Sonic the Hedgehog is making his third entry later this year, and fans are excited. The trailer has recently unveiled Shadow the Hedgehog, taking on a more noticeably antagonistic role than prior. The trailer shows Shadow easily taking out Sonic’s team and various GUN Guards. Voiced by Keanu Reeves, the ‘ultimate lifeform’ is making his long-awaited debut in Sonic’s filmverse, after being teased in a post-credits scene for 2022’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
Sonic Adventure 2, and Shadow’s Role
He first appeared in 2001’s Sonic Adventure 2 as an antagonist for the blue Blur. The story unravels his tragic backstory, originally being a creation of Gerald Robotnik aboard the Space Colony ARK. He was created to cure Maria Robotnik of her unknown illness. The two bonded, however, and Maria grew into a sister figure for the hedgehog. Unfortunately, their bond was cut short when the government deemed the creation a threat and shut down the ARK. Shadow was captured, and when Maria Robotnik tried to free him, she was shot by a G.U.N. Guard. The young girl died killed, and her death influenced Shadow’s hatred for humanity.
Eventually, he was released by Eggman, his original creator’s grandson, to help him rule the world. Because of Maria’s death, Shadow wanted to help destroy the Earth. Amy persuaded the hedgehog to let go of his grudge, and he helped stop ARK’s doomsday program… Since then, he’s been a reluctant ally to the heroes, often in service of his own goals. The elusive Rogue the Bat and the war mech, E-123 Omega, are his closest allies. Together, the three of them are ‘Team Dark’, which debuted in 2003’s Sonic Heroes. In spite of their differences, Shadow is still willing to join forces with Sonic if the threat is big enough.
Shadow’s Conception
Shadow’s roots have provided an interesting foundation for the character. Two people created Shadow; Takashi Izuka, and Shiro Maekawa. Both of them were the writer and director of Sonic Adventure 2. In the original concepts, his name was ‘Terios’, which means ‘reflection of’. Fittingly, it also correlates to Sonic, who he has been compared to, and it helps contrast their themes. The concept art also presented ‘Terios’ with plenty of interesting design elements. One such design gave him an ominous, singular red eye, and more advanced air shoes. These designs paved the way for what would become Shadow and his more interesting characteristics.
The iconic anti-hero has always had a dark side to him, most often seen in 2005’s Shadow the Hedgehog. Next month’s Sonic X Shadow Generations looks to be playing to this angle. Sonic Generations, initially released in 2011, is being remastered for a new generation to play. The game now features Shadow as a playable character, with an additional story featuring the return of Black Doom. It was revealed that he was created using DNA taken from Black Doom, making Doom his ‘father’. Recent trailers have furthered the connection, showing Shadow making use of abilities.
2024 is Shadow’s year
Between his role in Generations and the new Sonic film, our favorite rogue is getting in touch with his dark side. Shadow is getting an extra push from SEGA, which aligns well with next year. 2025 will make it an official 20 years since his game was released. Overall, the overwhelming push for the ultimate lifeform offers new fans a look at his character.
The new Sonic Generations game promises a new story for the fan-favorite character, featuring one of his old enemies. Meanwhile, Shadow’s ominous presence in the trailer for Sonic 3 helps tease the moral complexities of his character. Fans of the character have a lot to look forward to over these next few months.
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