For other uses of the term, see Shadow the Hedgehog (disambiguation).

Shadow the Hedgehog (シャドウ・ザ・ヘッジホッグ, Shadō za Hejjihoggu?) is a fictional character from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is an anthropomorphic hedgehog/Black Arm hybrid and the arch-rival of Sonic the Hedgehog. Shadow was created as the "Ultimate Life Form" (究極生命体, Kyūkyoku Seimeitai?) by Gerald Robotnik, using the DNA of Black Doom, and is the end result of Project Shadow. His purpose was to provide ways to develop a cure for incurable deadly illnesses, more specifically for Gerald's granddaughter Maria Robotnik, but he was captured and put into stasis by the military when he was deemed as a threat to humanity.

Fifty years later, Shadow was released by Dr. Eggman in order to enlist him in his plan to conquer the world. Initially, Shadow worked with him but secretly sought to destroy the planet in order to avenge Maria, who had been killed by the military, but was persuaded to save it from Gerald's doomsday plans. In the process, Shadow lost his memories and as such, sought to uncover the truth of his past, during which he met Black Doom and the Black Arms; in the end, Shadow regained his memories, uncovered the truth, and thwarted Black Doom's agenda and saved the world. From there, he continued his mission to protect humanity by becoming a special agent of GUN.

Shadow is sharp-witted, always on edge, and has a strong sense of purpose, willing to accomplish his goals by any means.[6] Essentially a dark version of Sonic, Shadow can match him in both speed and skill, and can use Chaos Control with a Chaos Emerald. While preferring to work alone, he has helped Sonic and his allies when needed.

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Concept and creation

After the success of Sonic Adventure, it was only natural to assume that a sequel would be produced. Hoping that the game would be for the Dreamcast what Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was for the Mega Drive, a portion of the team responsible for the first Adventure title was sent off to work at Sega of America. It was led by director Takashi Iizuka, while Yuji Naka remained back in Japan to work on other properties, including Phantasy Star Online. With the team in place, brainstorming soon began on what form Sonic Adventure 2 would take.

Early on, it was decided that one of the main themes of the game would be the dichotomy between good and evil. To help explore that, the creators came up with new characters that would both assist Dr. Eggman and challenge the established cast of heroes. Though Yuji Uekawa was tasked drawing the final design of the character, it was Takashi Iizuka who conceived the idea Shadow,[2] coming up with the idea to use a dark, anti-hero figure who was similar to Sonic in shape, but not in personality. While creating Shadow, there was a proposal to create a character that was as cool as or better than Sonic.[1] Several early designs of Shadow ranged from having long spines with tufts of fur in front of his eyes, to having capes, shades or even a missing eye. Shiro Maekawa was the one who came up with Shadow's final design, and considers himself to be Shadow's creator. He states that there are times where he feels a stronger bond with Shadow than his real relatives.[1]

When being designed, the character's original name was "Terios," which translates to "reflection of," more than likely to play off of the hero/villain dynamic within the game. According to Kazuyuki Hoshino, Shadow's red stripes were inspired by Kabuki makeup.[7]

Once Sonic Adventure 2 was announced, the identity and nature of Shadow was a heavily-guarded secret. The character was first shown to the public in the first game trailer for Sonic Adventure 2; however, his name was not revealed. GameSpot described what little was shown as Anti-Sonic - similar in appearance, but with darker skin, more angled eyes, and a fearsome scowl instead of Sonic's trademark grin."[8]

When Shadow seemingly died in Sonic Adventure 2, there rose a huge fanbase for Shadow to appear in more games, after being disappointed by his "death." This let Takashi Iizuka input Shadow as a playable character in Sonic Heroes and even star in his own game, Shadow the Hedgehog.[9] In fact, Takashi Iizuka said that they maintained the mystery around the character of Shadow the Hedgehog and had wanted to feature him in his own game since he was introduced.[10] For the Shadow the Hedgehog game, after feeling that it would be inappropriate to give Sonic's character a gun as fans had requested in mailings,[11] Yuji Naka believed that by focusing on Shadow for his own game, they could use his different identity from Sonic to build upon the Sonic brand.[12]

Appearance

Shadow is a black hedgehog with red stripes on his quills, around the edges of his eyes, and on his arms and legs. He has red eyes, a patch of white fur on his chest, and his muzzle is tan. He has six quills on his head, four of which curve upwards and two that curve downwards, two spines on his back, and a small tail.

For attire, Shadow wears white gloves with black cuffs and red tongues, and Air Shoes which, like his gloves, have black cuffs and red tongues. On each of his wrists and ankles, he wears a single limiter.

Following Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), Shadow's Air Shoes' red paint is scratched off on the front and his eyes have become more red-orange in color.

Personality

Shadow is a brooding loner, to put it bluntly. He usually acts with a cool and businesslike indifference, only occasionally showing his vulnerable side. He is rarely seen with others for an extended period of time and usually distances himself from essentially everyone. He is usually blunt and doesn't speak much, but he always knows exactly what to say in combat. However, Shadow never bluffs. If he makes a threat, he has every intention of carrying it out.

Shadow also does not mind boasting about how powerful he is, calling himself the "Ultimate Lifeform" and, like Sonic, can be extremely arrogant, often belittling his opponents and insulting their lack of strength. He believes no one can beat him and tends to see anyone as a fool for challenging him. Shadow also has a ruthless and merciless edge in combat that all other characters in the series lack and displays a natural "killer instinct."

