Shadow the Hedgehog - Soft Around the Edges

[@chaomix]

Let me know what your favorite wholesome Keanu Reeves Shadow the Hedgehog moment is! Also, I'm a big dum dum and forgot to list my backers at the end of the video! Special thanks to: Sonic Central That One Dude Tenn If you'd like to directly support my channel, click the "JOIN" button below this video, or click the membership link in the description. You get some cool perks depending on the membership tier, so go check it out for more info!

[@StarshadowMelody]

I can't believe you didn't talk about Shadow's _absolute shitfit_ over just _not being able to find Omega_ in Chronicles.

[@jamiegioca9448]

I kinda like Shadow in Forces. He's obviously not perfect, but nowhere near as bad as Boom (Dare I say, his best depiction in the 2010s). During Ep. Shadow, he tags along with Rouge and Omega, he takes down Infinite (even though he was probably a bit harsh and rude to him) and even shows some concern or acknowledgement for Sonic when Infinite says that "not even he could stand against him" Sure, he does fuck all in the main story, but still treats the other characters around him decently Also, Keanu Reeves Shadow. That aged well

[@Tazer_Silverscar]

Sonic Team seem pretty obsessed on modelling Shadow on early Vegeta. He's mostly just a huge grump and a big meany, but oddly enough, not even Vegeta is like this - as we know from how he's changed as a character (starting from the Android Saga), and in fact also from back story information we learn from later on in DBZ.

[@Punkaroo]

I like 06 Shadow. He maintains his correct personality while being an absolute madlad

[@windthefox574]

Shadow: Thanks Chaomix, *This is Who I Am!*

[@drcoolcabbage]

I think the biggest problem with modern Shadow is that the writers mistake Shadow's stoicism for him being cold. The two are wildly different things. Shadow's far from cold, we all know he's deeply emotional inside (look at that scene at the end of SA2 when he makes his promise to Amy), he just rarely shows it. So instead the writers take that and make him an angry, unfeeling jerk who hates friendship and puppies.

[@SoIstice]

Shadow's emotions are so deeply rooted in his character that they're his entire motivation for doing what he does, whether good or bad. It genuinely baffles me how badly he's been misinterpreted, cause I really don't understand how Modern Shadow could ever be the kind of guy to try to blow up the world out of anger mixed with dedication to a promise he thought he made to a dear friend. He seems like he'd sooner kick Eggman's ass to prove how cool he is and get on with his day than get hung up over things that happened years in the past. I just don't understand how he gets written like this.

[@_V.Va_]

So he's like Optimus Prime. Well, at least the movie and Transformers Prime versions of the character.

[@khfan4life365]

Yeah. Stoicism doesn’t mean being cold or a jerk. I’m a pretty stoic woman, but I still have emotions and feelings. My family always compliments me on how kind-hearted and caring I am. Shadow isn’t just an “edge lord”. He also has a soft side deep down.

[@specialbeamvegeta4059]

@@khfan4life365 you can see it from just how he reacts to Omega, his closest ally alongside Rouge, was responsible for his capture. He just takes it in, and almost feels defeated

[@ishaansstoryworld5886]

Even sonico6 got something right other than the soundtrack with shadow being mentally hurt by omegas word

[@poteriukusu]

Shadow was originally depicted by Maekawa as a fragile, delicate, and sensible character, and his Japanese first person pronoun is boku which gives polite and well mannered impression.

[@fazelfarrokhi1998]

sa2 sonic battle heroes and 06 were all written by shiro maekawa the writer from sa1 to black knight the best sonic writer

[@sling-b]

​@@fazelfarrokhi1998 it was actually akinori nishiyama who wrote sa1, not maekawa...

[@wannabehistorian371]

The “boku” surprised me at first. It was way softer than I expected.

[@fra93ilgrande]

So I am Shadow 🥺

[@_V.Va_]

Sounds...lame.

[@Prep_Time_God]

Im going to sound cliche for this, but it boggles my mind that Shadow has literally become the fanfic parody today, that people used to mock all the time.

[@melon6444]

I liken it to how Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy was treated for awhile until recently. Character that had mildly edgy or angsty traits in their early appearances, only for those traits to get played up by the fans at the time, and in turn the actual developers end up boiling down what was a loveable and well written character into a one note single character trait caricature.

[@zeroattentiongaming820]

@@melon6444 What happened to Cloud was such a shame considering it actually made sense for him to be that way in Advent Children and he got past it by the end. AC might've been a mess made just for awesome fan service fight scenes but Cloud was going through a very rough time and dealing with survivor's guilt. He actually had an arc that suited his original characterization, he got his shit together to save the world in FF7 but had to live with his failure afterwards. AC Cloud gradually moves past that and becomes end of 7 Cloud again by the time the Fusion Sword took on the shape of the Buster Sword. Then both of his character arcs were just ignored for years and depressed AC Cloud became the standard for his character. I've got my issues with Remake but seeing the "real" Cloud in it was fantastic. If he's not depressed Cloud during the early parts of Remake's story, I think it's safe to say we are going to see his real self shining through once he undergoes his full arc again. Hopefully Shadow can get the same treatment someday. Of course knowing Sega, odds are someday we get an SA2 remake that gives us modern Shadow instead of bringing his original characterization back. Not sure how that would work but when has Sega ever cared about logic?

[@stasyandr563]

did you mean every character in the series? really, everyone are parodies of themselves

[@eeee-mh7il]

@@zeroattentiongaming820 if modern shadow was in the events of sa2 the earth would be destroyed

[@jersont.3339]

@@eeee-mh7il In what way? He is still a hero

[@MagmaPaint]

Shadow handled properly is the punk goth kid in high school that all the parents tell you to stay away from because "he's a terrible influence and is on the track to be a criminal", but you get to know him and he's actually a cool guy; not exactly social, but keeps some close friends, has a soft spot for people, won't tolerate others getting bullied, and is dealing with some depression and PTSD in the background. Now Shadow has become the face of every single "quiet kid" joke--namely the school shooter variety.

[@KYRA_RISING]

Perfect analogy👏

[@AWSNATION]

I honestly don't care if others are bullied because it's a first world problem.

[@MagmaPaint]

@@AWSNATION And that doesn't make it any less awful how? Look, you may not have been bullied, you may not have known someone who was bullied, but it's not a pleasant experience and it's not just calling someone names. It can be physically pushing someone around, it can be spreading lies about the victim and socially isolating them. It can be stalking, it can be threatening the victim with a knife, pepper spray, or a gun. And in worst case scenarios, it can even be the adults and other authority figures and disgustingly ignorant people like you who refuse to do anything about the bully and let it go on for so long that the victim is no longer mentally or physically safe and ENDS UP ENDING THEIR OWN LIFE TO MAKE IT FINALLY STOP. So please, do not brush bullying off as "just a first world problem". You disgust me. And no, not everyone is a thin-skinned snowflake like you'll probably try to retort with. Everyone has their limits, and bullies don't give a single fuck about those limits.

[@minerva27]

@@AWSNATION based

[@jimmy2dumb105]

@@AWSNATION based

[@cherrypopscile3385]

"You know what makes you weak? Your loyalty to your pathetic friends" -The man who intended to destroy an entire planet because the thought his friend told him to do so

[@emilystewart6175]

Really shows how much they missed the point depicting Shadow's character in that game

[@monovailable]

Honestly I can forgive Sonic Boom because it's an alternate universe where, seemingly, none of that backstory ever happened, and all the characters were *meant* to be super exaggerated. I think the personalities actually work really well for the tone and style of the Boom universe

[@rickyrackey7930]

Theory: Someone peed on Maria’s grave and that’s why he’s so angry.

