Shadow the Hedgehog (Japanese: ã·ã£ãã¦ã»ã¶ã»ããã¸ããã°Hepburn: ShadÅ za Hejjihoggu) is a character appearing in Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog video game franchise. Shadow was created by Takashi Iizuka and Shiro Maekawa, and debuted in the series' 2001 installment Sonic Adventure 2. Although this was intended to be his only appearance, Shadow proved so popular among fans that developer Sonic Team decided to include him in 2003's Sonic Heroes. Shadow has since featured in numerous entries in the franchise, including a self-titled spin-off game in 2005. He also appears in Sonic television adaptations, comics, and merchandise.
Shadow the Hedgehog | |
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Sonic the Hedgehog character | |
Promotional artwork of Shadow for Sonic Adventure 2 (2001)
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First game | Sonic Adventure 2(2001) |
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Within the Sonic franchise's fictional universe, Shadow is an immortal, anthropomorphic black hedgehog created by Professor Gerald Robotnik, the grandfather of series antagonist Doctor Eggman. After witnessing the murder of his best friend Maria, Shadow vows to keep his promise to her that he would protect the world from danger. An antihero, Shadow has good intentions but will do whatever it takes to accomplish his goals, putting him at odds with series protagonist Sonic the Hedgehog. Shadow shares many attributes with Sonic and thus controls similarly in games, but is distinguished by his uses of vehicles and firearms.
The idea for Shadow originated during the development of the original Sonic Adventure in 1998, with Iizuka and Maekawa ensuring he would be a subtle, 'cool' character players could care about. His design was influenced by films such as Underworld, Constantine, and Terminator. Although Shadow is one of the series' most popular characters and was named one of the greatest video game characters by Guinness World Records in 2011, he has proven divisive among video game journalists. Some have praised his role in Sonic Adventure 2 and his levels' preservation of the Sonic theme, but others have mocked his dark characterization. Additionally, the Shadow game received generally unfavorable reviews despite strong sales.
Description[edit]
Shadow is an anthropomorphic black hedgehog appearing in Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series of platform games and its various spin-offs. He first appeared in the 2001 installment Sonic Adventure 2,[1] the final Sonic game released for a Sega video game console.[2] His roles in the games vary. Some, such as the main series games Sonic Adventure 2,[2]Sonic Heroes (2003),[3] and Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) feature him as a major playable character,[4] and he is the protagonist of the spin-off Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) and a downloadable content (DLC) package for Sonic Forces (2017).[5][6] Others, such as the anniversary game Sonic Generations (2011), limit him to a non-playable role.[7]
In the games, Shadow is depicted as a mysterious, sharp-witted, and brooding antihero.[8][9][10] While his ultimate goal is to protect the world from danger,[8] he dislikes humanity,[11] and once he has set a goal, he does whatever it takes to accomplish it.[8] This often causes him to take risks without thinking them through and puts him at odds with series protagonist Sonic the Hedgehog.[12] Although a loner, Shadow collaborates with treasure hunter Rouge the Bat and renegade robot E-123 Omega in games such as Sonic Heroes and Sonic Forces.[3][13] Shadow allies with Sonic in some games,[9] but also does so with series antagonist Doctor Eggman in Sonic Adventure 2 and Shadow the Hedgehog.[5][14]
Shadow shares many similarities with Sonic.[3] Visually, GameSpot's Ben Stahl described Shadow as 'an evil version of Sonic himselfâsimilar in appearance, but with darker skin, more angled eyes, and a fearsome snarl instead of Sonic's trademark grin.'[1]GamesRadar+'s Justin Leeper said that if Sonic was Superman, then Shadow would be his Batman.[15] The characters control similarly in games, as both share skills and the ability to run at great speeds.[3][14][16] Shadow has unique attributes in some games, such as his uses of firearms and vehicles in Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog, respectively.[4][5] He can also use the Chaos Emeralds to perform 'Chaos Control'âallowing him to distort timeâand create weapons like spears.[3][8][11] Like Sonic, Shadow can transform into a 'Super' form giving him special powers.[17][18]
Development[edit]
Shadow was created by Takashi Iizuka and Shiro Maekawa, who respectively served as director and writer of Sonic Adventure 2.[19][20] According to Iizuka, the idea for Shadow originated during development of the original Sonic Adventure in 1998, when Sonic Team intended to introduce a rival for Sonic in a potential sequel. Although they rarely discussed the idea, the staff continually thought about it. Eventually, while work on Sonic Adventure 2 progressed, Sonic Team found use in Shadow when they laid out the game's 'good vs. evil' plotlines.[21] Shadow's name at the beginning of development was 'Terios' ('reflection of'), referencing his role as Sonic's doppelganger.[22] Sonic Team tasked Maekawa with developing Shadow, whom they wanted to look just as 'cool' as Sonic. Maekawa settled on the design of a black hedgehog, but struggled coming up with his personality. One night, while he brainstormed lines for a scene in which Sonic confronts Shadow for impersonating him, Maekawa came up with Shadow's first line: 'Hmph, aren't you the fake one here?' As part of shaping his subtle character, Maekawa envisioned Shadow would refer to himself using the more humble Japanese pronounboku (å).[20] Iizuka made sure that Shadow's introduction also brought new events to the game, as he wanted players to care about the character.[23]
Sonic Adventure 2 was intended to be Shadow's only appearance, but his popularity among fans led to him returning in 2003's Sonic Heroes.[21][22] Additionally, Sonic Team wanted to feature Shadow in a spin-off game.[24] By 2005, Sonic Team was interested in developing a high-speed shooter game. They chose to focus on Shadowâwhom they felt would provide 'the perfect venue.. to try our hand at this genre'âleading to the development of Shadow the Hedgehog. Series co-creator Yuji Naka hoped Shadow would lead to a spin-off series about the character.[25] When developing Shadow's design and world, Sonic Team was influenced by films such as Underworld (2003), Constantine (2005), and those in the Terminator series.[26] The team abandoned Shadow's shooting gameplay when working on Sonic the Hedgehog in 2006. Instead, director Shun Nakamura emphasized combat to differentiate his gameplay from that of Sonic's; while Sonic was designed for speedy platforming, Shadow was designed for fighting enemies.[27] After Sonic and the Black Knight (2009), Shadow did not appear as a playable character in a Sonic platformer for some time,[6] until the release of Sonic Forces in 2017.[28] Nakamura explained that Sonic Team brought Shadow back for Sonic Forces so it would appeal to fans of the Adventure games, as the character is 'extremely popular' among that group.[29] Iizuka has commented that another Shadow-oriented spin-off is a possibility.[30]
In Japan, KÅji Yusa voices Shadow.[31][32] The character's English voice actor has changed several times. David Humphrey was the first to assume the role, but was replaced by Jason Griffith, who voiced Shadow and Sonic in the English dub of the anime series Sonic X (2003â2006), for Shadow the Hedgehog in 2005.[33]Kirk Thornton has since voiced Shadow in games such as Sonic Generations.[34]
Character biography[edit]
Within the Sonic series' fictional universe, Shadow the Hedgehog is an immortal being created by Professor Gerald Robotnik through genetic engineering as part of an experiment to cure his granddaughter Maria from a deadly illness.[3][8][31] While Shadow and Maria formed a strong bond, the government deemed him a threat. Shadow was placed in suspended animation and a military organization, the Guardian Units of Nations (G.U.N.), killed Maria as she tried to protect him.[31][35] Maria's death traumatized Shadow, who vowed to keep his promise to her that he would protect the world from danger.[8] In Sonic Adventure 2, Gerald's grandson, Doctor Eggman, learns of Shadow and revives him as part of a plan to conquer the world and defeat Sonic the Hedgehog.[36] Shadow agrees to help Eggman and frames Sonic for their evil deeds.[35][36] However, Shadow eventually allies himself with Sonic to prevent the world's destruction.[31] He seemingly dies after the final boss fight.[3]
In Sonic Heroes, Rouge the Bat discovers Shadow alive in Eggman's base. He remembers nothing except his name and Maria's death,[3][37] and teams up with Rouge and E-123 Omega to find Eggman and learn of his past.[3] In Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow, still suffering from amnesia, becomes caught in a three-way war between Eggman, G.U.N., and the Black Arms, an alien army led by Black Doom.[24] Shadow can choose to help G.U.N., Sonic and his friends, Eggman, or the Black Arms.[5] At the end of the game, Shadow recovers from his amnesia and learns the truth about his past, including that Gerald created him using Black Doom's blood. He chooses to put the past behind him and move on,[38] and in Sonic the Hedgehog is depicted as having joined G.U.N.[32]
Reception and impact[edit]
Shadow quickly proved popular among players of Sonic Adventure 2, contributing to his return in later games.[22] Additionally, responses to his introduction were favorable; critics considered his levels in Sonic Adventure 2 among the game's highlights.[2][36][39][40]GameSpot's Shane Satterfield wrote Shadow's levels were exciting and helped preserve the general theme of Sonic games, and wished they had been more plentiful.[41]Nintendo Life's Mark Reece similarly felt Shadow's levels successfully adapted the Sonic formula to 3D.[42] However, despite strong sales,[43][44] the 2005 Shadow game received generally unfavorable reviews[45][46][47] and, according to Official Nintendo Magazine's Thomas East, tarnished the character's reputation.[48]
Reviews for Shadow the Hedgehog criticized numerous aspects of the character, such as his controls, use of firearms, and characterization.[49][50][51][52]Game Informer's Matt Helgeson decried Shadow as a character who lacked personality and mocked his 'ridiculous' and 'laughable' Clint Eastwood rasp,[50] while GameSpy's Patrick Klepek felt the game was proof the Sonic series had jumped the shark.[52] Similarly, 1UP.com's Shane Bettenhausen compared Shadow to Poochie,[51] a character from The Simpsons episode 'The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show' (1997) symbolic of creating a new character simply to boost a flagging series.[53] Klepek thought guns made sense for Shadow's character but did not have a compelling use in the game, and expressed hope Sonic Team would '[bury] him alongside the same graves as the third-tier of characters from Knuckles Chaotix.'[52] Critics reviewing the 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog considered Shadow's gameplay slightly better than that of Sonic's but felt it did not add enough to the experience,[4][15] while Den of Geek's Chris Freiberg wrote the Shadow DLC for Sonic Forces added some replay value to a game he criticized for its short length.[54]
Writers have called Shadowâboth the game and the characterâan ill-advised attempt to bring a sense of maturity to the Sonic series.[48][50] Indeed, IGN's Levi Buchanan and 1UP's Jeremy Parish considered him one of the series' biggest problems;[55][56] Parish wrote that of the unnecessary Sonic characters Sega should retire, Shadow was the most in need of it.[56] Numerous video game journalists have mockingly described the character as 'edgy',[28][49][57]internet slang referring to someone who exhibits disconcerting behavior in an effort to impress others. In 2010, DeviantArt user 'cmara' released a webcomic depicting Shadow in a romantic relationship with Shrek, the title character of the DreamWorks film series. According to Kotaku's Nathan Grayson, the comic paired the two because 'If Shrek was the big screen embodiment of nu-millennium toilet garbage, Shadow The Hedgehogâwith his hilariously unfitting blend of guns and angst in a colorful world of fast animals in clown shoesâwas his video game bride.' Both, he wrote, were supposed to be sophisticated and 'edgy' characters in franchises designed to appeal to young people.[58]
Shadow is a divisive Sonic character.[7][29] Some, such as East, who ranked him one of the series' best characters, praise him for his role in Sonic Adventure 2;[48][7]Game Informer's Brian Shea called Shadow a 'fun equal' to Sonic who delivered the series' traditional sense of speed,[59] and Polygon's Allegra Frank said he is a fan favorite.[28] 'For others,' wrote Kotaku's Mike Fahey, Shadow 'signifies the looming death of a beloved series.' Fahey felt Shadow's self-titled game was when the Sonic franchise lost its identity, and dismissed those who argued in favor of his role in Sonic Adventure 2.[7]Jim Sterling, writing for GamesRadar+, ranked Shadow among the series' worst characters, arguing he lost his relevance over time and calling him 'the ultimate example of a good idea gone rotten.'[49] Despite this, in 2005 Naka said Sonic Team had determined Shadow was the series' most popular character excluding Sonic himself,[25] a finding reaffirmed in a 2009 Sega poll.[60] In 2011, Guinness World Records named Shadow among the 50 greatest video game characters of all time.[61]
In other media[edit]
Outside the video game series, Shadow appears in the anime series Sonic X, which adapts the story of the Sonic Adventure games. The original Japanese cast from the games reprised their voice roles for the game,[62] while Jason Griffith voiced Shadow in the English dub by 4Kids Entertainment.[33] In the Sonic Boom (2014â2017) spin-off franchise, Shadow appears in the 2014 games Rise of Lyric for the Wii U and Shattered Crystal for the Nintendo 3DS, and the episodes 'It Takes a Village to Defeat a Hedgehog' and both parts entitled âEggman: The Video Gameâ, voiced by Kirk Thornton.[63][64][65] He also appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic books published by Archie Comics and IDW Publishing,[66][67] and his likeness has been used in Sonic merchandise.[68]
See also[edit]
- Sonic the Hedgehog â Wikipedia book
References[edit]
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- ^ abcChau, Anthony (June 22, 2001). 'Sonic Adventure 2'. IGN. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ abcdefghiDunham, Jeremy (December 2, 2003). 'Sonic Heroes Profiles: Team Dark'. IGN. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019.
- ^ abcCastro, Juan (November 30, 2006). 'Sonic the Hedgehog Review'. IGN. Archived from the original on October 31, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ abcdCasamassina, Matt (November 17, 2005). 'Shadow the Hedgehog'. IGN. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019.
- ^ abPhillips, Tom (September 19, 2017). 'Sonic Forces will let you play as Shadow the Hedgehog'. Eurogamer. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019.
