Why Shadow Was (Kind Of) Disappointing In Sonic Prime

So, the time has arrived for me to finally talk about Shadow from the Sonic Prime TV show and I definitely am mixed on this one. There is a lot of good here, but I still think that there's still some issues holding the character back from greatness. But, as always, I'm getting ahead of myself. I hope you all enjoy the video!
If you want to go above and beyond in supporting the channel, then why not check out my Patreon: / thepjshow
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:42 Design, Movement, Combat, and Intelligence
03:49 Shadows Interactions With Sonic (And How The Show Is Canon)
08:29 Shadows Lack Of Acknowledgement Of Others (Especially Rouge)
13:58 Shadows Underutilization
18:11 Conclusion
19:15 Outro

[@thepjshow]

So, what are your thoughts on Shadow’s Character in the show? Do you agree with me? Disagree? Leave a comment letting me know your thoughts and I’ll do my best to read and respond to as many as I can! Track List (In order of appearance): Sea Gate - Sonic Heroes Seaside Hill - Sonic Heroes All Hail Shadow (Instrumental) - Sonic The Hedgehog (2006) For True Story - Circuit Freq RMX (Instrumental) - Sonic Generations Crisis City (Modern) - Sonic Generations This Machine (Instrumental) - Sonic Heroes Cool Edge (Night) - Sonic Unleashed Extras - Sonic The Hedgehog (2006) I Am All Of Me (Crush 40) (Instrumental) - Shadow The Hedgehog

[@marcusyates3044]

Can you talk about Amy's character development in Sonic Frontiers?

[@SonicUnleshed39]

can you talk about sonic boom

[@jamiegioca9448]

@@marcusyates3044 He did an Amy character analysis where he did just that

[@marcusyates3044]

@@jamiegioca9448 Only how she was demolished

[@Replies.Delete.SometimesIDKy]

The characters were not a strong point in prime. Somic veing annoying and not smart and shadow abandoning his calm demenor and just randompy punching somic in his face multiple times upon their first meeting. Which is also not onoy against how shadow would act, especially with sonic, but its against sonic because sonic wouldnt take that from anyone and never has.

[@donathan2933]

In my opinion. The problem with Shadow is not his portrayal (if anything it’s pretty good) but his lack of screen time and limited interactions with other characters

[@minastics]

I agree.

[@trika91]

I like the fact that they were able to change one of Shadow’s mandates, making him LESS edgy or “emo” and having more of a personality besides “I’m angry, dark, and sarcastic”. But I dislike how they still kept him as a loner, as in having no close friends/allies, and in some cases, hating the concept of friendship (Boom Shadow is my most disliked version of him). It’s disappointing that all of Shadow’s characterization and relationships, from his debut to ‘06, were wiped clean to just flanderize him as the ‘Edgy Loner’. If anyone got Shadow’s characterization right, it was Archie comics of all places.

[@N_qthan]

I mean he probably the most introverted character in sonic, so it kinda make sense he barely interact with other characters in the show. But due to what you said I agree that shadow should atleast get more screen time for playing role as "tritagonist" and he should be up to more amazing things

[@erikbihari3625]

@@trika91. A:"hating the concept of friendship"? That's definitely not this show's version of shadow, who's obviously presented as introverted but not outright anti social, and unlike sonic who just goes with the flow, is a calculated risk taker. B:"what do you want? A well told story and good characterization or just pure and simple fanservice? This show had pretty mutch everything, and was Miles better than anything back from it's first episode, to the very end(there's a reason it's country of origin is called"Can-ada")!

[@erikbihari3625]

​@@N_qthan. You we're on the right track at first, but then went back to the same hamster wheel every sonic fan has"me wunt muh biluv3d cháructirs muri"! Shadow is the lancer, challanging the protagonist's views,priorities, but ultimately wants the same thing, just goes about it diffrently, he's the Quantum Ranger!

[@manuelinacio4038]

Ian Hanlin shocked me as Shadow. His performance is on par with Jason Griffith as my favorite Shadow voice. When Kirk Thorton retires from the role, I would love for Hanlin to be his sucessor

[@TheRibottoStudios]

Yep yep yep yep

[@yay29823]

I agree!

[@MeatEatingVegan777]

His shadow was really, really good! I'd love for him to take over Shadow at some point. And this Sonic voice actor is great too! Same goes for him!

[@TheRibottoStudios]

​@@MeatEatingVegan777oof his voice going back to that calm almost soothing tenor was soooooooo welcome.

[@crichie21]

I would agree with that

[@Fnaffan777]

Shadow in SA2: Hydrogen bomb Shadow in the 2010’s: Coughing baby Shadow in Sonic Prime: Coughing hydrogen bomb baby

[@The_realone416]

Can we just appreciate how much effort he puts inside me?😁

[@itsthequenchiest5072]

@@The_realone416 😮😮😮

[@mrmaelstrom5264]

​@@The_realone416 ayo????

[@thefastcommenter7774]

@@The_realone416I am All of me

[@Noname72105]

What did he mean by this?

[@Perolin.]

I could fix most of this show's problems (including Shadow) with one solution: Don't say this show is canon just to get people attention, especially when the show doesn't justify itself for being canon. Heck, as far as I can tell, this show is as canon as Sonic Boom(I love Sonic boom, btw).

[@thepjshow]

Yeah, I agree. This show being Canon was one of the most baffling decisions. It just being it's own thing actually makes it better.

[@logansray]

To be fair it's more equivalent to 06 with it wiping itself out

[@Zeldafan-zy1pb]

The "canon" argument only affects hardcore nerds. Most of these corporations consider simil projects canon for business reasons. Like Spider-Verse being canon to Marvels Spider-Man 2. Its not worth getting upset over since Sonic "canon" itself is full of contradictions internet fanboys ignore

[@Zeldafan-zy1pb]

​@@logansrayBasically that. 06 is "canon" but the events dont matter so contradictions like Blaze not remembering Sonic doesnt matter. Whatever happened in Sonic Prime happened in another universe so all events and interactions dont matter. So its silly to complain about. Evem though Sonic fans like to complain

[@FlyingDuckMan360]

@Perolin. I strongly prefer Boom over Prime, but that may be because Boom is comedic and Prime is dramatic, and I've always preferred the comedy-based Sonic cartoons (Adventures and Boom) over the action-based ones (SatAM, Underground, X, and Prime). I wish Boom had a third and final season (it was teased at the end of Eggman: The Video Game: Part 2: The End of the World), but sadly thanks to Christina Miller's obsession with turning Cartoon Network into a dumping ground for Toddler Titans reruns, that's probably never going to happen.

[@Echoline77]

Prime being canon is not something that needed to happen, like Ian even says, it wipes itself out so no matter what its technically not canon. Might as well take that last step

[@Ergeniz]

I think Ian is a bit obsessed with that 'official seal of approval' in regards to canonicity. Problem is, that really doesn't benefit the products in any way - if anything trying to canon weld everything results in a huge mess, with inevitable plot holes down the road. Best to treat the comic and show as 'soft canon' where they parallel the events of the games but they don't occur in the same universe as the games. Otherwise he's shooting himself in the foot. It just limits creativity.

[@erikbihari3625]

​@@Ergeniz. The show takes the spectacular spider man approach, taking from multiple different canon to have something faithful yet new. This show isn't the first time sonic called Green hills his home, but the fleetway comics!

[@bobtheball5384]

Ngl I didn't read that tweet as him confirming it being canon, just confirming the timeline...?