[@offbrand_turntech9865]

To me that sounds like a something that sonic.exe would say not exactly shadow,,, but ehhh

[@asherrudick3912]

@@monovailableThat WAS the case. But then, Sonic Frontiers debunked that. How? They mentioned Sticks the Badger in a canon game. Let that sink in.

[@QuakeGamerROTMG]

The line where Shadow says that Sonic is weak because of his loyalty to his friends is the ultimate bastardisation of Shadow The very core of Shadow's character, the single most important part of him is his loyalty to Maria and his desire to fulfil her dying wish of saving humanity

[@jamiegioca9448]

The ultimate bastardization of the ultimate lifeform. Sad indeed

[@MrLegislater]

I will be BEYOND Pissed if the filmmakers don’t do his character correctly in the 3rd movie. There’s literally no excuse

[@naraki__4690]

Hopefully the third one will somewhat follow the sa2 story line, seeing how it kinda looks like they are doing his origin

[@elisibethjames7488]

Well, I’m optimistic Especially since they nailed Knuckles and Tails. I think they’re gonna do well :)

[@RapidTP]

They HAVE to make his character accurate. I don't know what I'd do if they changed him. Also looking forward to the badass fight scenes we'll get.

[@alicesacco9329]

They nailed Knuckles, another one who tend to be misunderstood (is seen as dumb), so I'm not so worried. From what i understand, you have to resist the temptation to make him snappy.

[@rayvenkman2087]

Ironic that for all the hate 06 gets, it was really good to Shadow in terms of characterisation and gave him a compelling foe to bounce off from.

[@SoIstice]

Honestly, Shadow and Silver both have really solid stories that are way better than what Sonic got. The main complaint I have about them is the Blaze retcon kinda sucks, but I guess it worked for the story. Still sucks though.

[@tabithaalphess2115]

Agreed. I still get chills when he tells Mephiles: "If the world chooses to become my enemy, I will fight like I always have."

[@elioridacow]

Well we know that Blaze can come from future to present to past by Sonic Rush, Meaning she can just come from the past or future, But "future Blaze" is dead so now we have past and present Blaze. Confusing I know but time travel does exist in Sonic.

[@fra93ilgrande]

Yeah! 🤘🏻😎 all hail Shadow

[@fra93ilgrande]

@@SoIstice well said bro 😎 they say Silver it's no use, but the truth is Sonic is the only one IT'S NO USE in Sonic 06 🤣👌🏻

[@bills-beard]

one of my favorite shadow moments was early in sa2 when amy hugs him from behind, thinking hes sonic. he doesnt hit her, jump away or get mad. he just calmly turns around and lets her realize her simple mistake. that rly spoke to me when i first played the game.

[@TazHall]

Not only that, but Shadow didn't take his eyes off Amy for one moment like he was genuinely curious about her.

[@jamiegioca9448]

@@TazHall Who dat hoe?

[@furdman02]

All those games that have shadow depicted right are all written by Shiro Maekawa, AKA the guy who created Shadow. Thats why he's good in those games. I hear Sonic Battle is a really good depiction of Shadow too.

[@chaomix]

Oh yeah for sure! From what I remember Shadow was pretty great in Battle. I contemplated about going over it but it's a pretty text heavy game and I don't remember the story all too well. Didn't have the time to refresh myself on it and sift through all of the dialogue to find examples lol. Maybe I'll do a dedicated Sonic Battle video in the future and mention this fact along with everything else it does well.

[@furdman02]

@@chaomix from what ive seen its story can work for an SA3 tbh.

[@KindaCringe404]

I'm glad that I read through all these comments. It's good to see things like this being mentioned.

[@zabers5818]

Sonic battle is the only sonic game I've played to completion and i totally got hooked instantly on shadow. Knowing his history with maria now I'm even more convinced that shadow is the best sonic character.

[@YumeDream39]

This is why I love Shadow so much! Rough and edgy on the outside, but oh so soft and sweet on the inside!

[@Hutch2Much]

i think people really understate his personality during SOME scenes in Shadow the Hedgehog. on the Dark routes, yeah he sucks, but he helps to protect humanity in the Final Story, despite the Black Arms technically being his family, and offering him power. i think that’s pretty cool of him

[@KindaCringe404]

Also his interactions with Team Chaotix were GOLD. I'd love to see someone rewrite the story of Shadow the Hedgehog, but without the confusing timelines.

[@amitaikatz5929]

There are a few moments from that game where his story arc was kinda interesting. The final level of The Semi-Good Story had it's moments; the cinematic cutscene in The Semi-Dark Story sort of helped a little; and during the final battle against Black Doom revealed how Shadow actually survived the fall in SA2 gave a few explanations.

[@sush4nz1...74]

He technically doesn't "suck" even in the dark routes. Hes not just some edgy hedgelord who wants to take over the world. Shadow has amnesia and his alien creator during the beginning seems to know about him so he trusts him and also Gerald reprogrammed his memory to be evil, this would also possibly explain why he says "I don't have time for these pathetic humans" at the beginning. All he remembers is a flashback of maria getting shot and his somewhat hatred towards humans.

[@SilverSpireZ]

It’s still a crime that Team Dark aren’t allowed to be friends anymore. Thanks for that, by the way, Iizuka...

[@crustykeycap5670]

why did they do that?

[@stg4theglitchog768]

The Vegeta wanabe Shadow is a robot, not the real Shadow that die in SA2.

[@SilverSpireZ]

@@stg4theglitchog768 Except in Shadow the Hedgehog during the Devil Doom fight, Eggman says that one of his robots managed to break the real Shadow’s fall from space, and specifically says “you really are the Ultimate Life Form my grandfather created.” So as much as I wish it was true, the canon says otherwise.

[@syweb2]

@@stg4theglitchog768 There's dialogue during the final boss of Shadow the Hedgehog that confirms that the current Shadow is the same one that "died" during SA2, so I'm going to assume that your comment is wishful thinking.

[@stg4theglitchog768]

@@syweb2 I still think he is a robot because he was supose to die in SA2, if i become a writer for the IDW Sonic comics, i would make a story where a new character rip off the face of Shadow to show that it is not the real Shadow "under his face is just a robot face", then he would show a video where he Shadow fall down to Sonic's world and crash in a hotel, then Eggman find his dead body and make robot versions of it before throwing it in the trash, after that the character show a bag of dust who are the bones of Shadow.

[@ZobirisMage]

I don't know if it's just me but I actually think Shadow was at his peak in 06 and not SA2. I feel as though 06 truly tests the resolutions he came to in SA2 (his purpose was to protect humanity) and in Heroes (Android or not, he IS Shadow the Hedgehog). To me it cements him as a hero and defines his character far more than any other game up to this point. "If the world chooses to become my enemy, I will fight like I always have." Dude, that cutscene still gives me chills.

[@fazelfarrokhi1998]

sa2 sonic battle heroes and 06 were all written by shiro maekawa the writer from sa1 to black knight the best sonic writer

[@KaiserMattTygore927]

I actually agree with this

[@slacko7500]

@@fazelfarrokhi1998 I wish he'd come back.

[@inyourwifi]

Literally, that moment is one of my all time favorites from the series, it's so raw. Anyone else would be doubting all they do, wondering if their work was worth it. Not Shadow. In the face of doubt, he reaffirms his identity. It's inspiring.

