Shadow the Hedgehog: First Impressions vs Character Arcs (Video Essay)

[@coreyhall6792]

2024 is a big year for Shadow. Not only is Sonic Generations getting remastered with Shadows perspective, but also Sonic 3 movie is coming out late this year with Shadow as a major character. Sega needs to do the ultimate life form justice in both media because his character has been misunderstood for years for trying to make him an dark edgelord. Shadow is a hero and should be remembered and recognized as one.

[@KatrinaCannavino]

It is. It’s the year we celebrate his debut. And we remember all the reasons why we love Shadow.

[@KatrinaCannavino]

He’s a hero in my eyes. And Shadow always will be no matter what

[@_Tzer]

he's back also year of shadow

[@OminousBlast]

Shadow in SA2 and 06 was peak.

[@rox4945]

Seconded

[@superbodoque7860]

Just want to clarify the "like taking candy from a baby, which is fine by me" line was most likely meant to be interpreted as Shadow being ok with how easy it was to obtain the emerald, but obviously the misinterpretation is much funnier XD

[@FowaJCT]

I'd always assumed this when I played it. But every video essay on Shadow told me to take it literally as just one complete sentence and hate it for it. So I just convinced myself to believe it, but it's supposed to be that he's okay with it being easy.

[@davidbeer5015]

It’s like how Sonic’s line shortly before that, The “they’re heading to space. We’re on our way to the ARK, so I guess that means we’re going too!” They’re lines that, when you sit and think about what they’re saying, they make sense. Shadow saying he’s fine with it being easy, Sonic saying that the aliens were heading to space, and since the ARK is in space, that they’re going there too. But ShTH got hit by memes hard and taking them literally apparently just became the funny thing to do. But yeah, considering his hunt for the emeralds to hopefully get his memory, he’s gonna be fine with one being easy.

[@trumpeterjen]

In Japanese, the line is something like, "Hmph. Leaving an Emerald out in front of me? How dumb can you get?" The localization team really did him dirty. It's the same with him calling the pumpkins in Sky Rail "creepy." The original was "ominous," which is more neutral.

[@davidbeer5015]

@trumpeterjen the wild bit is like…essentially the line is saying the exact same thing. “You guys have this? And left it just sitting here with no one watching it?” The Japanese is more straightforward. It’s just wild that the localization decided to use a common metaphor for something being easy…and people just took it at face value and used it to call him this edgy guy? It’s like…Sure, maybe using that metaphor wasn’t the best call, they could’ve had him call it a “piece of cake,” but the fandom kinda just went wild with it, which that aspect, imo, shouldn’t be the fault of the writers.

[@trumpeterjen]

@@davidbeer5015 The first part didn’t bother me, but something about the second part makes it feel more literal. “Taking candy from a baby is fine by me” doesn’t feel like a metaphor to me. At the very least, it’s clumsy. It doesn’t convey the same message as the original in my opinion. Anyone can disagree, but that’s how I feel, and I think a lot of other people do, too. If most of the fandom gets the wrong idea, then it wasn’t clear enough. Communication goes both ways.

[@EvelynWn]

Shadow has never, and will never, be the type of person who will openly talk about his feelings. So the 'worried about my social status' line was nessisary. Under no circumstances would he have admitted he felt bad about not knowing birthday parties involve presents. He's not that emotionally vulnerable. Not even with Amy. Emotional avoidance is symptom of PTSD, which we know he has because he was having flashbacks in SA2 (and in Shadow 06 if the taking candy from a baby scene is anything to go by.) I like that it's still something he struggles with. It shows that the trauma may not go away, but he can still have a normal life. Which is inspiring.

[@ドラゴンリュー-f1x]

Shadow is the same as Kazuma Kiryu and Jin Kazama. Even though he has said goodbye to his past with his loved ones, he continues to move on without forgetting their memories.He is the type of person who does not decide whether an action is good or bad, but if he thinks it will benefit the world, he will do it.

[@BBK113]

And just like Jin, he had an edgy arc but too bad that unlike him he never grew outta it

[@ドラゴンリュー-f1x]

⁠@@BBK113yep and they control all time evil devil dad and stachie family clan but beating up they self and they rival is a delinquent who is a professional kicker and is now close to they friend.

[@rickyronny4019]

@@BBK113what makes you think that? Shadow hasn’t been portrayed anywhere close to edgy in recent years. If anything he’s improving. If he turns out good in Sonic movie 3 this will fully prove your point wrong

[@BBK113]

@@rickyronny4019 That's because Shadow hasn't in anything in recent years aside from the IDW comics and Prime and even then in IDW he's portrayed as being edgy

[@lukescrew1981]

@@BBK113 Wrong

[@callumcrane241]

I just noticed that Shadow was hoping the cake that Sonic was handing to Amy was a chocolate one. As someone who loves chocolate cake, I approve.

[@davidbeer5015]

There’s little things about Shadow in moments like that and knowing the right band to get her tickets for has me like….could Amy have fallen for the wrong hedgehog? 🤣 throw in some of the twitter takeover moments like them apparently both being Swifties, they have some other common interests, he knows her and the things she likes (iirc, it’s said he even goes with her to that concert that he bought her tickets for).

[@trumpeterjen]

@@davidbeer5015 It's somewhat reciprocated, too. That moment at 29:08 where she's gazing up at him admiringly is exactly the same way she looks at Sonic. It's small, but it's there.

[@callumcrane241]

@@trumpeterjen Oh yea.

[@alicesacco9329]

​@@trumpeterjenplus unlike Sonic, Shadow doesn't run from Amy.

[@MoonlightBrillance]

@@davidbeer5015 Agreed lol. I wouldn’t mind if Amy outgrew her crush on Sonic to Shadow instead because he is a lot more attentive and mature lol. It’s a shame they don’t interact more.

[@OmarRodriguez-pj3qy]

I never noticed that Shadow and Rouge fist bump in the Sonic Heroes intro… that is the best thing I’ve seen from the two of them.

[@roguereaver634]

One thing I think is worth bringing up about TMoStH, is that when everyone realises Sonic isn't ok, Shadow is one of the ones actively trying to help. He checks his pulse and helps prop him up, which further reinforces that he does actually care about other people.

