- This article is about the video game character. For other uses, see Shadow the Hedgehog (disambiguation).
In other media[]
Animation[]
Sonic X[]
Shadow the Hedgehog, from Sonic X.
In the Sonic X anime series, Shadow made his debut in the "Shadow Saga". Like in the games, his ambition was to fulfill Maria's promise of revenge towards humanity and joined forces with Eggman to seek out the Chaos Emeralds. When everyone but Shadow worked together to save the world from its imminent destruction, Chris Thorndyke was able to convince him of Maria's true purpose. At the end, Shadow sacrificed himself for the better of the world and was presumed dead.
However, Shadow returned much later in the Metarex Saga as a reluctant pawn of Eggman, being tricked into thinking that obeying him will lead him to helping him get his memories back. However, he left the doctor to help Sonic and co. defeat the Metarex after discovering Eggman's true intentions.
Sonic Boom[]
Shadow the Hedgehog, from Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom.
In the Sonic Boom franchise, Shadow is an indirect enemy of Team Sonic and a much darker character in comparison to other characters in the series. He is Sonic's arch-rival, capable of him matching in speed, abilities and looks. His relationship with Sonic is also just as hostile as Shadow's own harsh and anti-social behavior.
Sonic Prime[]
Shadow the Hedgehog, from Sonic Prime.
Shadow is a focused, serious and powerful hedgehog known as the Ultimate Life Form. While trying to join in the fight against Eggman, he ends up trapped inside the Void of the Shatterverse, not allowed to visit other worlds. Shadow must try to find a way to help Sonic, but first, he must learn to trust the hedgehog once again.
Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings[]
| This section requires an expansion. |  |
Books and comics[]
Archie Comics[]
Shadow the Hedgehog, from Sonic the Hedgehog #157.
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics, Shadow is the ultimate life form created by Gerald Robotnik, much like in the games. Prior to the Super Genesis Wave, his backstory was similar to his game counterpart's, having been created by Gerald Robotnik with Black Doom's aid. After the events of the Sonic Adventure 2 adaptation, Shadow was rescued by the Bem aliens to fight the Xorda, and became integral in defending against the Xorda Attack on Mobius. Afterwards, he briefly joined up with the Eggman Empire, but defected to join G.U.N. after learning of his true purpose. His relationship with Sonic the Hedgehog is also less tense in this continuity.
After the Super Genesis Wave re-wrote history, Shadow and his history became virtually identical to that of his game counterpart.
IDW Publishing[]
Films[]
Paramount[]
Shadow the Hedgehog, from Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (film).
In the Sonic the Hedgehog film series produced by Paramount Pictures and its spin-offs, Shadow is an anthropomorphic hedgehog associated with a secret experiment called Project Shadow that took place over fifty years prior to Dr. Robotnik's return from the Mushroom Planet.
Transformations[]
Super Shadow[]
Shadow transformed into Super Shadow, from Sonic Art Assets DVD.
By harnessing the power of the seven Chaos Emeralds, Shadow can enter a Super State, transforming him into Super Shadow. In this state, all of Shadow's abilities far surpass his normal ones and his chaos powers are increased to their full limit. He is also able to fly and is nearly invulnerable. Initially, Shadow found it difficult to stay in this state due to inexperience,[7][8] but he has since mastered it. In addition, this transformation consumes a lot of energy, meaning it cannot be maintained for long.
Hero Shadow[]
Shadow in his Hero Shadow state, from Shadow the Hedgehog.
When his mind is fueled by thoughts of justice, Shadow is able to attain an enhanced state known as Hero Shadow.[9][10] In this state, Shadow is temporarily invincible and can perform a large-scale use of Chaos Control. However, this state only lasts for a short period of time.
Dark Shadow[]
Shadow in his Dark Shadow state, from Shadow the Hedgehog.
When his mind is fueled by thoughts of evil, Shadow is able to attain an enhanced state known as Dark Shadow.[9][10] In this state, Shadow is temporarily invincible and can perform a large scale-use of Chaos Blast. However, this state only lasts for a short period of time.
Chaos Boost[]
Shadow in his Chaos Boost state, from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).
On his own, Shadow can access an enhanced state known as the Chaos Boost. In this state, Shadow's powers are boosted significantly, granting him warp-like speeds, near invulnerability, and bolstered chaos powers.