[@tr0y644]

"Omega, count how many mouths he has"

[@VincentEternal]

I’d also say sonic battle did a good job with Shadow character. He down to earth and even respects Gemerel as an equal and sort of sees him as a brother since they were both made by the same man.

[@CabeliotCometier]

Gemerl is Advance 3. Emerl is the character you mean to refer to.

[@VincentEternal]

@@CabeliotCometier my bad on that

[@itsstudytimemydudes4345]

I was thinking the same thing! Sonic Battle has some amazing quotes from Shadow as well as a bunch of character development.

[@lpfan4491]

The cast of Advance 3 still seems incredibly misguided. Team dark really should have been in there.

[@tonyhakston536]

@@lpfan4491 I don't see that working out with the gameplay, honestly.

[@khfan4life365]

Shadow is one of my favorite Sonic characters. It’s not because he’s the stereotypical “bad boy”, but because he’s a fully-layered character. He’s not just a stoic, resolute hedgehog. He’s also warm and caring when it comes to his friends, even if he denies it. You also see that warmth when he interacts with Chaoes.

[@TazHall]

I've never really seen any instances of him denying those he cares about. He's just more subtle in how he expresses it. When she promised to never leave his side, he turned around and made eye contact, fully acknowledging it.

[@sayer4148]

So: -Was created by a scientist who went evil. -Stopped a space colony from crashing the Earth. -Is portrayed as cold on the outside but soft on the inside (at least in a way). -A blue guy rivals him. -Got amnesia when he was given the "main character" spotlight. All I need to know is if Shadow ever had a lightsaber in the games.

[@VongolaXZax]

Oh, are you referring to a certain "Force User" who unfortunately is no longer canon in a galaxy, far, far away? Sounds very similar to me, _certain_ parts

[@sayer4148]

@@VongolaXZax more like "blonde red robot"

[@danieljesusjlfajar4858]

@@sayer4148 c'mon, zero died much more times than shadow, and no, the closest thing to shadow wielding a lightsaber is in the black knight.

[@sayer4148]

@@danieljesusjlfajar4858 the number of deaths doesn't really invalidate the comparison all that much. They still are similar in a lot of ways. A shame about the lightsaber though.

[@danieljesusjlfajar4858]

@@sayer4148 the deaths thing was a joke and the only non similarity i see is a bond with a girl at the start of their arc (IRIS DOES NOT COUNT)

[@itachisusanoo3689]

Dont forget Sonic Battle!!! Even Black Knight had some interesting characterization and development for Shadow upon Arthur's defeat etc. Also let's not forget Sonic X!

[@hayond656]

Sonic X is just Adventure 2 so yeah...

[@itachisusanoo3689]

@@hayond656 it has unique scenes and dialogue, and the METAREX saga

[@hayond656]

@@itachisusanoo3689 Oh ok

[@fazelfarrokhi1998]

@@hayond656 sa2 sonic battle heroes and 06 were all written by shiro maekawa the writer from sa1 to black knight the best sonic writer

[@artistanthony1007]

The Shadow in Black Knight isnt Shadow, it's an entirely different individual.

[@thetruej7872]

SA2, Heroes, & 06 had the best storytelling with Team Dark especially Shadow.

[@fazelfarrokhi1998]

sa2 sonic battle heroes and 06 were all written by shiro maekawa the writer from sa1 to black knight the best sonic writer

[@lpfan4491]

@@fazelfarrokhi1998 I thought he didn't write SA1?

[@fazelfarrokhi1998]

@@lpfan4491 yes not direct but he worked with sa1 writer and the first hard thing for them was how to make a flat/static character arc for sonic but now 2010s sega forgot the good flat arc he had in sa1 so all the hard work from sa1 writer and maekawa was wasted recently i still do not know why it was hard for them

[@serinsarp86]

dont forget shadow in battle

[@janelle4455]

I agree with 2 out of three. Sorry, 06 sucked royally. They really should've scrapped that pile of mess.

[@YujiUedaFan]

I blame Iizuka. He's the one that made sure Shadow didn't remember Team Dark or what being a decent being is in IDW.

[@rayvenkman2087]

Lizuka makes DB’s creator look consistent in his vision.

[@YujiUedaFan]

@@rayvenkman2087 iizuka, with two i's.

[@lechao570]

Well but when his vision is good, ITS GOOD

[@robbiewalker2831]

@@YujiUedaFan So Ian Flynn is Darth Vader while Iizuka is Palpatine?

[@benraven9087]

Kind of weird considering Shadow is Iizuka's favorite sonic character.

[@mcmistle9892]

The first thing Shadow does in Sonic Heroes is rescue a total stranger from being plugged with bullets. No memories, but all of the morals from before. Now that’s Shadow. I really wish you had brought up the IDW comics and their abysmal portrayal of the character, with Shadow being at his most assholish and actively putting people and himself in danger at numerous points. Also hilariously saying “Don’t tell me what to do.” To Rouge when she tried to beat some sense into him. Also Sonic Forces, where he makes fun of a dude who just lost all of his squad. You’d think Shadow would know a good bit about losing people and trauma, but who cares about that, look how kewl Shadow is. Pooey.

[@melon6444]

I feel like IDW Shadow doesn't need to be brought up individually as he doesn't act any differently from modern Shadow tbh, just "le epic edgelord xD". Also yeah I'm surprised I haven't seen more people bring up the Infinite thing. I feel like even if they wanted to keep Infinite's hate boner for Shadow they could've still had this without Shadow going out of his way to be a school bully and pick on the guy that lost his entire team.

[@mcmistle9892]

I bring it up because it’s an especially rotten portrayal of the character and shows him at what’s some of his worst, since the IDW comics follow the game continuity up until the end of Sonic Forces.

[@ClankZappa85]

Gotta love those Sega Mandates, huh?

[@RosheenQuynh]

Love that first bit, so good

[@slacko7500]

Cut IDW some slack, SEGA won't let them develop him.

[@Vmeg17]

Shadow was always a favorite character of mine.

[@Prep_Time_God]

He has definitely moved up my list over time

[@SweetlyStar3]

Same, my #1 hands down

[@surprisinglysetapart2322]

Same

[@sakio7873]

BIG FACTS

[@VongolaXZax]

Yep

[@maximillian1109]

To me Shadow has always just seemed a bit older than most of the other characters. More mature, more experienced, and more guarded. I mean, Sonic is a teen, and most of his pals are either teens or literal kids! Of course they would find a 35 year old war veteran a bit grumpy and strict! He does not expect a happy ending, knows shit can go wrong really fast, and gets frustrated with the childish Sonic when said teen refuses to take anything seriously. He is not brooding or edgy, he is just an adult. An adult who has seen some shit, suffers from ptsd, and also just so happens to be a major introvert who is a bit “shy” around new people. This is just my read of the character though, and I might be wrong, but...yeah. Figured I could share it anyway.

[@bigd1ckjeff]

Shadow is teenager tho, hes the same age as sonic, i believe. The reason why he seems so "mature" is because, him being a powerful being after all but also because he experienced terrible stuff which had an impact on him. Its like his trauma forced him to grow up

[@aileen_7292]

That’s a good way to look at it!

[@chilljelloton2089]

Im pretty sure Shadow's age is never addressed in game but in the comics he is ageless, with 50 years cryosleep. Since he was created on the ARK in both universes he technically has an age but the closest listing for it I can find is 17/18. 17 is technically just the age of the game, Shadow The Hedgehog. I think its just mainly up to headcanon! I've always headcanoned him as older too, but more closer in age. 20-22 (70-72 in cryo age). Old man, old old man.