- ^ abcdFahey, Mike (September 12, 2011). 'Generations Plumbs the Darkest Corners of Sonic's History'. Kotaku. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ abcdef'Sonic's Friends / Sonic's Foes'. Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega. Archived from the original on February 17, 2009. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ abVincent, Brittany (June 28, 2018). 'These Dolce & Gabbana kicks are stealing Shadow the Hedgehog's style'. The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019.
- ^'Gaming's Most Notorious Anti-Heroes'. IGN. March 5, 2012. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019.
- ^ ab'ãã£ã©ã¯ã¿ã¼ãã¼ã¿ã·ã£ãã¦ã»ã¶ï½¥ããã¸ããã°'. Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega. Archived from the original on December 31, 2006. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^'Eggman's IQ Math Test'. Sonic the Hedgehog Super Interactive Annual 2014. Pedigree Books. August 2013. p. 15. ISBN9781908152077.
- ^Jenni (September 19, 2017). 'Sonic Forces' Episode Shadow Add-on Will Be Free At Launch'. Siliconera. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ abStahl, Ben (May 17, 2006). 'Sonic Adventure 2 Hands-On'. GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019.
- ^ abLeeper, Justin (November 21, 2006). 'Sonic The Hedgehog review'. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on April 14, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- ^Compendio, Chris (September 19, 2017). 'Shadow the Hedgehog Brings His Edge to Sonic Forces as Playable DLC'. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019.
- ^Bramwell, Tom (November 15, 2005). 'Shadow the Hedgehog'. Eurogamer. Archived from the original on January 30, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- ^Mathers, Martin (July 2001). 'Review â Sonic Adventure 2'. Dreamcast Magazine (24): 34â41.
- ^'Fast talking'. PlayStation. December 2, 2007. Archived from the original on August 28, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
I also would have to pick Shadow for the fact he is a character I created.
- ^ ab'006:åå· å¸é'. Sonic the Hedgehog (in Japanese). Sega. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ abPaul.STR337 (July 18, 2011). 'Summer of Sonic 2011: Sonic Team on Stage'. Sonic Stadium. Archived from the original on March 9, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ abcPetronille, Mark; Audureau, William (January 1, 2013). The History of Sonic the Hedgehog. Pix'n Love. pp. 248â249. ISBN1926778561.
- ^Terpstra, Arjan (2017). Official Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary Art Book. Amsterdam: Cook & Becker. p. 187. ISBN9082457652.
- ^ abPallesen, Lasse (March 24, 2005). 'Sega Confirms Shadow The Hedgehog'. Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on September 30, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ abKemps, Heidi (September 30, 2005). 'Sega's Yuji Naka Talks!'. GameSpy. p. 1. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^Castro, Juan (August 25, 2005). 'Shadow The Interview'. IGN. p. 2. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
- ^Nakamura, Shun. 'ã·ã£ãã¦ã®ã¹ãã¼ãªã¼'. Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega. Archived from the original on March 29, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ abcFrank, Allegra (September 19, 2017). 'Shadow is playable in Sonic Forces DLC'. Polygon. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ abRobinson, Martin (October 23, 2017). 'Sonic Mania and its impact on the future of the Sonic series'. Eurogamer. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^'Sonic Lost World'. Official Nintendo Magazine (94): 48â49. October 2013.
Takashi Iizuka: At Summer of Sonic a lot of people were asking if we might feature characters like Shadow, or if there was any possibility of spin-offs. The focus isnât on taking characters and building around them, but on the game itself. Obviously, if there was a game in which we could use the characters in the best way, we might consider it.
- ^ abcdSonic Team USA (June 18, 2001). Sonic Adventure 2. Sega.
- ^ abSonic Team (November 14, 2006). Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega.
- ^ ab'Jason Griffith Games Profile'. Metacritic. Archived from the original on May 6, 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^'Kirk Thorton Games Profile'. Metacritic. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ abTaylor, Martin (June 23, 2001). 'Sonic Adventure 2'. Eurogamer. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- ^ abcLiu, Johnny (July 1, 2001). 'I finally figured it out⦠Review'. Game Revolution.
- ^'Game of the week; Shadow the Hedgehog; GameCube/PS2/Xbox (rrp $79.95) Rating: 3.5/5'. Herald Sun (1): F02. February 26, 2006.
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- ^'Sega Sammy Holdings Annual Report 2006'(PDF). Sega Sammy Holdings. July 2006. p. 47. Archived(PDF) from the original on March 30, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
- ^'Fiscal Year Ended March 2007 Full Year Results'(PDF). Sega Sammy Holdings. May 14, 2007. p. 15. Archived(PDF) from the original on July 29, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
- ^'Shadow the Hedgehog for PlayStation 2 Reviews'. Metacritic. Archived from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^'Shadow the Hedgehog for Xbox Reviews'. Metacritic. Archived from the original on July 3, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^'Shadow the Hedgehog for GameCube Reviews'. Metacritic. Archived from the original on July 5, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ abcEast, Thomas (May 29, 2013). 'The best and worst Sonic characters'. Official Nintendo Magazine. p. 3. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013.
- ^ abcSterling, Jim (January 19, 2011). 'The 10 worst Sonic friends'. GamesRadar+.
- ^ abcHelgeson, Matt (January 2006). 'They Shoot Hedgehogs, Don't They?'. Game Informer. Archived from the original on May 26, 2006.
- ^ abBettenhausen, Shane (November 23, 2005). 'Shadow the Hedgehog (GC)'. 1UP.com. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014.
- ^ abcKlepek, Patrick (November 16, 2005). 'Shadow the Hedgehog'. GameSpy. pp. 1â2. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- ^Alberti, John (ed.) (2003). Leaving Springfield: 'The Simpsons' and the Possibility of Oppositional Culture. Wayne State University Press. p. 144. ISBN0-8143-2849-0.CS1 maint: Extra text: authors list (link)
- ^Freiberg, Chris (November 10, 2017). 'Sonic Forces Review'. Den of Geek!.
- ^Buchanan, Levi (February 20, 2009). 'Where Did Sonic Go Wrong?'. IGN. Archived from the original on December 17, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- ^ abParish, Jeremy (February 12, 2007). 'Hit Reset: How Sega Can Save Sonic the Hedgehog'. 1UP.com. p. 2. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012.
- ^Compendio, Chris (September 19, 2017). 'Shadow the Hedgehog Brings His Edge to Sonic Forces as Playable DLC'. Paste. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^Grayson, Nathan (August 8, 2016). 'The Internet's Shrek Obsession, Explained'. Kotaku. Archived from the original on September 14, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- ^Shea, Brian (September 19, 2017). 'Sonic Forces: Free Day One DLC Adds Shadow As Playable Character'. Game Informer. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- ^'ã½ããã¯ãã£ã³ãã«/ã¤ãã³ã/ã½ãã㯠ãã£ã©ã¯ã¿ã¼ 人æ°æ票 çµæçºè¡¨ï¼'. Sonic the Hedgehog (in Japanese). Sega. December 15, 2009. Archived from the original on December 15, 2009. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
- ^Marchiafava, Jeff (February 16, 2011). 'Guinness Names Top 50 Video Game Characters Of All Time'. Game Informer.
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- ^'It Takes a Village to Defeat a Hedgehog'. Sonic Boom. Season 1. Episode 52. November 14, 2015. Cartoon Network.
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- ^Fahey, Mike (May 29, 2013). 'Sonic The Hedgehog's 'Ultimate Life Form' Doesn't Deserve This Statue'. Kotaku. Archived from the original on November 5, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
External links[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Shadow the Hedgehog |
- Official character profiles on Sonic Central and Sonic-City (archived)
- Shadow the Hedgehog on Sonic Retro, for character stats and additional plot information
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shadow_the_Hedgehog&oldid=901459528'
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(Redirected from Shadow the Hedgehog (GameCube))
Shadow the Hedgehog |
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Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: Sega Platforms: GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox Released in JP: December 15, 2005 Released in US: November 15, 2005 Released in EU: November 18, 2005
This game has unused areas.
This game has hidden development-related text. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused cinematics. This game has unused sounds. |
This page sucks. If you could make it suck less, that would be awesome. Specifically: This page has been on the 'todo' list for half a decade now. Seriously. |
Shadow the Hedgehog loads up and goes grimdark!
- 6Test Stages
Sub-pages
Configuration Files Left in the game files in the GameCube and Xbox versions. |
Debug Font
The font from the 'Gindows' debug environment used in some Sega games, located on the root of the disc, with a name of gindows.png.
Unused Textures
InfoWindow.txd
A numerical font, similar to the font in Sonic Heroes, the only difference being the coloring of the font.
Early icons, some of which use PlayStation 2 button icons, which can also be seen in this early screenshot.
Unfinished CG Cutscene Video
An early VFX pass on the cutscene of the Eclipse Cannon's firing shot. It features unfiltered audio of Black Doom's voice in both English and Japanese on separate channels. It can only be found in the Xbox version of the game as E5022.sfd.
Unused Multiplayer Audio
Sonic was clearly removed from multiplayer early on, as the only things that remain of him are the Japanese voice clips.
Clip | Text |
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You can download the clip or download a player to play the clip in your browser. |
'Let's go! / Let's do it!' |
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'Let's do it!' |
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'Come on, Let's get started!' |
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'Just let me have some fun for a bit!' |
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'This time I'm going for real!' |
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'I won't lose to anybody if it comes to running!' |
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'What's wrong? Is that all?' |
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'Come on, the fight is just getting started!' |
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'See you! I'll hang with you again!' |
Test Stages
To do: Document further, using this resource here. Also, go into more detail with Stage 9900 here. |
This test level is made of a flat surface with various areas to test physics including several paths that twist around.it also includes assets from the 'Glyphic Canyon' stage.
The full map.
Use this Action Replay (GameCube) code and enter the second neutral level, 'Glyphic Canyon':
Stage 9900
Stage 9900 is found only in the GameCube version. The video contains information on this stage starting at 8:57.
(Source: sewer56lol)
Build Dates
A build date can be found in the game's executable.
All of the different region Xbox .xbe have different headers; however build date and time is identical.
Regions and dates below were verified on 02/16/2019.
Still missing: PlayStation 2 (JP)
Version | Hex Address | Build Date |
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GameCube (US) | 0x4CE220 | |
PlayStation 2 (US) | 0x6E87B8 | |
PlayStation 2 (EU) | 0x6EA758 | |
GameCube (JP) | 0x4CE898 | |
Xbox (US / EU / JP) | 0x435180 | |
GameCube (EU) | 0x4CF2D0 |
(Source: Ferrox & dreamsyntax)
Build Differences
Pre-Oct 16 builds, the US version of PS2 and GC only, have what is known as Chaos Control Glitch (CCG) in the speedrunning community.
In the affected builds, there are 1-3 frames of input available when activating a checkpoint, allowing to execute another action in these frames.
The EU GC version has some functions shifted around compared to the JP GC build, but in-game differences have not been noticed/documented yet.
The Sonic the Hedgehog series | |
---|---|
Sega Genesis | Sonic the Hedgehog ⢠Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Prototypes) ⢠Sonic the Hedgehog 3 ⢠Sonic & Knuckles (Prototypes) ⢠Sonic 3 & Knuckles ⢠Sonic 3D Blast (Prototypes) ⢠Sonic Spinball (Prototype) Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Prototype) ⢠Sonic Classics |
Sega Master System | Sonic the Hedgehog ⢠Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ⢠Sonic Chaos ⢠Sonic Blast ⢠Sonic Spinball Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine ⢠Sonic's Edusoft |
Game Gear | Sonic the Hedgehog (Prototype) ⢠Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Prototype) ⢠Sonic Chaos (Sample) ⢠Sonic Triple Trouble (Prototypes) Sonic Spinball (Prototype) ⢠Sonic Drift 2 ⢠Sonic Labyrinth ⢠Sonic Blast (Prototypes) Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine ⢠Tails' Skypatrol ⢠Tails Adventures |
Arcade | SegaSonic Cosmo Fighter ⢠SegaSonic the Hedgehog (Prototype) ⢠Sonic Championship |
Sega CD | Sonic CD (Prototypesâ) |
32X | Knuckles' Chaotix (Prototypes) |
Sega Pico | Sonic the Hedgehog's Gameworld ⢠Tails and the Music Maker (Prototypes) |
Windows | Sonic CD (1996, 2011) ⢠Sonic's Schoolhouse ⢠Sonic & Knuckles Collection ⢠Sonic 3D Blast ⢠Sonic R Sonic Heroes ⢠Sonic Riders ⢠Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut (2004, Demo, 2011) ⢠Sonic Adventure 2 Sonic the Hedgehog 4 - Episode II (Prototype) ⢠Sonic Generations (Demos) ⢠Sonic Lost World ⢠Sonic Mania ⢠Sonic Forces ⢠Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing ⢠Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed ⢠Team Sonic Racing |
Sega Saturn | Sonic X-treme ⢠Sonic 3D Blast (Prototype) ⢠Sonic Jam (Prototype) ⢠Sonic R (Preview) |
Game.com | Sonic Jam |
Dreamcast | Sonic Adventure (Prototypes) ⢠Sonic Adventure 2 (Prototypes) ⢠Sonic Shuffle (Debug Version) |
Neo Geo Pocket Color | Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure (Prototypes) |
Game Boy Advance | Sonic Advance (Prototype) ⢠Sonic Advance 2 ⢠Sonic Advance 3 (Prototype) ⢠Sonic Battle ⢠Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis |
GameCube | Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (Demo) ⢠Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut (Prototypes) ⢠Sonic Heroes (Prototypes) Shadow the Hedgehog ⢠Sonic Mega Collection (Prototype) ⢠Sonic Gems Collection ⢠Sonic Riders |
PlayStation 2 | Sonic Heroes ⢠Shadow the Hedgehog ⢠Sonic Riders ⢠Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity ⢠Sonic Unleashed ⢠Sonic Gems Collection |
Xbox | Sonic Heroes ⢠Shadow the Hedgehog ⢠Sonic Riders |
Nintendo DS | Sonic Rush (Demo) ⢠Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Beijing 2008) ⢠Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing ⢠Sonic Classic Collection |
PlayStation Portable | Sonic Rivals |
Xbox 360 | Sonic the Hedgehog (Demo) ⢠Sonic Unleashed (Preview) ⢠Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing ⢠Sonic Generations (Demos) ⢠Sonic Adventure 2 ⢠Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed |
Wii | Sonic Unleashed ⢠Sonic Colors ⢠Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Beijing 2008, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Prototypes) ⢠London 2012) ⢠Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing ⢠Sonic and the Black Knight |
PlayStation 3 | Sonic the Hedgehog ⢠Sonic Adventure 2 ⢠Sonic Generations (Demos) ⢠Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed |
Nintendo 3DS | Sonic Generations ⢠Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed |
Wii U | Sonic Lost World ⢠Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric ⢠Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed |
Nintendo Switch/PlayStation 4/ Xbox One |
Sonic Mania |
J2ME | Sonic the Hedgehog Mobile ⢠Sonic Jump |
N-Gage | Sonic N |
iOS/Android | Sonic the Hedgehog ⢠Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ⢠Sonic CD Sonic Jump ⢠Sonic Dash ⢠Sonic Runners |
Retrieved from 'https://tcrf.net/index.php?title=Shadow_the_Hedgehog&oldid=668179'
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Open Sonic is a free open-source game based on the 'Sonic the Hedgehog' universe. It introduces a different style of gameplay called cooperative play, in which it's possible to control 3 characters simultaneously. It works on Windows,.
