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Shadow the Hedgehog[a] is a character created by the Japanese game developers Takashi Iizuka, Shiro Maekawa, and Kazuyuki Hoshino. He is a major character in Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Shadow is an anthropomorphic black hedgehog created by Professor Gerald Robotnik, the grandfather of Doctor Eggman. Shadow shares design traits and attributes with Sonic the Hedgehog. He is an antihero who has good intentions but will do whatever it takes to accomplish his goals, putting him at odds with Sonic.
| Shadow the Hedgehog | |
|---|---|
| Sonic the Hedgehog character | |
 Artwork for Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) by Yuji Uekawa | |
| First appearance | Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) |
| Created by |
|
| Designed by | Kazuyuki Hoshino |
| Voiced by |
|
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Hedgehog |
| Gender | Male |
| Affiliation | Team Dark (Rouge the Bat and E-123 Omega) |
| Origin | Space Colony ARK |
Shadow first appeared in the Dreamcast game Sonic Adventure 2 (2001), although he was conceived during the development of Sonic Adventure (1998). Iizuka devised the concept, while Maekawa developed his character and Hoshino designed him. Influences included the Dragon Ball character Vegeta, the Image Comics character Spawn, the Sonic character Metal Sonic, and speed skaters. Sonic Team envisioned Shadow as a one-off character who would only appear in Sonic Adventure 2, but his popularity among fans led to his inclusion in subsequent games, beginning with Sonic Heroes (2003), in which he forms "Team Dark" alongside Rouge the Bat and E-123 Omega.
Shadow has featured in many Sonic games, including the standalone games Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) and Shadow Generations (2024). Shadow is one of the few Sonic characters to have a full character arc; after witnessing the death of his best friend Maria Robotnik, he initially seeks revenge, but later vows to keep his promise to her that he would protect the world from danger. After losing his memories, he seeks to recover them, reaffirming his promise and gaining a stronger sense of identity upon doing so. Kōji Yusa voices Shadow in Japan, while his English voice has been provided by David Humphrey, Jason Griffith, and Kirk Thornton. Keanu Reeves voices him in the feature film Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024).
Shadow is one of the most popular Sonic characters and was named one of the greatest video game characters by Guinness World Records in 2011. However, he has proven divisive among video game journalists. Some praised his role in Sonic Adventure 2 and his levels' preservation of the Sonic theme, but others criticized his dark and brooding characterization, particularly in later games, and ranked him among the worst Sonic characters. The Shadow the Hedgehog game received generally unfavorable reviews, though it sold well.
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Video games
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,[6] the final Sonic game released for a Sega video game console.[7] His roles in the games vary. Some, such as the main series games Sonic Adventure 2,[7] Sonic Heroes (2003),[8] and Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) feature him as a major playable character,[9] and he is the protagonist of the spin-off Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) and a downloadable content (DLC) package for Sonic Forces (2017).[10][11] Others, such as the anniversary game Sonic Generations (2011), limit him to a non-playable role.[12] He also appears as one of the characters who can be summoned using the Assist Trophy item in the Super Smash Bros. series.[13]
Shadow is a mysterious, sharp-witted, and brooding antihero.[14][15][16] While his ultimate goal is to protect the world from danger,[14] he dislikes humanity,[17] and once he has set a goal, he does whatever it takes to accomplish it.[14] This often causes him to take risks without thinking them through and puts him at odds with series protagonist Sonic the Hedgehog.[18] Although a loner, Shadow collaborates with treasure hunter Rouge the Bat and robot E-123 Omega in games such as Sonic Heroes, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), and Sonic Forces.[8][19] Shadow allies with Sonic in some games,[15] but also does so with Doctor Eggman in Sonic Adventure 2 and Shadow the Hedgehog.[10][20]
Shadow shares many similarities with Sonic.[8] Visually, GameSpot's Ben Stahl described Shadow as "an evil version of Sonic himself—similar in appearance, but with darker skin, more angled eyes, and a fearsome snarl instead of Sonic's trademark grin."[6] GamesRadar+'s Justin Leeper said that if Sonic was Superman, then Shadow would be his Batman.[21] The characters control similarly in games, as both share skills and the ability to run at great speeds.[8][20][22] Shadow has unique attributes in some games, such as his uses of firearms and vehicles in Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog, respectively.[9][10] He can also use the Chaos Emeralds to perform "Chaos Control"—allowing him to distort time—and create weapons like spears.[8][14][17] Like Sonic, Shadow can transform into a "Super" form, giving him special powers.[23][24]
Other media