[@trumpeterjen]

40:41 I always took "worried for my social status" as a joke. Even Tails is laughing. If the player suggests Shadow likes Hot Honey, he glares and says, "Leave. Now." Shadow used the transparent excuse of "social status" because he felt vulnerable admitting he just wanted to get a nice gift for Amy, a move made even more obvious when he agrees to go with her to see a band he clearly can't stand. I love the contrast between Amy's birthday party in TMOSTH and Sonic's in Generations. In Generations, Shadow avoids everyone and sulks. In TMOSTH, he plays an arcade game with Vector and Knuckles, he humors Tails' odd comment about coffee and marshmallows, and he shows his softer side toward Amy. That's legitimate character development. I'm glad he's inching his way back toward friendship.

[@jamiegioca9448]

I really dig these subtly meta lines

[@rafagamer5915]

when Tails laugh of this Shadow's comment?

[@trumpeterjen]

You can see him laughing onscreen when Shadow says it.

[@EvelynWn]

Shadow was so well written in the Murder of Sonic game. I loved that he was Espio' scapegoat. It shows that Espio is clever in assuming everyone would doubt Shadow super easily because Shadow is sus even when he's being honest. (Espio would be brilliant at Amoung Us) And it gives Shadow a chance to be adorably annoyed about being accused.

[@trumpeterjen]

@@EvelynWn And he’s still pretty gentle toward her even when she’s accusing him. I would’ve expected him to be rude or lash out at that, but no. Either he’s just soft toward Amy or he’s more calm and content than he used to be, which would be really nice. He deserves it.

[@jamiegioca9448]

Saying Knuckles and Shadow were evil really didn't age in the slightest 🤣🤣🤣🤣 EDIT: Wait, is Knuckles referred to as a "pawn" of evil? That makes much more sense in context, actually

[@Wildcatt1999]

Nope lol

[@callumcrane241]

Agreed.

[@manuelinacio4038]

I hope in Shadow Generations Shadow fights Biolizard, Black Doom, AND Mephiles. The villains that affected Shadow's character the most throughout the years.

[@BlackClaw2]

Well 2 out of those 3 were confirmed.

[@manuelinacio4038]

@@BlackClaw2 I know. I just hope we see Mephiles

[@castform7]

I was about to say "would Mephiles work? Solaris doesn't exist anymore" then I remembered Crisis City is in Gens so who knows.

[@manuelinacio4038]

​@castform7618 someone asked on Twitter to the Frontiers director if Mephiles could return, and he said probably, especially since they are now connecting the games.

[@leohernandez8751]

Especially since all 3 Villains test Shadow in their own ways: The Biolizard tested Shadow and his confrontation with his dark past. Black Doom tested Shadow on his status as either a hero or villain in the present Mephiles tested Shadow’s conviction of protecting humanity by showing his grim fate in the future. Shadow had his past, present and future tested and it would make sense to battle all 3 again in the upcoming Sonic X Shadow Generations game on the Shadow side of things.

[@DKPGames]

What bothers me now is Prime, he is treated like Rouge is not his friend, but Sonic's. And Omega nowhere to be seen.

[@rickyronny4019]

Yeah. That’s my only problem with Shadow in that show. And his lack of screen time. His character on its own is great but he needed to do more

[@Jacob_The_Human]

Honestly I'd be fine with Shadow's characterization in Sonic Prime if it didn't take place in the main continuity, every previous show was in its own universe, so why not Prime too?

[@DKPGames]

@@Jacob_The_Human I dont know what are you talking about, if anything Prime had no continuity. Since when they live in Green Hill? Especially Shadow, of all people, why is Rouge, someone who swore to be on his side, is with Sonic, Big, Knuckles, Tails and Amy? There were no references to anything. Besides that one weird Advance animation that didnt had anything to do with the plot.

[@Jacob_The_Human]

@@DKPGames the creators said it takes place in the same universe as the games

[@DKPGames]

@@Jacob_The_Human Well thats not good enough for me, to be "Canon" i think it needs to actually be in the show, im just confused that you want LESS continuity, if Shadow had less continuity than Prime he would be Boom's Shadow

[@averyhorrocks5195]

Honestly, I think you were a bit too harsh on yourself for the og Shadow video. I learned a lot from it about the character that I would not have known otherwise. Seeing as how I don't have a way to play sonic adventure currently.

[@JasLamArr91]

They need to bring Shadow back to how he was in 06. He was perfectly balanced there. Then the 2010s happened and made him unnecessarily edgy...

[@nugget3327]

They really missed an opportunity of developing more of Shadow’s mentor like dynamic to Silver as well.

[@rox4945]

Agreed as a sonic fan heroes Archie shadow and the one from the fan film are also peak iterations too the post 2006 era shadow and the one from his game destroyed his character my head canon is the one from his own game is mephiles because it makes no sense how he just regressed and went through the amnesia thing again and contradicts his lore.

[@caiacw]

I think that you did Shadow's character justice with this video. You analyzed him very well, made important reflections and highlighted all of his strengths and weaknesses. Your last reflection in particular was very emotively clever: Shadow is meant to be the hero for us introverts, someone we can relate to. This is how I got attached to Shadow myself, various years ago, and I can safely say that he saved me. I would not be here today without Shadow, not like this. Thank you for this video!

[@kieranstark7213]

Honestly, I hate that this response video hasn’t been dealt with (m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIamf4Z4qaaerKM) before he could make other responses to Characters-in-Depth’s videos like “Tails is Just Player Two (And That’s Ok)”, “Amy Rose is a Psycho Fangirl (And That’s Ok, Especially in Free Riders)”, “Justifying Sonic’s Horrific Personality”, “Defending Adam Malkovich (and Defending Metroid Other M’s Story in General, and Also Defending Sam Witwicky from Misunderstanders”), “Goku IS a Bad Father”, “In Defense of StarFox Command”, “Look Who’s Really Misunderstanding Knuckles by Expecting Too Much of Him”, etc.

[@alicesacco9329]

Great analysis on Shadow. I like how heroes (and adventure, a little bit) also show Shadow's light side, his more playful and curious side. I like how he acts in Prime (in some part he remembers me heroes Shadow, playful and mischievous), although often he seems so afraid of people, unless isn't Sonic.

[@KidsBuildingClub]

I thought the original video did such a great job of informing me about Shadow’s character but this one is even better! I would’ve loved for Sonic Prime to be mentioned in this video though since that’s been Shadow’s biggest role by far since forces

[@mr.incredivenom]

Another excellent video. I’ve always prefer Shadow as a dark hero with a heart of gold. I also still believe team Dark are friends. Hopefully we get a good shadow moving forward, but i did love what prime did with him.