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A platform game in the style of old console games such as Super Mario World and Sonic the Hedgehog. The game involves the collection of magic and its use by casting spells that grant the player special powers such as flying, seeing further. ..
- zoidsquest-0.0.1.tar.gz
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Mega Man is out for revenge. For years Mario has been hogging the limelight of Nintendo's glory. This cannot stand. You are forced to make an uneasy alliance with Sonic the Hedgehog, who wants the mustachioed plumber dead for his own reasons. ..
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Open Surge is an open source game inspired by classics like Sonic the Hedgehog. Join Surge, Neon and Charge and save the world from the evil Gimacian the Dark!Open Surge is available for Windows, Linux and other platforms.
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For fans of the original Sonic The Hedgehog game from the old Genesis and Master System days, the project aims to bring back, in C++ and using modern technologies, an open-source and fully extensible clone of the game.
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Sound Clips for MSN Messenger 7.5 and Windows Live Messenger allows you to send audio clips to your contacts instead of recording your own voice, and you don't even need a microphone! You simply choose any audio file and send it to them! The add-on. ..
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Sonic Shadow XS - Shadow the hedgehog online sonic game. Play Shadow hedgehog as main character and save the friends of Sonic Land. Collect rings to get score and beat the levels by pushing hard and fast to right side of. ..
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Use Voice Cloak Plus with Skype, Yahoo! Messenger, MSN, Google Talk, AIM, & ICQ for increased online security & instant laughs. Then record the fun! Voice Cloak Plus will save your enhanced audio in Wave, WMA, Ogg, even MP3. Listen to it later on. ..
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Yam - The Killer Potato. Take on the role of the fearless agent, Yam. Yam's mission is to infiltrate the various enemy bases around his homeworld and rescue as many MIAs as possible. Yam is a solider in the Potato Army. Many years ago the. ..
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Yam - The Killer Potato. Take on the role of the fearless agent, Yam. Yam's mission is to infiltrate the various enemy bases around his homeworld and rescue as many MIAs as possible. Yam is a solider in the Potato Army. Many years ago the. ..
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The Voice Recording Applets SDK allows to record the voice from web site, compress it to 4800bps and upload it to the web server via HTTP. To playback the recorded voice from the server the embedded voice streaming player or a separate player as a. ..
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Sonic Moto is an interesting skill game for free. Ride your motorcycle as Sonic to grab the rings and keep from crashing as you reach the exit. Enough with the running already.
- sonic_moto_v1.0.exe
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Related:Sonic The Hedgehog Pc - Sonic The Hedgehog Effects - Sonic Shadow The Hedgehog - Shadow The Hedgehog Sonic - Sonic The Hedgehog Mugen
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Introduction
Almost ever since his conception as a character, Sonic has had a voice. Though he was a silent character in most of his early video game appearances, voice acting has been a part of Sonic since the beginning, from animations to commercials to those wacky spinoff arcade games. Even Sonic CD had a few small voice clips for Sonic! In this blog, we'll be looking at the Sonic series' history with voice acting. I'll also be giving my opinions on each of the individual voice actors for the main cast. Keep in mind that I'll only be talking about the western voice actors, not the Japanese cast. And anything negative I say towards any of the voice actors is not a personal attack towards them, only constructive criticism as to how they portray the character. Ultimate books of pi pdf file. With all that said, let's spin right into it!
History
In the western world, the first taste of voice acting we'd get for the Sonic world other than commercials was in 1993, in the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog show, and the Saturday morning cartoon (SatAM). This was when Sonic was at the peak of his popularity, and they wanted someone famous to represent that. They managed to get Jaleel White (who played Steve Urkel in Family Matters), to voice the lead role of Sonic in both shows. He later reprised his role in the later show, Sonic Underground, as well as voicing his siblings. Yes, even Sonia.
Sonic Adventure would be the first game to include cutscenes with full voice acting, which became a staple for the series after that point. However in 2003, a problem arose. 4Kids got the rights to dub the anime Sonic X, replacing the main cast with their own voice actors for the show, without any communication whatsoever. Despite this, the game voice actors continued to voice the characters until Shadow the Hedgehog came out, when SEGA decided to hire 4Kids to dub the video games as well, without informing the main voice cast, which proved to be quite controversial. 4Kids would continue to dub the Sonic games until 2010, when SEGA decided to recast the characters once again, starting in Sonic Free Riders. The exception being Mike Pollock, who reprised the role of Dr. Eggman.
Opinions
Now that you know the history of Sonic's voice actors, it's time I give my opinions on how each individual voice actor portrays their character. I'll also include voice clips I found off of YouTube for reference, just in case you need a refresher on how they sound. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough space to include the voice clips for any of the cartoon voices due to Amino's space limits, and I couldn't find anything for Kathleen Delaney's Rouge voice so that isn't included either.
Remember these are my opinions, if you disagree, it's totally fine!
Sonic the Hedgehog
Over the years, Sonic's had many portrayals, but I'll only be looking at the main ones, meaning I won't be talking about his voice in games like Sonic CD, where he only had two clips.
Jaleel White
Jaleel White was the voice of Sonic in the early cartoons, and I have to say, he did a pretty good job with them. He brought that distinct attitude to his character, and gave life to so many memorable catchphrases from the classic shows, like 'Way past cool!' and 'Gotta juice!'. You can tell he had a lot of fun with his role, and he brought a very fitting voice for the 90s Classic Sonic.
Jaleel White was also considered to be the voice of Classic Sonic in Sonic Generations, but the idea was scrapped in favour of a mute Classic Sonic.
Martin Burke
In the Sonic the Hedgehog OVA movie, Sonic was voiced by Martin Burke. While he sounds like he always has a cold, I like this voice for Classic Sonic, more than Jaleel White. He has this certain charm that I can't put into words. His strange delivery of lines makes him pretty memorable, and who can forget 'STRANGE, ISN'T?!'
Ryan Drummond
Sonic [Voice clips] ~ Ryan Drummond (Sonic Adventure 2 Battle)
Sonic's first real voice actor in a game was Ryan Drummond and he did a great job at it. Ryan Drummond brought just the right amount of energy for Sonic's personality, and sounds just like I'd expect Modern Sonic, an adventurous, energetic 15-year old teen, to sound. He can get a bit cheesy, but I still love it. Ryan Drummond is definitely my favourite voice actor for Modern Sonic overall.
Jason Griffith
(Sonic Unleashed) Sonic the Hedgehog Voice clips
Once 4Kids replaced the original cast, Ryan Drummond was replaced by Jason Griffith. I know I'll catch a lot of flack on this, but I don't really like Jason Griffith as Sonic. He didn't have nearly the amount of energy as Ryan Drummond, and he had this horrible HABIT of PLACING random EMPHASIS on random WORDS, which really annoys me. While his performance and energy definitely did improve overtime in games like Sonic Unleashed and Sonic and the Black Knight, I still don't think he's able to match Ryan Drummond's portrayal.
Roger Craig Smith
Sonic Boom: Video Game - Sonic The Hedgehog Voice
In 2010, Jason Griffith was replaced by Roger Craig Smith. Where do I start? Well, first of all, I think he sounds too old to play Sonic. A lot of the time, he sounds like a grown adult trying to sound 'hip and cool' and it just doesn't work. It doesn't help matters that the current writers love to have Sonic make overused jokes like 'Baldy McNosehair' and such. Hopefully in the upcoming Sonic Forces, his performance can improve, but I'm not expecting much.
Miles 'Tails' Prower
Tails is the character whose voice has been replaced the most in the entire series, and has been voiced by both male child actors, and adult actresses.
Early Cartoon Voice Actors
In Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic SatAM, Tails has been voiced by three different actors, Christopher Welch, Christopher Turner and Bradley Pierce. But to be honest they all sound exactly the same to me, which is why they're grouped in one section. They all do an alright job at voicing Tails considering his younger portrayal in those shows, but none of them are anything memorable.
Lainie Fraiser
In the movie, Tails got his first female voice actress, and I don't think she wasn't very good. First of all, if you thought Sonic sounded like he had a cold in that, Tails is worse. It makes it difficult to clearly hear what Tails is saying, and it really gets on my nerves after a while. Please just, 'SHUT UP TAILS!'
Corey and Connor Bringas
Tails [Voice clips] ~ Corey Bringas (Sonic Adventure)
In the Adventure games, Tails was voiced by the Bringas brothers, and again, they sound the same so I'm grouping them together. In Sonic Adventure, he was voiced by Corey Bringas. He did an okay job, but he definitely sounded like he was reading off a script, and didn't handle the more emotional scenes near the end of his story all that well. By the time Sonic Adventure 2 came around, Corey was too old to voice Tails, so he was replaced by his younger brother, Connor, who sounds pretty much the same, except slightly higher pitched. I think Connor Bringas was a slight improvement over his brother, but he still sounded very much like he was reading off a script. Overall, the Bringas brothers did okay, but they're not nearly the best voice Tails could have.
William Corkery
Tails [Voice clips] ~ William Corkery (Sonic Heroes)
Puberty happened, so Connor Bringas had to be replaced by the time Sonic Heroes came out. His replacement was William Corkery, another child actor. I'll be blunt, I don't like his voice for Tails at all. While I understand he was still young at the time of recording for Heroes, he made Tails sound more like a four-year old than the eight-year old he's supposed to be, which was very jarring. He has this baby-talk that's really annoying, and unfitting for one of the smartest characters in the Sonic universe. Overall, William Corkery just wasn't a very good voice for Tails, and a testament as to why child actors aren't a good idea, besides the fact that they constantly need to be replaced.
Amy Palant
Sonic unleashed Tails Cutscenes
When 4Kids took over, Amy Palant replaced William Conkery, and became his first female voice actress in a game. My problem with her voice is that it's way too
feminine. Oftentimes, she sounds more like a girl than a woman voicing a boy. I also think she sounds a bit scratchy sometimes. She was a big improvement over the child actors however, and I think she could handle emotional scenes a bit better. Overall, she's an improvement, but still not the best.
Kate Higgins
Sonic Generations Cutscene 2: To Rescue Tails
In 2010, Amy Palant was replaced by Kate Higgins, and I can say, she's one of the best things to happen to Sonic voice acting. She's one of the few truly good voices for Tails, and she manages to create a very convincing young boy voice. She also sounds very expressive and full of character, unlike some of the child actors, who sound like they're clearly reading a script. In my opinion, she's definitely the best voice actress Tails could have.
Colleen Villard
Sonic Boom: Rise Of Lyric - Miles 'Tails' Prower Voice
Unfortunately, in 2014, Kate Higgins had to be replaced for whatever reason. Instead, Tails has been voiced by Colleen Villard (also the voice of Charmy Bee since 2010). But it's not really a big deal, as Colleen Villard sounds very similar to Kate Higgins and does a good job at voicing Tails in her own right. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference at first, so overall Colleen Villard is almost just as good as Kate Higgins.
Knuckles the Echidna
Next up is the fighting freak, Knuckles, who's had various portrayals since 1999.
Brian Drummond
Brian Drummond plays Knuckles in Sonic Underground, and despite the last names, isn't related to Ryan Drummond whatsoever, it's just a really strange coincidence. As for the voice itself.. it's okay, I guess. It sounds very nasally, and noticeably younger than the rest of his voices, but it works decently enough for a show like Sonic Underground.
Bill Wise
He plays Knuckles in the Sonic OVA, and he isn't half-bad. Like Brian Drummond, he sounds a bit younger and less deep than the rest of the voices, but I think Bill Wise is able to pull it off better. He has his comedic moments and his serious moments, and I think he does a pretty good job at both. I think he's a good Classic Knuckles, but I'm not sure how well he'd be as Modern Knuckles.
Michael McGaharn
Knuckles [Voice clips] ~ Michael McGaharn (Sonic Adventure)
In Sonic Adventure, Knuckles was given a much deeper voice than he had in the two previously mentioned cartoons. It's a decent voice, but I have a few problems, and that's the delivery of the lines themselves. He sounds very stale and emotionless, as if he was reading from a script, especially in story cutscenes. I think he sounded a lot better in his opening and closing monologues, which were pretty good.
Scott Drier
Knuckles Voice Clips (Scott Dreier) Sonic Adventure 2
Strangely, Michael McGaharn was replaced immediately after his first role. In the spin-off Sonic Shuffle, he was temporarily voiced by Ryan Drummond, however I'm not going to count that because he was clearly filler until they could find a new voice actor. By Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Heroes, they finally got a new voice actor, by the name of Scott Drier. I think he absolutely nails the role. Back in the Dreamcast era, Knuckles was often portrayed as a cool and collected, chill character, and Scott Drier fits this role perfectly. He's very relaxing to listen to. He sounds very deep, yet calm. Even in his angry moments, Knuckles is still able to keep his cool. It's a shame Scott Drier was replaced. He really fit Knuckles' personality well, which is why he's my favourite voice for Knuckles.