[@erikbihari3625]

@@bobtheball5384. It's canon the same way spectacular spider man is towards the comics! Right?

[@valletas]

​@@Ergenizi feel like the lore of the world benefits a lot from the comics being canon even if they arent all that important to the games in the end

[@Havik61]

Shadow's portrayal in Prime makes me both optimistic and worried about how he will be used in the future. He really was the highlight of the show. A competent hero, rather then a tryhard jerk. But not having him really acknowledge Rouge, and having him being the only one not hanging out at the end. I'm worried SEGA might be trying to deny Shadow having friends, as if he for some reason he needs to be an outsider.

[@AzizidarkReborn]

I think Ian Flynn and by extension PJ, are wrong about Prime being canon. I agree that the biggest piece missing from this puzzle is the unity of Team Dark. If Ian was right about it's 'place in the canon', then Omega would've being in Prime, since it takes place after Advance 3, and Heroes came before it. Additionally, there's no reason to believe that Shadow and Rouge wouldn't both be cunning outsiders. It doesn't fit their game character arcs. Until I see a shred of evidence in a game that isn't a total cash-grab (ie the mobile games by Hard Light and inclusion in Roblox), then there's no reason to believe Prime is any more canon than '06. (And for the record, I love both Prime AND '06).

[@TheRibottoStudios]

I thought Shadow was a real return to form here. Maybe it's cause of little we've had Shadow, and what we did get wasn't good. But Shadow was definitely a highlight here. The voice work in particular was stunning

[@thepjshow]

I agree. His voice was amazing and the action was phenomenal. But I think that the fact that this show is canon pulls away from the character, and suddenly makes a lot of his actions feel out of character. But this is definitely the best Shadow representation since Sonic 06.

[@TheRibottoStudios]

​@@thepjshowyeeeeah this show being Canon makes no real sense

[@Replies.Delete.SometimesIDKy]

Shadow origins was calm and collected with a little bit of arrog ance. PpI love to compare him to vegeta when knuckIes is more like vegeta. Shadow is more like sasuke when he was young. Ironically, shadow in forces was more like how he shouldve been than most of his other recent showings.

[@donathan2933]

@@thepjshowunderstandable points. I do really like Prime Shadow tho

[@StevenJones851]

Yeah he was good here but needed more Screen time

[@jesse1794]

the biggest issue i had was definitely it felt like shadow had no respect for sonic and "his friends"

[@donathan2933]

I can’t really complain about Shadow’s conflict with Sonic in this show since 9 times out of ten his issues with the former were more than justified

[@MusicKat217]

​@@donathan2933 with Sonic it's understandable, same with Nine, but not with anyone else. I understand he has a very serious goal in mind (restoring Green Hill,) but he seemed to be completely fine with the idea that these other REAL and living version of Sonic's friends (and his friend, AKA Rouge,) could just straight up die. He had no empathy for any of them, barely interacted with them, and saw them as not even real people. Which the real Shadow wouldn't have done, in my opinion. I think they should've had Shadow in a situation where he was forced to spend time with people in the different Shatter Spaces, like Rebel. He would get a far better understanding of why Sonic cares so much about everyone, even if they aren't his real friends. That they may look and sound the same, but they have their own personalities and goals and a want for happiness. He doesn't have to be as eager as Sonic is, but it could improve his character a lot and show that his logic isn't 100% correct.

[@erikbihari3625]

​​@@MusicKat217. A:"in my oppinion"... Where have I heard that before... Cosmonaut variety hour:-"Star Wars, Should Be simple". B:"throughout the show shadow has been presented as a calculated risk taker, he tried to stop or delay sonic before he shattered the prism,immediately teleported and was spared from splitting,took his tech to travel between the shatter spaces and reassamble the prism, but didn't factor in that nine specifically made them for sonic, and the prism energy he absorbed when shattering it, heck when the chaos council attempted to steal the prism and instead fought each other, he wanted to jump in!

[@TheRibottoStudios]

He didn't really owe them that respect though. He knew that they weren't real. Why get attached to people who were going to fade or dissipate or just not exist when everything was said and done? Shadow here was very pragmatic, and that is needed to help ground people like Sonic. Shadow and Sonic kind of remind me of myself and my sister; my sister is who I'll call when I start to get freaked out over things and just need a grounding presence. We don't get along that well, but she's the first person I often go to for advice even over my own parents. Because she much like Shadow tells it like it is. And sometimes that can hurt emotional people like myself, but over time, I've come to appreciate that. Which is in part why I love Shadow. His pragmatism is appreciated in a group of emotional people. And that's not a bad thing to be emotional. But in troubled times, or in times where you need to weigh your options, you need to set aside your emotions to get the job done. Shadow can do that.

[@jesse1794]

@@TheRibottoStudios true, but he still doesn't respect sonic, and it doesn't help that sonic is very impractical and childish for the most of show, which is very different from how he is written in the games.

[@rickyrackey7930]

Idea. Shadow should have a rival that’s pretty much everything he stands against. A Carnage to Shadow’s Venom. Someone who doesn’t destroy humanity for a promise, but because out of sadism. An Ultimate Lifeform created by Eggman to use as a weapon against Sonic and also a way to honor his grandfather, Gerald.

[@ThunderSpeedStudios]

Eclipse The Darkling is kinda that

[@rickyrackey7930]

@@ThunderSpeedStudios But he’s not canon to the games unfortunately.

[@Morbius-Tension]

You basically just described Mephiles 💀 Mephiles was pretty much unlike anything shadow has ever faced that’s why he intrigued him so much to stay in flame core

[@rickyrackey7930]

@@Morbius-Tension I’m talking about an occurring villain that is also an Ultimate Lifeform.

[@jamiegioca9448]

​@@rickyrackey7930 Isn't Mephiles half a god? What about that isn't "ultimate lifeform"?

[@kellyalexander4881]

I mean... Shadow did glance at Rouge one point when she was in her ghost form and did talk to her as Rebel Rouge, but that was it. I would've understood the part of him saying that the others are Sonic's friends and not his. But he could've at least tried to show more emotion with Rouge. I don't mind her spending more time with team Sonic, but I just wouldn't want her to leave team dark either

[@legg7132]

I assume it is because unlike Sonic, Shadow did not consider the alternative versions of others to be the "same" as the original ones. To him, alternative Rouges are not Rouge.

[@kellyalexander4881]

@legg7132 Well yes, I can understand him not showing empathy towards the alternative versions of Sonic's friends. But he also doesn't really show too much empathy towards the original ones either. There are VERY TINY MENTIONS here and there of him wanting to free them in a way of compassion.(Freeing them in general doesn't count because that is the whole damn goal of the show) But it either goes unnoticed or just feels unnatural. But other than that, yes good point

[@bluesnake4626]

@@kellyalexander4881Ya they are very blink and you'll miss them moments that I forgot about. But with you mentioning it I do remember liking the nod towards his relationship with Rouge. But now its seems even more frustrating because it shows the wrighters did know about their relationship, but actively chose to mostly ignore it.

[@kellyalexander4881]

@@bluesnake4626 pretty much

[@erikbihari3625]

​​​​​​​​​​​@@kellyalexander4881. Then how you explain This:-"it's a shatter space Sonic, just like the others, a Cruel version, to make US Suffer". Why shadow say"Us"? He not care!

[@agentomecha634]

I think Shadow was an overall improvement in Sonic Prime compared to his portrayal in the 2010s. Although his lack of interactions with Rouge or the others is strange. His character still has a way to go before it’s back to his Sonic 06 status. But hopefully, his character will continue to improve in the upcoming Shadow Generations and in the 3rd Sonic film.