[@FanaticMitchell1]

Sorry to let you down about team dark, but Ian Flynn said that team dark don't like each other, they hate each other but they only work together as acquaintances, sorry

[@mr.incredivenom]

@@FanaticMitchell1 that was before, but now he said “ there’s a degree of respect and understanding between them and they have a closeness that they don’t share with anyone else” which defines friends. I promise you, he said that. Idc what Sega thinks.

[@FanaticMitchell1]

@@mr.incredivenom that's good, I think Sega doesn't know what to do with their own franchise anymore, they don't want to do anything relating to the adventure era games including new releases or merchandises because of Sonic 06, I'm surprised we got collectibles of Mephlies and Chaos recently, and they even go out of the way to try to make sure classic characters like Sally Acorn are permanently forgotten

[@mr.incredivenom]

@@FanaticMitchell1 don’t forget they don’t even want nothing to do with the anime as well. Fans want to see cosmo, topaz, and metarex the list goes on. Sega is sega.

[@FanaticMitchell1]

@@mr.incredivenom I'm surprised that the Sonic X original characters aren't included since Sega had a big hand in in the anime

[@adantelee5017]

That moment in Sonic X replicating SA2 where Shadow is convinced to save the world that should have 1,000% be Amy & not Chris Thorndyke

[@Animefan-uk8pw]

Who?

[@alicesacco9329]

Oh God, that scene was completely ruined with that snotty brat instead of Amy. On one sine seeing 'chwis twondwike' getting beaten was satisfactory but on the other side it was so weird, early videogame Shadow was cool and very capable to control his feelings and this is actually one of his merits while X Shadow shows to have a temprer in several occasions.

[@rainpooper7088]

Especially since Sonic X hard pushed Amy's character in that comic relief angry pseudo-yandere direction. Giving that scene to Chris robbed her of one of her most memorable key scenes that showed she could get serious without it turning into a funny "uh-oh you made her mad haha" moment.

[@artistanthony1007]

​@@alicesacco9329 Chris is 14 and snotty brat? He did not have either of those two traits in that scene.

[@Keetna568]

I feel like Amy was so butchered by the show that it wouldn’t even make sense for 4kids Amy to have made that speech because she was so angry and psychotic for the majority of the show. She literally threatened someone with violence over Sonic admittedly being a jerk and ditching her when they were going to spend time together. I prefer adventure and frontiers amy

[@adantelee5017]

It’s unfortunate on what happened to Shadow’s character cause he’s one of the best characters in Sonic history, Shadow’s probably in my top 5 or higher of favorite Sonic characters

[@rickyronny4019]

Honestly imma go ahead and say Shadow’s been fine in recent years. He’s gradually been improving. He will never be as bad or controversial as he was in his own game and in Boom

[@adantelee5017]

@@rickyronny4019 you do have a point there

[@rickyronny4019]

@@adantelee5017 yeah. Prime is what definitely sold me on the direction of Shadow’s character. That show did a good job with him, let’s just hope Shadow generations and the third movie are just as good

[@adantelee5017]

@@rickyronny4019 as for Prime Shadow id suggest watching ThePJshow’s video on Shadow in Sonic Prime

[@rickyronny4019]

@@adantelee5017 I watched it already

[@WTSD850]

thanks for making this I never really understood shadows story and character arc before now

[@chicofnaf7114]

Not gonna lie, the original Shadow video is the first video I have ever seen from you, so it was a surprise to see a sequel video to it, so glad to see a new light on the video

[@castform7]

This was a really good remake of your Shadow video. I especially like your moderated look on Shadow 05. It's not the cleanest story (like at all) and on the surface it looks like Shadow is regressing but when you look at the games themes and what it does with Shadow, there's a lot there that's really good and contributes more to his awesome 06 portrayal. To me one of the main things Shadow 05 did was give Shadow peace of mind and agency. When you look at SA2, Heroes and most of this game, Shadow is either doing what he's told to do, trying to find the secrets of his past or some mixture of both. Shadow doesn't know who he is and thinks that knowing the past will help him figure it out. But in the last story, he realizes that his past absolutely sucks and wants no part of it. He takes out Black Doom so that the last major remnants of his past die offand he can start again. Doing what he wants not shackled by anyone in the past, not even Maria. You could say that the Shadow from Adventure 2 did die and was reborn as the Shadow at the end of Shadow 05 which I think is a really cool place to take his character. At the moment we don't know what the Gens remake later this year has in store for Shadow but I hope it stays in line with the Shadow Shadow not shackled to his past rather than trying to bring him back to his Adventure 2 self. That's not who Shadow is anymore (or at least it shouldn't be imo).

[@rickyronny4019]

Agreed

[@andrewstokka3662]

Questions for You: 1) Will you talk about the Sonic Boom franchise? Not to sound rude I’m just curious. 2) Do you forgive Sonic Forces? 3) And what do you think of IDW Shadow? But either way a wonderful video, great update.

[@noxus1238]

I was kind of hoping you spoke a little about Shadow’s character in Sonic Chronicles and Sonic Battle. Sonic battle did pretty good writing his character especially when he was helping Emerl. I really liked that development between him and Emerl having a shared passed tied to Gerald. It’s a shame Emerl died in the game and shadow did not react to his death. Would have liked to see them interact maybe they could have been brothers. And how he would react to seeing Emerl die would have been emotional. He had some nice dialogue with Rouge, Omega was not in the game but he could have been cool , would have loved seeing Emerl and Omega interact. Sonic chronicles did decent as well, he didn’t do much after the cast went to the twilight cage but he was presented as heroic. He was a bit out of character in some scenes where he fought Sonic and friends but still joined them against the Nocturnous clan. I would like to hear your thoughts on Sonic Battle and Chronicles one day. Unfortunately Chronicles may never see the light of day ever again due to a certain writer who has a weird fetish for Echidna characters. ( I really miss Shade the Echidna though).

[@rickyronny4019]

Agreed. These two did a decent job writing him

[@lukescrew1981]

He's shit at Sonic Battle what are you talking about?

[@Chiptendo]

I want more videos like this. As much as I love you're earlier videos, this remake is really eye opening. Please do more!