Color Powers[]
By harnessing different variants of Hyper-go-on from Wisps, Shadow can use specific Color Powers to transform into a certain form, such as a drill, a laser or even a planet, each one possessing its own unique abilities. So far, Shadow has been able to transform into the Cyan Laser, Yellow Drill and Indigo Asteroid. However, these transformations require a steady supply of Hyper-go-on to be maintained.
Quotes[]
- "Chaos Control!"
- —Shadow controling Time and Space.
- "This is the ultimate power!"
- —Shadow
- "Ultimate Victory!"
- —Shadow's victorious catchphrase.
- "Maria, I just don't know anything anymore. I often wonder why I was created, what my purpose is for being here. Maybe if I go down there, uh... I will find the answers. Maybe..."
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Adventure 2
- "I'll be there Maria! I swear! Whatever it takes, I'll take care of the ARK and the professor!"
- —Shadow promising Maria to stop the Artificial Chaos, Shadow the Hedgehog
- "My name is Shadow. Since you were so kind to release me, my master, I will grant you one wish. Behold the true power I possess!"
- —Shadow the Hedgehog's first greeting with Dr. Eggman, Sonic Adventure 2
- "Maria... I still remember what I've promised you: For the people of this planet... I promise you... REVENGE!"
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Adventure 2
- "Faker?! I think you're the fake hedgehog around here. You're comparing yourself to me? HA! You're not even good enough to be my fake."
- —Shadow before his first clash with Sonic, Sonic Adventure 2
- "Even if my memories are not real, it's still me; Shadow. And I will fulfill my promise to Maria. That's the only thing that matter to me now."
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Adventure 2
- "Before this is over... I'll show you the true power of CHAOS CONTROL!"
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Adventure 2
- "It's all going according to plan. There's no reason for me to help them. Besides, there's no way to save anyone."
- —Shadow the Hedgehog trying to ignore, Sonic Adventure 2
- "That's what I've promised her. And I must keep that promise, that's what Maria wished for..."
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Adventure 2
- "I've gotta go, now! I have to keep my promise to Maria -- AND you!"
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Adventure 2
- "Maria, this is what you wanted, right? This is my promise I made to you."
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Adventure 2
- "Tell me, Doctor! What was I doing... asleep on that base? And what about my memory?"
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Heroes
- "Is that so... well then, It'll be a date to DIE for!"
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Heroes
- "You'll regret this, doctor. Even if I'm not real, I'm still the ultimate lifeform, Shadow the Hedgehog!"
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Heroes
- "Some things never change, do they?"
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Heroes
- "There's no need to repeat past tragedies! Nobody else ever needs to go through the things that I have!"
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Battle
- "Looks like you'll never understand. The builders will never know how their creations truly feel."
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Battle
- "You best try your hardest, or else you'll get hurt."
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Battle
- "Shadow the Hedgehog... why does that name haunt me...? It's the only thing I can remember... and... that gruesome image..."
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog
- "Hmm. Look how pathetic they are! I don't have time for these humans."
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog
- "Anybody who gets in my way is my enemy."
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog
- "Digusting black creatures, get out of my sight."
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog
- "If you wanna stay clear of trouble, then stay away from that doctor."
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog
- "If what you say is true, then I will respectfully except my fate. But I just need some time... to uncover the real truth."
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog
- "I'm Shadow the Hedgehog, and I made a promise I intend to keep. With the power of these Emeralds, Black Doom and his army are finished! This is WHO I AM!"
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog
- "Goodbye forever, Shadow the Hedgehog."
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog
- "That's absurd. Whatever it is you wanna do, you can do it alone. I determine my own destiny."
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).
- "Don't bother to try and deceive me. I know who I am!"
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
- "If the world chooses to become my enemy, I will fight like I always have!"
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
- "You're finally here, Sonic. I don't know where we are, nor do I care. This is where I finish you, Sonic."
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Generations
- ""True ultimate life form"? Don't make me laugh! You'll be joining the rubble in the water, soon enough!"
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow Generations
- "I am the true ultimate life form!"
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow Generations
- "It was one month before the doctor took over the world. The first time I encountered... him."
- —Shadow the Hedgehog's narration, Sonic Forces (Episode Shadow)
- "I'm more than enough on my own. I'll handle things my way."