Dan Green
Sonic The Hedgehog (2006) - Knuckles The Echidna Voice
When 4Kids came around, Dan Green replaced Scott Drier. And I'll be honest, even though he's the fan favourite, I don't like his voice for Knuckles at all. It just didn't suit his character. Dan Green often sounds angry and hot-headed, which is a huge contrast to his previous, more calm portrayal. Dan Green made Knuckles sound much more like a generic tough guy character, which wasn't a very good change in my opinion. His personality began to shift more towards this stereotype when Dan Green took the role, as well. Even Sonic X, where Dan Green first voiced Knuckles, had him act angrier, often yelling at the other characters. This was a strange contrast to the games being released with the old voice actors, at the time of Sonic X's production. Overall, Dan Green is definitely my least favourite Knuckles voice actor in the series. I'm sorry, but he didn't fit Knuckles' old character, and began some very jarring changes in his personality.
Travis Willingham
Sonic Generations Cutscene 6 (Modern): To Rescue Knuckles
Travis Willingham replaced Dan Green in 2010, and it's a slight improvement. I think he still has a generic tough guy kind of voice, and it's a far cry from Scott Drier, but it's beginning to grow on me for sure. I've heard some of Travis Willingham's other roles and they were quite good, so I think his Knuckles voice does have potential. I hope we get an improvement in Forces. Secondly, I think his current voice is very fitting for Boom Knuckles. While I mentioned in a previous blog that I disliked Boom Knuckles, I actually don't mind him anymore. He's pretty funny at times, and Travis Willingham surprisingly does a great job at a more comedy-oriented Knuckles.
Amy Rose
Moving on, let's take a look at Sonic's self-proclaimed 'number one fan girl', Amy Rose.
Jennifer Douillard
Amy [Voice clips] ~ Jennifer Douillard (Sonic Adventure)
Jennifer Douillard does a pretty decent job at voicing Amy Rose. I think she does good at conveying Amy's characterization at this point of the series, an annoying teenage girl. My only problem is that Jennifer Douillard isn't that great during Amy's more 'heroic' moments. The execution in these scenes is usually poor, and she just ends up sounding.. off. However by the time Sonic Heroes was in the making, I think she really improved. Amy had a more important role in this game, being the leader of Team Rose, and Jennifer Douillard does a much better job at making Amy sound like a hero in this game, while still keeping that whiny voice at times. Overall, I think Jennifer Douillard had a lot of potential, but was cut from the series just a bit too soon.
Lisa Ortiz
Sonic The Hedgehog 2006 Unused Amy Voice Clips
Replacing Jennifer Douillard in the 4Kids era was Lisa Ortiz, and I think she's a very fitting voice for Amy. Like Jennifer Douillard, she fits Amy's annoying at times personality. However, I think the main thing Lisa Ortiz has going for her is her ability to express a variety of emotions. This gives Amy a lot more character. Lisa Ortiz is able to make Amy sound neutral, overjoyed, upset, enraged, and shows us more dimensions to Amy's character, making her more interesting and memorable. This makes Lisa Ortiz my favourite voice actress for Amy Rose.
Cindy Robinson
Sonic Generations Cutscene 5 (Classic): To Rescue Amy
After the 4Kids era, Lisa Ortiz was replaced by Cindy Robinson, and I can tell you, she's definitely not the fan favourite. However, I don't think she's quite as bad as she's made out to be. She definitely had a very rough start in 2010. In games like Sonic Free Riders, she sounded way too squeaky, and most people compared her voice to Cream the Rabbit and even Minnie Mouse. Even in the later Sonic Lost World, she wasn't much better, still sounding very high-pitched. But ever since then, especially in the Sonic Boom show, I've noticed definite improvement. She doesn't sound nearly as squeaky as she used to, and I actually like the voice. SEGA most likely noticed the complaints, and gave Cindy Robinson a new voice direction. Overall, while she isn't quite as good as either of the previous two voice actresses, and had a bit of a rocky start, I think that given some time, Cindy Robinson will definitely be on par with them.
Shadow the Hedgehog
Next up is our favourite Edgehog, introduced in Sonic Adventure 2, the Ultimate Lifeform, Shadow.
David Humphrey
Shadow Voice Clips (David Humphrey) Sonic Adventure 2
David Humphrey was Shadow's first voice actor, playing him in Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Heroes. David Humphrey brings a much more quiet, reserved contrast to Ryan Drummond's energetic Sonic voice. He sounds dark, but never too 'edgy', which is the best way of characterizing Shadow, in my opinion. I think he's also the best of the bunch at expressing emotions, making him sound sad and troubled due to his past, without being over the top edgy. It makes Shadow a more sympathetic character to me. Also, I like his slight accent. Overall, this is a voice direction for Shadow that I miss, and is why David Humphrey is my favourite Shadow.
Jason Griffith
Shadow the Hedgehog Game All Voice Clips
As well as voicing Sonic in the 4Kids era, Jason Griffith also provided the voice of his 'faker', Shadow. While I definitely prefer Jason's Shadow voice over his Sonic voice, I think it has some problems of its own. I think Jason Griffith wasn't quite as good at more emotional scenes as David Humphrey, and his line delivery is sometimes too over the top edgy to take seriously. While he did improve overtime like he did with his Sonic voice, I don't think Jason Griffith can really compare to David Humphrey's voice in the end.
Kirk Thornton
More Shadow Lines from Sonic Generations (Kirk Thornton, no SFX)
In 2010, Jason Griffith was replaced by Kirk Thornton, and I don't think he was a very good fit for the character. Unlike the previous two, when I hear Kirk Thornton's voice, I really can't imagine Shadow sounding like this. While David Humphrey and even Jason Griffith sounded like the anti-hero Shadow is supposed to be, Kirk Thornton sounds like a straight-up villain. Another complaint I have is that while the other two sounded more smooth, Kirk Thornton has a very rough raspy and gruff voice, which is quite jarring. Overall, he's my least favourite voice for Shadow, and I'm hoping he improves for Sonic Forces.
Rouge the Bat
Also introduced in Sonic Adventure 2 was the sassy spy, Rouge the Bat, with three voice renditions.
Lani Minella
Rouge [Voice clips] ~ Lani Minella (Sonic Heroes)
Lani Minella was the voice of Rouge in Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Heroes, and she did a pretty decent job. She fits Rouge's character, a sassy treasure hunter quite well, and makes her sound fitting enough for her age, though a little too young. There is some room for improvement with her line delivery, but it wasn't terrible.
Kathleen Delaney
4Kids replaced Lani Minella with Kathleen Delaney, and I'm just going to say it, she's easily my least favourite voice for Rouge. First of all, Rouge is supposed to be a teenager or young adult, but Kathleen Delaney makes her sound like a woman in her thirties or forties. I also think she doesn't fit quite as well to Rouge's character. Rouge is supposed to be sassy, and sometimes a little flirty, but Kathleen Delaney makes her sound much more seductive than before. I can't really see why her voice is so popular, it just doesn't mix well with me.
Karen Strassman
Sonic Generations Cutscene 15 (Classic): To Rescue Rouge
We really haven't heard too much of her voice yet, since Rouge has only really been in Generations since the voice cast change, but from what I have heard, it's a huge improvement. Karen Strassman is easily the most fitting character-wise for Rouge. She has that sassy, slightly flirty vibe to her, without being too seductive and she sounds perfect for her age, not too young like Lani Minella, and not way too old like Kathleen Delaney. I'm hoping we get to hear more of this voice soon, perhaps in Forces.
Dr. Robotnik / Eggman
Finally we'll be looking at the mad doctor and scientific genius himself, Dr. Robotnik (or Eggman if that's what you prefer). He's had many different voice actors throughout the years, being one of the first characters in the series.
Long John Baldry
In the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon, Dr. Robotnik was voiced by the late blues singer Long John Baldry. He was able to represent a more comedic take on Robotnik quite well, with famous lines like 'I HATE that hedgehog!' and 'SnooPING AS usual, I see?' He does an excellent job as a purely comedic Robotnik, but I can't see him doing a more serious role. Unfortunately he died in 2005, at the age of 64. Rest in peace, Long John Baldry.
Jim Cummings
In the darker, Saturday morning show, Robotnik was instead voiced by Jim Cummings. He nailed the role of the darker, evil dictator Robotnik from this show. His line delivery is chilling, sounding quiet yet sinister with every word. He's the polar opposite of Long John Baldry. He's perfect for a serious Robotnik, but I can't see him playing a more silly Robotnik.
Garry Chalk
Garry Chalk, the voice actor of Grounder in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, played Robotnik in Sonic Underground. I think he's okay. I just think it's kind of strange that he has his SATAM design without the voice. But really, I don't have much to say other than that, he's just kinda.. there.
Edwin Neal
In the Sonic OVA, Robotnik is voiced by Edwin Neal, and he's pretty much just as unremarkable as Garry Chalk. I do slightly prefer Edwin Neal though, because I felt he fit the character a bit more.
Deem Bristow
Eggman Voice Clips (Deem Bristow) Sonic Adventure 2
Starting with Sonic Adventure, the bad doctor was voiced by Deem Bristow. I think he did a great job of bringing out Dr. Robotnik's personality. Unlike the cartoon voices, Deem Bristow is versatile, being able to handle both serious and comedic scenes, though I think he was slightly better at the darker takes on the character. I think his one fatal flaw is line delivery, sometimes his lines come out very awkwardly, and can sound a bit weird at times, especially in Sonic Adventure 1. Though even with that flaw, Deem Bristow is an incredibly memorable voice for the character and I think he did an excellent job.
Unfortunately, in 2005, the same year Long John Baldry died, Deem Bristow passed away due to a heart attack at the quite young age of 57. Both will be missed.
Mike Pollock
Sonic Generations - Final Cutscene
Taking the torch of the role of Eggman, due to his experience in Sonic X, Mike Pollock replaced the late Deem Bristow. Fortunately, I think he's able to live up to his legacy and does a fantastic job of voicing Eggman in his own right. Like Deem Bristow, he's able to do both comedic and serious takes of the character, though I think he excels at the more comedy oriented role he's known for in the modern games. Due to being a good fit for the character, and having lots of experience with voice acting, SEGA decided to keep Mike Pollock as the voice of Eggman when they recasted the characters in 2010, making him the voice actor who's been in the series for the longest. And it shows. Due to being comfortable and experienced with his character, he sounds the most consistent out of the current cast, and he's a fan favourite among the Sonic fanbase.
Do I prefer Mike Pollock over Deem Bristow? I don't know if I can say that. Both had very memorable takes on the character, and do a great job at bringing out our favourite scientific genius' personality. I think I'll give the slight edge to Deem Bristow because I prefer his slightly more serious voice for the character, but Mike Pollock is a very close second place.
Overall
To recap, my favourite voice actor for Sonic is Ryan Drummond for the energy he gives the character.
My favourite voice for Tails is Kate Higgins, for making him sound like a boy, and providing a consistent sounding voice. Colleen Villard is also great for sounding near identical to Kate Higgins.
For Knuckles, I like Scott Drier for making him sound like the reserved, calm character he used to be.
I like Lisa Ortiz for giving Amy a variety of emotions and making her a more dynamic character.
My favourite voice actor for Shadow is David Humphrey for making him sound dark without going too over the top.
When you find the program LAME v3.99.3 (for Windows), click it, and then do one of the following: Windows Vista/7/8: Click Uninstall. Windows XP: Click the Remove or Change/Remove tab (to the right of the program). Follow the prompts. A progress bar shows you how long it will take to remove LAME. Download lame for audacity windows 10.
My favourite actress for Rouge is Karen Strassman because she's a good fit for her personality and age.
And finally, I like Deem Bristow for being able to bring out Eggman's personality well, and Mike Pollock for his experience and charm at portraying the character.
Also, I know I didn't talk about Cream, but honestly every single voice of hers sounds exactly the same to me, so there really wasn't much to say.
Closing Thoughts
So there you have it, my opinions on each of the voice actors for the main cast. What are your thoughts? I'd love to hear them in the comments section. Thanks for reading and until next time, see ya!
EDIT: Thank you for the feature!
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- For other uses of the term, see Shadow the Hedgehog (disambiguation).
Shadow the Hedgehog
Appearances
First appearance
Game appearances
- Sonic Pinball Party(Mentioned)
- Sonic Riders(unlockable)
- Sonic and the Secret Rings(unlockable)
- Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity(unlockable)
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl(Cameo)
- Sega Superstars Tennis(unlockable)
- Sonic Unleashed(Mentioned)
- Sonic and the Black Knight(multiplayer only)
- Sonic Colors(DS version)
- Sonic Jump(Cameo)
- Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U(Cameo)
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate(Cameo)
Appearances in other media
Real-world designer(s)
Creator (real-world)
Artist
Voice actor(s)
English voice actor(s)
- David Humphrey(2001-2004)
- Jason Griffith(2005-2010)
- Kirk Thornton(2010-present)
Japanese voice actor(s)
Other language voice actor(s)
- Benoît DuPac(French)
- Maurizio Merluzzo(Italian, 2011 1st voice)
- Riccardo Lombardo(Italian, 2011 2nd voice)
- Claudio Moneta(Italian)
- Klaus Lochthove(German)
- Manuel Gimeno(Spanish)
Biographical overview
Age
Creator
Birthplace
Relative(s)
Nickname(s)
- The Ultimate Lifeform
- The Ultimate Hedgehog
- Fake Hedgehog
- Black Wind
- The Black Hedgehog
- The Black Blur
- Faker
- Traitor (by Black Doom)
- Android (by Eggman)
Species
Physical description
Gender
Height
Weight
Fur
Skin
Eyes
Attire
- White gloves with black and red-tongued cuffs
Alignment and character traits
Alignment
Affiliation(s)
- Eggman Empire(formerly)
- Resistance(formerly)
Likes
- Training and improving his abilities
- Solitude
- Justice
- Peace and quiet
- Proving that he is the Ultimate Lifeform
- Fulfilling his promise to Gerald Robotnik to protect the earth
Dislikes
- Anyone who can rival him
- When someone claims to be stronger than him
- Anyone who opposes him
- Deception
- Insults
- When someone gets in his way
- Wasting time
- Losing
Powers and abilities
Skills
- Immortality
- Super speed
- Super strength
- Enhanced durability
- Enhanced jump
- Enhanced stamina
- Extreme acrobatic skills and reflexes
- Indomitable will
- Hand-to-hand combat skills
- Weapon and firearms combat skills
- Vehicle intuition
- Extreme Gear riding skills
- Harnessing chaos energy
- Dark Shadow and Hero Shadow transformation
- Chaos Boost transformation
- Hyper-go-on usage
Moves and techniques
- Atomic Strike(requires Sonic)
- Chaos Inferno(requires Rouge and Omega)
- Focus Field(requires Omega)
- Spin Kick
Ability type
If the world chooses to become my enemy.. I will fight like I always have!
â Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).[4]
â Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).[4]
Shadow the Hedgehog (ã·ã£ãã¦ã»ã¶ã»ããã¸ããã°ShadÅ za Hejjihoggu?) is a fictional character from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is an anthropomorphic hedgehog/Black Arm hybrid and the arch-rival of Sonic the Hedgehog. Shadow was created as the 'Ultimate Life Form' (究極çå½ä½KyÅ«kyoku Seimeitai?) by Gerald Robotnik, using the DNA of Black Doom, and is the end result of Project Shadow. His purpose was to provide ways to develop a cure for incurable deadly illnesses, more specifically for Gerald's granddaughter Maria Robotnik, but he was captured and put into stasis by the military when he was deemed as a threat to humanity.
Fifty years later, Shadow was released by Dr. Eggman in order to enlist him in his plan to conquer the world. Initially, Shadow worked with him but secretly sought to destroy the planet in order to avenge Maria, who had been killed by the military, but was persuaded to save it from Gerald's doomsday plans. In the process, Shadow lost his memories and as such, sought to uncover the truth of his past, during which he met Black Doom and the Black Arms; in the end, Shadow regained his memories, uncovered the truth, and thwarted Black Doom's agenda and saved the world. From there, he continued his mission to protect humanity by becoming a special agent of GUN.
Shadow is sharp-witted, always on edge, and has a strong sense of purpose, willing to accomplish his goals by any means.[5] Essentially a dark version of Sonic, Shadow can match him in both speed and skill, and can use Chaos Control with a Chaos Emerald. While preferring to work alone, he has helped Sonic and his allies when needed.
Concept and creation
After the success of Sonic Adventure, it was only natural to assume that a sequel would be produced. Hoping that the game would be for the Dreamcast what Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was for the Mega Drive, a portion of the team responsible for the first Adventure title was sent off to work at Sega of America. It was led by director Takashi Iizuka, while Yuji Naka remained back in Japan to work on other properties, including Phantasy Star Online. With the team in place, brainstorming soon began on what form Sonic Adventure 2 would take.
Early on, it was decided that one of the main themes of the game would be the dichotomy between good and evil. To help explore that, the creators came up with new characters that would both assist Dr. Eggman and challenge the established cast of heroes. Though Yuji Uekawa was tasked drawing the final design of the character, it was Takashi Iizuka who conceived the idea Shadow,[1] coming up with the idea to use a dark, anti-hero figure who was similar to Sonic in shape, but not in personality. Shiro Maekawa was the one who came up with Shadow's final design.[2]
When being designed, the character's original name was 'Terios,' which translates to 'reflection of,' more than likely to play off of the hero/villain dynamic within the game.
Once Sonic Adventure 2 was announced, the identity and nature of Shadow was a heavily-guarded secret. The character was first shown to the public in the first game trailer for Sonic Adventure 2; however, his name was not revealed. GameStop described what little was shown as Anti-Sonic - similar in appearance, but with darker skin, more angled eyes, and a fearsome scowl instead of Sonic's trademark grin.'[6]
When Shadow seemingly died in Sonic Adventure 2, there rose a huge fanbase for Shadow to appear in more games, after being disappointed by his 'death'. This let Takashi Iizuka input Shadow as a playable character in Sonic Heroes and even star in his own game, Shadow the Hedgehog.[7] In fact, Takashi Iizuka said that they maintained the mystery around the character of Shadow the Hedgehog and had wanted to feature him in his own game since he was introduced.[8] For the Shadow the Hedgehog game, after feeling that it would be inappropriate to give Sonic's character a gun as fans had requested in mailings,[9] Yuji Naka believed that by focusing on Shadow for his own game, they could use his different identity from Sonic to build upon the Sonic brand.[10]
Appearance
Shadow is a black hedgehog with red stripes on his quills, around the edges of his eyes, and on his arms and legs. He has red eyes, a patch of white fur on his chest, and his muzzle is tan. He has six quills on his head, four of which curve upwards and two that curve downwards, two spines on his back, and a small tail.For attire, Shadow wears white gloves with black cuffs and red tongues, and Air Shoes which, like his gloves, have black cuffs and red tongues. On each of his wrists and ankles, he wears a single gold ring.
Following Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), Shadow's Air Shoes' red paint is scratched off on the front and his eyes have become more red-orange in color.
Personality
Shadow is a brooding loner, to put it bluntly. He usually acts with a cool and businesslike indifference, only occasionally showing his vulnerable side. He is rarely seen with others for an extended period of time and usually distances himself from essentially everyone. He is usually blunt and doesn't speak much, but he always knows exactly what to say in combat. However, Shadow never bluffs. If he makes a threat, he has every intention of carrying it out.
Shadow also does not mind boasting about how powerful he is, calling himself the 'Ultimate Lifeform' and, like Sonic, can be extremely arrogant, often belittling his opponents and insulting their lack of strength. He believes no one can beat him and tends to see anyone as a fool for challenging him. Shadow also has a ruthless and merciless edge in combat that all other characters in the series lack and displays a natural 'killer instinct'.
Shadow's infamous ruthlessness and aggression lead to fear and a nervousness that inhibits characters from his unshakable intent or sheer power in combat. Numerous characters from the Sonic series have shown absolute dread from encountering Shadow. Shadow's enemies never treat him lightly; he is one of the very few people Sonic takes seriously and ever acts truly hostile towards.
Alongside his dark and violent demeanor, Shadow can be smug and stubborn. He treats others in a very callous manner, throwing in his opinion no matter how cold-hearted it is and not caring for whatever the response is. Shadow is also shown to have a sharp wit, like in Sonic Adventure 2, where after Sonic calls him a faker, he replies that Sonic isn't worth being considered his fake, and in Shadow the Hedgehog, he taunts Black Doom's eye for having trouble with GUN. This attitude is reflected in the original Japanese version, where Shadow omits honorifics and speaks highly of himself (if not rudely), though contrasting this, in Japanese he normally uses the 'boku' pronoun when referring to himself as opposed to the more arrogant/confident 'ore' pronoun (which characters such as Sonic use).
On occasion, Shadow appears to have some degree of mental instability. This is demonstrated by his instances of post-traumatic flashbacks to Maria's face prior to and during the events of Shadow the Hedgehog, though it could be argued that they were simply an effect of his amnesia. In many games Shadow is featured in, he pursues his foes with disturbing determination; that is to say he'll go to any length to accomplish something he desires or feels should be a certain way, no matter what the cost. In Sonic Forces, it is heavily implied that Shadow ruthlessly slaughtered an entire mercenary band not only in an extremely dismissive, nonchalant manner (not even remembering the incident a few months later), but also seemed slightly proud, mocking the mercenary defense squad by saying they themselves needed a defense squad. He also demonstrated rather coarse and even profane language in his own game.
Shadow also possesses a strong sense of identity. As evidenced when after falsely being told that he isn't the Ultimate Lifeform due to a lab report, he states to Rouge that even if his memories were fake, he is still Shadow the Hedgehog. Similarly in Sonic Heroes, during the Egg Fleet level, he mentions that, even without his memories, he is still the Ultimate Lifeform, Shadow the Hedgehog. These qualities make him rarely susceptible to being manipulated by other forces.
Despite his apathetic nature, Shadow is not without compassion. When Omega begins his attack in Sonic Heroes, Shadow could have easily forgotten about Rouge and engaged Omega without defending her. Instead, Shadow saves her from Omega, despite having absolutely no memory of her. He was also shown to be legitimately shocked when he learned that his goal of gaining the Chaos Emeralds to restore his memories was actually manipulated by Black Doom in order to wipe out humanity. Likewise, when the GUN Commander finally confronts him with his own memories of Shadow's nightmarish creation, Shadow agrees to face judgment if he was indeed responsible for the ARK massacre 50 years ago. In Sonic Colors DS, Shadow was also shown to be worried about the possibility of Sonic and Tails getting hurt while trying to save the wisps, much to their surprise. However, he remained dismissive about his concern for them. He spent the majority of Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood trying to find Omega out of worry for his well-being. He was also quite enraged when he found out that the Marauders had been hurting Omega and helped him to get revenge.
Shadow is often depressed about the loss of Maria, which is why he keeps to himself, but his relationship with Maria is obvious as he goes to great lengths to protect the planet and keep her dream of peace and prosperity alive. He also maintains a strong bond with his teammates, Rouge and Omega, proving that while his attitude makes him seem like a careless person, he does have some compassion. Shadow brushes off most kindness or sympathy that is sent his way; in Sonic Heroes, when Rouge showed concern for Shadow when he saw a broken android of himself, suspecting Team Dark's Shadow might be an android too, Shadow curtly brushed her concern away. In Shadow the Hedgehog, after Sonic suggested some 'friendly competition,' Shadow bluntly rejected his offer. At times, however, Shadow is shown to appreciate genuine care. In Sonic Adventure 2, after Amy made him remember his promise to Maria, Shadow openly decided to keep his promise to protect the planet both to Maria and her. Another instance is in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), when Rouge told him that she would always be by his side, he acknowledged her.
Despite the fact that Shadow often fights for the greater good, he is considered an anti-hero for the most part due to his morality and means to his desired end goals. He does whatever is necessary to get what he wants or feels is right, though this enthusiasm causes him to take risks and jump into situations without fully thinking it through.[11] Alongside Rouge he has also taken prize money and jewels upon winning in Sonic Free Riders. He and Rouge disregard the opening and closing ceremonies for the Grand Prix, showing up late without a third teammate and, if they win the Grand Prix, starting to walk off right away with what turn out to be dummy versions of the prize money and gems. Regardless, Shadow does have his moments of selflessness and heroism. He nearly sacrificed his life at the end of Sonic Adventure 2 to save Earth and helped Silver uncover the truth of the Solaris Project, after saving Sonic from him, in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).
Shadow The Hedgehog Soundboard
Powers and abilities
Physical abilities
Shadow is easily capable of matching Sonic's abilities in both speed and power.[12][13][14] Although he is not as strong as characters like Knuckles the Echidna, Shadow has superhuman strength; with effort, he can overturn large objects many times his weight and size such as trucks, buses and large slabs of concrete with one hand. Like other characters in the series, Shadow can also move at super speeds, an innate talent that members of the hedgehog species possess,[15] and can evenly match even Sonic's speed as well,[16][17] who can run at hypersonic speeds. While Shadow's Air Shoes are credited as the source of his speed,[18] his powerful body allows him to easily rival Sonic's world class speed as well.[19] While there is some inconsistency about how fast the two are compared to each other, Shadow has admitted that Sonic is the faster of the two of them.[20]
Shadow is extremely acrobatic, agile, and an experienced athlete[21] capable of gracefully leaping over any obstacles that head his way and performing various forms of nimble movements. He has radical reaction time to match his movements, being able to react to danger within a split second.
Shadow has incredible resilience to damage, being able to survive otherwise fatal situations even by the standards of superhuman creatures, making him nearly indestructible. He is impervious to bullets and can take a lot of major punishment in battle before he starts to wear down. The most prominent testament to his durability, however, was in Sonic Adventure 2 when Shadow survived his fall down to Earth from space and re-entry in the atmosphere before Eggman's robots rescued him. Despite surviving this, the experience left him with enough physical trauma to give him amnesia. Even after receiving major damage, Shadow displays a remarkably fast recovery rate, allowing him to quickly get back up in a matter of moments.
Due to being the successful culmination of Project Shadow, Shadow is immortal, does not physically age, and is presumably immune to disease. Furthermore, due to being partly Black Arms, Shadow has a connection to the Black Arms' hive-mind, allowing him to sense his kinds' presence and is immune to the Black Arms' nerve gas.
Shadow possesses tremendous willpower and unbreakable determination and, as a result, has absolute refusal to give up in any of his missions and never surrenders; he will see his goals to the end. His willpower allows him to keep on fighting when utterly exhausted, after taking an excessive amount of damage, or when he is severely outnumbered and outgunned. His will even lets him psychologically resist mind control powers. For example, Shadow was able to regain control from Black Doom despite him being part Black Arms and therefore susceptible to Black Doom's influence.
Chaos Powers
Shadow is naturally able to tap into the arcane powers of any nearby Chaos Emeralds to utilize their chaos energy to empower himself and can use a wide variety of Chaos Powers as well. Shadow can harness both positive and negative chaos energy, depending on his state of mind. His Chaos Powers are so potent that should he remove his restraints, he becomes a walking dynamo of raw power, releasing such tremendous amounts of innate energy that it forms an impenetrable barrier around him. While in this state, Shadow gains increased strength and speed,[22] enough to overpower hundreds of Mephiles the Dark clones at once. However, using his full power tires him out more quickly.[22]
Shadow's trademark Chaos Power is Chaos Control, and is possibly the most adept user of it in the series, having mastered it to perfection. With Chaos Control, he can manipulate space and time to slow down time and warp across space, and can use it delicately enough to distort space in small centralized areas, such as around his fists or in midair. Additionally, he can mold Chaos Control into a variety of offensive and defensive moves and can even use it to heal himself. It is unknown what Shadow's full limit for warping time and space with Chaos Control is, but it has been shown that he can warp objects and people with him all the way into space.