[@ZachaRicO]

Seems like every time I watch a video dissecting Shadow's character, I get a reminder why he's one of my all-time favorites in fiction. And this is a great year to be a fan!

[@SunsetRadi0]

Man I love your videos You really really should have used mods for those cutscenes on the PC version of SA2, the audio mixing was way too distracting in that section

[@heroce974]

I love your channel and I recently went back to your Shadow (aka my favorite video game character) analysis and now you just posted a new one! What a good day to be subbed to you bro 🔴⚫

[@KatrinaCannavino]

I’m happy I opened up to Shadow. And I’m just happy that now I can look at him as like an older brother figure and a best friend which is how I picture him even now.

[@LucasHopkins2006]

I feel like Prime was a step in the right direction to get back to 06 Shadow, there’s still ways to go but I think we may just be getting there as long as Sega keeps this up, and with what else we’re getting this year with Shadow with Sonic X Shadow Generations (man they really should’ve made a better title, people on the internet are gonna have quite the field day with that) and the third movie, fingers crossed that soon we’ll have the true Shadow the Hedgehog back

[@rickyronny4019]

Prime was definitely a step in the right direction for Shadow’s character. But that show did him dirty by not giving him much screen time

[@LucasHopkins2006]

@@rickyronny4019 Agreed, it felt more like he was mainly there for marketing when I think (like I think ThePJShow said in his video about Prime Shadow) the show might’ve been better as a type of buddy cop story with Shadow playing a big role throughout most of it

[@rickyronny4019]

@@LucasHopkins2006 I agree cuz Shadow in my opinion was the best character in the show. He should’ve been able to travel through dimensions in season 2 onwards

[@alicesacco9329]

I'm not so optimistic for the movie. Iizuka actually worked here to make sure Shadow behaves as Shadow, and is him who is into his edgelord demeanor (what he often say about Shadow is not what Maekawa or what you see in the adventure/heroes/06 games say. So no handclasping with Sonic, no chill Shadow.

[@adantelee5017]

Recommendation, character analysis on not just video game characters but characters from animated shows & movies as well, one id love to see would be Timmy’s fairies from Fairly Oddparents Cosmo, Wanda, & Poof

[@jamiegioca9448]

I asked him once if he was interested in covering cartoons and other shows, and he said he was thinking of talking about SpongeBob

[@adantelee5017]

@@jamiegioca9448 well both SpongeBob & Fairly Oddparents are from Nickelodeon

[@johanstenfelt1206]

Huh, fair points and opinions, I hope they get on the right track with Shadow moving forward, but we’ll see. Anyway, this was a very well done Video, I appreciate it.

[@KatrinaCannavino]

I may have a crazy obsession with Shadow, but he’s my hero… no matter what path he goes down, I care about him and I still like him. Not just as a character, but as a hero… and a friend.

[@smashster1787]

If there's one time Boom Shadow had a somewhat nice moment, during his final moments in the Sonic Boom cartoon finale he said he was impressed with how Sonic (and also his friends) saved the universe. Sure, this is also after he threatened the universe when Eggman "humiliated" him, but it's something. An idea I have on how they can do Boom Shadow better is while he can keep his distaste for teamwork, have it be toned-down where he recognizes the strength in teamwork, but wants to prove his own strength instead of just being "teamwork makes you weak". It can then lead into a character-arc where he realizes that you can be strong on your own while still having people you can count on to help you when you need it. It's simple, yes, but it could possibly work for this version of Shadow. Great video, you've definitely shown your improvement in your craft!😁👍

[@jamiegioca9448]

I came up with a backstory of sorts for why Boom Shadow deslikes friendship so much a while ago: He used to be a more sociable guy, but he was also extremely unlucky when it came to making friends, as they were always either ditching, backstabbing or just using him. Nobody saw him as an actual buddy, just as a tool, a pawn, a double-crosser, a means to an end, etcetera. What's worse, he always grew really attached to the "friends" he made, making his anger and sadness that came from these betrayals all the more heartbreaking. Eventually, he got fed up and grew to believe that friendship is a lie and that it's much better to go alone in life. If I were to make a fanfic rewriting Rise of Lyric's plot, I'd make that his backstory and instead of telling Sonic that "his loyalty to his friends makes him weak", he'll say that it's his *dependence* on his "friends" that makes him weak

[@smashster1787]

@@jamiegioca9448 That can definitely work.

[@lordx8844]

I refuse to accept anyone who wishes shadow was dead in sa2, I don’t want him to end up like gamma, emeral, and all other beloved characters that were never seen again.

[@Animefan-uk8pw]

Not to mention Shadow has a much cooler design and more interesting character arc.

[@rickyronny4019]

I agree. Cuz Shadow as a character had so much more potential than the other characters and new stories to be explored

[@TheGermanWizard]

You kiiiinda skipped Sonic Battle there... in that game he is working for the grater good and isnt afraid to knock the heroes out of the way to kill emerl. In his story section, he leads Emerl to the truth about himself existing as a weapon. And Rouge helping out is a nice bonus. it has a few contrived moments, but Shadow is treated nicely overall. It isnt explained why he is asleep for most of the game's runtime until near the end, it's assumed it happens between his own game and heroes or Adventure 2 and heroes, but thats besides the point.

[@JeremyBelpoisX]

I should preface by saying that Shadow is my favorite character in the whole franchise, and your video 5 years ago was how I discovered your channel. While I can see how you're not proud of it (and don't worry I haven't even joked about sending it to SEGA) I do agree that Shadow's portrayal as a one-note edge lord is a tad offensive to us long-time fans who truly understand his character and motivations. And your idea of how you would make Boom Shadow different is a nice idea. I never got the chance to play ANY game between 06 and Forces when they came out (especially 06 because of you-know-what-scene) and am only now just picking them up, but I have seen cutscenes of the stories in those games and... I was not impressed. But perhaps not growing up with them has allowed me to have a soft (if still negative) view on them. But with your video and other videos like Game Apologist and Chaomix showing how much Shadow grew and changed over his debut, Heroes, even his nefarious spinoff, and the 10th "worst game ever" candidate since E.T., this.... this was my hero growing up. I always liked staying off by myself because I didn't feel comfortable around others, and my family made me feel like such a weirdo for it saying that I'd never make any friends... but, like Shadow, I found friends who stayed away from others like me, and we just clicked. We may not always agree on everything, but I never questioned how close our bond was. One more thing, I loved this beautiful 3d video based off an official Sonic Channel comic about how Shadow was named by Maria because Gerald said that he would watch over her and protect her, and she likened that to what a person's shadow does, staying by her side. In 2005, I got a black Labrador puppy who never left my side when I was home and always came to greet me when I got home from Boy Scout meetings and campouts. I'm sad to say I didn't appreciate him initially, thinking it wasn't anything compared to a new game or toy. But as I grew up and he grew with me, he always stayed by my side and never did anything that made me anything other than happy and even safe. I named him Shadow, after my favorite video game character. My dog is long gone now, but it's my connection with Shadow the Hedgehog that is how my memory of Shadow the Dog will live on forever. Here's hoping Sonic 3 pays honor to that memory.