Outside of the video game series, Shadow appears in the anime series Sonic X, which adapts the story of the Sonic Adventure games, as well as Sonic Boom and Sonic Prime. The original Japanese cast from the games reprised their roles for the former,[25] while Jason Griffith (who also voiced Sonic) voiced Shadow in its English dub by 4Kids Entertainment.[26] In the Sonic Boom (2014–2017) spin-off franchise, Shadow appears in the 2014 games Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric for the Wii U and Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal for the Nintendo 3DS, as well as the television episodes "It Takes a Village to Defeat a Hedgehog" and "Eggman: The Video Game".[27][28][29]
Ian Hanlin voices Shadow in the animated Netflix series Sonic Prime (2022–2024).[4] After Sonic inadvertently opens the path to the Paradox Prism for Eggman, Shadow has a vague vision of the universe's shatter and tries to prevent it but fails, he manages to escape it using Chaos Control and is trapped in the void between Shatterspaces. Shadow also appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic books published by Archie Comics and IDW Publishing,[30][31] and his likeness has been used in Sonic merchandise.[32] Shadow made his live-action debut in a non-speaking cameo appearance in the mid-credits scene of the 2022 film Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and was voiced by Keanu Reeves in the sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 3, released on December 20, 2024.[33]
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Shadow was created by Takashi Iizuka and Shiro Maekawa, who respectively served as director and writer of Sonic Adventure 2.[34][35] During the development of the original Sonic Adventure (1998), Sonic Team conceived a black hedgehog who equaled or exceeded Sonic's coolness. The idea was revived during brainstorming sessions for Sonic Adventure 2, as the game features two "good vs. evil" storylines.[36] Iizuka wanted to appeal to American audiences with an antihero, a popular character archetype in the US at the time.[37] Concept art indicates that Shadow was primarily inspired by the Dragon Ball character Vegeta, but Iizuka denied this, instead citing the Image Comics character Spawn as an influence.[38]
Shadow was initially named "Terios" ("reflection of"), referencing his role as Sonic's doppelganger.[39] He was renamed Shadow after another new character, a bat, who became Rouge.[40] Sonic Team tasked Maekawa with developing Shadow, a task he found challenging. 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?" From here, Maekawa envisioned the hedgehog as a delicate, pure character who would refer to himself using the more humble Japanese pronoun boku (僕).[35] Iizuka made sure that Shadow's introduction also brought new events to the game, as he wanted players to care about the character.[41]
Kazuyuki Hoshino designed Shadow. Like he had when he designed Metal Sonic for Sonic CD (1993), Hoshino imagined Shadow in a confrontation with Sonic to produce the design.[42] Early Shadow designs bore a strong resemblance to Sonic, with darker colors, droopier spines, and a scar on the left of his face.[43] Hoshino said these designs reflected Shadow being originally "more obviously evil"; he called the initial incarnation "Terios the Prisoner". For the final design, Hoshino remembered that he had designed Metal Sonic with a jet engine to distinguish him from Sonic. Likewise, he drew inspiration from speed skaters for Shadow's design since he wanted Shadow to rival Sonic's speed in a unique manner.[44]
Sonic Adventure 2 was intended to be Shadow's only appearance, but his popularity among fans led to him returning in Sonic Heroes.[36][39] Additionally, Sonic Team wanted to feature Shadow in a spin-off game.[45] By 2005, Sonic Team was interested in developing a high-speed shooter game. They chose to focus on Shadow—whom they felt would provide "the perfect venue... to try our hand at this genre"—leading to the development of Shadow the Hedgehog. Series co-creator Yuji Naka hoped Shadow would lead to a spin-off series about the character.[46] 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.[47]
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.[48] After Sonic and the Black Knight (2009), Shadow did not appear as a playable character in a Sonic platformer for some time,[11] until the release of Sonic Forces in 2017.[49] 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.[50] Iizuka has commented that another Shadow-oriented spin-off is a possibility.[51]
Voice portrayal
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In Japan, Kōji Yusa voices Shadow.[52][53] Shadow'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 (2003–2006), and in video games beginning with Shadow the Hedgehog in 2005.[1][26] Kirk Thornton has voiced Shadow since 2010, starting with Sonic Free Riders.[54] In Sonic Prime, Shadow is voiced by Ian Hanlin.[4] Canadian actor Keanu Reeves voices Shadow in the 2024 film Sonic the Hedgehog 3,[55] reprising his role in downloadable content for Sonic X Shadow Generations.[56]