Shadow's infamous ruthlessness and aggression lead to fear and nervousness that inhibits characters from his unshakable intent or sheer power in combat. Numerous characters from the Sonic series have shown absolute dread from encountering Shadow. Shadow's enemies never treat him lightly; he is one of the very few people Sonic takes seriously.

Alongside his dark and violent demeanor, Shadow can be smug and stubborn. He treats others in a very callous manner, throwing in his opinion no matter how cold-hearted it is and not caring for whatever the response is. Shadow is also shown to have a sharp wit, like in Sonic Adventure 2, where after Sonic calls him a faker, he replies that Sonic isn't worth being considered his fake, and in Shadow the Hedgehog, he taunts Black Doom's eye for having trouble with GUN. This attitude is reflected in the original Japanese version, where Shadow omits honorifics and speaks highly of himself (if not rudely), though contrasting this, in Japanese he normally uses the "boku" pronoun when referring to himself as opposed to the more arrogant/confident "ore" pronoun (which characters such as Sonic use).

On occasion, Shadow appears to have some degree of mental instability, in particular post traumatic stress disorder. This is demonstrated by his instances of post-traumatic flashbacks to Maria's face prior to and during the events of Shadow the Hedgehog, though it could be argued that the instances of the latter game were simply an effect of his amnesia. On one occasion, in Sonic Adventure 2, seeing police sirens flashing caused him to intensely flash back to the massacre aboard ARK and in particular Maria's death. In many games Shadow is featured in, he pursues his foes with disturbing determination; that is to say he'll go to any length to accomplish something he desires or feels should be a certain way, no matter what the cost. In Sonic Forces, it is heavily implied that Shadow ruthlessly slaughtered an entire mercenary band not only in an extremely dismissive, nonchalant manner (not even remembering the incident a few months later), but also seemed slightly proud, mocking the mercenary defense squad by saying they themselves needed a defense squad. He also demonstrated rather coarse and even profane language in his own game.

Shadow also possesses a strong sense of identity. As evidenced when after falsely being told that he isn't the Ultimate Lifeform due to a lab report, he states to Rouge that even if his memories were fake, he is still Shadow the Hedgehog. Similarly in Sonic Heroes, during the Egg Fleet level, he mentions that, even without his memories, he is still the Ultimate Lifeform, Shadow the Hedgehog. These qualities make him rarely susceptible to being manipulated by other forces.

Despite his apathetic nature, Shadow is not without compassion. When Omega begins his attack in Sonic Heroes, Shadow could have easily forgotten about Rouge and engaged Omega without defending her. Instead, Shadow saves her from Omega, despite having absolutely no memory of her. He was also shown to be legitimately shocked when he learned that his goal of gaining the Chaos Emeralds to restore his memories was actually manipulated by Black Doom in order to wipe out humanity. Likewise, when the GUN Commander finally confronts him with his own memories of Shadow's nightmarish creation, Shadow agrees to face judgment if he was indeed responsible for the ARK massacre 50 years ago. In Sonic Colors DS, Shadow was also shown to be worried about the possibility of Sonic and Tails getting hurt while trying to save the wisps, much to their surprise. However, he remained dismissive about his concern for them. He spent the majority of Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood trying to find Omega out of worry for his well-being. He was also quite enraged when he found out that the Marauders had been hurting Omega and helped him to get revenge.

Shadow is often depressed about the loss of Maria, which is why he keeps to himself, but his relationship with Maria is obvious as he goes to great lengths to protect the planet and keep her dream of peace and prosperity alive. He also maintains a strong bond with his teammates, Rouge and Omega, proving that while his attitude makes him seem like a careless person, he does have some compassion. Shadow brushes off most kindness or sympathy that is sent his way; in Sonic Heroes, when Rouge showed concern for Shadow when he saw a broken android of himself, suspecting Team Dark's Shadow might be an android too, Shadow curtly brushed her concern away. In Shadow the Hedgehog, after Sonic suggested some "friendly competition," Shadow bluntly rejected his offer. At times, however, Shadow is shown to appreciate genuine care. In Sonic Adventure 2, after Amy made him remember his promise to Maria, Shadow openly decided to keep his promise to protect the planet both to Maria and her. Another instance is in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), when Rouge told him that she would always be by his side, he acknowledged her.

Despite the fact that Shadow often fights for the greater good, he is considered an anti-hero for the most part due to his morality and means to his desired end goals. He does whatever is necessary to get what he wants or feels is right, though this enthusiasm causes him to take risks and jump into situations without fully thinking it through.[13] Alongside Rouge he has also taken prize money and jewels upon winning in Sonic Free Riders. He and Rouge disregard the opening and closing ceremonies for the Grand Prix, showing up late without a third teammate and, if they win the Grand Prix, starting to walk off right away with what turn out to be dummy versions of the prize money and gems. Regardless, Shadow does have his moments of selflessness and heroism. He nearly sacrificed his life at the end of Sonic Adventure 2 to save Earth and helped Silver uncover the truth of the Solaris Project, after saving Sonic from him, in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).