[@donathan2933]

I agree. But without interactions with other characters it feels like Shadow here was missing something

[@erwannthietart3602]

​@@donathan2933tbf that was pretty much the whole point of him being stuck in the void. But really they couldve just have him keep the Emerald and Chaos controll inside when Sonic weakens the gate from his side and get him to interract more with others

[@donathan2933]

@@erwannthietart3602 Shadow’s too good of a character to be sidelined for most of a show. If the writers didn’t know what to do with him, then don’t add him at all. I did enjoy Shadow’s character here tho

[@Godpleasehelp25]

I don't understand why sega doesn't want shadow to have friends. I low key believe they hate shadow and just use him for sales. 😢

[@Gemini053]

He’s SEGAs Vegeta unfortunately.

[@marshmallowsilk3789]

Oh thank goodness someone finally said it. Shadow was fine, I like the way he cares for Sonic and he's cool but, he's super under-used and why is he not friends with Rouge. Like his character is pretty good but it is far from perfect, and not as good as I see a lot of people making out. And idk why on earth they decided this was canon. It feels so far removed from everything else. And I feel like a lot of these issued could be overlooked if it was just a different universe.

[@sonictheporcipine]

Sonic pretty much got the DBS Goku treatment with Shadow being his Vegeta.

[@michelebuford]

Yes

[@manuelinacio4038]

Sonic got the stupid Super Goku treatment. He should never give ANY CHARACTER the stupid Super Goku treatment

[@skylight1198]

What made Shadow my favorite character is he is soft around his edge. He's absolutely an edgy character, but his character. His heart. I got excited, they nailed one part of him, but failed another. I didn't watch this show, but damn. As a fan I feel the disappointment lol.

[@trueaura369]

Shadow in season 1 did nothing but put his frustration on sonic by trying to just fight him. Also I was confused why he never removed his wrist rings when he was getting beat up

[@hellfoxwolf14]

Same.

[@user-hj8vh6yz5k]

Or use any of his chaos ability besides Chaos Control, even that was nerfed since his could literally use it to slow down time in Shadow The Hedgehog game.

[@Pan-cackes]

Okay i agree with everything, especially the thing with Rouge. Rouge and Shadow have a pretty solid relationship, even there Fast friend forever bio mention this. Why he don't talk to her or be with here in the begining of the show? Rouge and Shadow can easily found the prism before Eggman and warn Sonic after. Why separated them? And let's be really, Rouge was totally out of context here: She have a few lines, don't interact much with the other, have the worst alt version ( don't count Rebel, she cool ) and be ignore for the rest of the serie. Seriously, Sonic team don't give a shit to her, even Sonic don't talk with her in the end of the show. Also fun fact: She the only character character at the end who don't talk ( don't count Big, he just a verryyyyyyyy side character here).

[@JonyPlayz1]

A weird thing that I found for him was that he never used any chaos powers (besides chaos control) just used the spin dash, punches and kicks lol

[@Mr.S550]

yea I didn’t like how they tried to make him a sonic clone basically when he’s much more than that

[@aliasella488]

well he lost the emeralds

[@Mr.S550]

@@aliasella488 he doesn’t need an emerald to perform chaos spear, chaos blast & short range chaos control

[@user-hj8vh6yz5k]

​@@Mr.S550yes instead of losing to Grim Sonic clones he could've used Chaos Blast to blow them away just like the dark gauge in Shadow The Hedgehog game, he was definitely nerfed even his chaos control was nerfed, again in his game he could use Chaos Control to literally slow down time but only used it to teleport.

[@MarkerMurker]

5:55 That's not what he said though. He only pointed out Advance 3 because that was the one specific callback. And if Sonic was remembering those events, then clearly Prime is after, but that doesn't mean it's still before Shadow or 06. The most logical place for it to end up would be just before or after Forces, since Eggman would have been unavailable between Colors-Generations and Generations-Lost World. Which is still after Advance 3. 7:40 Sonic has the Prism energy inside him. He was never shattered. Anyway, great video, I feel the same about Shadow being more of an annoyed babysittier. Sonic was such a buffoon in Prime, and that's the only way this Shadow works.

[@Pan-cackes]

It's can't. Eggman was not here at this moment, he was in the research of the phantom ruby and IDW is the continuation of Force and Sonic character here is totally out of context ( he more mature in Force, IDW and Frontier and normal in Team racing) The events of the show get erase in the end so, nothing of what happen is significant. If we really want a place in the continuation, let's say it take place something in the " meta era". Also, Eggman finish to escape the void at the end of Generation so, it's can happen after here.

[@georgiepig5726]

​​@@Pan-cackesyou really trying to say that IVO ROBOTNIK somehow WOULDN'T be researching multiple pieces of powerful gems at once? you are severely underestimating the same psychotic and egotistical maniac who literally builds everything he makes with his own goddamn likeness in it besides there is NOTHING stating that he COULDN'T have also either just researched the paradox prism FIRST right before doing the phantom ruby (plus lost world and eggman finding the lost hex between generations and lost world kinda knocks out your idea of after generations being when prime happens) also the characterization between the games shows and comics are vastly different like how sonic is a pansy pacifist in idw yet in frontiers hes committing mass robo titan genocide and NO just because prime essentially erases the shatterspaces from being accessible ever again DOES NOT just mean that EVERYTHING from the show should be thrown out WHICH LITERALLY INCLUDES SONICS FUCKING CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IN THE THIRD AND FINAL SEASON OF LEARNING TO RELY ON TRUSTING IN HIS FRIENDS PLANS OVER JUST TAKING CHARGE OF EVERYTHING BY HIMSELF A LESSON HE CLEARLY HAS LEARNT BY THE TIME OF FORCES goddamn it you are severely ignorant at some of the most basic points about this

[@egbertmilton4003]

What the fuck is this idiotic analysis. Saying it occurs after Advance 3 doesn’t mean Sonic 06 or Shadow come after Prime. Prime is clearly happening before Forces, Advance 3 just acts as a nice definitive point in the timeline that is recognised better in the cannon. Did you even bother thinking?

[@theanimatedone2313]

It's without a doubt that the true star of Prime, like 06, is Shadow. But it falls into a similar reign as Forces for him, since hype made stakes high, especially for the more devoted, truly caring side of the fandom. But overall, given what Prime and The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog have given us, alongside the fanmade Project Shadow, we may get the true, brave-hearted hero back. It all lies in the hands of SonicXShadow Generations and especially Movie 3 to cement this light of hope. As far as Prime Shadow goes, it's like Frontiers in a sense: it's obviously not perfect, but the good is a massive improvement over what came before.

[@thefastcommenter7774]

It’s clearly explained in the show my god did y’all actually watch it. SHADOW DIDN’T GET ALTERED. This happened because he used the emerald to TELEPORT right before Sonic shattered the prism. This caused him to get stuck in the shatterspaces. Because Shadow was not affected by prism energy, he can’t pass through gateways. Because he teleported before the shatter event, he didn’t get alternate versions as he fully teleported and didn’t experience any prism energy. SONIC DIRECTLY SHATTERED THE PARADOX PRISM. He is the sole factor in it. There are no altered versions because Sonic is the one who broke the prism fully. He remained himself fully because he and only he had contact with it, directly entering the void after. Due to shattering the prism, Sonic absorbed prism energy that allows him to travel to each shatterspace and have his gear change. He can pass through gateways with prism energy. This is clearly shown in Prime my god.