[@bigd1ckjeff]

@@chilljelloton2089 its a tricky little thing cause actually it is believed that he lived on the ark only for one year and a half but thats irrelevant since he was made to already be a certain age. I guess its up to your own headcanon but what i believe is that gerald wanted to make shadow around maria's age, not too old but also not too young so that they can still understand eachother and be friends, it just makes sense.

[@chilljelloton2089]

@@bigd1ckjeff my love of the sonic franchise has always come from comics and reading countless articles on a desperate attempt to prevent information leaking out of my brain so thank you for the info. My head canon is now updated.

[@davidbeer5015]

I feel like Shadow's game often gets overlooked due to the opening cutscene, trailer presentation, and..the Chaos Emerald meme. And it honestly helps bridge him from Heroes to '06. Since Snadow never actually learns anything about himself in Heroes (thanks, Rouge), he still has amnesia in his own game. This removes his connection to humanity and promise to protect them, and allows him to be haunted by resurfacing memories. Being near the Black Arms/Doom's influence probably doesn't help. This can help explain the opening cutscene. His actions in the game do vary based on your actions, even to where you can choose to help Rouge, Sonic, Omega, etc. By the end, he does regain his memory, or at least enough of it. Last Story is the canon portion that often gets overlooked, probably in part due to how many playthroughs are needed to get there. The game presents all these possible paths for Shadow, yet in the end, he stays true to who he was and his promise. The fact he finished his mission to destroy the comet, and is free of Doom's influence as well as anyone else's, allows him to forge ahead to where, in 06, he can protect people, care for Rouge and Omega, and state "I determine my own destiny." I can't imagine him deciding that in '06 if he cut out his own game and Heroes was his last bit.

[@jersont.3339]

Finally someone that talks about it

[@Hichigo1554]

Mega thumbs up for you pal 👍👍

[@tigerlowe5002]

Finally somebody says it. Thank you !

[@mrstrawberry1074]

THANK YOU SO MUCH

[@Watchers_Music]

No, he’s not keeping his promise from SA2.

[@RosheenQuynh]

This video made me realize he's literally as heroic as Sonic just with no-nonsense and darker.

[@RosheenQuynh]

Yup!

[@N0rlight]

I feel tired whenever people calls Shadow a Vegeta wannabe or clone. Yes, I will admit something they have in common. Nobody truly understand who they really are. Vegeta grew from being a sadistic villain, getting clapped often and humilated by every way possible to becoming a grumpy but soft good character. Shadow was a guy wanting to spend his time with Maria and ultimately had his memory changed overtime for Gerald's revenge. But his true memories resurfaced, changing his course of plans and helping the heroes.

[@Yanquii]

I think Shadow is more of a Batman than a vegeta. Shadow never been a vegeta tbh.

[@waterbat95]

@@Yanquii He seems more like a Vegeta in the newer games where he's misinterpreted, but when his character is done correctly I agree with the Batman comparison.

[@Watchers_Music]

His memories have nothing to do with what he does post-StH.

[@alicesacco9329]

They are quite different. Though both extreme loners, Shadow is more polite, more civilized, has a more gentleman attitude compared to Vegeta, who is more boorish and vulgar despite being a prince.

[@KYRA_RISING]

Shadow has better characterization in the freaking Twitter Takeovers than the whole meta era combined. Change my mind

[@cutecoffee0173]

Not even gonna try 😅 (I know I know, I’m 5 months late)

[@khfan4life365]

Yes. He even likes eating coffee beans and shopping at store called Maria’s because he wants to help another Maria.

[@koemi4427]

Nah you right 😭

[@inyourwifi]

The Twitter Takeovers are the closest Shadow has been to himself since '06. Which is insane, because Kirk Thornton has, at the same time, voiced Forces and BOOM Shadow, both of which are lackluster at best.

[@monovailable]

@@khfan4life365 man im not even gonna lie i nearly teared up when he said he shops at Maria's because he wanted to 'Help another Maria out there'

[@MLPPixel727]

I'm glad to see someone recognize Shadow's caring side.

[@yoshimasterleader]

What annoys me about fans misinterpretation of Shadow is that they think he calls Sonic a faker when it was Sonic that called Shadow a faker and a fake hedgehog twice.

[@KindaCringe404]

FINALLY! SOMEONE WITH TRUE CULTURE!!! Lol, got a bit excited there. I've seen people do this one too many times, it's gets on my nerves.

[@lazwardazure716]

"Faker? I think You're the The Fake Hedgehog around here, you're comparing yourself to me HA! You're not Even Good Enough to be my Fake!" Yeah i still remember this quote

[@vegetafan9922]

I've always found it strange that Shadow and Cream don't really interact more considering Shadow was created to be the companion for a young girl.

[@jokx4409]

Hot take: Shadow the Hedgehog did his character well. In the last story, when he learns everything and regains his memories, he's back to being Earth's savior. Sure, when he still has amnesia, it's not right, but it's left up to interpretation what he does in the end. For all we know, in the Last Story, which is the canon storyline, he could have simply collected all the chaos emeralds without a care in the world for anything else. And then when he regains his memory, he's back to being Earth's savior.

[@inyourwifi]

Why would you say something so controversial yet so brave? In all seriousness, never considered this point of view myself, and I gotta agree with it. I think the game's biggest issue is having a morality system for a character with very a set moral code, even when he had amnesia (he saved Rouge from Omega in Heroes despite not remembering her, making her a total stranger to him). I think choosing his path COULD have worked if he was only following Doom to find out his past, and didn't act like a total asshole who is OKAY with taking candy from babies (seriously, why?). Maybe even have Doom blackmail him, Shadow does care very deeply for those close to him. It would make more sense if he was simply being manipulated by Doom (which would actually bring about a better affirmation of his sense of identity in the end), and when he realizes he's been played, he fixes his mistake. If EVERY story path is gonna lead to him being a hero anyway, have the Dark path be dark in a different way. A tragic way. One where his morals and care are used against him.

[@jokx4409]

​@@inyourwifi oh? THIS is controversial? I can go way further, hehe. After beating Sa2 again recently, I'll add that I think Shadow the Hedgehog was necessary to expand his character to become really great. The whole "Shadow was part alien" thing made perfect sense to me and explained the ark raid by the military. It also explains the eclipse canon's purpose, along with many other things, like where chaos control comes from (I will forever hate the fact that Sonic can perform chaos control in sa2 as it makes no freaking sense) why artificial chaos' were a thing on the ark, and in the end leaves his character ark complete, with him refusing to uncover more about his past (if there was anything left) and just stay as earth's savior to keep his promise to Maria, as well as fulfill Gerald's dream when he was creating Shadow. And I'd argue that the dark story line isn't so far from Shadow's possible actions. In sa2, every single action he takes as soon as he's woken up in that capsule is done with the intention of dooming the entirety of humanity. Sure, it IS all memory manipulation thanks to Gerald's plan, but it's very close here since he has complete amnesia except for a memory of a little girl being killed by a soldier. And in the dark story, you can see Black Doom constantly manipulating Shadow by showing him the darkest parts of humanity and stuff. In fact, I'd argue that taking the hero side in the game is way less logical for Shadow's character than the dark route.