As described in Shadow the Hedgehog, all of Shadow's Chaos Powers increase in power with the number of Chaos Emeralds he possesses. Furthermore, he can draw power from the Emeralds without making physical contact.
Combat skills
In combat, Shadow is a lethal and extremely powerful force that very few can defeat. He never holds back his immense strength, making him a brutal fighter with a distinct killer instinct. Shadow's skills are more than a match for even the strongest in the series and has been able to take down some of the most fearsome foes of the series on his own, such as Black Doom. To best put his skills in perspective, as seen in some of the scenarios in Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow is one of the very few individuals who has been able to defeat Sonic in combat, even when Sonic had the Diablon for support.
Fighting style
Shadow's fighting style focuses on brutal, unrestrained and powerful hand-to-hand combat. In line with his nature and potent abilities, Shadow has adopted a fighting style where he fights his opponents using powerful blows, such as karate chops, swift punches and roundhouse kicks. With the speeds Shadow can move at, he can disable the opponent through the force of his blows alone, leaving them at the mercy of his incoming attacks.
Shadow's fighting style revolves around making heavy use of his Chaos Powers, especially Chaos Control and Chaos Spear. Using Chaos Control, Shadow can teleport up in front of or behind his opponents in battle to launch surprise attacks. Also, Shadow can use Chaos Control to increase the damage he deals to his opponent when striking them, often resulting in significant forces being released and blowing the opponent a certain distance away. Shadow will use these Chaos Powers and any other means necessary to overwhelm his opponents.
Techniques and moves
Like Sonic, Shadow's basic combat moves revolve around the various forms of the Spin Attack where he curls tightly into a concussive ball while in locomotion to damage, mow down, or burrow through obstacles and foes. The Homing Attack allows Shadow to dash in midair toward a target, the Spin Jump lets him curl into a ball and attack opponents by landing on them, and the Spin Dash lets him shoot himself forward as an acceleration roll at full speed while mowing down enemies and obstacles. He is also able perform the Boost where he turns himself into a highly destructive projectile by moving at high speed, though Shadow uses the fire from his Air Shoes to propel himself forward rather than skating like usual. The Light Speed Dash and Light Speed Attack also allows Shadow to achieve light speed movements for either exploration or combat.
A less frequent technique that Shadow uses is the Black Tornado, in which Shadow jumps into the air and creates a black whirlwind by circling a particular spot at high speeds, which can throw his opponents into the air or blow away armor and weapons. For more direct combat, Shadow has his Chaos Attack in which he deals a barrage of chaos energy-fueled strikes to his opponents, and his Spin Kick lets him create a small tornado that can suck in enemies to strike them.
Many of Shadow's signature techniques are Chaos Powers. His trademark move is Chaos Control which lets him manipulate time and space to either warp across space, slow down time, or distort space to form other types of Chaos Powers. His second most used Chaos Power is his Chaos Spear technique, in which he throws bolts of chaos energy at his opponent. However, his most powerful technique is Chaos Blast, in which Shadow releases a shockwave of chaos energy that eliminates everything within its range. Alternatively, he can focus it into a beam for more concentrated damage.
Miscellaneous skills
As seen during the second EX Grand Prix, Shadow is an expert Extreme Gear rider. During the tournament, he was able to put up quite a fight and even defeat some of the world's best Extreme Gear riders. When riding on an Extreme Gear, Shadow is skillful enough to ride on rails, execute complex tricks while in midair, and even perform his Chaos Powers and combat moves with ease. Also, Shadow may have some knowledge about machinery, being able to fiddle with a deactivated Omega and deduce he was in stand-by mode.
Shadow is not above using weaponry and equipment, and demonstrates proficient skills in a wide range of firearms, semi-automatics, heavy assault, and close-combat weapons. In addition, Shadow also has excellent skills when it comes to driving or piloting all forms of vehicles, from militaristic war machines to advanced racecars.
Equipment
Shadow wears a pair of specialized shoes called Air Shoes. These footwear are the primary source of Shadow's speed,[18] producing small jet streams that let him hover-skate at speeds rivaling,[23] and possibly even surpassing Sonic's speed.[24] Alternatively, Shadow can use his Air Shoes to produce fire to attack opponents with, improve his jumps, or achieve midair hovering.[25]
Shadow wears four gold rings, one on each of his wrists and ankles, that limit the amount of power he uses during combat and other situations. By removing them, Shadow is able to use his full power, turning him into a nigh-unstoppable force.
Transformations
Super Shadow
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, but he has since mastered it.
Hero Shadow
Main article: Hero Shadow
In Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow is able to transform into Hero Shadow with the use of positive chaos energy, whenever his mind is fueled by thoughts of justice. In this state, Shadow is temporarily invincible and can perform a large scale use of Chaos Control. However, it only lasts for a short time.
Dark Shadow
In Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow is able to transform into Dark Shadow with the use of negative chaos energy, whenever his mind is fueled by thoughts of evil. In this state, Shadow is temporarily invincible and can perform a large scale use of Chaos Blast. Like Hero Shadow, this form lasts for a short time.
Chaos Boost
Main article: Chaos Boost
In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), Shadow can access an enhanced state dubbed the Chaos Boost. In this state, his 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.
Weaknesses
While not having any physical weaknesses, Shadow was initially a somewhat easy target for manipulation during the time he had amnesia due to his confusion about who he was and his eagerness to learn anything more about his past. Dr. Eggman could deceive him with lies about his past and Black Doom could subtly manipulate him using visions. Similarly, it is heavily implied that the reason he thought Maria's last wish was revenge against humanity was that Gerald Robotnik implanted false memories of her death. However, after learning of his true purpose, Shadow was no longer as easily deceived.
Being part Black Arms, Shadow is partially an extension of Black Doom, making him vulnerable to mind control exerted by Black Doom himself. However, Shadow can fight this influence through sheer resolve and willpower.
Relationships
Gerald Robotnik
Shadow, I'm counting on you.
I know, Professor.. The Ultimate life form born to ensure peace and justice amongst all of mankind. Now, I know what I have to do.
â Gerald and Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog
I know, Professor.. The Ultimate life form born to ensure peace and justice amongst all of mankind. Now, I know what I have to do.
â Gerald and Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog
Shadow was created by the renowned scientist Gerald Robotnik, using Black Doom's DNA. Gerald had made many attempts to create the Ultimate Lifeform before Black Doom and his children, the Black Arms, came to earth. Unfortunately, the closest he came was the Biolizard. Black Doom, however, approached Gerald and offered his help, but only on one condition; if Black Doom helped Gerald, the professor must promise to deliver the seven Chaos Emeralds to him. Gerald agreed to these terms and Black Doom gave some of his DNA, which was added to the samples that Gerald had already obtained. The outcome of this experiment was Shadow the Hedgehog. Gerald seems to be one of few people whom Shadow felt happy around, and the professor might have acted as a surrogate father to him. This is further proven when Gerald refers to the hedgehog as his 'son', having given Shadow genuine emotions to prevent him from becoming a weapon as the government intended. However, despite these predisposed emotions, after defeating the Finalhazard, Shadow states that he promises to 'destroy all evil that the professor had created,' implying that, while he might still respect Gerald Robotnik, he nonetheless feels that any bad things that Gerald Robotnik had done after going insane must be stopped.
In the Last Story of Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow finally uncovered the true purpose of his creation from Gerald's recorded video. And in order to put the past behind him, he decided to fulfill Gerald's true wish of protecting the planet by destroying the Black Arms and any future threats that may come Earth's way.[26]
Maria Robotnik
Maria.. I still remember what I've promised you: For the people of this planet.. I promise you.. REVENGE!
â Shadow, Sonic Adventure 2
â Shadow, Sonic Adventure 2
Professor Gerald's granddaughter, Maria Robotnik, is by far the one person that made Shadow the happiest. She was like a sister to him and they shared the same dream: to visit earth. Unfortunately, G.U.N. deemed Project Shadow to be too big a threat to the world. As a result, they eliminated everyone and everything they could in relation to the project. Maria was shot and killed by G.U.N. during the raid on the ARK. Her last parting words were 'Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog,' Shadow still stays strong to keep his promise to her and mourned her death, although at the end of Shadow the Hedgehog, he implies that he is putting his past behind him.
Shadow The Hedgehog Video Game
Doctor Eggman
Shadow.. Can you hear me? This might be the last chance I have to speak to you, so.. What I said about having created you, it was all a lie. Everyone thought you died during that horrible incident.. but I rescued you with one of my robots. You lost your memory, that's all. You really ARE the ultimate lifeform my Grandfather created!
â Dr. Eggman, Shadow the Hedgehog
â Dr. Eggman, Shadow the Hedgehog
Shadow's approach to Eggman is different from most characters in the Sonic series. Shadow sees Eggman as the super-genius he has proven to be, rather than the megalomaniac that Sonic and the others see him as. This can be backed up by the fact that Shadow almost always calls Eggman by his title 'the Doctor', as opposed to his alias of 'Eggman.' Eggman has shown similar respect by referring to Shadow's powers as 'spectacular' and by how he sometimes applauds Shadow. This is seen in Shadow the Hedgehog during a cutscene where Eggman remarks, 'Excellent job, Shadow.'
Even though Shadow and Eggman display a level of respect toward each other, they also exhibit some disdain toward one another. This can be backed up in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) when Eggman refers to Rouge as his 'dear Rouge' and just flatly states Shadow's name. In the same game, when Shadow breaks through the ceiling of his base, Eggman responds with, 'wouldn't the door have been easier? So..What do you want now?' The disgusted tone may refer to Shadow having just smashed the ceiling. In Shadow the Hedgehog, Eggman tells Shadow, 'You will obey me, or there will be dire consequences'. In three possible storylines in Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow even kills Eggman. Even though Shadow and Eggman have some respect for each other, they still do not regard each other as anything more than acquaintances at best, enemies at worst.
In Sonic Forces, it seems that Shadow and Eggman are completely enemies, as Shadow attacks an installation of Eggman while the doctor wants to see Shadow destroyed.
Sonic the Hedgehog
So, there's more to you than just looking like me.
â Shadow, Sonic Adventure 2
â Shadow, Sonic Adventure 2
Shadow's arch-rival is none other than Sonic the Hedgehog. The house on mango street. At first Shadow tried to disregard Sonic, but Sonic's quips quickly sparked a mutual rivalry in Sonic Adventure 2. Since meeting each other, there has been a never-ending competition between the two, and their battles can range from friendly races to fierce death battles. In any case, one always wants to outdo the other.
When they first met, Shadow believed Sonic to have been copying him, and vice-versa from Sonic. He later retained this belief in Sonic Heroes, largely because of his amnesia.
Shadow and Sonic frequently fight due to their very different views on justice, morality, and how to act on them. Their constant disagreements sometimes turn to bitter fights. Both don't care what the other thinks of their views. In a sense, the two hedgehogs are polar opposites in every way except their appearance. Almost every time they meet, they fight ferociously. Neither is ever willing to accept defeat. Their rivalry has developed over time and is now more friendly,[27] yet still fiercely intense as Shadow thinks that Sonic is his rival in all aspects of his life.[28]
Despite their fierce arch-rivalry, Shadow and Sonic do share some mutual respect for each other,[29] In fact, Shadow and Sonic have helped each other on several occasions. Shadow helped Sonic defeat Metal Sonic in Sonic Heroes, allied himself and Rouge with Team Sonic to return both teams to their proper time period, and saved the blue hedgehog from Silver's second attempt on his life in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). He showed slight vulnerability in the face of Sonic's death and even admitted that they cannot defeat Solaris without his help.[30] He also motivated Sonic to defeat the Time Eater in Sonic Generations and even attended his birthday party, despite being the only one not to wave goodbye to Classic Sonic. He even raced to help out Sonic in Sonic Forces but was unfortunately too late. Nonetheless, Shadow did help him later in the game. Overall, while the two still are at odds because of their conflicting views, there is also a mutual respect between them.[31] They are both willing to put their differences aside and help each other when needed. In recent games, Shadow is more confident about Sonic doing what is right and Sonic has more acceptance of Shadow's harsher approach as well.
On a similar note, he also has some distaste for being confused with Sonic, as evidenced by his fierce reaction to Toad mistaking him for the latter in the Adventure Mode of the Nintendo DS version's Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games and Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where interacting with Shadow as a Mii character in the latter game will have Shadow react irritably towards the Mii character noting his physical resemblance with Sonic, and demand that the Mii character not ever put him on the same boat as Sonic, whom he referred to as an 'inferior half-wit.'[32]
Rouge the Bat
Shadow.. Even if you believe everyone in the world will be against you. Know that I'll always remain by your side. Remember that.
â Rouge the Bat, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
â Rouge the Bat, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
Shadow has a companionship with Rouge the Bat that is based mainly on partnership during the games. The two are teammates in Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Heroes, and they often work together during mission stages but do not spend time in the other's presence outside of duty alliance. This marks them as occasional teammates when it comes down to appreciation, respect, and consideration over the term of 'best friends.' Shadow has not shared the closeness of opening up to neither Omega or Rouge the way best friends would do, let alone accompanying them as casual company due to his independent and distant nature, unlike how Sonic interacts with his companions. Nonetheless, the fact that Rouge is one of the closest people for Shadow to interact with (excluding Gerald and Maria, who are dead) is certain. Shadow was implied to have at least heard of her before their formal meeting onboard the Space Colony ARK, as Shadow responds, 'Now I know who you are! You're that government spy, Rouge the Bat, aren't you!' when stumbling upon her true intentions at the controls of the Eclipse Cannon.
In Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow saved her life when Rouge was trapped in Security Hall, though when she questioned him about his actions later aboard the ARK, he told her he only returned for the Chaos Emeralds that she had acquired. However, it's still unknown if he didn't lie; Rouge teased that this wasn't 'the whole story.' Their conversation was then interrupted by Dr. Eggman.