[@GumRobber]

Every time shadow appeared on screen it was great his characterization was on point (for the most part) I feel like they could have used him a little more but it’s a step in the right direction. Also while back I saw a video of someone saying prime should take place after lost world and it’s a great video.

[@donathan2933]

I agree. His character was good but he was poorly used

[@manuelinacio4038]

11:08 ThePjShow praised Forces "THE END IS NEAR"

[@DanielKariuki-er5gi]

5:02 Instead of boyfriends or enemies or father and son they feel more like brothers to me with Sonic being the younger one (obviously) and Shadow being the older one looking out for Sonic.

[@Starrmonster02]

I absolutely love prime shadow he’s my most favorite version of shadow ian hanlin voicing him shadows personality shadow is my absolute absolute favorite character he is so freaking cool and badass and he gives tough love to sonic because there brothers😍🥰

[@CrezetheousV]

Honestly, I want a Shadow the Hedgehog voiced by Ian Hamlin because OH MY GOD HE WAS SO GOOD AS HIM.

[@aarushbhadwaj-gs7kd]

5:51 Ian Flynn also said that, Sonic prime takes place 'sometime after Sonic Advance 3' and not right after. And he also said (Sort of) that it takes place after Sonic Colors.

[@imperfectmyst]

I find it weird that not once Shadow took off his inhibitor rings that wouldve been sick!

[@juiceDpunk983]

I doubt any of the writers know any details like that.

[@imperfectmyst]

​@@juiceDpunk983 in my opnion with that they really don't know WHO shadow is just sonic's rival

[@GoofyGoldenRetriever1]

The reason why sega never makes Shadow remove his rings in the games after 06 is because they realized that Shadow would be way too broken and op if he always removes his rings.

[@imperfectmyst]

@@GoofyGoldenRetriever1 so basically they have to nerf him gotcha

[@filipvadas7602]

The Shadow in this show was a *significant* step back towhat he used to be. Its just that he was in it for a total of like 5 episodes

[@emmaandmaegan]

Team dark, shadow and rouge are my absolute favourite I (ship shadow and rouge because they have the best dynamic)

[@SergioGamingCornerVA]

I agree that Prime should be non Canon, but that is just my bias.

[@danayar3925]

Let's all agree that this isn't canon and we never speak about this show from this moment on.

[@NotKnuckles]

It doesnt even make sense it being canon, for example, the show shows that Sonic and Knuckles met in hidden palace even though they actually met in Angel Island

[@thesupermayoreo]

I don't think it really matters if it's Canon or not.

[@Zeldafan-zy1pb]

​@@thesupermayoreoExactly. Just like it doesnt matter if 06 is canon. 06 wiped itself out and Prime happened in a universe no one else witnessed

[@Zeldafan-zy1pb]

​@@NotKnucklesSonic Adventure shows the events of "Sonic CD" happening in Windy Valley.

[@KgEclispe252]

God thank you There are some positive aspects but this Shadow just felt like Boom Shadow but somewhat okay I thought I was the only one going insane

[@abigailhedderly4978]

I think, when it comes to Sonic media, to try to give credit where credit is due; Shadow’s character was far from perfect when it came to writing but it certainly was a step in the right direction like you said. Although I did really wish that he would’ve at least noticed Rouge at one point and it would have been SO easy to do! For example, in season 2 episode one when Sonic first finds the ghost versions of his friends, Shadow does look back at Rouge, so just make it where after glancing at her, look to the ground with a bit of sorrow or sadness in his expression or SOMETHING. Anyway, great video Though I do agree Sonic prime is not written great by any means, I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it.

[@user-hj8vh6yz5k]

I really hated how they gave Sonic the Super Goku treatment, for Prime being canon it feels like they took all that Sonic character development from previous games and flushed it down the toilet.

[@callumcrane241]

Bro Shadow's game happened BEFORE Advanced 3. And I know that Shadow caring about Rouge would be nice to see, but his relationships aren't relevant to the plot. And Sonic saying "Shadow has no friends" was just him being a prick. Also, Shadow is most likely watching over the Paradox Prism. And hiding it somewhere else. Plus I hear Sonic Prime is getting a comic retelling, so maybe the Shadow problems in the show will be fixed their.

[@BritBox777]

Have you ever read Shadow in the comics? He's far worse than he is here. One of IDW's biggest issues is character assassination and Shadow gets some of the worst of it.

[@callumcrane241]

@@BritBox777 The mandates are gone. For the most part. And while it's too late for IDW Shadow, this up coming Prime Comic retelling, and the games, and maybe the movie, will benefit from this.

[@callumcrane241]

@@Tikaru That makes no sense.

[@Tikaru]

@@callumcrane241 Oh…wait!! Nvm I though you were talking about the game release dates not the actual sonic time line lol mb

[@callumcrane241]

@@Tikaru It's ok.

[@AnnStyle]

Its still better than the recent shadow (not counting sonic dying). I also think the main problem is the fact prime is canon. It makes no sense as sonic acts stupid and shadow is not friends with rouge and actually not with anyone.

[@Pan-cackes]

Just couldn't agree more

[@starsmash420]

i just want to clarify two things: first, ian flynn said that prime can take place any time after 3, not necessarily directly after 3. then second, the “rules” are that sonic’s contact with the prism/him causing the shatter give him prism energy, but because shadow “cheated” his way into the void, he doesn’t have the same energy.

[@unnamed12346]

It's weird how much Ian Hanlin hit just right as the voice of Shadow. Kirk Thornton did a good job, but honestly if Ian Hanlin was Shadow's VA for the future, I would not say no. Besides that, I thought he was fine. He had a bit of that early IDW energy to him of hit first, ask questions later, but he got better, and by Season 3, I could see this Shadow as the same one that would actually see the bigger picture like in 06 and try to focus on fixing things rather than fight Sonic

[@marilynlucerobertson159]

When Shadow said "I am... The Ultimate Life-form." I kid you not I thought he was going to say "I am... All Of Me!"

[@neenee8798]

This is why I didn’t like IDW comic shadow as well, he is very arrogant in that comic, with metal virus saga and beyond. The mutual respect vanished, shadow is just cussing him out in the comics, the rest of the characters I liked, but not shadow. He is stubborn yes, but not that “overly prideful, arrogant, stupid guy” that they made him in the IDW comics.

[@NijelHarper]

I thought Shadow was good in Sonic Prime

[@RatchetClankFan112]

Me to

[@Mathivich]

Same.

[@Blizzard_467]

Yeah he isn't a edgelord anymore

[@Epilogueandprologuelover]

@@Blizzard_467 ain’t that the truth

[@Replies.Delete.SometimesIDKy]

Nah hes pretty edgy. Just randomly punching one of your friends in the face repeatedly throughout the show is not shadow at all. Shadow is calm, cool and collected person and even when he gets mad, he never does pointless things like that. He was ironically better in forces than in prime because at least in forces he was calm, cool and collected and the only time he acted edgy was with infinite. But he wasnt as bad as prime sonic.

[@Cartoonclubhouse9053]

I WILL ALWAYS LOVE SHADOW NO MATTER WHAT HES MY FAVORITE CHARACTER EVER IN SEGA HISTORY 🖤❤️👑🏆💪

[@ezfooly]

Sonic Prime taking place after Advance 3 does not mean it takes place IMMEDIATELY after Advance 3. That was just Ian's way of saying that at the very least, Advance 3 happened before the show. It means that it can't take place at any time before Advance 3 but can take place any time after it, whether it's after Shadow 05 or after Sonic Colors

[@ceylancobalt3117]

Finally someone said that

[@TeamSonic92]

Can you do a video about Shadow from Sonic X?