[@inyourwifi]

@@jokx4409 First off, that first segment has the same energy as "I'm not pissing on the Earth. I'm gonna go higher" from the fandub 😆 StH did bring some really important stuff to the table, so I'll never discount its existence, especially since it does tie the Ark and the Eclipse Cannon's purposes, as well as show just how desperate Gerald was to progress in SOME way to cure Maria. I think I'm less likely to believe he'd outright loathe humanity in StH just because his memory wasn't actively tampered with to make him hate them. He just didn't remember them. I can at least believe he would ally himself with Rouge and Omega, those two are the closest thing to friends he's got, especially after their journey in Heroes. Kinda crappy on Rouge's part to NOT tell Shadow anything about his past, at least on-screen, especially since aside from Eggman, she'd know the MOST about it.

[@Watchers_Music]

His memories don’t motivate him at all.

[@Seadinos56]

Honestly unpopular opinion but I like shadow the hedgehog. The multiple endings I think is kinda of a neat idea

[@thatonedude2159]

If he died in SA2B and never came back, that would of had a much bigger impact on his sacrifice. He would easily be one of if not the best character in the series, well at least more loved than he already is.

[@sakio7873]

I have no problem with them bringing him back, it just the execution was done poorly for him.

[@melon6444]

Honestly I'm going to say his "revival" would be fine if you took out Shadow the Hedgehog. Heroes and 06's portrayal of Shadow provide an interesting interpretation of his personality, he still has a bit of the grumpiness and mystery of SA2's Shadow, but he's also noticeable less afraid to show his more friendly and soft traits due to not carrying the trauma and dark history from the Space Colony Ark, it gives us a light taste of what the Shadow that Maria got to know was probably like.

[@VongolaXZax]

@@melon6444 I don't really know, Shadow's tragedy to redemption, is what really connected me and a lot of fans to him, it's that backstory in SA2 & STH that makes his purpose and character come full circle. I understand having a "What If Shadow Never Was Sealed Away/Maria Never Died?" Scenario. Which in itself sounds interesting, but I think it's still better that we got to learn more about Shadow through these stories, even though Sega did goof up certain times. Plus, Shadow still is the same person Maria knew on the Ark,(to me at least) it's just that unfortunately he went through a lot stuff, but became better.

[@melon6444]

@@VongolaXZax I completely agree, and I wasn't saying that SA2 Shadow is necessarily different than the Shadow Maria knew, but moreso that from the flashbacks he seemed a bit more innocent and pure, compared to SA2 where he still has those traits, but also has a lot of trauma weighing him down. I also found Shadow's development and backstory to be a very key aspect of his character, and I'm glad that 06 still kept aspects of it relevant, but moreso what my point was is that the Shadow the Hedgehog game's portrayal of the character doesn't really align with SA2 Shadow or Heroes/06 Shadow, and that personally the only problem I have with Shadow's return is how his own game made him a brooding edgelord that felt nearly as jarring as modern Shadow does imo lol.

[@VongolaXZax]

@@melon6444 I gotcha. 👊🏾 And yeah, Shadow was more innocent in those flashbacks, basically when you think more about it, he was just "born" after all on the Ark, plus you can see the bit of nervousness and not knowing what his purpose was, Shadow was dealing with, while talking to Maria. But thankfully, she was just the friend, he needed to help with that, if only for a while.

[@chibie3384]

SA2 options theme always a jam

[@ghettokage6104]

FACTS.

[@fra93ilgrande]

Rhythmic passage is the BEST options music in ANY game EVER. 😎🤘🏻

[@Jonloo1]

Huh, I half expected mention of Shadow's appearance in Sonic Battle and all the interactions he has with the characters there, even if they weren't as fondly remembered by fans as his appearance in SA2 did.

[@KindaCringe404]

Same. There are a few other smaller titles that got his personality right in my opinion.

[@fazelfarrokhi1998]

@@KindaCringe404 sa2 sonic battle heroes and 06 were all written by shiro maekawa the writer from sa1 to black knight the best sonic writer

[@KindaCringe404]

@FAZEL FARROKHI: Oof, I just saw this reply, and I agree with you. However, I have a question, where did you find the information that Shiro Maekawa wrote Sonic Battle? He's my favorite writer for Sonic stories, so I can believe it, but I tried to research it myself with no conclusion, so I was curious.

[@fazelfarrokhi1998]

@@KindaCringe404 i do not remeber the site i saw it in 2011 so i remember it the site was japanese i think but i do no the link or site just i remember in 2011 whe i was young

[@ArtHollow]

Honestly, all of my favourite Shadow the Hedgehog moments are probably from Sonic 06. IDW has a few that I really like too, despite the overall unsatisfactory characterisation he gets in those comics.

[@Mevestos]

I think it’s worth mentioning his role in Sonic Battle as well, which in a lot of ways feels like a better follow-up to SA2 than Heroes did. In that game, his initial scorched earth response to a potential threat to humanity is motivated by his desire to protect, but his compassion wins over and he becomes a mentor figure to said threat and is a key player to disarming it in the hopes of allowing the main character of that game to live a normal life.

[@KindaCringe404]

I agree. Sonic Battle had one of the most amazing stories and portrayals of characters in the entire series! A shame that it isn't talked about more, most likely due to it being one of the lesser known Sonic games.

[@MiltonGagliardi]

Even if it's not awesome, the characterization of Shadow in Sonic Forces is a lot better than, for example, the comics. He truly cares for his friends and notice instantly when things are going wrong in the virtual reality, so maybe there is some hope for him

[@rosaline7549]

Yeah unfortunately people only look at the scene where shadow bullied infinite

[@rickyrackey7930]

@@rosaline7549 To be fair, if I was constantly getting swatted by these Jackals, I would probably be pretty irritated.

[@eveefun8178]

i'd love a new Shadow The Hedgehog game with the plot being based around the humanity turning on Shadow That idea comes from the Sonic 06 cutscene where Rouge says she'll stay by Shadow's side no matter what. I think that would be a really cool thing to see in a video game, and a good excuse to try a shot at his character again

[@Nyaalexi]

"Eggman is ruthless." *Shows him scratching his ass* Yep.

[@callumcrane241]

Hay you forgot the true ending of his game. And Forces. He was in character there. Also, this was beautiful man. It's people like you that give people hope that everyone can understand the real him. And I thank you for that.

[@grinningatom3843]

He still wasn’t the best characterization in forces imo. Well none of sonic friends have got enough screen time in recent games😞

[@callumcrane241]

@@grinningatom3843 Fare enough.

[@vocalcalibration8033]

Shadow's characterization in Forces was BETTER than it has been. But it wasn't good.

[@callumcrane241]

@@vocalcalibration8033 Agreed.

[@KingKayro87]

True Ending AND Hero and Neutral-Hero paths of his game. In the other paths he's written to be a douchebag that kill Eggman in two of the endings.

[@ritaandrunt5767]

Probably the most wholesome moment from shadow is just how willing he is to support animal shelters

[@sumeracarnatia6997]

One very underappreciated moment for Shadow is when he protects Rouge from Omega right after waking up. He just woke up, has no idea who or where he is, yet his first instinct is to get an innocent to safety before fighting off a threat.

[@HyperDeathRee]

I absolutely love Shadow, he was definitely at his 'best' in SA2 😀💖🤘 I way prefer his playful "Goku/Vegeta" dynamic with Sonic over his spiteful and hateful interactions!

[@The_AuraMaster]

Shadow is an introvert with PTSD, but puts all his fear aside for the sake mankind. Deep down, he's a Hero. But they changed him to be that one emo kid who writes poetry about his family problems in school. I'm glad to see someone else who realizes Shadow is Heroic and Introverted rather than Edgy for the sake of comedy.

[@bakedbeans5494]

Knuckles is also introverted.