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Within the Sonic series' fictional universe, Shadow the Hedgehog was created by Professor Gerald Robotnik through genetic engineering. His creation was part of an experiment, "Project Shadow", meant to cure his granddaughter Maria from a deadly illness.[8][14][52] While Shadow and Maria formed a strong bond, the United Federation government and a military organization, the Guardian Units of Nations (G.U.N.), deemed him a threat. G.U.N. raided the Space Colony ARK on which Maria and Shadow lived, killing the former as she sent Shadow to Earth in an escape pod. Shadow was later recovered by G.U.N. and placed in suspended animation.[52][57] Maria's death traumatized Shadow, who vowed to keep his promise to her that he would protect the world from danger.[14] 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.[58] Believing that the promise he made was one of revenge on humanity, Shadow agrees to help Eggman, framing Sonic for their evil deeds.[57][58] However, Shadow eventually allies himself with Sonic to prevent the world's destruction after he remembers the promise he made to Maria.[52] However, he is unable to handle the power of all seven Chaos Emeralds in a Super State as well as Sonic, plummeting to Earth from space after the final boss fight.[8]
Shadow is presumed dead until Sonic Heroes; Rouge the Bat discovers him alive in an Eggman base during a search. He remembers nothing except his name and Maria's death,[8][59] forming "Team Dark" with Rouge and E-123 Omega to find Eggman and learn of his past.[8] In Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow, still experiencing amnesia, becomes caught in a three-way war between Eggman, G.U.N., and the Black Arms, an alien army led by Black Doom.[45] Shadow can choose to help G.U.N., Sonic and his friends, Eggman, or the Black Arms.[10] 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 DNA. Black Doom uses that in an attempt control him, but Shadow stands up to him and ultimately defeats him. After the battle, Shadow chooses to put the past behind him and move on,[60] and in Sonic the Hedgehog is depicted as working with G.U.N.[53]
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Shadow quickly proved popular among players of Sonic Adventure 2, contributing to his return in later games.[39] Additionally, responses to his introduction were favorable; critics considered his levels in Sonic Adventure 2 among the game's highlights.[7][58][61][62] 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.[63] Nintendo Life's Mark Reece similarly felt Shadow's levels successfully adapted the Sonic formula to 3D.[64] However, despite strong sales,[65][66] the 2005 Shadow game received generally unfavorable reviews[67][68][69] and, according to Official Nintendo Magazine's Thomas East, tarnished the character's reputation.[70]
Reviews for Shadow the Hedgehog criticized numerous aspects of the character, such as his controls, use of firearms, and characterization.[71][72][73][74] Game Informer's Matt Helgeson decried Shadow as a character who lacked personality and mocked his "ridiculous" and "laughable" Clint Eastwood rasp,[72] while GameSpy's Patrick Klepek felt the game was proof the Sonic series had jumped the shark.[74] Similarly, 1UP.com's Shane Bettenhausen compared Shadow to Poochie,[73] a character from The Simpsons episode "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show" (1997) symbolic of creating a new character simply to boost a flagging series.[75] 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."[74] 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,[9][21] while Den of Geek's Chris Freiberg wrote that the Shadow DLC for Sonic Forces added some replay value to a game he criticized for its short length.[76]
Reviewers have called Shadow—both the game and the character—an ill-advised attempt to bring a sense of maturity to the Sonic series.[70][72] Indeed, IGN's Levi Buchanan and 1UP's Jeremy Parish considered him one of the series' biggest problems;[77][78] Parish wrote that of the unnecessary Sonic characters Sega should retire, Shadow was the most in need of it.[78] Numerous video game journalists have mockingly described the character as "edgy",[49][71][79] 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 Hedgehog—with his hilariously unfitting blend of guns and angst in a colorful world of fast animals in clown shoes—was his video game bride. Both tried to act like they were too cool for 'kid stuff.' Too sophisticated, too edgy. They were made for each other—and approximately one billion people between the ages of 12 and 34."[80]
Shadow is a divisive Sonic character.[12][50] Some, such as East, who ranked him one of the series' best characters, praise him for his role in Sonic Adventure 2;[70][12] Game Informer's Brian Shea called Shadow a "fun equal" to Sonic who delivered the series' traditional sense of speed,[81] and Polygon's Allegra Frank said he is a fan-favorite.[49] "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.[12] James Stephanie 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."[71] Brian Shea from Game Informer included Shadow in a similar list, observing that his "brooding 'tortured soul' personality wore on him quickly".[82] In a more positive write-up, Fanbyte's Kenneth Shepard argued Shadow's characterization was more complex than most characters in the series, but later games leaned harder on a one-dimensional "edgelord" archetype.[83] Despite this, in 2005 Naka said Sonic Team had determined Shadow was the series' most popular character excluding Sonic himself,[46] a finding reaffirmed in a 2009 Sega poll.[84] In 2011, Guinness World Records named Shadow among the 50 greatest video game characters of all time.[85]
In April 2024, Sega launched the marketing campaign Fearless: Year of Shadow, with several projects starring Shadow the Hedgehog, such as Sonic X Shadow Generations and the film Sonic the Hedgehog 3.[86]
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