[@TerrorofDeathDGX]

I didn't even know this TV show existed and now I'm considering giving it a watch, if only for my boy Shadow.

[@thepjshow]

I recommend you give it a watch and form your own opinions on it.

[@metalskulkbanepl161]

I disagree that Shadow doesn't care for the rest. He does. He beats up Sonic and steals his gizmos specifically to fix the world and safe their friends. I'm not even mad he doesn't interact with Rouge. Canon or not, this is stil standalone story that needs to be accessible for newbies. Their relation doesn't have any role in the story so it might as well not be brought up. Shadow never gets a chance to interact with Real Rouge and he doesn't care for Variants. Could it been done better? Yes, obviously. All we needed was Shadow giving a thoughtful look towards her ghost. Or saving one of her Variant during big battle. Something that fans would understand, while newcomers wouldn't even think about. But the problem isn't with Shadow's characterization, but with his role in the story. He never has conversation with non-Sonic, nor he's given a chance to shows any depth. That's the main reason he's less than SA2 or Battle versions.

[@WilloMartinez21]

The biggest mistake of sonic prime is being canon

[@TheAltAcount447]

agreed

[@BritBox777]

Give it five years and they'll say it's non-canon. Like most of the comics. And a good handful of the games.

[@zrisethesonicgamer]

Sonic Prime I believe isn't canon. Just seems like Ian Flynn is talking jibberish causing more trouble by the words "It's canon." knowing the sonic fanbase is going to bring it up in a discussion and knowing the inconsistencies is not helping the "lore team" at all, it's making it harder and even then lore shouldn't matter in some random media that has NOTHING to do with the games. The fact a "lore team" exists anyway is stupid, even though people may question inconsistencies. That's obviously what people are going to do, and even small things don't have to be hyper corrected just so they can say "We fixed it!" When in reality, it doesn't matter in cases. Instead of mentioning character inconsistencies in Sonic Frontiers, they should've not brought that up in Tails' cutscenes with Sonic. It doesn't need a reason, they should fix it and not mention it in game. Makes it feel like a forth wall break, and if they knew from the beginning, why did NO ONE tell them?! "Hey, that's not how they would act NOW!" It all just doesn't matter. Just like the song. (All of course being exaggerated. But the whole stuff like "Well actually the moon in Sonic Adventure 2 actually turned on its axis" or some random nonsense like that. That small lore inconsistency DOES NOT need a dumb explanation. It doesn't need ANY explanation. It's either inconsistent, or never a problem. Even though they have the next game to remember. So they should fix it there. Instead of that moon garbage being canon or something like that. I remember hearing something about that. It's a dumb explanation, which is worse than no explanation.

[@Black__Rose.]

Speaking facts I see

[@mazkeraid4039]

@@zrisethesonicgamer Even Sonic X alluded to that possibility and was done first, and yet Sonic Team didn't have the whole cast fixing the moon problem because had it been destroyed completely, the tides would have gone out of control which is something Adventure 3 should be made, not brushing aside.

[@silveramyknux241]

5:47 I think Shadow takes place right after Heroes and prior to Battle. Which would make it prior to Advance 3.

[@Mohamed58290]

Don’t listen to the writers guys sonic prime isn’t canon. But it is still a great show

[@EdenLovesDragonsForSomeReason]

Agreed, it’s like saying Megamind 2 is canon

[@tobsonasanya4765]

​@@EdenLovesDragonsForSomeReasonit is though. Not a fair comparison

[@Blizzard_467]

I hope we have better character (and useful) in Sonic X Shadow Generations and Sonic Movie 3

[@auhtor_of_the_year]

In all honesty, I think all the points you made are very valid. I really do wish Prime stayed out of cannon. Of course because of Sonic's characterization and all that. I really enjoyed Sonic and Shadow's interactions and I REALLY hope they can match that in Sonic 3 and other future projects. Like you said, I also hope they recognize Rouge's connection to Shadow in the future as well. I'd like to mention as well that Amy and Shadow should be fond of each other, especially considering that she was the one who reminded him of Maria. Anyway, It's time for another round of "Ignore bad characterization in the official media and read fic that does it better"

[@johnyujcha6191]

17:31 that's what I'm saying

[@clovergambit3051]

Despite his character being a step in the right direction with him willing to work with sonic, he really only felt like a plot device to let sonic know what they need to do next. Shadow felt like just that addition to grab a few extra eyes given his massive popularity and nothing more.

[@user-hj8vh6yz5k]

Also he was nerfed, did he forget that he had other chaos abilities like Chaos Spears and Chaos Blast that don't require an emerald to work? Or maybe removing his limiters when he was getting beaten up? The main reason he keeps them is to prevent quick stamina loss.

[@aggressivelymediocre350]

Ok this is nitpicking but “sometime after” does not mean “shortly after.” All Ian’s comment meant was that because of the Gemerl cameo (which was probably accidental) it would need to take place anywhere on the timeline after that. I’m more partial to ignoring its existence completely though.

[@zakgaming4194]

Sonic Prime’s Shadow is a step in the right direction, it’s a good version of him and If the main series or the new Sonic x Shadow Generations used this Shadow’s character. Then I wouldn’t be complaining.

[@Jameswebbtelescope7484]

Now that you put it like that. I actually agree with what you said. Sonic prime actually was the show that made me like shadow more then I did before, and I do wish he got to interact with rouge and even Sonic’s friends or at least acknowledge them y’know.

[@jeremy1860]

On the one hand, not having him with the classic Shadow backstory does take away a lot of the usual gravitas of his character. But on the other, hand the idea of him being just a regular part of Sonic's neighbourhood who's alone in his general exasperation of Sonic's attitude was an interesting take on him 😊

[@liuser]

i feel like a problem within the sonic canon is that they try to make everything canon, but maintain little to no continuity. they can all be their own versions of sonic and the world, not needing to be connected imo the biggest root of inconsistency seems to be the difference between a world inhabited by mostly anthro characters and one inhabtied by mostly humans, having completely different tones and worlds for the most part

[@thepjshow]

I agree. Even Frontiers (as much as I enjoy the writing) treats practically every game that came before as canon. This, on the surface, seems fine but looking at the worlds with any kind of scrutiny makes it start to fall apart. like how different adventure 2's map is, compared to Unleashed and Forces. I would have been fine with the writers excluding some games and events from the canon, as that would have made it feel more consistent.

[@kendraroth1276]

Actually they don’t, it’s just Ian Flynn. Ian Flynn’s words are often contradictory to the source material and Ian Flynn doesn’t work for the main Sega. At most, he is only called upon to help Sega of America.

[@thelastcrow5660]

Now we just have to wait and see how faithful to the original concept Shadow Silverhand will be :))))

[@theblackscottishmetallix]

next video should be about chaos sonic chaos, sonic should’ve come back as a good guy in season 3 He gets rebuilt and fights the grim bots with the rest of them or at least a cameo I mean he was mentioned in the first episode when Alpha Grim sonic was first shown

[@silveramyknux241]

6:31 Like you said earlier, with how Sonic is written, Shadow’s reactions makes sense. Shadow not talking to Sonic makes sense for this show, it just falls a part when you make it canon.

[@Replies.Delete.SometimesIDKy]

THANK YOU. OMG

[@crichie21]

I really did love this shadow and am glad this is the closest thing to 06 shadow

[@maiyacurling986]

Shadow was the best character in the show for me. I just wish we got more of him.