[@sonicsucks20]

Don't insult Shadow like that.

[@The_AuraMaster]

@@sonicsucks20 I didn't insult him?

[@dad5draco]

Finally, more people spread who & what Shadow really is.

[@primaswift8786]

It's a shame they managed to mess it up in his own game, because the last story does a pretty decent job of his portrayal. But it's very ironic that Shadow's best moments is in 06 haha, definitely my favorite version of him, his lines are so badass and I keep re-watching those scenes.

[@fazelfarrokhi1998]

sa2 sonic battle heroes and 06 were all written by shiro maekawa the writer from sa1 to black knight the best sonic writer

[@lpfan4491]

His 06 portrayal is kinda influenced by his own game funnily enough. He just learned from mistakes that were made by everyone involved. And that is why he says to mephiles that what is going to happen isn't set in stone and he is going to at least try. At least it makes sense to me.

[@primaswift8786]

@@lpfan4491 I guess sometimes you gotta do something bad to realize it was bad all along lol.

[@primaswift8786]

@@fazelfarrokhi1998 We need this one back then!

[@fazelfarrokhi1998]

@@primaswift8786 yeah we must bring him back

[@katieee_llyn]

If they could bring back the Sonic 06 shadow personality would be great 😭 also team dark needs more spotlight in the series

[@fazelfarrokhi1998]

sa2 sonic battle heroes and 06 were all written by shiro maekawa the writer from sa1 to black knight the best sonic writer

[@katieee_llyn]

@@fazelfarrokhi1998 oh Ik. He was amazing imo

[@fazelfarrokhi1998]

@@katieee_llyn YES sega bring him back he loves sonic

[@lpfan4491]

Having written Black Knight is a negative in my eyes.

[@bigfudge2031]

Bringing Shadow back was not a mistake. The mistake is what they have done over the last 15 years with him. I never played SA2 as a kid, Sonic Heroes was the first game with Shadow in and I instantly loved his character, I played Shadow the Hedgehog too because of that and I did eventually play SA2 around 10 years later.

[@melon6444]

My favorite theory I've seen is that sometime after the events of Sonic and the Black Knight, Eggman kidnapped Shadow and sealed him away again, replacing him with a Shadow Android doing a really bad impersonation. Nobody else has noticed because they also became morons sometime after Black Knight.

[@turanksu4033]

all the radiation from the chaos emeralds gave everyone brain damage

[@SamuraiMotoko]

The fear will be how he act in the movies, that will mark him forever on the eye of the public

[@keiyakins]

Shadow's at his best when he's... prickly. He doesn't let people get close to him because he doesn't want to be hurt again, not because he doesn't care.

[@TheChaosSpirit]

can't explain why i kept tearing up during this video- i love my BABY BOY flawless video. 10/10

[@fazelfarrokhi1998]

sa2 sonic battle heroes and 06 were all written by shiro maekawa the writer from sa1 to black knight the best sonic writer

[@brandu07]

After completing SA2 and starting to raise Chao with Shadow, this video comes out... Coincidence, I think not!

[@CabeliotCometier]

What about Battle? It's not focused around Shadow, but his attachment to the Gizoid and his fear of its destiny? His ability to use Chaos abilities without an Emerald?

[@dimastha2929]

Every character in sonic battle has great characterization except for amy

[@andarilho_31]

@@dimastha2929 after sa2 i dare say amy was never characterized well

[@dimastha2929]

@@andarilho_31 well, in forces she was ok, it was a step in the right direction for her. I only wish they give her more importance in the games with this new mature actitude.

[@CabeliotCometier]

@@dimastha2929 Rouge calls Sonic daddy at one point, that was in-character I guess

[@fort2558]

@@CabeliotCometier that's one outlier

[@crittercarrion]

Honestly, his relationship with Silver is one of the most wholesome things they've done with Silver as a character. Shadow teaches him to chill out and not have tunnel vision in '06, and in games afterwards Silver and Shadow are still portrayed to have a deep respect for each other through little animations and writing. In the rare instances that they get to interact in games, Silver lets Shadow show his real kind-hearted but quiet self, and I wish they would show the two of them together more. It would also be good if they showed Amy's influence on Shadow through his teaching moments with Silver, it'd add depth to Shadow and his bond with Amy.

[@sonicsucks20]

I don't think any of what you said what intended for Shadow's character. People just fill in the blanks to make it seem there's something intentional about Shadow acting like he does, when it's just Shadow being a vague ally to others like always.

[@crittercarrion]

@@sonicsucks20 this’ll be long so I don’t expect you to read it, but this is a good example of how people discuss reader’s interpretation vs authorial intent and literature analysis is a special interest of mine lol there is a whole debate about authorial intent VS reader’s interpretation, and which is more important. the general consensus, though, is that both are valid. you use authorial intent to back up your interpretation, but that’s not really valid evidence as you cannot fully know what the creators intended or what was cut due to executives. You are not the creators, you were not in the board room with executives. There is something intentional about the way Shadow acts. SA2 is a serious story about good and evil, about trauma, and redemption. Just because it’s a game for children doesn’t mean it lacks depth or that there isn’t subtext; you should know this as someone who presumably consumes shōnen manga and anime, which is for little kids and preteens. Sonic 06 would have also been more like this if it was not rushed by executives. Reader’s interpretation comes from evidence left in the writing, regardless of if the author intended on the evidence being there. If it makes sense for a character, then it is a valid conclusion to make. This is a commonly held belief about literature (which, yes, includes games). Your interpretation is just as valid as mine. What is not valid is invalidating my interpretation just because you disagree with it. You are not definitively correct, there is not ‘correct’ interpretation, so don’t try to correct people on Shadow’s character.

[@ChaddyFantome]

I'm gonna be the that guy here and say that I think the series would be worse off if Shadow stayed dead. The series was able to have so much more interesting stories and subplots because of Shadow's continued presence in the series. Team Dark's story in Heroes for example is the dingle best story in the game, ShtH, controversial as it was, introduced a lot of important elements for the world and the character. Black Doom very much representing the darkness shadow exhibited in SA2, being the representation of the animosity towards humanity he harbored and Shadow's potential to be a weapon humanity fears, Shadow having to come to terms with that darkness and show he can overcome it. Shadow's story in 06 is universally agreed to be the best part of the game, and Shadow's story in Sonic Battle is also what I think is the best part of it as well. Characters like Rouge likely owes her continued relevance in the series as a whole to Shadow's return, and Omega would straight up not exist without Shadow all together. Heck, who knows if Emerl would exist without Shadow. I find it rather shortsighted to insist he should have stayed dead because of that. Yes, he hasn't been handled the best in recent years, but really, few characters have, and its incredibly rash to me to go as far as to say he should have stayed dead out of the emotional desire to "protect" the optics around the character. It'd be like if we said Knuckles should have never come back after Sonic 3&K because he gets treated like an idiot meme nowadays.​ Like the video overall!

[@kairacarter7530]

Most wholesome Shadow moment: Lego Shadow making the ULTIMATE flower arrangements for Maria.

[@jimmy2dumb105]

I really hope The Sonic Movie 3 Handles Shadow in a good way.