[@rafagamer5915]

i'm sorry for your Dog Shadow. at least, he is in a better place now

[@spiderzsonic6581]

I really like how much you improve The only thing I would like is to see your opinion on dialogues or complementary Japanese material (the thing about the trailers is funny but I am referring to things like his story and profile on channel, the TSR interviews or simply the change of the games's script)

[@RSA-zv9hd]

Pretty good video essay!!

[@tiablue9106]

Great vid! ^^ rlly shows ur improvement since the previous one on shadow, I liked when u said they could have him do other poses besides crossed arms lol

[@DarionGNB]

I feel like the perception of Shadow being a true hero, who fights for the peace of everyone on the planet doesn't hold up. He's more interesting when they play into that morally grey anti hero character imo. You can show he has a caring side like with Team Dark in 06, or Amy in Murder of Sonic but at his core Shadow is a ruthless mf, and i mainly just want current interpretations to give a proper balance of those characteristics.

[@Og.Rocketstan]

I totaly agree, i think based of his personality and how he acts anti-hero fits him much better!!

[@yuncelluz8709]

This game is so awesome!!!😢❤🎉🎉 Great video yet again OnGod 💯

[@Jahlil.W]

Overall, a decent follow-up analysis. One important thing I would like to argue is that despite the fact that some characters can be both at different times, there is a stark difference between being an anti-hero, an anti-villain and a straight up villain. Boom!Shadow is just a straight up villain who just happens to have a mild sense of honour, which is his only positive trait in-universe.

[@dranoradragonqueen1494]

like to point out as this has come to my attention recently that at the time of SA2 he could be considered mentally younger then tails at the ripe age of 1 or 2 years old depending greatly on how quickly they decided to speed up his growth cycle from baby to teen. If he didn't even go from baby to teen and was just created as a teen then he could be even younger with almost no life experiences to pull from. That kind of tragic event that young mentally is bound to do some mental damage. I frankly am impressed that he didn't shut down completely or just off himself. I also find it incredible how his moral compass seem to steer him correctly through all the bullshit, mind games, mental torment, amnesia, and delusions. He made it out the other side as a good guy with a grumpy exterior that he uses to protect himself from further harm but with a kind disputation to those that know him. Even if he find's them annoying like sonic. Also crazy that the memories of maria always makes it through even through the amnesia. On a different note, love that his kid mind finds the pumpkin hill heads creepy.

[@math3us420]

oh yeah, this is the definitive shadow analysis

[@KatrinaCannavino]

I watched your video, dude. And it changed my life. Because back when I first got into Sonic, I had a serious grudge over Shadow because I only saw him as an edge lord… and nothing else. But, a year later when I watched this video, I realized I was wrong to judge him like that. It’s your video that changed my thoughts on him. Now, I’ve grown so attached to him. And now, he’s my all time favourite character in the franchise. Shadow is a good character and I wouldn’t trade him for anything. I don’t care what people say about him, I like him and nothing will change that. You’re a good guy, Shadow.

[@I.Am.Terrible.At.Usernames]

Awesome video! Keep up the great work my guy! (PS I think you forgot to mention Mephiles 😉)

[@hugoflores1093]

Really hoping the expansion on Generations cleans the page for Shadow, in a game traveling across memories and Shadow having A LOT of them They can really fix for good everything the internet has made peoplo think of Shadow Also the movie, the staff already proved that they know this characters

[@alicesacco9329]

Nah, apparently he now talks like Paul Bearer at times, saying things like 'oooh poor soul, I'm here to put an end to your torment!', things like that. He went goth. Is weird and silly, not in a good way (I actually like PB but not on Shadow). Then we have black doom who is hilarious, he is rubbery, does squash and stretch, defies any physical law, alters his shapes just for expressivity purposes. Is fun to watch.

[@alicesacco9329]

As for movie, they got mandates. Only for Shadow. The others are free, Shadow is not.

[@gamemaster2819]

A funny little thing about Shadow in Boom, in the Japanese version of Rise of Lyric, he has this robotic filter on his voice until the end, and he's actually being mind controlled. Yes, Sega of Japan realized this was a horrible way to write him, and rewrote him to a victim

[@jesusgutierrez-ow8vb]

There is a curious fact about why Rouge does not tell Shadow anything about his past in Sonic Adventure 2 in the Japanese dubbing and it is that it is made clear that Rouge would have told him what happened in Adventure 2 Shadow would still have doubts since not only She wants to know her past, she also wants to know why these past events occurred, but the most important thing is to know the reason for her existence, something that Rouge couldn't tell her either, since in Adventure 2 she had doubts if Shadow was real or if her memories were false. In shadow the hedgehog the reason why he does not want to help humans is because he was not mentally stable at that time shadow had no memory so the hedgehog after not having memory also loses his moral code and that is why the hedgehog Shadow's game has multiple endings because depending on what happens, Shadow can change for better or worse, so at first he cannot help humans if he is not mentally prepared to do this action. It's not until black doom appears and mentions the chaos emeralds and shadow in the Japanese dub says "hmm interesting they say the chaos emeralds perform a miracle if you get all 7 if those jewels have the answers to my past I'll make sure to get them" with this It makes it clear that he possibly started neutral, then possibly dark after being convinced by Black Doom and then became a hero after possibly meeting Rouge and so on until the canonical end of the game. PD: the Japanese dubbing is a thousand times better than English, plus the Japanese dubbing is the canon

[@utagawashi1656]

Thank you to restore the truth! The original vision is the Japanese

[@lukescrew1981]

@@utagawashi1656 No

[@utagawashi1656]

@@lukescrew1981 Why ?