In Sonic Heroes, Shadow saves Rouge from Omega's fire when not even remembering her. Later, when they find a broken Shadow Android, Rouge looks over to Shadow with pity and asks, 'Shadow..?' in a sympathetic mannerism, while he simply dismisses the situation.
In Sonic Battle, Rouge implies that she may hold a certain level of attraction towards Shadow and lets him stay with her at Club Rouge when he is injured during a fight at the Gimme Shelter. When Shadow is dreaming and an image of Rouge appears and he whispers, 'Ally.' After he regains consciousness Rouge seems somewhat offended when he doesn't thank her for helping him. Upon finding out she saved him, Shadow thanks her.
In Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow shows he is protective of Rouge's well-being. Once when catching her from a fall after she was momentarily knocked out by one of Dr. Eggman's robots, and again when he jumps in front of her after Iblis takes them all by surprise. When E-123 Omega reveals to Shadow that he is the one who traps him in the future; Rouge tells Shadow, 'Even if you believe the entire world will be against you, know that I will always remain by your side.. Remember that..' Shadow pauses, then strongly replies, 'I will.' However, this event was erased along with the rest of the events within the game after the 'future was reversed.' Nonetheless, it is implied in Sonic Forces that she ultimately stayed true to that claim and maintained contact with Shadow while he was still assumed to have gone rogue due to his replica. This is evidenced by how, when, reconvening with Rouge, he asks her about whether she found what he had requested earlier.[33]
In Sonic Rivals, after Shadow saves Rouge from Eggman Nega, Rouge tries to convince him to going treasure hunting with her and suggests the two 'take a peek' into their own future using Eggman Nega's device. Shadow declines and the story ends with Rouge still trying to convince Shadow to join her in hunting for the remaining cards.
In Sonic Rivals 2, their encounter was less than friendly from their previous ones to separate the fact their overall relationship seems to be more partner-focused when they ally for the occasion rather than best-friend designated. Shadow is consistently trying to stop Rouge and Knuckles from reaching the Chaos Emeralds at all costs, seeking to manipulate the Chaos-tracking device from Rouge. Rouge tells Shadow that he can trust her and Shadow tells her about the Ifrit. When Rouge mentions her client, Shadow demands to know who her client is, but Rouge refuses against him, leading him to yell after for her to, 'get back here.' When Shadow catches up to her, Rouge still refuses to tell him about her client as Shadow mildly threatens her, and then she trips him over and replies that he was being 'clumsy,' and he growls, 'Why you..!' The conversation then devolves into a fight between the two, proving that although they may be good friends, that does not mean that they let each other get in the way of their goals.
In Sonic Free Riders, both Shadow and Rouge appear as Team Dark along with E-10000B. Their main focus during the game is winning the treasure and prize money. Unlike in previous games, Shadow seems perfectly content with helping Rouge obtain the treasure she covets.
E-123 Omega
Shadow has a very close relationship with Omega who, other than Maria and Rouge, may be Shadow's closest friend. This relationship is first shown when Shadow looks out for Omega in Sonic Heroes halfway into the game. This was also shown in Shadow the Hedgehog when Shadow willingly helped Omega in Iron Jungle and Lava Shelter. In Sonic the Hedgehog, both Shadow and Rouge were somewhat saddened by Omega being reprogrammed to hunt down Shadow in the future, due to Shadow being seen as too strong of a lifeform, causing humanity to fear him. The bond between the two may have been strengthened by the fact that Shadow is the Ultimate Lifeform and that Omega is considered the Ultimate Robot and share a common importance to the world.
In Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, Shadow joins Sonic's team to find Omega, he clearly shows anger if the player refuses to rescue him and states that if he doesn't find Omega, then he'll 'be very upset'. He also states that 'he was also my friend' which is the first time Shadow openly calls someone his friend, although he notably only says this after questioning by Sonic, not willingly. This is proof that he doesn't like seeing his closest friends being hurt. This is also shown when the player finds Omega in Metropolis and Shadow orders Eggman to be quiet after saying not to bother checking if Omega's okay. When Tails says that robots are coming, Shadow responds with, 'Good. I need to smash something.' Again, this is shown when Tails realizes he can fix Omega, Shadow simply orders him to 'do it.' Shadow and Omega pair up for two POW moves. One is Focus Field, which involves Omega opening fire on a foe with his Gatling guns, then Shadow following up with a Chaos Blast. Another move is Metal Storm, in which Shadow sends Omega into the air with Chaos Control. Rouge follows up by kicking Omega, who then collides into the target like a torpedo.
Black Doom
I don't know who he is, but for now, I have to believe him. That's it.
â Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog
â Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog
The relationship between Shadow and Black Doom may have been brief, but has played a significant role in Shadow's life. Shadow was made from Black Doom's blood, in a deal between the alien and Professor Gerald; this technically makes Black Doom Shadow's biological father. Black Doom, at first, tried to get Shadow on his side by playing on what remained of Shadow's painful memories of losing Maria. Regardless of the path taken during gameplay, Shadow defeats Black Doom and destroys the Black Comet along with the Black Arms.
Throughout the events of Shadow the Hedgehog, Black Doom threatens Shadow and demands extreme loyalty and respect without compassion, even when he aids him. He also doesn't tolerate any kind of mistake or failure, no matter how difficult the task on Shadow's part may be. In the end, Shadow refused to aid him and decided to put an end to his biological father and his 'offspring' after learning of his true plans.[34]
Mephiles the Dark
You have no desire for revenge. You only crave destruction. Your only lust is to fuel Iblis until there is nothing left of time itself.
â Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
â Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
Mephiles the Dark is one of Shadow's deadliest enemies. When they first met, Shadow, due to not having sealed Mephiles away yet at that time, expressed a sense of familiarity despite not knowing who he was, before Mephiles sent him to the future. In Shadow's second meeting with Mephiles, Mephiles tried to convince Shadow to turn against humanity, but Shadow refused. After the battle, Shadow tried to collect some information about Mephiles to stop him, which led him to investigate Mephiles' origin at the Solaris Project ten years ago. There, Shadow sealed Mephiles in the Scepter of Darkness shortly after his birth, where Mephiles swore that he would remember Shadow and that he would kill him. This made Shadow realize how Mephiles knew him and why he was obsessed with him.
Shadow later faced Mephiles in Dusty Desert where Mephiles tried to convince him to join his cause, but Shadow saw through his deceit and proclaimed he knew that Mephiles only craved destruction. After Shadow failed to seal Mephiles, Mephiles tried to confuse him by asking why he wanted to save humanity when they would persecute him, but Shadow proclaimed he would always keep fighting. Solaris and Mephiles were both later erased from existence, resulting in the erasure of Shadow's relationship with Mephiles.
Silver the Hedgehog
Shadow and Silver were enemies at first due to Silver being tricked by Mephiles, but became partners later on in Sonic the Hedgehog. They became allies when they worked together after their fight. After attempting Chaos Control on each other, which Shadow was impressed by, the black hedgehog told the misguided Silver that Mephiles was using him for his own ends. To get their answers, the two traveled back ten years to witness the Solaris Project accident. The two working together later split up to go after their own targets; Silver watching the King of Soleanna sealing Iblis inside Elise and Shadow sealing Mephiles inside the Scepter of Darkness. After they finished, Shadow and Silver meet up outside the Aquatic Base, where they then use Chaos Control return to the present. They meet up once more during Solaris' resurrection.
In the Sonic Rivals games, Shadow and Silver are rivals. Shadow does not trust Silver's intentions and speculations about Dr. Eggman's identity, but after he discovered that Silver was right, Shadow showed some tolerance toward Silver. In Sonic Rivals 2, they are at odds; mostly because Silver did not want Shadow getting in his way.
Humanity
Hmph! Pathetic humans..
â Shadow, Sonic Adventure 2
â Shadow, Sonic Adventure 2
Initially, Shadow did not hate humans and promised his best friend Maria to give them a chance to live happy lives. However, his opinion about them changed after G.U.N killed Maria and he came to loathe humanity itself for what they did to her. After his reawakening, Shadow planned to destroy humanity, thinking he had promised Maria revenge at them for her death. However, when he remembered his true promise to Maria, he cast aside his vendetta and risked his life to save humanity.
After losing his memories, Shadow did not care for humans, regarding them as pathetic and held no sympathy towards them. During Shadow the Hedgehog, Black Doom even tried to use Shadow's horrific memories of the tragedies humans had brought him to turn him against them. However, when Shadow regained his memories as Black Doom unveiled his plans to make humans food for his kind, Shadow once again chose to save humanity to keep his promise to Maria.
While Shadow still holds a general loathing of humanity, he has made it his mission to protect them due to his promise to Maria, even becoming an agent for G.U.N. In all his encounters with Mephiles in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), who attempted to make Shadow turn on humans by showing how they would persecute him in the future, Shadow refused to listen and remained steadfast to protect them. During his final battle with Mephiles, Shadow proclaimed that if someday the world chooses to become his enemy, then he will fight it just like how he always fights, showing that it is up to humanity to decide whether they consider him an ally or enemy.
Miles 'Tails' Prower
Miles 'Tails' Prower and Shadow were at first enemies in Sonic Adventure 2 because Shadow was impersonating Sonic and got him thrown in jail at Prison Island. Towards the end of the game, they became allies when they had to save the planet from the Space Colony ARK. For the most part Shadow and Tails' relationship seems to depend on their goals.
The two are on opposing sides in Sonic Heroes, Sonic Battle, and Sonic Rivals 2. In Sonic Heroes they fought very briefly because Shadow and Rouge had provoked Team Sonic into fighting them. In Sonic Battle, Shadow and Tails fought at the end of Tails' Story because Tails resisted giving up Emerl to Shadow. Shadow threatened Tails that he would have to give Emerl up or else they would fight for him, Tails admitted that he admires Shadow's spirit but would not give up in a fight. When Tails won the fight Shadow warned him that he would be back again to get Emerl, but Rouge showed up and told Shadow to go back to Night Babylon. In Sonic Rivals 2. Shadow and Metal Sonic confronted Tails and Sonic because they were all going after Eggman.
However despite this, Shadow and Tails seem to be on very good terms with each other, and seem to get along quite well. Also, when Eggman suggests they build a weapon to hurt the enemy, and Tails says he has a better idea, Shadow with a smile asks why he is not surprised. Shadow is actually the second most helpful member of Tails' Team in Metropolis, helping Tails with numerous mechanical ideas with Eggman. He is also very helpful if the player is looking for Omega, often giving tips to tell of where Omega would have gone if he had gotten the chance. If the player succeeds in finding Omega, Shadow thanks Tails for helping him. Overall, Shadow and Tails hold a great deal of mutual respect for each other, and despite being occasional enemies, they seem to support each other, and they have helped each other on several occasions.
Knuckles the Echidna
Do whatever you need to, Knuckles. I've got my own reasons for being here.
â Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog
â Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog
Shadow and Knuckles have not interacted much, but at times they are either allies or rivals. In Sonic Adventure 2, they didn't have much interaction, but they were enemies at first and then worked together to save the world from Space Colony ARK. The first real fight between them happened in Sonic Heroes, although Shadow didn't remember Knuckles at the time. After the fight, Knuckles jokingly mentioned that they might have fought Shadow's ghost. In Shadow the Hedgehog, Knuckles appears in Glyphic Canyon, Central City, and Black Comet stages asking for Shadow's help in Hero missions. In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), he and Shadow loosely worked together again for a time in order to return to the present.
Shadow and Knuckles appear to have some bitter resentment towards each other as seen in Sonic Rivals, when Shadow bluntly pointed out that Knuckles was useless for his shortcomings while retaining an indifferent attitude towards his challenges, and Knuckles seemed to be irritated by Shadow's presence. Knuckles seems to have a bit of a disliking towards Shadow, mostly because he thinks that he is complacent and smug. Additionally, Knuckles is not fond of Shadow's egoistical tendencies, which is seen in Sonic Free Riders when he says 'I see your ego's as big as ever, Shadow.', in a rather annoyed tone.
Amy Rose
I know that people fight over the most trivial things. Some people may be selfish, like the professor said.. But they're basically good. If they try their best and never give up on their wishes.. They always have a reason to be happy. That's why you should help them out.. Saving them is a good thing!
â Amy Rose, Sonic Adventure 2
â Amy Rose, Sonic Adventure 2
In Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow and Amy Rose interact twice, but each time seems to gain an odd reaction from Shadow. Amy first meets Shadow when she mistakes him for Sonic and hugs him from behind, while Shadow remains still after having been briefly caught off-guard by her touch. He also does not shake her off or resort to violence. When Amy senses the lack of a reaction, she releases him, causing him to glance back at her. Amy demands his name when she realizes that he is not Sonic, but Shadow continues to glare at her quietly. After Amy notices Dr. Eggman, she also realizes the mistake she has made, and runs off screaming. During this, Shadow simply tilts his head when she is out of range as Dr. Eggman tells the team that he'll take care of Amy.
Later in the game aboard the ARK, Amy meets Shadow again and this time begs Shadow to save the world. At first, Shadow simply replies that it is pointless, but then Amy points out that despite people sometimes being selfish, they were still inwardly good and that saving them was right. Because of this, Shadow suddenly has a flashback of Maria begging Shadow to make people happy. When Shadow comes to his senses he goes off to fight the Biolizard, determinedly and softly telling Amy that he has to keep his promise to 'Maria..and [her].'
Amy was also the only one to see Shadow's tear after he remembered that Maria wanted him to save the people that live on Earth, making her the only person to see him cry in Sonic Adventure 2.
During Sonic Battle, Amy shows excitement and concern upon hearing Shadow's survival through Rouge, but quickly becomes angry when Rouge will not tell her why he's there.
During Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow can choose to assist Amy in helping find Cream the Rabbit and have her fight alongside the player during the stage and in the boss battle, but this time, there is no reward in return. Also, at the end of Shadow the Hedgehog, Amy shows an odd amount of faith and admiration for Shadow, regardless of him being Sonic's arch-rival. When Rouge expresses concern for Shadow following the destruction of the Black Comet, Amy reassures her with her hands clasped and a cheerful smile on her face, 'I'm sure he's fine, Rouge! After all, he is Shadow!' which further displays her positive outlook on the black hedgehog and her general optimism.