[@NinjaKingAce]

How could you not mention Sonic Battle!? When Shadow sees Emeral, he recognizes it from the Ark, and realizes the potential danger it poses, if it becomes too powerful, and goes out of control. He tries to destroy it, but Sonic stops him. Later, as Emeral starts to develop his own personality and free will, Shadow decides to become his mentor, of sorts, warning Emeral to not let himself become a weapon, and eventually he trusts Emeral enough to give him the 7th Chaos Emerald. And that's not even mentioning the moments between Shadow and Rouge. Side note; I also want to mention Sonic Chronicles. Shadow's portrayal is a bit of a mixed bag, but I love that his main reason for joining Sonic was to rescue Omega

[@KYRA_RISING]

He openly said Omega was his friend, I should add. Had he ever even said anything along that line up to that point?

[@JaydenXV]

Stop doing my accounting school work for this.

[@chibie3384]

ofc u did Jayden, ofc u did 😔

[@JaydenXV]

@@chibie3384 Any excuse works but this happens to be a great one LOL

[@chibie3384]

yeah any chaomix vid is a great excuse to put everything down

[@Paul-yr9vk]

you know honestly, i hope they change Shadow to still have his morals and genuinely be dark and brooding but not an edgelord. I want Shadow to have his personality from SA2, SH, and S06.

[@Inferno144]

I always wanted to truly know what was Shadow's deal. Most of the time, even in the recent damn good IDW Comics, Shadow is just a general asshole for no apparent reason.

[@lomaishaumichelle7848]

IDW Shadow was kinda pushed onto the writers because of restrictions from Sega Major spoilers below: Otherwise Shadow was gonna be written much better,especially during the the scene where he fought the zombots alone

[@septicsoldier1324]

One of my favorite Sonic fun facts is that they still kept the Shadow statue with the gun, but covered the gun in plushies to hide it 💀

[@pwney400]

idk how relevant this is cause im still in the intro but "wheres that DAMN fourth chaos emerald" makes him sound like a kid who just discovered curse words and... it actually makes sense because he is a teenager and he probably heard it from sonic

[@MeatEatingVegan777]

This is what annoys me about how Shadow is portrayed now. Hes uncaring, angsty, cold, and just edgy. Thats what shadow is to someone that actually knows nothing about shadow....except...thats how Sega is portraying him now....which is sad and bizarre. Shadow is quiet, more serious and introverted. However, he does care and does want to help, and protect others. That's who he is. Sure, he is abit edgy, definitely on the outside, but he does have friends, he does care about people, and he will protect people. As most people pointed out, hes pretty much the edgy goth kid in highschool that your parents tell you is nothing but trouble. When you get to know them, you realize that theyre actually very caring and compassionate. Theyre shy, introverted, more serious and abit quiet. They seem a little scary, but theyre actually better than most people. Theyve got some trauma, but still keep going. Theyre often misjudged by others strictly for apperance.

[@VongolaXZax]

Shadow was always cool, the best portrayal of the Black Blur was in O6 as a Hero, Archie as well, and a few other things. Sonic X.... I'd say did him well too, but in the end, he ended up being more of an Anti-Hero than a hero. Other than that, Shadow has always shown a soft and compassionate side, caring about his allies, and choosing other options of dealing with a problem, instead of wanting to simply destroy someone. That and he doesn't care what anyone thinks of him, neither does he go around trying to prove himself to Sonic or anybody, they always had mutual respect for each other, before the character changes post O6. My definition of, "I'm The Coolest" is that Shadow knows he's somebody, he's his own cool and that nobody can tell him different. Not in a arrogant way, of thinking that you're better than people, but in good way, in knowing that you're special. =)

[@lpfan4491]

Did Shadow ever even canonically say "I'm the coolest"? Because the quote in SA2 the player is required to hear is a localisation-thing, he said something else in japanese.

[@VongolaXZax]

@@lpfan4491 Well, I guess that depends on which localization you prefer, I prefer, "I'm The Coolest" since it fits Shadow for me. =`)

[@lpfan4491]

@@VongolaXZax I am no language-elitist, but the language something was written in dictates the canon. As such, SA2 JP is the canon one. It is not really a thing of preference.

[@VongolaXZax]

@@lpfan4491 Eh, to each his or her own. 😉 When it comes down to my, _individual_ preference, I prefer that instead. ;)

[@FallenHalfWingedWolf]

Shadow does deserves better I always love him and the writers need to freaking do their jobs and gives us the REAL SHADOW

[@WolforNuva]

Honestly in more recent years I've gotten the opinion that the Shadow brought back in Heroes should have just been a perfect replica of sorts, not the original. I feel that would have been more interesting, and given more weight to both Shadow's actions; the first one who died to save the planet, and the second one who decided that real or not he's not going to worry about it and live as himself. It also would mean that I could rationalize the edgehog as a glitch or flaw in the replica, unrelated to the original.

[@zachmurray101]

Think it should've been handled like Zero in MegaMan Zero, with omega zero being old Shadow, and MMZ Zero being new one who follows the old models ideals of not caring if he's the real one or not, but saving the world anyway

[@WhimsicalCreature457]

I believe the Archie comics handled Shadow’s REALLY well before it was well… rebooted then… discontinued… but there’s a fan continuation called Archie Sonic Online so there’s that but yeah. The comics portrayed Shadow the best.

[@trika91]

Before the whole mandates fiasco, Ian Flynn was actually a really good writer for Shadow. A lot of his good characterization was from the 2008-2015 run of Archie; where Shadow showed a lot of his softer and sillier sides, and his extreme loyalty to his friends. He was pretty much the stoic guy who just went along with other characters antics, and took awhile to loosen up; he was mostly gruff and strict, but never outright mean or cruel. I also love his portrayal in the ‘Christmas with Sonic’ specials by Balena Productions. Still stoic and mostly serious, but is happy to hangout with the others during Christmas, and loves cooking.😊

[@sonicsucks20]

Archie Shadow was just fanfiction Shadow made horribly uncool.

[@alicesacco9329]

But archie Shadow is quite soft. Openly soft, compared to other depitcions.

[@alicesacco9329]

@@trika91 In 'who killed Sonic the Hedgehog we see some sides of Shadow we never though. He even accepts an invite from Amy to see the consert of a band he doesn't even know.

[@VongolaXZax]

Thank you! I've waiting for this.

[@georgelopes4589]

If only Shadow the Hedgehog was more like Shadow’s story in ‘06.

[@subjectnivleis7572]

My favorite ending in shadow the hedgehog is the one where he saves all his friends and the earth that Maria loved so much using the space colony he was going to use to destroy the earth now that's character development

[@ItsMeFern2019]

My first introduction to Shadow was either watching the Shadow The Hedgehog game intro/cutscenes on YT when I was like 12-13 or seeing him in Sonic X around the same time. Regardless, I was obsessed with how cool and edgy, yet softhearted he could be, even tho the game definitely wasn’t his best depiction. As an adult I agree that SA2 was where his character was at it's best! No influence from the fandom or earlier games, cuz he didn't exist before that. It was just a perfect portrayal of his ark before Sega and the fandom started to lose track of what made him so great in the first place. With how well Paramount has done depicting characters thus far, I have hope that Shadow will be done right, at least for the most part. Hoping the same for Sonic x Shadow generations but not toooo much. We'll just have to wait and see! Great video :)

[@serhan-solo5144]

Shadows character in Sonic Prime is actually pretty decent. He’s not the most important character in the series, so he really doesn’t get any time to shine. But when he’s on screen, he’s not edgy, hes not brooding. His script is calm and collective. Safe to say, he’s pretty Normal. Just Normal. 👌👍

[@nathanhayes8593]

Also fun fact. If he was always a hate driven edge lord he would’ve punched amy for hugging him in SA2

[@MarvinMartinez2001]

Love that thumbnail the process was very cool!