Powers and abilities

Physical abilities

Shadow is easily capable of matching Sonic's abilities in both speed and power.[14][15][16] Although he is not as strong as characters like Knuckles the Echidna, Shadow has superhuman strength; with effort, he can overturn large objects many times his weight and size such as trucks, buses and large slabs of concrete with one hand. Like other characters in the series, Shadow can also move at super speeds, an innate talent that members of the hedgehog species possess,[17] and can evenly match even Sonic's speed as well,[18][19] who can run at hypersonic speeds. While Shadow's Air Shoes are credited as the source of his speed,[20] his powerful body allows him to easily rival Sonic's world class speed as well.[21] While there is some inconsistency about how fast the two are compared to each other, it is usually stated that they are complete equals.

Shadow is extremely acrobatic, agile, and an experienced athlete[22] capable of gracefully leaping over any obstacles that head his way and performing various forms of nimble movements. He has radical reaction time to match his movements, being able to react to danger within a split second.

Shadow has incredible resilience to damage, being able to survive otherwise fatal situations even by the standards of superhuman creatures, making him nearly indestructible. He is impervious to bullets and can take a lot of major punishment in battle before he starts to wear down. The most prominent testament to his durability, however, was in Sonic Adventure 2 when Shadow survived his fall down to Earth from space and re-entry in the atmosphere before Eggman's robots rescued him. Despite surviving this, the experience left him with enough physical trauma to give him amnesia. Even after receiving major damage, Shadow displays a remarkably fast recovery rate, allowing him to quickly get back up in a matter of moments.

Due to being the successful culmination of Project Shadow, Shadow is immortal, does not physically age, and is presumably immune to disease. Furthermore, due to being partly Black Arms, Shadow has a connection to the Black Arms' hive-mind, allowing him to sense his kinds' presence and is immune to the Black Arms' nerve gas.

Shadow possesses tremendous willpower and unbreakable determination and, as a result, has absolute refusal to give up in any of his missions and never surrenders; he will see his goals to the end. His willpower allows him to keep on fighting when utterly exhausted, after taking an excessive amount of damage, or when he is severely outnumbered and outgunned. His will even lets him psychologically resist mind control powers. For example, Shadow was able to regain control from Black Doom despite him being part Black Arms and therefore susceptible to Black Doom's influence.

Chaos Powers

Shadow is naturally able to tap into the arcane powers of any nearby Chaos Emeralds to utilize their chaos energy to empower himself and can use a wide variety of Chaos Powers as well. He is able to use most of his Chaos Powers without a Chaos Emerald. Shadow can harness both positive and negative chaos energy, depending on his state of mind. His Chaos Powers are so potent that should he remove his limiters, he becomes a walking dynamo of raw power, releasing such tremendous amounts of innate energy that it forms an impenetrable barrier around him. While in this state, Shadow gains increased strength and speed,[23] enough to overpower hundreds of Mephiles the Dark clones at once. However, using his full power tires him out more quickly.[23]

Shadow's trademark Chaos Power is Chaos Control, and is possibly the most adept user of it in the series, having mastered it to perfection. With Chaos Control, he can manipulate space and time to slow down time and warp across space, and can use it delicately enough to distort space in small centralized areas, such as around his fists or in midair. Additionally, he can mold Chaos Control into a variety of offensive and defensive moves and can even use it to heal himself. It is unknown what Shadow's full limit for warping time and space with Chaos Control is, but it has been shown that he can warp objects and people with him all the way into space.

As described in Shadow the Hedgehog, all of Shadow's Chaos Powers increase in power with the number of Chaos Emeralds he possesses. Shadow did state in Sonic Battle that he is the only one who can use the true power of the Chaos Emeralds. Furthermore, he can draw power from the Emeralds without making physical contact.

Combat skills

In combat, Shadow is a lethal and extremely powerful force that very few can defeat. He never holds back his immense strength, making him a brutal fighter with a distinct killer instinct. Shadow's skills are more than a match for even the strongest in the series and has been able to take down some of the most fearsome foes of the series on his own, such as Black Doom. To best put his skills in perspective, as seen in some of the scenarios in Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow is one of the very few individuals who has been able to defeat Sonic in combat, even when Sonic had the Diablon for support. Shadow even managed to best Emerl in combat, when he had all seven chaos emeralds, after Shadow gave him the last one.

Fighting style

Shadow's fighting style focuses on brutal, unrestrained and powerful hand-to-hand combat. In line with his nature and potent abilities, Shadow has adopted a fighting style where he fights his opponents using powerful blows, such as karate chops, swift punches and roundhouse kicks. With the speeds Shadow can move at, he can disable the opponent through the force of his blows alone, leaving them at the mercy of his incoming attacks.

Shadow's fighting style revolves around making heavy use of his Chaos Powers, especially Chaos Control and Chaos Spear. Using Chaos Control, Shadow can teleport up in front of or behind his opponents in battle to launch surprise attacks. In later games, he has been known to simply teleport without the use of Chaos Control. Shadow can use Chaos Control to increase the damage he deals to his opponent when striking them, often resulting in significant forces being released and blowing the opponent a certain distance away. Shadow will use these Chaos Powers and any other means necessary to overwhelm his opponents.