[@lukescrew1981]

@@utagawashi1656 Because it's shit

[@rafagamer5915]

did you mean him?

[@artistanthony1007]

If you seen what victims that suffer severe brain injury go through irl, you know why he's more negative and swears while lost access to controlling Chaos Energy and it's made clear this game is not a sequel to Heroes, just an alternate outcome to SA2 with a different way Shadow had been changed from the fall then Super forms grant Nigh Invulnerability so ofc he didnt die.

[@Jstarredchaos]

I see shadow as an introverted rebellious hero. He does the right thing no matter what and wants to help others but I also see him as someone who would be willing to somewhat “evil” or “unjust” things to accomplish it. Still a hero but I feel like he goes along with the idea of “The ends justify the means”.

[@PGbutalsofourteenplus]

Persoelly I don't think Black Doom Only sees Shadow as a tool to conquer the world, given that his Reasons for Conquering the world is to feed his other children The Black Arms

[@KajorArtStudios]

This is what I call character development.

[@iwanttoknow.669]

I first saw shadow in sonic battle of all games as a teenager i loved the character. Then i played SA2 for the first time, he became my favorite character and still is to this day.

[@DemonDethchase]

Meanwhile in Japan 29:55 "Hmph, how incredibly stupid of them.​ ​​To think they would expose a Chaos Emerald before me...​ ​​ 36:00 Shadow: I've been waiting, Sonic!​ ​​ Sonic: Shadow?! What are you doing here?!​ ​We're kinda busy right now. Can we do this some other time?​ ​​ ​​​ ​ Shadow: You scared of me...? You scum... disgusting runt... begone.​ ​This is an order from Lyric, the Emissary of Destruction. I will destroy all who oppose him...​ Death to all life... Sonic, I shall give you hell...​ ​​ ​​​ ​ I believe Shadow was under Lyric's mind control, given there's a bit of a distortion effect going on with his voice.

[@Abigdummy4life]

Not to mention even cut lines from Tails directly imply that Shadow was under mind control

[@DemonDethchase]

@@Abigdummy4life with the question being asked, how do we make Boom Shadow better, in Rise of Lyric? Use the Japanese script perhaps? Though saying that, that would be the answer for most games from the 2010s, of how fix these characters? Use the Japanese script! One key example of this being Lost World, when Sonic's confronting the Zeti, after they turned Tails into a robot ENG: not sure if that sounds more like Sonic finds it to it be mild annoyance, than any real anger. JPN: dude, Sonic sounds legit angry, and rightly so!

[@TevyaSmolka]

i love shadow the hedgehog he's such a great character.

[@sapphirezx315]

This is better than the other Shadow video

[@Goras147]

Praying for more nuanced representation of Shadow in 2024! Saw your first vid, am glad I saw this one too.

[@bluephoenix4241]

Didn't think about it... Y'know how Sonic just LOVES Halloween this probably signals at Shadow's somewhat distaste for Halloween and somewhat creepy imagery.

[@rafagamer5915]

how do you know Sonic Loves Halloween?

[@themidnight8132]

You know I wonder you can do the same thing but with Knuckles about his first impressions and arcs

[@elainetaylor-lewis5417]

I'm not sure if RPG's are your thing, but I would love to see Persona 4 or 5 character-in-depth's of any persona character 😊 They are many of them with charm, layers, and depth to them and even heartfelt character development the more you spend time with them in the game. I would recommend it ❤

[@corbangonzalez4935]

This may be a hot take, but I think Shadows portrayal as an anti hero in the IDW comics is pretty interesting. I feel like it has a lot of potential to serve as an opposing view to Sonic’s view on life. Let me explain. Sonic’s whole thing in the IDW comics is that everyone should be free to live how they want to live, yet he actively goes against that believe by letting eggman go free and oppress people. We all know the real reason for this is because Sega can’t just kill off Eggman, but what if this caused more than just an argument or two in the comics? What if in one comic, team Sonic and team dark cross arms with each other over how to handle eggman? Shadow and Rouge (I doubt Omega really gives a fuck) could be angry at Sonic for being a hypocrite and allowing eggman to run free and kill people (yes he does that) because he doesn’t want to kill him and compromise his own beliefs, while team Sonic is just says the usual hero stuff of “oh killing bad”. I think that Shadow being mad at Sonic’s hypocrisy could explain why he’s more hostile to him in the IDW comics, while also keeping him as an anti hero. I feel like that could lead to a cool story where the ending doesn’t really give a clear answer as to who is correct on the matter and lets the reader come to their own opinion.

[@leohernandez8751]

That is an interesting point. It would show the reader that the world isn’t all black and white when it comes to solutions like this. On one hand, Sonic is constantly enforcing his ideology of everyone having the choice to live their lives freely and however they choose, whether that’s good or bad. On the other hand, Shadow also makes a good point that same freedom causes people to overstep their boundaries like Eggman has *COUNTLESS TIMES* and should be punished accordingly. That would make an interesting conflict for IDW to present to the reader.

[@jamiegioca9448]

​@@leohernandez8751 I always thought he was alright before the Metal Virus arc. Maybe a bit more violent than necessary, but it was justified

[@nyhtfall1969]

i mean you weren't technically wrong when u said he'd appear in the upcoming 2021 game cause he did appear when we got the awesome shadow campaign for project 06 so close enough?

[@CloudsAllyFF]

The realization I watch this guy and watched this video..

[@rickyronny4019]

1:37 I honestly agree. Shadow was fine in Forces, there I’d say he had more good than bad qualities

[@obd9660]

22:50; If I had a pound for everytime I heard that misinformation... no, they never planned for Shadow to die. In a game magazine from 2005, Takeshi Iizuka said he'd planned to give Shadow his own game since his introduction. Shiro Meakawa also supposedly said on his Twitter page that Shadow was never planned to die.

[@justiceiria869]

That is the first time i have heard of this.

[@TheSultan1470]

​@@justiceiria869 First time, yeah. Makes no logical sense. Wasn't SA2 written with the intention of being the last Sonic game at the time?

[@yungmuney5903]

Citation plz?