The Commander
Shadow, do you read me? First.. I want to apologize, for the other day. Actually, I just became a grandfather last week, and I was thinking of maybe having you over. I know that Training is tough, but try and do your best.
â The Commander, Shadow the Hedgehog
â The Commander, Shadow the Hedgehog
The Commander and Shadow were enemies because the Commander blamed Shadow for the death of his family and Maria 50 years ago during the G.U.N. raid on the ARK. Throughout the game, he orders his troops to kill Shadow. After the events of Shadow the Hedgehog, the Commander apologized and invited Shadow over to their organization; this is presumably the time that Shadow became a G.U.N. agent.
Metal Sonic
So you're the one behind all of this, huh?
â Shadow, Sonic Heroes
â Shadow, Sonic Heroes
Shadow, along with Rouge, Omega, and the rest of the teams from Sonic Heroes were distracting Metal Sonic, in his Metal Madness form, so that Team Sonic could transform into their Super state. Sometime later, Shadow and Metal Sonic are forced to work together when Doctor Eggman calls for Shadow's assistance in Sonic Rivals 2. Although they are together for a brief amount of time, Shadow does seem concerned about Metal Sonic multiple times, despite the fact that Metal Sonic is a robot with the inability to speak. Shadow constantly asks him if he's alright and at the end of the game when Metal Sonic tears himself open to retrieve the Chaos Emerald within his body, Shadow tells him to stop, for he fears Metal Sonic will destroy himself. Shadow's concern may be due to the similar friendship he had with Omega. He also may think that he was doing this on his own intention as he only needs Eggman to speak for him. Another possibility is that since Gerald Robotnik created Shadow, and Eggman, Gerald's grandson, created Metal Sonic, he felt it was right. Shadow does show some deep concern for him as he even talked to Metal Sonic himself instead of Eggman.
Team Chaotix
You should thank me for letting you live.
â Shadow, Sonic Heroes
â Shadow, Sonic Heroes
Shadow has had several altercations with the detective agency, the first being a confrontation in Sonic Heroes that escalated into a brawl, with their differences then seemingly set aside later when they joined forces against an evolved Metal Sonic. Team Chaotix resumed their role as allies in Shadow the Hedgehog, with each member participating as a partner in the hero missions of various levels.
Individually, Vector perceives Shadow as a friend, as demonstrated in one of the endings of Shadow the Hedgehog when the crocodile attempted to console him when he concluded himself to being nothing more than a living weapon of mass destruction, though Shadow apparently didn't want to hear it. Espio has shown his capacity of friendship for the black hedgehog and the two proved to make a good team when they confronted Dr. Eggman. When Eggman tries to lie and manipulate Shadow, Espio tells the hedgehog not to fall for the doctor's tricks and to defeat him first. Charmy has exercised a more enthusiastic relationship with Shadow, demonstrating how much he respects and looks up to him while often stating how 'cool' Shadow is. All the Chaotix voices are present in supporting Shadow during the last story as well as Expert Mode.
Infinite
I've only become what I am because of you, yet you don't remember. But I suppose that's the way it goes. It simply means that the old me was too weak, too pathetic to remember. And now, you've become nothing more than an insect, waiting to be crushed underfoot.
â Infinite, Episode Shadow.
â Infinite, Episode Shadow.
Shadow first encountered Infinite back when he was known as the Ultimate Mercenary after decimating the Jackal Squad group he led. Although the Ultimate Mercenary expressed confidence that he could beat Shadow with his own abilities, Shadow promptly proved him wrong by easily beating him before the latter could get a chance to fight back, leaving the mercenary terrified. Shadow was less than impressed with the Ultimate Mercenary during this time, bluntly and rudely telling him that he was worthless, as well as telling him not to show '[his] pathetic face' towards him ever again before taking his leave. Little did Shadow know, however, that this would ultimately prove to have serious ramifications months later, when the Ultimate Mercenary proceeded to fuse with the Phantom Ruby to become stronger.
Several months later, he encountered Infinite, who reminded Shadow (who had already forgotten who he was) of their earlier encounter, and then proceeded to fully demonstrate his new abilities by trapping him within a Virtual Reality world via the Phantom Ruby. The encounter left Shadow shaken, as well as disturbed by Infinite's letting slip of his intention to defeat Sonic.[35]
Friends/allies
- Rouge the Bat (best friend)
- E-123 Omega (close friend)
- E-10000B (formerly)
- Sonic the Hedgehog (comrade and arch-rival)
- Charmy Bee (looks up to Shadow)
- Dr. Eggman (depends on his goal)
- Metal Sonic (occasionally)
- Maria Robotnik (best friend, deceased)
- Gerald Robotnik (creator, deceased)
- G.U.N.
- The Commander
Rivals
- Sonic the Hedgehog (arch-rival)
Enemies
- Eggman Empire
- G.U.N. (formerly)
- The Commander (formerly)
- Black Arms
- The Babylon Rogues
- Nocturnus Clan
- Jackal Squad
References
- â 1.01.1Fast talking. Archived from the original on 26 June 2009. Retrieved on 4 September 2016.
- â 2.02.1Creators Interview 006: Maekawa Shiro. Windii. Pastebin (22 June 2018). Retrieved on 12 January 2019.
- â 3.03.13.2Sega. Sonic Channel(Japanese). Characters: Shadow. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved on 3 July 2015.
- âSonic Team (15 December 2005). Sonic the Hedgehog. PlayStation 3. Sega. Area/level: Ending sequence (Shadow Episode).
- âSega of America. Shadow the Hedgehog. Sonic Characters. Sega of America. Archived from the original on 5 March 2005. Retrieved on 26 October 2017. âShadow is the spitting image of sonic except for his black body. The world's greatest scientist, Professor Gerald, created him for a purpose known only to the professor. Ageless and immortal, Shadow has the special ability to harness the power of the Chaos Emerald, which allows him to warp time and space. Sharp-witted and willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants, he always seems to be on the edge. Maria, who was raised with Shadow and was Maria's only friend, died in front of his very eyes. Her final wish was that Shadow save the world. Saving the world from what is a secret only Shadow knows. Traumatized by the grief of her death, Shadow remains strong enough to keep the promise he made to her.â
- âSonic Adventure 2 Hands-On. GameSpot.com. Retrieved on 2008-07-11.
- â'The Shadow character idea was something that we all had in our minds in the dev team when we were creating the first Sonic Adventure. When creating that game, we had the intention of creating a rival character for Sonic Adventure 2 and we didn't really talk about it that much, but we were all thinking about it. When we were working on Sonic Adventure 2, we all did a bit of brainstorming and we brought this to the table and prepared the storyline for the Dark side and the Hero side. As you know in the story, Shadow was only meant to appear in that single title. But because of the reaction of the fans, we decided to bring him back in Sonic Heroes and eventually you saw him in his own title.' - Takashi Iizuka at Summer Of Sonic 2011
- âShadowing a Hedgehog. Yahoo.com. Retrieved on 2008-12-16.
- âShadow the Wrestling Hedgehog. 1up.com. Retrieved on 2009-01-26.
- âSega's Yuji Naka Talks!. GameSpy.com. Retrieved on 2008-07-11.
- âPedigree Books (August 2013). 'Eggman's IQ Math Test'. Sonic the Hedgehog Super Interactive Annual 2014. Pedigree Publishers. p. 15. ISBN 978-1908152077. 'Fact: Shadow often launches into situations without fully thinking them through. That natural enthusiasm sees him take risks and dabble with danger as he tries to get what he wants, by any means necessary.'
- âFile:Shadow profile SG.png
- âSonic & Sega All Star Racing (PlayStation 3) European instruction booklet, pg. 5.
- âSonic Heroes (PlayStation 2) North America instruction booklet, pg. 8
- âBioWare (26 September 2008). Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. Nintendo DS. Sega. 'Codex: As a member of Sonic's team, Amy lends both speed and strength to the group, using her innate hedgehog speed and her immensely powerful Piko-Piko Hammer to good effect.'
- âSonic Heroes (PlayStation 2) United States instruction manual, pg. 6
- âFile:Shadow profile SG.png
- â 18.018.1Sonic Rivals 2 (PlayStation Portable) United States instruction booklet, pg. 8.
- âShadow the Hedgehog (PlayStation 2) European instruction manual, pg. 5
- âBioWare (30 September 2008). Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. Nintendo DS. Sega. Area/Level: Blue Ridge Zone. 'Sonic: You can't outrun me, Shadow! / Shadow: Maybe not. But I can outfight you!'
- âSega. Official Sonic Heroes Website(Japanese). Characters: Team Dark. Sega. Retrieved on 29 July 2015.
- â 22.022.1Sega (November 13, 2011). Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Nintendo Wii. Sega. Area: London Party. 'Shy Guy: What does Shadow wear on his wrists and ankles? [Answer is revealed to be 'Gold rings'] He's faster and stronger without the rings, but he gets worn out more quickly!'
- âSonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood official website. Characters: Shadow the Hedgehog. Sega. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved on 4 July 2016. âShadow is an artificially-created life form designed by the renowned scientist, Professor Gerald Robotnik, at the height of his career. His trademark hover shoes propel him at extreme speeds that rival those of Sonic and he has the ability to distort time and space using 'Chaos Control.'â
- âSonic Team, Sonic Team USA (27 February 2004). Sonic Battle. Gameboy Advance. Sega. 'Shadow Run: Shadow's running skill. With help from his Air Shoes, he can run faster than Sonic.'
- âSonic Team, Sonic Team USA (27 February 2004). Sonic Battle. Gameboy Advance. Sega. 'Shadow Slider: Shadow's dash attack. He uses the fire from his Air Shoes to attack opponents.'
- âSonic Team (December 15, 2005). Shadow the Hedgehog. PlayStation 2. Sega. Area: The Last Way. Japanese version.
- â'Shadow is an artificial life form, created by Dr. Eggman's grandfather. His initial hatred of Sonic has now developed into a friendly rivalry', Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing.
- âSonic Rivals 2 (PlayStation Portable) North America instructional manual, pg. 10.
- âSonic Central: Since Shadow is Sonic's enemy, what does this game mean for Sonic? Is he your main enemy in this game? How does Robotnik fit into things? / Sonic Team: Shadow is more of a nemesis to Sonic rather than a true enemy; they may be adversaries but there is a mutual respect between the two of them.
- âSonic Team (14 November 2006). Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). Xbox 360. Sega. Area/Level: End of the World. 'Shadow: Certainly, it might have been possible, if he was still alive.'
- âSonic Central: Since Shadow is Sonic's enemy, what does this game mean for Sonic? Is he your main enemy in this game? How does Robotnik fit into things? / Sonic Team: Shadow is more of a nemesis to Sonic rather than a true enemy; they may be adversaries but there is a mutual respect between the two of them.
- ââI'm Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog. ..What? I look like Sonic? You have to be joking. Don't you ever put me in the same boat as that inferior half-wit!â, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
- âSonic Team (November 7, 2017). Sonic Forces. Nintendo Switch. Area/Level: Chemical Plant: Chemical Plant. 'Shadow: Rouge, have you found the intel I was looking for? / Rouge: No, not yet. But I have reports that Eggman's database is located at the Chemical Plant. If we can check that out, we might find something there.'
- âShadow the Hedgehog Last Story: I've heard enough! You're boring me to death, Black Doom! You're going down!
- âSonic Team (7 November 2017). Sonic Forces. Nintendo Switch. Area/Level: World Map. 'Infinite: Hahaha.. Oh, this power, before we've even tuned it! Just as I thought, it is unrivaled! Not even Sonic will be able to stand against me now! / Shadow: Sonic? What are you plotting? / .. / Shadow: What--IS this? STOP! Where do you think you're going, Infinite?!'
Heroes | Sonic | Tails | Knuckles | Amy | Vector | Espio | Charmy | Big | Froggy | Cream | Cheese | Silver | Blaze | Marine | Tikal | Mighty | Ray | Bark | Chip | Caliburn | Yacker | Avatar | Classic Sonic | Classic Tails | Classic Knuckles | Classic Mighty | Classic Ray | Classic Amy |
---|---|
Antiheroes | Shadow | Rouge | Omega | Chaos | Gamma | Emerl | G-merl | Jet | Wave | Storm | Bean | Pachacamac | Shade |
Villains | Dr. Eggman | Metal Sonic | Mecha Sonic | Eggrobo | Fang | Witchcart | Carrotia | Focke-Wulf | Bearenger | Great Battle Kukku | Speedy | Dr. Fukurokov | Biolizard | Black Doom | Eggman Nega | Babylon Guardian | Iblis | Mephiles | Solaris | Erazor | SCR-HD | Whisker | Johnny | Mini & Mum | Metal Sonic 3.0 | Ifrit | Ix | Dark Gaia | King Arthur | Orbot | Cubot | Time Eater | Zazz | Zomom | Master Zik | Zeena | Zor | Zavok | Classic Eggman | Classic Metal Sonic | Heavy King | Heavy Gunner | Heavy Shinobi | Heavy Magician | Heavy Rider | Infinite |
Miscellaneous | Heavy | Bomb | Honey | Omochao | Lumina | Void | Illumina | Gerald | Maria | President | Vanilla | Chocola | Commander | Elise | Pickle | Shahra | King Shahryar | Sinbad | Ali Baba | Merlina | Lancelot | Gawain | Percival | Nimue | Blacksmith | Galahad | Lamorak | Dodon Pa |
Groups | Badnik | Eggman Empire | Flicky | Chao | Knuckles Clan | E-Series | Team Chaotix | G.U.N. | Black Arms | Battle Kukku Empire | Babylon Rogues | Coconut Crew | Knights of the Round Table | Nocturnus Clan | Gizoid | Kron | N'rrgal | Voxai | Zoah | Dark Gaia's Minions | Wisp | Deadly Six | Hard Boiled Heavies | Resistance |