Techniques and moves

Like Sonic, Shadow's basic combat moves revolve around the various forms of the Spin Attack where he curls tightly into a concussive ball while in locomotion to damage, mow down, or burrow through obstacles and foes. The Homing Attack allows Shadow to dash in midair toward a target, the Spin Jump lets him curl into a ball and attack opponents by landing on them, and the Spin Dash lets him shoot himself forward as an acceleration roll at full speed while mowing down enemies and obstacles. He is also able perform the Boost where he turns himself into a highly destructive projectile by moving at high speed, though Shadow uses the fire from his Air Shoes to propel himself forward rather than skating like usual. The Light Speed Dash and Light Speed Attack also allows Shadow to achieve light speed movements for either exploration or combat.

A less frequent technique that Shadow uses is the Black Tornado, in which Shadow jumps into the air and creates a black whirlwind by circling a particular spot at high speeds, which can throw his opponents into the air or blow away armor and weapons. For more direct combat, Shadow has his Chaos Attack in which he deals a barrage of chaos energy-fueled strikes to his opponents, and his Spin Kick lets him create a small tornado that can suck in enemies to strike them.

Many of Shadow's signature techniques are Chaos Powers. His trademark move is Chaos Control which lets him manipulate time and space to either warp across space, slow down time, or distort space to form other types of Chaos Powers. His second most used Chaos Power is his Chaos Spear technique, in which he throws bolts of chaos energy at his opponent. However, his most powerful technique is Chaos Blast, in which Shadow releases a shockwave of chaos energy that eliminates everything within its range. Alternatively, he can focus it into a beam for more concentrated damage.

Miscellaneous skills

As seen during the second EX Grand Prix, Shadow is an expert Extreme Gear rider. During the tournament, he was able to put up quite a fight and even defeat some of the world's best Extreme Gear riders. When riding on an Extreme Gear, Shadow is skillful enough to ride on rails, execute complex tricks while in midair, and even perform his Chaos Powers and combat moves with ease. Also, Shadow may have some knowledge about machinery, being able to fiddle with a deactivated Omega and deduce he was in stand-by mode.

Shadow is not above using weaponry and equipment, and demonstrates proficient skills in a wide range of firearms, semi-automatics, heavy assault, and close-combat weapons. In addition, Shadow also has excellent skills when it comes to driving or piloting all forms of vehicles, from militaristic war machines to advanced racecars.

Equipment

Shadow wears a pair of specialized shoes called Air Shoes. These footwear are the primary source of Shadow's speed,[20] producing small jet streams that let him hover-skate at speeds rivaling,[24] and possibly even surpassing Sonic's speed.[25] Alternatively, Shadow can use his Air Shoes to produce fire to attack opponents with, improve his jumps, or achieve midair hovering.[26]

Shadow wears four limiters, one on each of his wrists and ankles, that limit the amount of power he uses during combat and other situations. By removing them, Shadow is able to use his full power, turning him into a nigh-unstoppable force.

Transformations

Super Shadow

Main article: Super Shadow

By harnessing the power of the seven Chaos Emeralds, Shadow can enter a Super State, transforming him into Super Shadow. In this state, all of Shadow's abilities far surpass his normal ones and his Chaos Powers are increased to their full limit. He is also able to fly and is nearly invulnerable. Initially, Shadow found it difficult to stay in this state due to inexperience, but he has since mastered it.

Hero Shadow

Main article: Hero Shadow

In Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow is able to transform into Hero Shadow with the use of positive chaos energy, whenever his mind is fueled by thoughts of justice. In this state, Shadow is temporarily invincible and can perform a large scale use of Chaos Control. However, it only lasts for a short period of time.

Dark Shadow

Main article: Dark Shadow

In Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow is able to transform into Dark Shadow with the use of negative chaos energy, whenever his mind is fueled by thoughts of evil. In this state, Shadow is temporarily invincible and can perform a large scale use of Chaos Blast. Like Hero Shadow, this form lasts for a short period of time.

Chaos Boost

Main article: Chaos Boost

In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), Shadow can access an enhanced state dubbed the Chaos Boost. In this state, his powers are boosted significantly, granting him warp-like speeds, near invulnerability, and bolstered Chaos Powers.

Color Powers

Main article: Color Power

By harnessing different variants of Hyper-go-on from Wisps, Shadow can use specific Color Powers to transform into a certain form, such as a drill, a laser or even a planet, each one possessing its own unique abilities. So far, Shadow has been able to transform into the Cyan Laser, Yellow Drill and Indigo Asteroid. However, these transformations require a steady supply of Hyper-go-on to be maintained.

Weaknesses

While not having any physical weaknesses, Shadow was initially a somewhat easy target for manipulation during the time he had amnesia due to his confusion about who he was and his eagerness to learn anything more about his past. Dr. Eggman could deceive him with lies about his past and Black Doom could subtly manipulate him using visions. Similarly, it is heavily implied that the reason he thought Maria's last wish was revenge against humanity was that Gerald Robotnik implanted false memories of her death. However, after learning of his true purpose, Shadow was no longer as easily deceived.

Being part Black Arms, Shadow is partially an extension of Black Doom, making him vulnerable to mind control exerted by Black Doom himself. However, Shadow can fight this influence through sheer resolve and willpower.

Relationships

Gerald Robotnik

Shadow, I'm counting on you.

I know, Professor... The Ultimate life form born to ensure peace and justice amongst all of mankind. Now, I know what I have to do.