[@legoawcstopmotioner9435]

I'd give my thoughts on this portrayal of the character, but you pretty much voiced everything I was thinking. I do hope the good elements of Prime can be carried over to the next Sonic show. Chiefly the animation. If we can have those awesome action scenes toned down some for the sake of better writing, that would be a really good show.

[@awright555]

I guess I have to disagree when it comes to the lack of acknowledgment part. Mostly because the way I see it the way he’s acting is he acknowledging everyone. His whole goal is to get his world back. Which is where everyone else knows is. He made it very clear that those other versions are not his real friends. See you wanting some kind of named drop though. I guess it’s just something that never bothered me.

[@Twongz_does_anything]

sega needs to hire you

[@ALegendaryBlueHedge]

For what?

[@liamphibia]

​@@ALegendaryBlueHedge As a writer.👈🏻

[@ALegendaryBlueHedge]

@liamphibia Fir doing what exactly? Talking about a character on KZbin? If that's the case, every sonic fan in existence should be hired by SEGA. Do you even know how this shit actually works?

[@BritBox777]

The biggest issue with modern TV/Cinema: most writers get the job through nepotism or friend groups. Very few modern writers are actually good at their job.

[@HazeX2]

Haven't played ShTH in years, I don't remember him getting his memory back, just learning what happened. That's what the "Goodbye forever" line was for

[@BritBox777]

Yet he has his memories in every game since. And even before, like when he's joking with Rogue about her still messing with Knuckles in Sonic Heroes (when he supposedly still had amnesia). The timeline of his memory loss makes no sense and they just gave up on that idea after ShTH so don't think about it too much. It basically never happened now.

[@azurerandomness]

Shadow is my favorite character for Prime bc of Sonic… this show is produced by Man Of Action and im very familiar with how they write their main characters, because im a Ben 10 fan I frankly want to slap Ben sometimes bc of the way he acts, and sonic is literally the same in Prime. Having a character like shadow to actually punch him for doing dumb things is great catharsis for me But I seriously wish they did more with Shadow, this is the year of Shadow after all

[@Gameon-ft9pf]

Watching you're video on shadow, I really understand that he acknowledges sonic a lot more than anyone else as if they are both the same, they just went through different things, it put emphasis on this and I like this a lot because personally I prefer sonic not to be dependent on his friends or anyone but I understand you're point. Sonic really was nerfed and keep rolling with these videos

[@user-rq6nd2je3v]

Sonic Prime shouldn't be Canon, That just makes It confusing.

[@thepjshow]

Agreed! But, for some reason it is...

[@lsonic3702]

You make some pretty good points the show may not be perfect but it's still good.

[@dershadoow]

I scrolled past this video at least twice, rolling my eyes at the title because I really loved how they handled Shadow in Prime. I gave the video a chance and I… absolutely agree with everything said. The thing that made me upset in this characterization was how they handled Shadow and his relationships with other characters, specially Rouge, as stated. Very good analysis, thanks for sharing your insights.

[@ali-san9844]

Finally someone gets me! I may like Sonic and Shadow interacting, but why are writers so obsessed with having Shadow's whole character revolve around Sonic?! That reduces Shadow's character to being nothing more than Sonic's straight man, and it's so boring, why is he never allowed to have a proper conversation, a banter, at least freaking acknowledge other people's existence??? I was so excited when the show had him joining more for s2, only for my hopes to crash because he can't even enter the shatter worlds, and just has to apend all his time in the void until his screen time pass Sonic comes I was extremely disappointed, because Shadows characterization was promising, only for him not to have anyone to play off of, but Sonic. I have seen them interacting a quadrillion times before and I hate that almost no Shadow media thinks to give me something new

[@Toysonicandfriends2]

Shadow in this show and prime and 06 are amazing

[@DanielKariuki-er5gi]

8:52 Damn maybe Shadow does love him.

[@ctbcseice]

If there's one thing I can thank this show for, it is a huge appreciation for Sonic X, because even though that show has problems (mainly the first two seasons) at least we follow the adventures of likable characters. Following the journey with the same boring one-dimensional characters has butchered my brain so much.

[@mintwantsacookieanimations3473]

A big theory going around in the Sonic fandom on tumblr was that Nine was going to capture Shadow and use him as bait to lure Sonic back to the Grim. This theory was sparked up mainly due to the trailers where Sonic says ‘he messes with one of us, he messes with all of us” and people noted that Shadow was absent from the group of characters, leading people to believe that theory. Like it would’ve been interesting to see Shadow interact with Nine without Sonic being there (or literally with any of character). But no he got thrown into a hole and sidelined once again for half the season. During the many episodes that were just fighting in season 3 (before him being shown being stuck in the hole) I was expecting Shadow to show up during the fight with a grand entrance. Like any time Sonic got knocked down and struggled to get back up and Shadow shows up and saves (as he’s been doing that throughout the show) and while he does do that it’s in a hole half the season is already gone. Also him not appearing in that finale scene on the beach was just criminal, like he doesn’t have to say anything but just having him interacting with Rogue would’ve been nice. If I could write season 3’s ending, I would have it that after Shadow teleports the Prism away during the off screen moments were Sonic gets the chili dogs he sees Shadow and invites him to hang out of the beach with the others, with Shadow saying that’s he’s only going because Rogue is there (and Sonic cus they kinda bonded over the whole losing their world thing). But no he’s not there (he’s probably in another hole). But I will say I do enjoy his character in this show, like he’s far from perfect but when it comes to modern Shadow he’s written pretty well as in the sense of him not being a huge jerk who only cares about himself. Sure he doesn’t care about the other shatterspace characters but that’s cus he barely interacts with them but he at least cares about Sonic (sometimes it obvious other times you have to read between the lines). But yeah, also congrats if u made it to the end.

[@ModernAegis]

5:45 Very interesting that Flynn directly acknowledged a mainline Sonic game where Cream was playable that wasn't Heroes, and yet both forgot to include Cream in this show and failed to voice any disappointments or hangups about forgetting her. VERY INTERESTING.

[@Ergeniz]

I think Ian is a decent artist/writer but he really needs to drop this obsession with trying to canon weld everything to the games. The older Sonic comics were separate from game canon, often using them for inspiration but otherwise doing their own thing. This allows them creative freedom. Ian seems to have forgotten that.

[@pinkumbrellaneo2283]

Whenever Shadow was out, I was always waiting for him to meet with Sonic again and it always felt like a drag. I was wondering "When is (insert scenes) gonna be over?" Or "Where's Shadow and what's going on with him?" They could've at least given some updates on what Shadow was doing, even if it was just for 30s-1m

[@ScalyRaptor1944]

2:09 "any reference to sonic heroes is an immedient win in my book" *s a m e*

[@Oceane1803]