[@littlemissdeadly24papyrus36]

Shadow's character has been completely assainated and it breaks my heart.

[@sammcburney148]

I know it's bad, but I still kind of like the game "Shadow the hedgehog" just because of how over the top it is. In my mind, it's like The Room. It's bad, but that's why it's loved. And in SA2B when Shadow actually sheds a tear proves that he's not some edgelord evil monster.

[@mikdan8813]

Seems we've gotten used to so many flat, shallow characters that we just have trouble understanding a complex one.

[@finnban9676]

Shadow The Hedgehog was never supposed to be an edgy character at all. He’s got so many friends by his side, no matter what happens for him. Rouge, too, but she’s considered a soulmate of his. Even in Sonic Prime, he’s still the cool and caring Shadow we know especially from the video games. Although the writers took advantage of him to look like someone who wasn’t supposed to be part of team Sonic in future stories otherwise, he deserves another chance.

[@ohheartbreakishard]

He's a softie and I'm tired of Sega trying to pretend he is not

[@sonicsucks20]

Hes not a softie and I'm and sick of people pretending he is.

[@zap648]

Oh, now I get why Boom Shadow was like that. Wasn't Sonic supposed to be kind of a loner reluctant to rely on his friends? Shadow probably would've tried to reinforce that train of thought and become a hinderance against Sonic's character progression. That actually makes somewhat sense, though it doesn't really fit SA2 Shadow, it was supposed to be a different take on the series.

[@Watchers_Music]

10:58 No, he's not doing what he's doing to protect the Earth for Maria's wish. As Shadow says towards the end of STH multiple times, he's put the past behind him. Him killing Black Doom and destroying the Black Comet, even though it happened to have been what Gerald and Maria wanted him to do, was to bury what remained of his past once and for all. He even says so himself before chasing after Black Doom. "I'm not doing this for anyone else, and I'm bound by nothing." He says the same thing later on before transforming into Super Shadow. "Today's the day I will fulfill the the Professor's wish, and part with the past!" After being told what to do by Gerald, Maria, Black Doom, Eggman, Sonic & Co time and time again, Shadow basically says 'I am done with everything.' Shadow proceeding to throw away the picture of Gerald and Maria after saying "Adios, Shadow the Hedgehog." also makes it clear that he hates his past and wants nothing to do with it. "Adios, Shadow the Hedgehog" were the last words spoken to him by someone. You say those words, you're saying farewell to Shadow. Going by an earlier script for SA2, Shadow was supposed to say "Adios, Sonic the Hedgehog" that after his first confrontation with Sonic who was about to be locked up; Shadow never thought he'd see Sonic again. And then, that phrase that's used to say "Goodbye forever" is used by Sonic who thought Shadow died during the end of SA2. And then towards the end of his game, he says that to himself before throwing the picture of Gerald and Maria away; He's saying farewell to the old Shadow. In fact, Shadow saying 'Screw it all' makes it a lot easier to believe he'd be comfortable with joining G.U.N; He simply doesn't care anymore. His motivations, as stated by SEGA, are just to fight strong opponents and to prove his superiority. That's how he validates his existence after deciding he doesn't want anything to do with his past anymore. He's not even all that impacted by humanity betraying him, but he is put off by Omega being the one who ends up sealing him away. On top of that, it even makes sense. One thing that a lot of people complained about when they brought Shadow back in Heroes was that his sacrifice had been rendered pointless. This way, they actually salvaged that because the SA2 Shadow who cared about Maria has been replaced by a blank slate who has no connection to his past since he never actually got his memories back towards the end of SA2, because Shadow simply didn't want them anymore.

[@AFeralTrout420]

FINALLY SOMEONE FUCKING GETS IT

[@starrush1818]

Hey, that's pretty cool that you used the shadow art from the drawing stream for this video!

[@sonicmaiden2871]

Shadow really picked up in sonic 06! I wish we would get better Shadow characterization in the next sonic game!

[@GIJOEFAN-ys8gp]

There should be a prequel game about Shadow set on the Space Colony ARK. Maybe give more time to Maria and introduce new characters (i.e. new anthro characters that are specimens created on the ARK). Give the game a retro-futuristic tone as it is set 50 years before the events of SA2. Something like Thunderbirds. Maybe depict Black Doom again. And the final mission would be Maria helping Shadow escape before her death. A sharp contrast to the usual happy endings in most other Sonic games.

[@Godzilla00X]

Now we'll have to see how the movies handle him.

[@Spiderstan2000]

Hopefully Sonic movie 3 can get his character right.

[@Yanquii]

Shadow is kinda like the Batman of the sonic series imo. (Since these two character are ones of my favorite)

[@sonicsucks20]

Shadow kills people and prefers to work alone than with people which also work to kill threats. He's more like Wolverine than Batman.

[@EliRetroVHS642]

Shadow has always been a hero, It's just thanks to some games he's seen as a villain but he's not a villain.

[@jeremias_channel]

Great video. I hope we can see some good stuff from Shadow in the future.

[@Eric-wz3jb]

Yeah I feel like the writers stoped to improve shadows backstory even tho they should have but with the writers after adventure 2 didn’t know how to improve or to do with shadow , shadow is alright in heroes but sometimes doesn’t lessen as much as sa2 , in 06 it goes in depth shadow wise, but I feel like boom really started the edgy shadow or the shadow that changes to many sides, video rating - 10/10

[@fazelfarrokhi1998]

sa2 sonic battle heroes and 06 were all written by shiro maekawa the writer from sa1 to black knight the best sonic writer

[@Boomblox5896]

Well, I hope you're ready for the Sonic 3 Movie and Shadow Generations because it's gonna really knock it out of the park with Shadow's writing, returning to the REAL storylines about Shadow and his origins.

[@tonyhakston536]

9:47 You lowkey sleeping on Battle, guy. I can't overlook that.

[@rankrodent2772]

Shadow is probably my favorite sonic character, I love his story arc he had, his dark past and I even loved his spin-off game, I just love almost everything about him (from sa2 through sonic 06, at least…)

[@FrostTheHobidon]

Thank you so much for making this video

[@chaomix]

No problem, it was something that had to be said! 😉

[@FrostTheHobidon]

@@chaomix indeed

[@3px6gamer28]

2001 shadow will always keep on to his promise most detailed character 2010 shadow edge lord rude what are friends damn Chaos emerald

[@33pandagamer]

This is why Shadow is my favorite character.

[@Baka_Crazy]

I knew all the time that something wasn't right with Shadow. Since I saw him for the first time in Sonic Adventures 2 Battle I thought that after his game was ended he didn't leave just the past behind but Maria too. And then when I saw this and an other video which explains Shadow's character I just decided that my crappy OC from my childhood (of course I overworked her a lot) brings back Shadow to his old self. Just because she wanted to get stronger and Sonic begged him to train her. Then... trainimg after training she opens herself a bit (she is very edgy like Shadow at this point so she just opened her mouth to try to roast him) so Shadow got a kind of the mirror in his face. Then something terrible happens to my OC. She knows how powerful Shadow is the only one she can ask. She has no other choice to reveal something to him I can't tell because that's my story and that's part of a plottwist and Shadow actually starts to help her. I also want to write a scene in his head when he starts to realize what he forgot and what my OC means to him (someone like Maria and what also Rouge means to him and Omega of course), of course he completely realizes it when the plot says there is a lot of drama so then he helpes her again and blah... I just wanna say I miss SA 2 Shadow and he would be my favorite Sonic character if I would not seperate that. I'm sorry Blaze is my favourite character because of that...