[@leohernandez8751]

Love the fact you remade your old Shadow video with fresh eyes and a clearer, more mature mindset to better convey your message about Shadow! Keep up the great work! On an unrelated side note, if the Sonic series were to have a crossover with another SEGA series, I’d have it with the Persona series more specifically Persona 5 Royal. I’d love Shadow to have some interesting interactions with some of the Phantom Thieves like with Joker, Violet and Crow for example. He could see Joker as like a version of Sonic with that cocky attitude, but with a heart of gold underneath that half silent protagonist face he puts on. It can remind him that there are others like Sonic out there in the universe who will fight against all odds for the right reasons, whether for society as a whole or for their friends and family. He can relate to Sumire by the fact both losing a loved one in front of their eyes (Shadow losing his best friend Maria and Sumire losing her older sister, Kasumi) and Shadow can help further Sumire’s growth by letting her know to not let her sister’s death hold her back to what matters in the present, to let her know her sister loved her so much and Sumire should honor that by living in the present with her friends in the Phantom Thieves and keep on living while keeping her sister’s memory alive, like how Shadow keeps Maria’s memory alive by protecting humanity to this very day like what Maria wished for all those years ago. Shadow can see the previous version of himself in Akechi by him being obsessed with revenge and indifference towards the world and is constantly pessimistic. Shadow can have a real talk with Akechi letting him know that despite the path he previously walked led to what happened to him later on, it’s never too late to change your viewpoint on the world and on others as a whole. Just some ideas on how Shadow’s growth back in Adventure 2, Heroes, Yes even Shadow the Hedgehog and especially Sonic 06 can be used in a crossover game.

[@rafagamer5915]

Maria is also Shadow's Sister

[@leohernandez8751]

@@rafagamer5915 In a way, yeah Maria could be considered a sister to Shadow, so that’d make Shadow connect more with Sumire that way since they both lost a sibling in a way, one by choice and one by blood.

[@bowserbreaker2515]

SA2 Shadow is special. He had such a great arc. Heroes respected him by doing something new. Shadow 05 had a good message and ending, but the meat of the game butchered him. 06 gave him an interesting new arc. But this none of these have my favorite Shadow. The video "Why Archie Shadow is the Best Shadow" is amazing. I'm really worried about him in movie 3.

[@alicesacco9329]

Archie Shadow is just how Ian Flynn interpret the character without mandates. Is surely a good interpretation, I can see where it comes from.

[@bowserbreaker2515]

@@alicesacco9329 He's said that Shadow in IDW would be mostly how he is without mandates. But the Archie version I will always love. He has many of the same traits as the video game version, but it really understood that Shadow is a hero.

[@artistanthony1007]

Last Story with Eggman's confession straight up confirms Neutral and Dark are canon, Shadow clearly being told he's an Android with a few things we see in the CG Cutscenes and going to gather all the Emeralds for himself which LS shows everyone is trying to have him give the Emeralds from good to evil.

[@lukescrew1981]

Wrong

[@crazyxman6583]

Love this depiction, can’t wait for Sonic Movie 3

[@spartanwar1185]

BROO I DIDN'T KNOW YOU COULD DESTROY THE JETS IN RADICAL HIGHWAY WHAAAAAAT!?

[@Milkmanrules1032]

I would say Shadow has always been a anti hero. Which doesn’t mean he is not a hero, he is not gonna harm innocent humans anymore or anything like that as he told Mephiles, but even in media like Sonic x, he is shown to do whatever it takes to accomplish his goal. Which I don’t think is out of character. In his game, he learned to live his own destiny but that doesn’t mean he isn’t an anti hero. He will try to do the right thing but he is not afraid to go to the deep end, If he feels it is necessary.

[@Milkmanrules1032]

So yes Shadow used to be a straight up villain like in the beginning of SA2, but he then develops to an anti hero.

[@Milkmanrules1032]

Anti hero doesn’t mean he isn’t still a hero though.

[@Milkmanrules1032]

Episode 73 of Sonic x is a good example of this.

[@Milkmanrules1032]

Even if it isn’t cannon, it still pretty accurate to Shadow’s character for the most part.

[@Og.Rocketstan]

I totaly agree he is more like a anti-hero i wouldnt call him a edgy villian but i also wouldnt call him a optimistic kind hero. Thats also duo his personality wich is angry and mean sometimes even a jerk to hide his true feelings and pain away, and because he'll do whatever he has to do to get the job done even if its not always heroic stuff, so yea i totaly agree with you hes def a antihero!

[@Jahlil.W]

I presume the best they can do with Black Doom in the Generations rerelease is giving him a cool boss fight.

[@adantelee5017]

I do like your alternate Shadow ending in Rise of Lyric & i bet he would make a great member on Team Boom Sonic. But what about Sticks who’s exclusive to Sonic Boom?

[@KatrinaCannavino]

Shadow is the coolest

[@AdamSelvig]

I see shadow as a hero

[@mustachetwirler7617]

7:15 Shadow: [as he sits in a bottle] Me Genie, the dark, black hedgehog! Eggman: Oh, Mighty Genie. Shadow: Release me, and I shall grant thee a rich wish. Eggman: Eggman release you, oh, Master. [He shakes Shadow out of the bottle] Shadow: Thank you, Dr. Eggman. Now, wouldst thou like to have all this Space Colony Ark for thy very own? Eggman: Oh, yes, Master. Eggman like. Eggman like! Shadow: Very well. Ickity ackity ooh, eh eh! Ziggity zaggity zoo, eh eh! Ooh, ooh, ptht! Ah, ah, ptht! Flippity flappity floop! It's yours. [Eggman dives into the Space Colony Ark.]

[@kkirby999]

i know you're probably burnt out of sonic right but i gotta know something. will you be taking a look at the story of shadow generations when it comes out to see if it captures shadow's character or not?

[@sonicranger5418]

I have an idea for a future video. Maybe you could talk about the best stories with no dialogue in the future.

[@vanitas456]

Judging by sonic frontiers they seem to be taking the characters into a more positive direction from the colours or meta or whatever you like calling it

[@randoapplebigcheese6169]

I always viewed Shadows dynamic with Eggman as a toxic family member. Eggman gaslit Shadow so hard.

