Fans of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise have undoubtedly heard of Shadow the Hedgehog. Known as one of the "edgier" characters from the Sonic games, Shadow quickly became a fan favorite for that very reason. However, especially given a lack of recent video games expanding on the world's narrative, Shadow has been missing in action.
But, thanks to the surprising success of the Sonic the Hedgehog movie, the Sonic universe is coming back to the forefront. With this resurgence comes the hope from longtime fans that perhaps Shadow will once again join the cultural zeitgeist of this day and age. Read on to catch up on all the things one needs to know about Shadow the Hedgehog.
Updated December 5, 2022, by Jerrad Wyche: Sonic the Hedgehog has become an internet meme in the gaming space, but in recent years the blue hedgehog has seen his series become one of the more successful video game adaptations into the world of movies. With a third movie on the way, fans are hoping Shadow the Hedgehog plays a major role, which isn't surprising considering how popular he is as both an anti-hero and sporadic ally to Sonic and company. With the recent release of Sonic Frontiers in 2022 fans are hoping that Shadow makes an appearance in one way or another. Those who have already finished the game know if he shows up or not, but for everyone else, it remains a hopeful mystery.
13 Voice Actors
In the world of video games, it seems that voice actors rarely get the recognition they deserve outside of the giant AAA blockbuster titles that take the world by storm. With SEGA and the Sonic the Hedgehog series being rather prominent in both Japan and the West, Shadow the Hedgehog has both notable English and Japanese actors.
The voice for him in English is provided by actor Kirk Thornton, while the Japanese version of the character is brought to life by Koji Yusa. Thornton took over the English voice of Shadow the Hedgehog in 2010, with David Humphrey being the original voice and Jason Griffith holding that role from 2005-2010. Despite the role changing numerous times, the voice of Shadow has remained as iconic as ever.
12 Canon Age/Height/Birthday
Shadow the Hedgehog has reigned for decades as one of the coolest video game character designs. His popularity and the dedication of the intense Sonic the Hedgehog fandom have created a detailing of the canonical information regarding the red and black blur.
He was officially born on March 14th, 1928, and as a full-grown adult stands at 3'4" which is rather impressive for a bipedal hedgehog. Shadow the Hedgehog is inching ever closer to his canonical 100th birthday, so fans have begun speculating whether or not SEGA will acknowledge this date in the near future and throw a celebration in honor of the impressive event.
11 Game Appearances
The weird thing with Shadow the Hedgehog is that despite his popularity, to general audiences he feels like a character that only appears a handful of times across the series. The truth of the matter is that he has appeared in over 35 games in either a full capacity, cameo, or was mentioned. He's a core member of the Sonic the Hedgehog series roster of characters and that has remained true even outside of games.
In addition to appearing in Sonic the Hedgehog comics, animated television shows, and comics he's also made a cameo appearance in an Archie comic. He may appear to be a niche anti-hero in the series, but in reality that can't be farther from the truth. Shadow remains to this day one of the most popular characters in all of the Sonic the Hedgehog series.
10 Created By Robotnik's Grandfather
Shadow was not born like an average hedgehog. He was made. Most Sonic fans know who Dr. Robotnik is, but only true fans are aware of his grandfather, Gerald Robotnik. Gerald Robotnik wanted to create a cure for his ill granddaughter, Maria.
His efforts led to the creation of Shadow, the surly hedgehog everyone knows and loves. Unfortunately, the cure for Maria's sickness within Shadow was never given the chance to help her, as she was shot while trying to help Shadow escape a facility.
9 Carries Black Doom's DNA Inside Him
Black Doom is the villain in Shadow's solo video game, Shadow the Hedgehog. He's the leader of a race of aliens that are detrimental to humanity's health. When Shadow was being created by Gerald Robotnik, the scientist used some of Black Doom's DNA to make the grumpy hedgehog. (Maybe that's why Shadow has such a dark personality, right?) However, despite having bits of Black Doom inside him, Shadow is still able to defeat him.
8 Possesses Incredible Durability
Story-wise, Shadow is a critter nigh impossible to wound. He is impervious to bullets and can survive falling from space and crashing onto a planet. Fans haven't seen such durability since Master Chief crash-land on Earth after ditching a Covenant ship in orbit.
All joking aside, Shadow is one of the strongest characters people will meet in the Sonic franchise. He might have a biting attitude, but he has the endurance needed to match it. No one wants to mess with Shadow or get in his way.
7 Can Use Chaos Emeralds
Chaos Emeralds are an integral part of the Sonic series' history. The evil Dr. Robotnik uses them for dark purposes, but Sonic can use them to increase his powers and fight for the greater good. Using these Chaos Emeralds grants immense power to whoever can hold them.
Typically in the games, Sonic is seen using them. However, it shouldn't surprise anyone to note that Shadow can wield them as well. In his first gaming adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow is seen harnessing all that nice Chaos Energy.
6 Conceptually Designed To Be Sonic's Villain
Oftentimes, when thinking up a villain for a hero, creators tend to make antagonists with incredibly similar powers. The Sonic series fell into this same routine with the creation of Shadow. He was conceptually designed to be a "darker" version of Sonic for the Blue Blur to go up against, the Reverse Flash to Sonic's Flash.
However, fans took such a liking to Shadow's edgy attitude that over time, Shadow has become more of an ally and rival than an outright dastardly villain like Robotnik.
5 Matches Sonic In Terms Of Speed
Sonic the Hedgehog is all about speed. That's what he's known for. His very catchphrase is "Gotta go fast," for crying out loud. So how does Shadow stack up in a race against Sonic? It's incredibly close. Shadow's speed is definitely equitable with Sonic's. Shadow wouldn't be a proper rival and threat to Sonic if he couldn't keep up with him. However, rest assured, at the end of the day, Sonic is just a smidgen faster than Shadow.
4 Calls Himself The "Ultimate Lifeform"
Humility is not Shadow's strong suit. Like Sonic, Shadow has a tendency to boast a lot. But where Sonic does it in a fun and casual way, Shadow takes it to a whole other level. When Shadow toots his own horn, he does so in an aggressive, hostile manner. He even refers to himself as the "Ultimate Lifeform."
Though the character design for most anthropomorphic characters in the Sonic the Hedgehog universe tend to feature large heads, Shadow was a figurative as well as a literal big head.
3 Wears Air Shoes
Part of Shadow's speed can be accounted for thanks in large part to those iconic shoes of his. The red-and-white shoes he sports are called Air Shoes, and they have tiny jets on the bottom. These jets can fire off like rockets, allowing Shadow an extreme boost when he's sprinting. They make him look like he's hovering over the ground at amazing speeds. If Shadow were to ever beat Sonic in a race, it would be because of those Air Shoes.
2 Has A Soft Spot For Rouge
As fans can probably guess, Shadow's personality does not allow him to make close friends. He's far too arrogant and judgmental to be a hedgehog surrounded by buddies. However, he does have a soft spot for Rouge.
Like Shadow, Rouge the Bat is one of those anti-hero types that pepper the Sonic universe. She's a master thief who likes to steal a Chaos Emerald or three. The two of them have teamed up on more than one occasion and spoken aloud of the fact that they are each one of the few people the other cares about.
1 Considered Immortal
The average, real-life hedgehog does not have a very long lifespan. It's in the single digits. Shadow is not an average hedgehog. For one thing, he's a character in a video game franchise. For another, the experiments that created him have made him virtually immortal.
That's right, Shadow the Hedgehog fans. Everyone's favorite edgelord of a hedgehog can live forever, barring any unforeseen disasters. Gerald Robotnik knew what he was doing when he set out to make Shadow.