If it were for me, I would remove Shadow and Rouge from the show. Shadow wasn't really well written and Rouge is part of Sonic's crew for some reason (also as you said the two barely interact when they should). Instead, I think they could have focused on SA1's cast. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Big, and Birdie is a pink bird just like the one inside Gamma. In New Yoke, they could have one have only one Eggman, called Robotnik since Sonic came up with the nickname Eggman and he never existed in this world. Similarly, Nine could have been called Miles Prower since Sonic was never there and never gave him the nickname Tails. And it would finally give a use to this name outside of appearing in Tails' bio and nothing else. They could have named the resistance the Freedom Fighters which, with Robotnik who took over and mechanized everything, would be a reference to the cartoon. Amy would replace New Yoke Rouge since Rouge wouldn't be in this show and in IDW she leads the resistance alongside Knuckles. Meanwhile, while in the base universe Gamma died, leaving only the flicky behind (though I do believe the flicky and Gamma are one and the same) Gamma would replace Rusty Rose in New Yoke (after all, Rusty Rose has the pink flicky inside of her), and would serve mostly the same role. He would rebel against Robotnik and become close to Pirate Amy. In Adventure, Amy was the one who helped him the most, and the flicky was next to her in the Last Story, so it makes sense. By the way I keep saying New Yoke, but I would have named it Robotnikland, because of course Robotnik would call it that. Knuckles the Dread is my favorite character from the Shatterverse, and I wouldn't change a thing to what he does. But speaking of No Place and since we're focusing on Adventure 1, I would make it like No Place was flooded by this world's version of Perfect Chaos hundreds of years ago and he has been sleeping god knows where since then, but would be awaken by Robotnik's takeover of the Shatterverse (like the one that happens in the show by the Chaos Council). Tikal could also be in this, guiding Sonic through the Shatterverse in a similar way to Shadow in season 1 since he's not in my version of the show, and the role of guide fits Tikal. She wouldn't have been affected by the shattering of the Paradox Prism since she's a ghost. She could be the one to calm No Place Perfect Chaos when he gets awaken too. And besides, Prime would have been the perfect occasion to give the SA1 cast some love since it would be hard to insert Big in any rewrite of a show...But oh wait ! Big is already in this show ! I feel like each Shatter Dimension would be tied to one or several characters. Robotnikland is around Eggman and Tails, No Place is around Knuckles, Boscage Maze is about Amy and Gamma (as a bird just like in the show), Ghost Hill would be around Sonic, as a reflection of the guilt he feels since this is all of his fault... And the Grim would be a lot different. First of all, it would be tied to Big, and it would therefore be an endless peaceful beach with many fishing spots. The Big from that world wouldn't appear until season 3, as he would be simply fishing somewhere far away with Froggy, and he would try to convince Miles that his world's natural beauty is perfect as it is and doesn't need to be changed. Also that explains why the strongest and biggest robot Miles creates during the big battle is a Big robot since in a meta sense, this dimension revolves around Big. Also oh my god "a big robot", was that the joke the whole time ? ^^' And finally I want to talk about Chaos Sonic. Chaos Sonic is annoying. I like the idea of an alternate Metal Sonic that talks rhough. It could help Sonic realize the things he does wrong, as Chaos Sonic would act like a mirror for Sonic. But his design and personality would be a lot cooler and cocky, and he would be making the kinds of movements we see make in CD. Since we've established Chaos is in this, Chaos Sonic could borrow design elements from Chaos, but as extra robot parts of course, he wouldn't be partially composed of water... Albeit that could be very cool, a Chaos-like being controlling that Metal Sonic body from inside and capable of disassembling and reassembling it quickly to avoid attacks and attack Sonic. Maybe I should make Chaos Sonic like that, actually. I'll think about it. So there you go, these are the main changes I would make to Sonic Prime. Tell me what y'all think of it, I'm open to constructive criticism.

[@thepjshow]

I really like a lot of these ideas, especially how you seem to be going for what a world without Sonic would entail. Things like Tails and Eggman not having those specific nicknames are the types of small details that would really sell this world. Incorporating Gamma is cool, especially seeing as how he was one of my favourites from Adventure, but would that just mean that Gamma would be going through the same arc that he did in adventure (albeit, under different circumstances)? It's interesting that you like Dread a lot. As for me, he was one of my least favourite aspects of the show, but I guess that's subjective. And, yeah, Chaos Sonic was pretty annoying, so some changes are needed in that department. The idea of a chaos form controlling a metal Sonic shell is really unique, and maybe it could also (like chaos) grow in strength with Chaos emeralds (I am completely spitballing here). Although, that would require the chaos emeralds to become a much larger aspect of the show. But having Ghost Hill purely exist as Sonic's own form of torture, fueled by his guilt is a brilliant move to build on what ghost hill was already established as in Prime. I know I haven't properly sat down to think of all the logistics of the points you've made in great detail, but you have some really cool ideas here!

[@Oceane1803]

@@thepjshow I love Dread and find him so interesting partially because of how long his arc lasts. He could have just learned his lesson at the end of the episode he was introduced in, stopped only thinking about treasure and learned to appreciate his friends right then and there, letting Sonic take the shard and taking a backseat in the story. That's what I thought they would do, like with Thorn Rose, but I was pleasantly surprised. Because that's not how real people work, and that's not how Dread works either. It's not just because Sonic was nice to him that he'll suddenly start seeing the wrong of his ways out of nowhere. Even when Sonic leaves with the shard, Dread goes after him. You see how far he is willing to go, blinded by his desire of greatness, and building upon the lack of care he has for other people's wellbeing, that was introduced by the flashback with his old crew. That obsession with the shard and his will to go as far as he needs to no matter the consequences in order to get it are what made him so dangerous and fascinating to me. And he can be quite cunning too, like when he manipulated his crew into thinking Sonic deserted when he's the one who asked him to leave to get the shard. With his crew turning against Sonic, he would be able to get the shard all to himself. And yes, Gamma would have a similar arc to the one he had in the game. I'm sure a lot of newer fans aren't really familiar with him so that could be a good way to introduce him to these newer fans. I'm really happy that you like my ideas. I have low self-esteem, and sometimes I feel like nobody cares about my ideas and that I'll never accomplish anything in my life. So having these compliments coming from you, someone with great ideas and commentary, it means a lot.

[@mazkeraid4039]

The last time I checked, she called the turquoise flicky birdie, not the pink one. But yeah, the pink one should be called someone else. Also, I’m all for that idea, but I would leave the leadership to Knuckles, and I think that he should been made an acquaintance of Sonic and actually called the shot, rather than as another friend.

[@Oceane1803]

@@mazkeraid4039 Knuckles already has leadership alongside Rouge in Prime. It would be the same in my version, but with Amy replacing Rouge.

[@jujiper]

ooooooohhhh i love this...........

[@N_qthan]

As a role of tritagonist, shadow should able to get like way more screen times. I mean I understand that shadow is prob the most introverted character, but he should be up to things that would make him do something amazing in this show.

[@liamrodriguez6909]

I just realized something considering Prime wipes itself out like 06 did wouldn’t that mean that Shadow wasn’t even how he was in the show at all?

[@charliepeck82]

My stomach sank when I first saw Shadow’s trailer for this show, thinking they’d continue with that try hard knockoff portrayal I got used to in the 2010s. The first season eased my fears, but the second season rewarded my patience. Compared to the lackluster animation in Sonic Boom! I adore the Sonic and Shadow fight in season 2; the animation, the idea of Shadow also messing with his enemy, even the way he obtains the first stabilizer all had me rediscover my love for this character ❤🖤❤🖤❤️🖤 The scene with Nine is also fantastic, but my headcanon is that Nine’s comment reminded Shadow of what he told Sonic on Prison Island; Shadow was already weary of Nine, but that comment reminded Shadow of the person he used to be (more specifically, the last kind of person he’d trust). This video was a wake up call: this is a Man of Action adaptation. Looking at previous work, I’ve come to the conclusion that their first priority is to sell toys (i.e. Ben 10 and Ultimate Spider-Man). The alternate versions of Sonic’s friends and the insistence of importance (minus Nine) do scream “toy commercial” Not to mention Sonic’s demeanor and attitude going way out left field to become a self insert for the young male audience (see Ben Tennyson in all media minus Season 1+2 of Alien Force and Drake Bell’s Peter Parker). Regardless, I still prefer this Shadow over Boom! and 2010’s versions and I’m content with him until we get movie Shadow. ((side note: you should check out Sonic and Tails R if you haven’t, I consider that great Shadow utilization and writing!))