- —Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Forces (Episode Shadow)
Theme songs[]
The video games have featured several theme songs for the character. Shadow's themes consisted primarily of the techno and industrial genres often with synched vocals that are barely audible in Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Heroes, but have shown an increasing preference towards the hard rock genre in more recent games.
- Sonic Adventure 2: "Throw It All Away" - Everett Bradley.
- Sonic Heroes: "This Machine" - Julien-K (team theme shared with Rouge and Omega).
- Shadow the Hedgehog featured multiple themes:
- "I Am... All of Me" - Crush 40
- "Almost Dead" - Powerman 5000
- "Waking Up" - Julien-K
- "The Chosen One" - A2
- "All Hail Shadow" - Magna-Fi
- "Never Turn Back" - Crush 40
- Sonic the Hedgehog (2006): "All Hail Shadow (Remix)" - Crush 40
- In addition, there are several vocal level themes associated with Shadow's character in Sonic Adventure 2:
- A special remix of "Tripod Baby" performed by M-Flo was released as a promotional song for Shadow.
- In Sonic Forces's Episode Shadow DLC, "Rhythm And Balance" and "Supporting Me" received remixes.
- In Team Sonic Racing, Shadow's theme is "Team Ultimate: Shadow", a shortened rendition of the Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) version of "All Hail Shadow" that plays during his Team Ultimate.
- In Sonic at the Olympic Games (2020), Shadow's theme is "Rival - Shadow", a remixed instrumental version of "Throw It All Away" and "Team Ultimate: Shadow" that plays during his boss fights.
Outfits[]
Trivia[]
- According to Shiro Maekawa, the story and tragedy of Shadow and Maria was inspired by the shojo manga “Please Save My Earth”, where the protagonists of this manga, Shion and Mokuren, were both lovers.
- Though the design of Shadow was meant to be a secret until such time Sega decided to reveal the finalized version, details of the character were leaked when ReSaurus announced they were making figures of Shadow and Rouge, as they had for the first Sonic Adventure title. However, the company went out of business before they could release these figures to the masses.
- According to the games' canon (and confirmed by Takashi Iizuka[11]), Shadow and everyone else requires at least one Chaos Emerald close by to draw power from for Chaos Control, or the technique is impossible - however, Shadow has appeared to use Chaos Control and other chaos powers during gameplay of some games without visible Emeralds nearby. It could be argued, though, that it is implied in statements Shadow made in Sonic Battle that his memory of Maria allows it.[12][13]
- In Sonic Free Riders, Shadow's personal Extreme Gear, the Black Shot, is said to have been customized by the black hedgehog himself for better performance.[14] This implies that he has an at least basic degree of knowledge in Extreme Gear tuning.
- Shadow uses his left hand when using weapons in Shadow the Hedgehog. His counterpart, Sir Lancelot, however, fights with his right hand, possibly because of the Wii motion control. In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), Shadow always leads with his right for his attacks during cutscenes. He may either be ambidextrous or have left eye dominance, seeing as those with left eye dominance are recommended to fire guns whilst favoring their left hand. He also tends to cross his right arm under his left arm in most artworks.
- In his artwork for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Shadow is missing his tail.
- The Official Game Guide for Sonic Generations mentioned that a scientist is the one who ejected Shadow's capsule to Earth, however, he was in fact ejected by Maria Robotnik.
- In the 2011 Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition, Shadow placed 25th in the "Top 50 Video Game Characters of All Time," while Sonic placed tenth.
- Shadow was not originally intended to be in Sonic Heroes, revealed in an initial list of teams for the game. Rouge would have been in a team with Cream and Amy and there was no mention of Omega.[15][16]
- In Sonic Heroes, Shadow is shown to be faster than Sonic when grinding, but this was modified in Sonic the Hedgehog.
- Shadow's trophy pose in Super Smash Bros. Brawl is almost identical to his artwork for Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).
- Shadow's skin color is usually darker in his 2D artwork than in his 3D artwork.
- In Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, Shadow is missing a quill on his head. This is also present in Sonic X.
- Normally Shadow is seen with red eyes, but in his Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood artwork and pictures his eyes are more of an orange color, but this may be because the artwork in Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood was made by someone other than the usual Sonic Team artist.