— Gerald and Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog

Shadow was created by the renowned scientist Gerald Robotnik, using Black Doom's DNA. Gerald had made many attempts to create the Ultimate Lifeform before Black Doom and his children, the Black Arms, came to earth. Unfortunately, the closest he came was the Biolizard. Black Doom, however, approached Gerald and offered his help, but only on one condition; if Black Doom helped Gerald, the professor must promise to deliver the seven Chaos Emeralds to him. Gerald agreed to these terms and Black Doom gave some of his DNA, which was added to the samples that Gerald had already obtained. The outcome of this experiment was Shadow the Hedgehog. Gerald seems to be one of few people whom Shadow felt happy around, and the professor might have acted as a surrogate father to him. This is further proven when Gerald refers to the hedgehog as his "son," having given Shadow genuine emotions to prevent him from becoming a weapon as the government intended. However, despite these predisposed emotions, after defeating the Finalhazard, Shadow states that he promises to "destroy all evil that the professor had created," implying that, while he might still respect Gerald Robotnik, he nonetheless feels that any bad things that Gerald Robotnik had done after going insane must be stopped.

In the Last Story of Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow finally uncovered the true purpose of his creation from Gerald's recorded video. And in order to put the past behind him, he decided to fulfill Gerald's true wish of protecting the planet by destroying the Black Arms and any future threats that may come Earth's way.[27]

Maria Robotnik

Maria... I still remember what I've promised you: For the people of this planet... I promise you... REVENGE!

— Shadow, Sonic Adventure 2

Professor Gerald's granddaughter, Maria Robotnik, is by far the one person that made Shadow the happiest. Shadow and Maria bonded closely during their time together; Shadow's feelings for Maria were the closest he ever came to love.[28] Maria seemed to be a guiding force in Shadow's life, doing her best to erase any doubts he had about the purpose of his existence. They shared the same dream: to visit earth together someday.

Unfortunately, G.U.N. deemed Project Shadow to be too big a threat to the world. As a result, they attempted to eliminate everyone and everything they could in relation to the project. Maria was shot and killed by a G.U.N. soldier during the raid on the ARK. Her parting words were "Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog."

In a 1UP interview, Shadow has stated that if he could change one thing about his past, it would be to give up his life for that of Maria's. He is forever haunted of losing someone that really cared for him.[29] Despite his grief, Shadow stays strong and continues to keep his promise to her, to make the people of earth happy.

After getting amnesia, Maria was the only thing that Shadow could really remember. At the end of Shadow the Hedgehog, he implies that he is putting his past behind him, though he continues to save the world in her name.

Doctor Eggman

Shadow... Can you hear me? This might be the last chance I have to speak to you, so... What I said about having created you, it was all a lie. Everyone thought you died during that horrible incident... but I rescued you with one of my robots. You lost your memory, that's all. You really ARE the ultimate lifeform my Grandfather created!

— Dr. Eggman, Shadow the Hedgehog

Shadow's approach to Eggman is different from most characters in the Sonic series. Shadow sees Eggman as the super-genius he has proven to be, rather than the megalomaniac that Sonic and the others see him as. This can be backed up by the fact that Shadow almost always calls Eggman by his title "the Doctor," as opposed to his alias of "Eggman." Eggman has shown similar respect by referring to Shadow's powers as "spectacular" and by how he sometimes applauds Shadow. This is seen in Shadow the Hedgehog during a cutscene where Eggman remarks, "Excellent job, Shadow."

Even though Shadow and Eggman display a level of respect toward each other, they also exhibit some disdain toward one another. This can be backed up in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) when Eggman refers to Rouge as his "dear Rouge" and just flatly states Shadow's name. In the same game, when Shadow breaks through the ceiling of his base, Eggman responds with, "wouldn't the door have been easier? So....What do you want now?" The disgusted tone may refer to Shadow having just smashed the ceiling. In Shadow the Hedgehog, Eggman tells Shadow, "You will obey me, or there will be dire consequences". In three possible storylines in Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow even kills Eggman. Even though Shadow and Eggman have some respect for each other, they still do not regard each other as anything more than acquaintances at best, enemies at worst.

In Sonic Forces, it seems that Shadow and Eggman are completely enemies, as Shadow attacks an installation of Eggman while the doctor wants to see Shadow destroyed.

Sonic the Hedgehog

So, there's more to you than just looking like me.

— Shadow, Sonic Adventure 2

Shadow's arch-rival is none other than Sonic the Hedgehog. At first Shadow tried to disregard Sonic, but Sonic's quips quickly sparked a mutual rivalry in Sonic Adventure 2. Since meeting each other, there has been a never-ending competition between the two, and their battles can range from friendly races to fierce death battles. In any case, one always wants to outdo the other.

When they first met, Shadow believed Sonic to have been copying him, and vice-versa from Sonic. He later retained this belief in Sonic Heroes, largely because of his amnesia.

