew of his ties to the Black Arms prior to his amnesia.
- Maria Robotnik's reassuring speech to Shadow that he ultimately has a heart that separated him from the Black Arms resembles a similar speech by Sonic regarding both Shadow and Emerl in Sonic Battle, regarding their past as "weapons."
- The animatic version includes some deleted concepts among other things:
- Originally, Abe was not to have appeared in any capacity during the episode, with Maria simply delivering research materials to Shadow. Abe's scene was intended to occur in the next episode, To the ARK.
- Shadow's interactions with Team Dark were originally meant to be longer: more specifically, it would have been explained that Rouge's motivation for inviting Shadow to Sonic's birthday party was to mostly see the reaction of the other attendees. Omega also explains that the reason he was willing to destroy G.U.N. robots during the raid, despite technically being his allies, is because his desire to prove his superiority towards other robots was not limited to just Eggman's robots.
Videos[]
References[]
- ↑ Finding the Way. Sonic the Hedgehog (3 October 2024). Retrieved on 3 October 2024.