- In Sonic Generations, the player may be rewarded with the fourth Chaos Emerald for defeating Shadow (third if he is fought before Perfect Chaos). Coincidentally, in his own game, Shadow mentions the fourth Chaos Emerald in a line, "Where's that damn fourth Chaos Emerald!?", which has since gained Internet popularity.
- Shadow's three main Chaos abilities are generally color-coded in relation to the three Chao alignments. Chaos Control requires positive chaos energy that generally glows blue, as Hero Chao have blue markings. Chaos Spear is generally depicted as being yellow-white, while Neutral Chao have yellow markings. Chaos Blast requires negative chaos energy, and is generally red, whereas Dark Chao have red markings.
- In Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, Shadow's profile says he likes "nothing."
- In the 2D indie fighting game Skullgirls Encore, the 17th selectable color palette of the character Fukua is a direct reference to Shadow the Hedgehog.
- Shadow's trophy pose in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U resembles his artwork for Sonic Rivals.
- Strangely, in the leaked transcript of Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), Shadow was described as a "fifteen-year-old" hedgehog, just like Sonic, unlike all the other official materials which do not put an actual age to him.[17]
- Despite many fans having speculated that Silver is related to Shadow due to Sir Lancelot and Sir Galahad's relationship in Arthurian lore (where the latter is the son of the former), Takashi Iizuka has confirmed that Silver is not a descendant of Shadow.[18]
- Shadow is described by G.U.N. affiliate Frances as having an IQ of about 200.
- According to a preview of Shadow the Hedgehog on 1Up.com, Shadow's favorite foods are pizza, Doritos, Snickers and Hot Pockets.[19]
- Also in the preview was Shadow mentioning that he liked the Terminator movies and video games, the Madden's football game series, Burnout 3, and videogames with street fighting.[19] The preview also states that Shadow owns a PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, iPod and a Razor cell phone.
- In the Japanese version of Sonic Heroes, Shadow has a tendency to use the phrase "ga ii" after a verb, which is an old-fashioned way of talking and/or giving a command/affirmation.[20]
- In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the game incorrectly states Shadow's first appearance was in Sonic Heroes when he first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2.
- Shadow is, in his own words, not "fantastic" at operating computers.[21]
- Shadow will not appear in Classic Sonic games, due to the timeframes involved (as Shadow was in a capsule until Sonic Adventure 2).[22]
- According to pages 16-17 of Gerald Robotnik's Journal, Shadow's Limiter Rings and Air Shoes are meant to act as mobility and focus aids, analogous to those used by disabled people in real life.
- This is most likely intentional, and meant to draw parallel to Maria Robotnik, especially considering it's stated Maria herself was the one to think of the aids in the first place.
- Shadow's tone of voice changes when he talks to Maria. Whenever he talks to her, his tone of voice becomes lower and softer than when he talks to other characters. According to researchers, people lower and soften their tone of voice when they feel romantic interest in someone, which could indicate that Shadow may have had romantic feelings for Maria. In fact, Maria herself also tends to soften her tone of voice when she speaks to Shadow in the video games and in the series.
- Shadow and Maria share a great resemblance to the couple Ban and Elaine from The Seven Deadly Sins, especially in the manga The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog:
- Both Shadow and Ban are immortal.
- Both Shadow and Ban had a blonde girl as a companion, who was the only person who loved and understood them.
- Both Maria and Elaine could not leave the place where they lived.
- Both Maria and Elaine sacrificed their lives and their dreams of going into the world for their loved ones.
- Both Maria and Elaine died from a wound in the chest.
- Both Shadow and Ban want to bring their loved one back to life.
References[]
- ↑ Creators Interview 006: Maekawa Shiro. Sega. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved on 5 September 2022. "Interviewer: Who is your favorite character in the Sonic series? Please tell me why. / Shiro Maekawa: It's Shadow the Hedgehog. In fact, I am also the creator, but sometimes I feel a stronger bond than my real parents and siblings. I can't think of anyone else anymore."
- ↑ Fast talking. PlayStation UK. Archived from the original on 26 June 2009. Retrieved on 4 September 2016. "Interviewer: If you had to pick a character from the Sonic universe who would you be and why? / Takashi Iizuka: ...I also would have to pick Shadow for the fact he is a character I created."