Shadow and Sonic frequently fight due to their very different views on justice, morality, and how to act on them. Their constant disagreements sometimes turn to bitter fights. Both don't care what the other thinks of their views. In a sense, the two hedgehogs are polar opposites in every way except their appearance. Almost every time they meet, they fight ferociously. Neither is ever willing to accept defeat. Their rivalry has developed over time and is now more friendly,[30] yet still fiercely intense as Shadow thinks that Sonic is his rival in all aspects of his life.[31]

Despite their fierce arch-rivalry, Shadow and Sonic do share some mutual respect for each other,[32] In fact, Shadow and Sonic have helped each other on several occasions. Shadow helped Sonic defeat Metal Sonic in Sonic Heroes, allied himself and Rouge with Team Sonic to return both teams to their proper time period, and saved the blue hedgehog from Silver's second attempt on his life in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). He showed slight vulnerability in the face of Sonic's death and even admitted that they cannot defeat Solaris without his help.[33] In Sonic Colors (DS version only) he shows concern for Sonic's safety. He helped motivate Sonic to defeat the Time Eater in Sonic Generations and even attended his birthday party, despite being the only one not to wave goodbye to Classic Sonic. He even raced to help out Sonic in Sonic Forces but was unfortunately too late. Nonetheless, Shadow did help him later in the game. Overall, while the two still are at odds because of their conflicting views, there is also a mutual respect between them.[34] They are both willing to put their differences aside and help each other when needed. In recent games, Shadow is more confident about Sonic doing what is right and Sonic has more acceptance of Shadow's harsher approach as well.

On a similar note, he also has some distaste for being confused with Sonic, as evidenced by his fierce reaction to Toad mistaking him for the latter in the Adventure Mode of the Nintendo DS version's Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games and Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where interacting with Shadow as a Mii character in the latter game will have Shadow react irritably towards the Mii character noting his physical resemblance with Sonic, and demand that the Mii character not ever put him on the same boat as Sonic, whom he referred to as an "inferior half-wit."[35]

Rouge the Bat

Shadow... Even if you believe everyone in the world will be against you. Know that I'll always remain by your side. Remember that.

— Rouge the Bat, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)

Shadow has companionship with Rouge the Bat that is based mainly on partnership during the games. The two are teammates in Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Heroes, and they often work together during mission stages but do not spend time in the other's presence outside of duty alliance. This marks them as occasional teammates when it comes down to appreciation, respect, and consideration over the term "best friends." Shadow has not shared the closeness of opening up to neither Omega or Rouge the way best friends would do, let alone accompanying them as casual company due to his independent and distant nature, unlike how Sonic interacts with his companions. Nonetheless, the fact that Rouge is one of the closest people for Shadow to interact with (excluding Gerald and Maria, who are dead) is certain. Shadow was implied to have at least heard of her before their formal meeting onboard the Space Colony ARK, as Shadow responds, "Now I know who you are! You're that government spy, Rouge the Bat, aren't you!" when stumbling upon her true intentions at the controls of the Eclipse Cannon.

In Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow saved her life when Rouge was trapped in Security Hall, though when she questioned him about his actions later aboard the ARK, he told her he only returned for the Chaos Emeralds that she had acquired. However, it's still unknown if he didn't lie; Rouge teased that this wasn't "the whole story." Their conversation was then interrupted by Dr. Eggman.

In Sonic Heroes, Shadow saves Rouge from Omega's fire when not even remembering her. Later, when they find a broken Shadow Android, Rouge looks over to Shadow with pity and asks, "Shadow...?" in a sympathetic mannerism, while he simply dismisses the situation.

In Sonic Battle, Rouge implies that she may hold a certain level of attraction towards Shadow and lets him stay with her at Club Rouge when he is injured during a fight at the Gimme Shelter. When Shadow is dreaming and an image of Rouge appears and he whispers, "Ally." After he regains consciousness Rouge seems somewhat offended when he doesn't thank her for helping him. Upon finding out she saved him, Shadow thanks her.

In Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow shows he is protective of Rouge's well-being. Once when catching her from a fall after she was momentarily knocked out by one of Dr. Eggman's robots, and again when he jumps in front of her after Iblis takes them all by surprise. When E-123 Omega reveals to Shadow that he is the one who traps him in the future; Rouge tells Shadow, "Even if you believe the entire world will be against you, know that I will always remain by your side... Remember that..." Shadow pauses, then strongly replies, "I will." However, this event was erased along with the rest of the events within the game after the "future was reversed." Nonetheless, it is implied in Sonic Forces that she ultimately stayed true to that claim and maintained contact with Shadow while he was still assumed to have gone rogue due to his replica. This is evidenced by how, when, reconvening with Rouge, he asks her about whether she found what he had requested earlier.[36]

In Sonic Rivals, after Shadow saves Rouge from Eggman Nega, Rouge tries to convince him to going treasure hunting with her and suggests the two "take a peek" into their own future using Eggman Nega's device. Shadow declines and the story ends with Rouge still trying to convince Shadow to join her in hunting for the remaining cards.

In Sonic Rivals 2, their encounter was less than friendly from their previous ones to separate the fact their overall relationship seems to be more partner-focused when they ally for the occasion rather than best-friend designated. Shadow is consistently trying to stop Rouge and Knuckles from reaching the Chaos Emeralds at all costs, seeking to manipulate the Chaos-tracking device from Rouge. Rouge tells Shadow that he can trust her and Shadow tells her about the Ifrit. When Rouge mentions her client, Shadow demands to know who her client is, but Rouge refuses against him, leading him to yell after for her to, "get back here." When Shadow catches up to her, Rouge still refuses to tell him about her client as Shadow mildly threatens her, and then she trips him over and replies that he was being "clumsy," and he growls, "Why you...!" The conversation then devolves into a fight between the two, proving that although they may be good friends, that does not mean that they let each other get in the way of their goals.