[@SaddieMoon]

I prefer Boom Shadow being a villain. I like that idea since it’s an AU. And I don’t think you need to have an explanation for his and Sonic’s relationship. Just make it enjoyable. Which I don’t care for Rise of Lyric, or maybe even any version of Boom Shadow. Except maybe the show? Besides, I like it when fictional franchises has story elements that acts like you are viewing into another world. Not explaining why Shadow has his relationship with Sonic is fine. It just implies they have some history together. And not gonna lie, I don’t really like you having Shadow open up and teaming up with Team Sonic. I like the idea of Boom Shadow leaning towards the stereotypes of him more. Something fun could be made out of it. I think making him the second to last boss tho is fine. I would just have a similar walking away and saying not bad. Or maybe “I guess I was wrong about you. Friends can slightly be helpful.” Then he smiles with his back turned, and then deceivingly saying: “Slightly.” And teleports away. Even if you rewrite his line to something else, like the idea of an AU taking a different direction for a character from the original. It’s why I like Fleetway Super Sonic.

[@aarushbhadwaj-gs7kd]

You forgot to talk about Shadow's Character in Sonic Prime.

[@alicesacco9329]

He only talked about game Shadow you don't see not even a mention of Sonic X. Sonic Boom has a videogame counter part. Sonic Prime doesn't (a SP game would let you use Sonic, Nine and Shadow as playable character I think.

[@aarushbhadwaj-gs7kd]

@@alicesacco9329 Hmm... You're right, it kinda makes sense.

[@demi1999]

chaos spear that like button

[@misterniceguy429]

Shadow in Sonic Boom was kind of a last minute addition, hence why he looks the least changed from his original counterpart and why he felt shoehorned into the story. I mean what do you expect from a game that had a rushed development process, and ran on a game engine that couldn’t work properly on the Wii U?

[@crimsonzone8984]

Listen to this two amazing shadow story streams Let's Rewrite Sonic Lost World & Come Up With A New Shadow Story kzbin.infon4_iiPoApyg?si=3hMQ9IFEBwGHqXFR Working On Our Shadow Story kzbin.infovThtz4BWE94?si=kPHloPwTJWnK3ajL

[@lukeplaysgames20]

You forgot sonic prime witch is confirmed to be canon

[@bowmaj8666]

I'm glad that you had some good things to say about Shadow's portrayal in his own game. Despite the bad stuff in that game, I've always had a soft spot for it. The idea of Shadow being confused by his past and pondering his place in the world is such a great idea. Maybe a hot take, but I'm honestly not a huge fan of Shadow's portrayal in 06. Don't get me wrong, there's some good stuff, but I think that he's portrayed as too perfect in that game and it comes across as a bit one note. For example, that scene where Shadow finds out that Omega will be the one who defeats him and seals him away in the future. The characters are just standing around talking about how unfair that is (at least Rouge and Omega are; Shadow ironically doesn't say a word!) It just feels very "tell don't show!" How about showcasing that some G.U.N soldiers still don't trust him, and show that Shadow is kind of hurt by this as he's trying to make amends with them. How about actually having G.U.N activating some kind of failsafe program that they have installed in Omega that causes him to fight Shadow just in case he betrayed them, and actually showcasing Omega fighting Shadow and showing how hurt Shadow is because he doesn't want to hurt his friend, but also with the knowledge that he may not win. After stuff like that, it would bring Shadow to almost a breaking point. Maybe he considers leaving G.U.N because he feels that he doesn't truly belong there. Maybe have a moment where he considers that Mephiles may be right, and that there is no point in helping those who will always persecute him. However, it's with the help of his friends that he picks himself up and then does the right thing. I feel like stuff like that could've been more interesting than what we got, which is a Shadow who never really changes or grows. I know that people like to say "But all of his growth happens in the previous games!" That's all good and well, but if this is a player's introduction to Shadow, they only have this game to go on. I also don't think it helps that I'm also not a big fan of Jason Griffith's performance in that game. Practically every line he gives is in the same monotone drone and it's just a bit dull for me.

[@Og.Rocketstan]

I dont think shadow is like a quiet kid, he just keep distance from people and push them away because hes scared to get hurt again and because he has ptsd coming from someone who can relate to that. I also do think he is a anti-hero cause he def isnt that edgy villian but he also isnt that typical optimistic kind hero, so i think anti-hero fits him best also because he acts like a jerk and is mean just to hide away his true pain and insecurities. Dont know what you think about that?

[@DeltaBlazin]

2:44 The start

[@TheBlur182]

Can't find that sweet Never Turn Back cover :(

[@davidcampbell7109]

If you want to be a sonic voice actor one day I say go for it you got my support all the way

[@charactersin-depth3472]

🥲

[@nightlydata2181]

I think u overall did a MUCH "better" analysis on Shadow & his character(or any sonic character) than ever before & got most of it correct. However there's still a number of things I feel u misidentified or straight up missed/disregarded entirely like when u mentioned Sonic & co. as Shadows' "friends" that helped him find his new path when they were a part of the problem he was facin in findin himself in that game on account of the fact that outside of Rouge/Omega no-one knew that he had amnesia & assumed he was the Shadow of Sa2 that would protect everyone cus that's wut Maria wanted(she was also part of the "problem" btw). I will also say for 06 it's never stated he's for humanity specifically jus the "world". There's an extra story by ST on he jp sonic website that has him state to sonic he simply protects the planet from those he deems as "fools" doin somethin "foolish" which includes Sonic if that day comes. Point is he's not as much of a "hero" ppl state he is but tthatbdoesn't mean he's a huge asshole who only does things for himself & has a few ppl he cares for & others he at least respects. There's so much more but it's too much to put here. I'll also say u should REALLY look at all this stuff in jp for a multitude of reasons. Also TMOSTH Shadow really wasn't very "good" but on the other hand regardless of the story itself Rivals shadow was "great"

[@darklordsonic9757]

shadow was dabbing before it was cool.

[@AdamSelvig]

Hey so since shadow generations will be released this year

[@peacockqueen]

I personally feel that Shadow was out of character in the TMOSTH game, he shouldn't be someone who understands the importance people give to birthdays because he grew up in the ark

[@jamiegioca9448]

He has been on Earth long enough to learn certain customs and their importance to society. Besides, he was isolated from planet Earth, not from human society, what's your point?

[@Toysonicandfriends2]

Shadow character is the best one

[@Toysonicandfriends2]

The best part of shadow game is the cutscenes animation

[@adantelee5017]

One question. Do you like Lyric in Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric?

[@VannsTHeir]

I wish you really talked about sonic prime just a passing mention would of satisfying me