- ↑ Ryan Drummond (@RYANtheDRUMMOND) on Twitter. Twitter (15 October 2020). Archived from the original on 15 October 2020. "SADKOOLAID: So......basically even before Jason Griffith, Sonic and Shadow were voiced by the same guy (at least for a few seconds during the final leave) this true @RYANtheDRUMMOND? / Ryan Drummond: Yup. For just that one game. Don’t tell Sega! 🤣"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Devra Newberger Speregen (2016). Sonic: The Ultimate Character Guide. Scholastic. p. 31. ISBN 978-1338033243.
- ↑ Sonic City. Sega. Archived from the original on 29 February 2008.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Sega . Sonic Channel (Japanese). Characters: Shadow. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved on 3 July 2015.
- ↑ Sonic Team USA (23 June 2001). Sonic Adventure 2. Dreamcast. Sega. Area/level: Finalhazard. "Super Shadow: Gutha! I don't have enough energy to transform into my Super Form!"
- ↑ Sonic Team USA (23 June 2001). Sonic Adventure 2. Dreamcast. Sega. Area/level: Finalhazard. "Super Shadow: クゥッ…！どうやら、ボクの体にこのスーパー化は無理があったようだ…。 (Gah...! It seems impossible for my body to keep this Super form...)"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Sega Studio USA (15 November 2005). Shadow the Hedgehog. Nintendo GameCube. Sega. Area/level: Westopolis. "Sonic: The power of justice lets you use the teleport using Chaos Control. If you are fueled by evil though, you'll be able to unleash the destruction of Chaos Blast."
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Shadow the Hedgehog (Nintendo GameCube) United States instruction booklet, pg. 17.
- ↑ Sonic Boom 2013 - Part 2/3 - Q&A Session (41:30) (12 August 2013). "If [Shadow the Hedgehog] doesn't have a Chaos Emerald he cannot use Chaos Control. (as translated by the Q&A board's translator)"
- ↑ Sonic Team, Sonic Team USA (27 February 2004). Sonic Battle. Game Boy Advance. Sega. Area/Level: Emerald Beach (Shadow's Episode). "Shadow: So, basically when he absorbs this Chaos Emerald... / Rouge: It would appear so. / Shadow: Heh... Looks like I've got no other choice. / Rouge: Shadow! That's your...! / Shadow: It's all right. I... I will always be with Maria."
- ↑ Sonic Team, Sonic Team USA (27 February 2004). Sonic Battle. Game Boy Advance. Sega. Area/Level: Emerald Beach (Shadow's Episode). "Shadow: Let us battle, one last time, to see who truly is the strongest! ... My body wasn't healed completely before, but now I'm ready! I am the ultimate life form, Shadow the hedgehog. I will crush anyone who stands in my way! / Emerl: You sure about that? I don't want you whining about how you didn't have your "Chaos Emerald" and stuff! / Shadow: I no longer need it. I have Maria in my heart."
- ↑ Sonic Team (4 November 2010). Sonic Free Riders. Xbox 360. Sega. "Black Shot - For his ride, Shadow took Accelovice's speed-heavy model and trimmed off all the fat."
- ↑ Shiro Maekawa on Twitter (Japanese). Twitter (26 April 2018). Retrieved on 5 May 2018.
- ↑ Shiro Maekawa on Twitter (Japanese). Twitter (26 April 2018). Retrieved on 5 May 2018.
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog (PlayStation 3) Leaked transcript on Shadow.
- ↑ TAKASHI IIZUKA CONFIRMS THAT SILVER THE HEDGEHOG IS NOT A DESCENDANT OF SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG!. YouTube (17 February 2016). Retrieved on 17 February 2016. "Monica: I have a question for your fans and Shadow! Is Silver The Hedgehog a Descendant of Shadow The Hedgehog? / Takashi Iizuka: No"
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Shadow the Hedgehog preview. 1Up.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved on 24 May 2020.
- ↑ GothiiG on Twitter. Twitter (16 September 2022). Retrieved on 10 October 2022.
- ↑ Sega (31 March 2023). The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog. Steam. Sega. Area/level: Lounge car. "Tails: I used that printer earlier and I found it difficult to manage. When logging onto the website, did you print the homepage by accident? / Shadow: How the... yes, that's exactly what happened. I'm not fantastic with computers, admittingly."
- ↑ Meet Trip, The First New Sonic Character Created By Naoto Ohshima In Decades (August 2, 2023). Retrieved on August 5, 2023.
