Shadow is a videogame character that appeared in Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog. It was designed for the game ‘Sonic Adventure 2’ released in 2001, by the Japanese video game director Takashi Iizuka, Shiro Maekawa, and Yuji Uekawa. The game is owned by Sega.
At first, they just created it for Sonic Adventure 2 but the character gained immense popularity among its fans so Shadow was also included in Sonic Heroes which was released after 2 years in 2003.
Since then, the shadow has been added in various games including Shadow the Hedgehog which was developed in 2005.
The character has been incorporated in Sonic films, and comics as well.
Origin of the Character of Shadow the Hedgehog
The character was produced for the cool vibes, it originated when the developers were working on the original Sonic Adventure (1998). Shadow is an ageless, immortal, clever, and mysterious character.
In the world of fiction, Shadow was created in an experiment attempting to cure Maria, by Professor Gerald Robotnik by incorporating the principles of genetic engineering when his granddaughter, (Maria) was suffering from a deadly disease termed NIDS.
However, Shadow didn’t get the chance to save her as she was killed by the raid on Space Colony ARK while helping him to escape.
Physical Appearance of Shadow the Hedgehog
Like the name, Shadow is a black-colored, anthropomorphic hedgehog with angled, ferocious, red eyes on a grimaced face.
- It is a male character, has black and red hair, with a height of 100 cm and 37 kg weight.
- He wears rings on his wrists and ankles.
- He is 50 years old but with a teenager’s body and way of thinking.
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Shadow the Hedgehog’s Personality
The game depicts it as a character with a ruthless killer instinct who enjoys being lonesome. Because he is someone who always distances himself from Sonic (the main protagonist) and his friends.
However, on the brighter side, he is clever and has a keen sense of accomplishing his goals by any means. He never forgets the promise of protecting the world from the danger that he made to his best friend Maria after seeing her die in front of him.
Fans consider it as an enemy of Sonic the hedgehog and a violent character. Many think it’s a dark version of Sonic. The reason for this is that perhaps when he was being made, Professor Gerald used some of Black Doom’s DNA so he is arrogant, grumpy, and stubborn. His major weakness is he has to recharge his powers with chaos energy.
Powers of Shadow
Shadow can create distortion in time (such as to stop it) and move across space.
So its peculiar skill is named Chaos Control. Additionally, he has got powers of Chaos Spear, Chaos Blast, fire production, and heat generation.
Other powers include imperishably, expeditious movements (thanks to his hover-equipped shoes), improved high jumps, and remarkable resilience.
Shadow the Hedgehog Video Game
The game was developed by SEGA Studio USA and published by Sega.
It could be played on PlayStation 2 and Xbox, however, was intended for Nintendo GameCube originally.
In this game, he suffers amnesia and is on his quest to search for his missing memory from his past and to protect the world from the Black Arms invasion. Black Arms is a fictional evil alien race.
Unfortunately, the game wasn’t much loved by the fans due to several reasons which include mature themes (such as the use of cursing words), poor controls, and the addition of weapons.
Animated series starring Shadow the Hedgehog
Sonic X (2003)
The series was released based on the video game franchise featuring Sonic and a boy character named Chris Thorndike as the main protagonists while Shadow and Dr. Eggman as the antagonists.
The series is available in English dubbing along with the original Japanese language.
Voice-over in English is given by Jason Griffith while the Japanese voice is by Koji Yusa.
Sonic Boom (2014)
Shadow is again shown as a rival of Sonic with a usual condescending behavior, seeking revenge.
Shadow is voiced by Kirk Thornton in English dubbing.
Sonic Hedgehog 2 (2022)
Based on action, adventure, and comedy. Exciting thing is, that this is a movie and not an animated anime series, distributed by Paramount Pictures. Shadow features here as well, as the iconic villain.
The film made more than 386 million dollars, proving its success worldwide.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
It is said to be released in 2024 and will feature Shadow.
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