In Sonic Free Riders, both Shadow and Rouge appear as Team Dark along with E-10000B. Their main focus during the game is winning the treasure and prize money. Unlike in previous games, Shadow seems perfectly content with helping Rouge obtain the treasure she covets.

E-123 Omega

Shadow has a very close relationship with Omega who, other than Maria and Rouge, may be Shadow's closest friend. This relationship is first shown when Shadow looks out for Omega in Sonic Heroes halfway into the game. This was also shown in Shadow the Hedgehog when Shadow willingly helped Omega in Iron Jungle and Lava Shelter. In Sonic the Hedgehog, both Shadow and Rouge were somewhat saddened by Omega being reprogrammed to hunt down Shadow in the future, due to Shadow being seen as too strong of a lifeform, causing humanity to fear him. The bond between the two may have been strengthened by the fact that Shadow is the Ultimate Lifeform and that Omega is considered the Ultimate Robot and share a common importance to the world.

In Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, Shadow joins Sonic's team to find Omega, he clearly shows anger if the player refuses to rescue him and states that if he doesn't find Omega, then he'll "be very upset." He also states that "he was also my friend" which is the first time Shadow openly calls someone his friend, although he notably only says this after questioning by Sonic, not willingly. This is proof that he doesn't like seeing his closest friends being hurt. This is also shown when the player finds Omega in Metropolis and Shadow orders Eggman to be quiet after saying not to bother checking if Omega's okay. When Tails says that robots are coming, Shadow responds with, "Good. I need to smash something." Again, this is shown when Tails realizes he can fix Omega, Shadow simply orders him to "do it." Shadow and Omega pair up for two POW moves. One is Focus Field, which involves Omega opening fire on a foe with his Gatling guns, then Shadow following up with a Chaos Blast. Another move is Metal Storm, in which Shadow sends Omega into the air with Chaos Control. Rouge follows up by kicking Omega, who then collides into the target like a torpedo.

Black Doom

I don't know who he is, but for now, I have to believe him. That's it.

— Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog

The relationship between Shadow and Black Doom may have been brief, but has played a significant role in Shadow's life. Shadow was made from Black Doom's blood, in a deal between the alien and Professor Gerald; this technically makes Black Doom Shadow's biological father. Black Doom, at first, tried to get Shadow on his side by playing on what remained of Shadow's painful memories of losing Maria. Regardless of the path taken during gameplay, Shadow defeats Black Doom and destroys the Black Comet along with the Black Arms.

Throughout the events of Shadow the Hedgehog, Black Doom threatens Shadow and demands extreme loyalty and respect without compassion, even when he aids him. He also doesn't tolerate any kind of mistake or failure, no matter how difficult the task on Shadow's part may be. In the end, Shadow refused to aid him and decided to put an end to his biological father and his "offspring" after learning of his true plans.[37]

Mephiles the Dark

You have no desire for revenge. You only crave destruction. Your only lust is to fuel Iblis until there is nothing left of time itself.

— Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)

Mephiles the Dark is one of Shadow's deadliest enemies. When they first met, Shadow, due to not having sealed Mephiles away yet at that time, expressed a sense of familiarity despite not knowing who he was, before Mephiles sent him to the future. In Shadow's second meeting with Mephiles, he tried to convince Shadow to turn against humanity, but Shadow refused. After the battle, Shadow tried to collect some information about Mephiles to stop him, which led him to investigate Mephiles' origin at the Solaris Project ten years ago. There, Shadow sealed Mephiles in the Scepter of Darkness shortly after his birth, where Mephiles swore that he would remember Shadow and that he would kill him. This made Shadow realize how Mephiles knew him and why he was obsessed with him.

Shadow later faced Mephiles in Dusty Desert where Mephiles tried to convince him to join his cause, but Shadow saw through his deceit and proclaimed he knew that Mephiles only craved destruction. After Shadow failed to seal Mephiles, Mephiles tried to confuse him by asking why he wanted to save humanity when they would persecute him, but Shadow proclaimed he would always keep fighting. Solaris and Mephiles were both later erased from existence, resulting in the erasure of Shadow's relationship with Mephiles.

Silver the Hedgehog

Shadow and Silver were enemies at first due to Silver being tricked by Mephiles, but became partners later on in Sonic the Hedgehog. They became allies when they worked together after their fight. After attempting Chaos Control on each other, which Shadow was impressed by, the black hedgehog told the misguided Silver that Mephiles was using him for his own ends. To get their answers, the two traveled back ten years to witness the Solaris Project accident. The two working together later split up to go after their own targets; Silver watching the King of Soleanna sealing Iblis inside Elise and Shadow sealing Mephiles inside the Scepter of Darkness. After they finished, Shadow and Silver meet up outside the Aquatic Base, where they then use Chaos Control to return to the present. They meet up once more during Solaris' resurrection.

In the Sonic Rivals games, Shadow and Silver are rivals. Shadow does not trust Silver's intentions and speculations about Dr. Eggman's identity, but after he discovered that Silver was right, Shadow showed some tolerance toward Silver. In Sonic Rivals 2, they are at odds; mostly because Silver did not want Shadow getting in his way.

Humanity

Hmph! Pathetic humans...

— Shadow, Sonic Adventure 2

Initially, Shadow did not hate humans and promised his best friend Maria to give them a chance to live happy lives. However, his opinion about them changed after G.U.N killed Maria and he came to loathe humanity itself for what they did to her. After his reawakening, Shadow planned to destroy humanity, thinking he had promised Maria revenge at them for her death. However, when he remembered his true promise to Maria, he cast aside his vendetta and risked his life to save humanity.