[@sonickhable]

You can remove shadows name from the title and it'd still be right. The idea that this is canon feels like a marketing pull more than anything

[@MECHA_SONIC_91]

It was marketing

[@SonicFanChic]

Hit my opinions right on the nose. I hope they keep improving Shadow and utilizing him more in the series; he’s an amazing character.

[@lezlue2273]

Bruh, Prime Shadow’s writing bothers me so much because there is no excuse for why Shadow can’t go through the portals. If you actually look at the events that unfold, the writing makes no sense. People love to say that “oh Shadow can’t use prism energy, Shadow can’t use prism energy that’s why he can’t go to other worlds,” but that creates a giant plot hole, because yes, he can use prism energy to teleport. We literally see him do it. In the episode where Sonic and Shadow fight over Nine’s tech, Shadow puts on all four pieces of it and then… he runs fast, kicking up prism energy that allows him to teleport out of that world and into the void full of purple crystals. Which means… Shadow can use the prism energy to teleport! Shadow can use prism energy to travel between worlds when he runs fast, exactly like how Sonic can travel between world when he runs fast! There is no excuse for why Shadow can’t travel between worlds just like Sonic! The writing just… demanded that Shadow not travel to other worlds. For no good reason. And if Shadow can use prism energy, why can’t he go through the gateways? Even if you want to argue that Shadow can’t go through the gateways, it does not matter. Shadow should still be able to travel to other worlds by putting on Nine’s tech and running fast. Also, what about Shadow touching a prism shard to teleport to other worlds? Did Sonic even try giving Shadow a shard to see if that can teleport him? I don’t think he did. What, did the writers just forget that they established that touching a shard can teleport you? That’s what it feels like. Yeesh, this show’s writing is such a mess.

[@Terzoranawrih252]

yeah, as much as i like, or rather, pretty alright with the show's story, i feel that the writer just really "nerfed" Shadow by not letting him go through the portal, throw his Chaos Emerald away to the void, and got his ass beaten easily, like bruh! he is an Ultimate Lifeform! he can kick ass even without a Chaos Emerald! like every time i see Shadow got beaten, i can hear the writer saying "this show is called Sonic Prime, not Shadow Prime!" like i get it, but man...

[@liamphibia]

And sadly, knowing how Netflix these days handles their content... It's highly unlikely we won't be seeing Sonic Prime continue any time soon. Such a waste of potential.

[@lezlue2273]

Yep, they nerfed Shadow so bad. Even taking away the Chaos Emerald isn’t an excuse cause first of all, he’s powerful on his own and second of all, why didn’t he just get it back? He never even tries to get it! The emerald fell down a void that kills off life. … So what? Shadow’s immortal. There is no excuse why he can’t just go get the emerald. What’s the void gonna do, kill him? He’s immortal. They nerfed Shadow so bad.

[@EdenLovesDragonsForSomeReason]

I love love LOVED Shadow in this!! His personality, design, va, animations, and expressions were all peak. It definitely makes up for the pretty bad pacing of the final season and Sonic’s honestly not half as good writing. Im very hopeful that his character in the movie is at least somewhat similar given the great representations of the other characters. But.. OH MY GOSH did this show have to feed the Sonadow fans THAT much?????

[@Replies.Delete.SometimesIDKy]

I dont think it fed them anything. I think everyones mind is im the gutter so much that we lost the ability to detect whats friendship anymore.

[@EdenLovesDragonsForSomeReason]

@@Replies.Delete.SometimesIDKy There it is. That second sentence perfectly describes the mindset of every LGBT supporter in this broken world

[@blackattack1840]

Shadow as a piece of the picture is peak. It's the story, lore, and other characters around him here that's lacking. If movie Knuckles can get his own Paramount show, Netflix Prime Shadow is certainly deserving of something.

[@Gumwings]

my theory is that shadow being weak in prime is that he didnt have powers to his chaos abilities since he didnt have the chaos emerald and it appears the shatterverse limited shadows abilities

[@tiagocervera5661]

7:41 okey first off this was something that was teas in the very first episode of the show and was shown how it works in season 2 and it is that when sonic shatter the prism the stone's energy corruptos his body and prism energy (yes thats what it's called) is the reason why sonic can enter the shatterd spaces and shadow can't enter them due to him not having prism energy

[@FlyingDuckMan360]

I'm a longtime fan of the Sonic games, having played them since the Genesis era. However, when it comes to the animated spin-offs, I've always preferred the comedy-based ones (Adventures and Boom) over the action-based ones (SatAM, Underground, X, and Prime). IMO, Prime suffers from a lot of problems; a focus on drama over comedy, Sonic being clumsier and more prone to making mistakes he's unable to fix than his previous incarnations, season finales ending on cliffhangers, and a ton of wasted potential. I have not seen the third season of Prime yet, and I'm not inspired to because from what I've heard, it's more formulaic than the previous seasons. I don't even know if Prime is the first Sonic cartoon to escape from the curse of ending on a cliffhanger that will inevitably go unresolved due to circumstances beyond its control. I've seen the trailer for Knuckles (2024), Sonic's first live-action series that takes place after the second live-action movie but before the third, and already it looks more promising than Prime. I'm not even worried if that's going to end on a cliffhanger because its an interquel series.

[@hanksterart3809]

It was a step in the right direction at least. It’s better than what we had in the recent sonic games. And his voice was great sucks he not staying and we’re stuck with kirk Thornton.

[@np-qy4hn]

i thought prime shadow was one of the best shadows imo😭

[@thepjshow]

He's great in a lot of aspects, from the voice acting to the combat, action, and even some of his interactions with Sonic. But there are negatives like him barely appearing and acting out of character compared to the games, like with him never bringing up Rouge or anyone else. At least, that's my thoughts. But this is definitely the best Shadow since Sonic 06

[@smeliejackson4972]

I think you can understand how Shadow's personality should be considered how he originally established himself. My point is, you did a good job showing how important Shadow can be within the Sonic franchise (like Sonic Prime). There are aspects which I felt were overlooked, and one aspect that is mostly overlooked is his display of compassion. You do understand Shadow can be an introverted person. But, Shadow was shown to be a useful ally to Sonic, as well as his friends. And the mention on character acknowledgement? Dead on. If the show would allow another season, maybe the directors could made Shadow understand that every character, in one way or another, is important to him, especially Rouge, not just Sonic. You, Chaomix, and Character Analysis have helped gave me insight about how the writing within the franchise should be handled. If there is anything you want to chat about, I will reply if I can. Thank you for making this video.

[@smeliejackson4972]

I made a mistake, it is "Characters In-Depth", not "Character Analysis".

[@ceylancobalt3117]

Shadow is all about deeds, not words. If he cares about you, he would show this with his actions.

[@drippylanham]

Plus we never got to see Shadow use chaos spear as well

[@El_Guanchez]

I understand your point, most of this series' problems could have been understandable if the series had never been canon, and to be honest, the series works better as its own thing than be canon by force.

[@sabinamaria4287]

I noticed how shocked shadow looks when sonic is about to die at 8:16 the way his face goes from calm to surprised then focused to save sonic showing that shadow does care about sonic in a way

[@ChaosFactor349]

You aren’t done with the video yet. This comment is gonna stop being relevant in around 20 minutes.