After losing his memories, Shadow did not care for humans, regarding them as pathetic and held no sympathy towards them. During Shadow the Hedgehog, Black Doom even tried to use Shadow's horrific memories of the tragedies humans had brought him to turn him against them. However, when Shadow regained his memories as Black Doom unveiled his plans to make humans food for his kind, Shadow once again chose to save humanity to keep his promise to Maria.

While Shadow still holds a general loathing of humanity, he has made it his mission to protect them due to his promise to Maria, even becoming an agent for G.U.N. In all his encounters with Mephiles in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), who attempted to make Shadow turn on humans by showing how they would persecute him in the future, Shadow refused to listen and remained steadfast to protect them. During his final battle with Mephiles, Shadow proclaimed that if someday the world chooses to become his enemy, then he will fight it, showing that it is up to humanity to decide whether he is their enemy or not.

Miles "Tails" Prower

Miles "Tails" Prower and Shadow were at first enemies in Sonic Adventure 2 because Shadow was impersonating Sonic and got him thrown in jail at Prison Island. Towards the end of the game, they became allies when they had to save the planet from the Space Colony ARK. For the most part Shadow and Tails' relationship seems to depend on their goals.

The two are on opposing sides in Sonic Heroes, Sonic Battle, and Sonic Rivals 2. In Sonic Heroes they fought very briefly because Shadow and Rouge had provoked Team Sonic into fighting them. In Sonic Battle, Shadow and Tails fought at the end of Tails' Story because Tails resisted giving up Emerl to Shadow. Shadow threatened Tails that he would have to give Emerl up or else they would fight for him, Tails admitted that he admires Shadow's spirit but would not give up in a fight. When Tails won the fight Shadow warned him that he would be back again to get Emerl, but Rouge showed up and told Shadow to go back to Night Babylon. In Sonic Rivals 2. Shadow and Metal Sonic confronted Tails and Sonic because they were all going after Eggman.

However despite this, Shadow and Tails seem to be on very good terms with each other, and seem to get along quite well. Also, when Eggman suggests they build a weapon to hurt the enemy, and Tails says he has a better idea, Shadow with a smile asks why he is not surprised. Shadow is actually the second most helpful member of Tails' Team in Metropolis, helping Tails with numerous mechanical ideas with Eggman. He is also very helpful if the player is looking for Omega, often giving tips to tell of where Omega would have gone if he had gotten the chance. If the player succeeds in finding Omega, Shadow thanks Tails for helping him. Overall, Shadow and Tails hold a great deal of mutual respect for each other, and despite being occasional enemies, they seem to support each other, and they have helped each other on several occasions.

Knuckles the Echidna

Do whatever you need to, Knuckles. I've got my own reasons for being here.

— Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog

Shadow and Knuckles have not interacted much, but at times they are either allies or rivals. In Sonic Adventure 2, they didn't have much interaction, but they were enemies at first and then worked together to save the world from Space Colony ARK. The first real fight between them happened in Sonic Heroes, although Shadow didn't remember Knuckles at the time. After the fight, Knuckles jokingly mentioned that they might have fought Shadow's ghost. In Shadow the Hedgehog, Knuckles appears in Glyphic Canyon, Central City, and Black Comet stages asking for Shadow's help in Hero missions. In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), he and Shadow loosely worked together again for a time in order to return to the present.

Shadow and Knuckles appear to have some bitter resentment towards each other as seen in Sonic Rivals, when Shadow bluntly pointed out that Knuckles was useless for his shortcomings while retaining an indifferent attitude towards his challenges, and Knuckles seemed to be irritated by Shadow's presence. Knuckles seems to have a bit of a disliking towards Shadow, mostly because he thinks that he is complacent and smug. Additionally, Knuckles is not fond of Shadow's egotistical tendencies, which is seen in Sonic Free Riders when he says "I see your ego's as big as ever, Shadow.", in a rather annoyed tone.

Amy Rose

I know that people fight over the most trivial things. Some people may be selfish, like the professor said... But they're basically good. If they try their best and never give up on their wishes... They always have a reason to be happy. That's why you should help them out... saving them is a good thing!

— Amy Rose, Sonic Adventure 2

In Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow and Amy Rose interact twice, but each time seems to gain an odd reaction from Shadow. Amy first meets Shadow when she mistakes him for Sonic and hugs him from behind, while Shadow remains still after having been briefly caught off-guard by her touch. He also does not shake her off or resort to violence. When Amy senses the lack of a reaction, she releases him, causing him to glance back at her. Amy demands his name when she realizes that he is not Sonic, but Shadow continues to glare at her quietly. After Amy notices Dr. Eggman, she also realizes the mistake she has made, and runs off screaming. During this, Shadow simply tilts his head when she is out of range as Dr. Eggman tells the team that he'll take care of Amy.

Later in the game aboard the ARK, Amy meets Shadow again and this time begs Shadow to save the world. At first, Shadow simply replies that it is pointless, but then Amy points out that despite people sometimes being selfish, they were still inwardly good and that saving them was right. Because of this, Shadow suddenly has a flashback of Maria begging Shadow to make people happy. When Shadow comes to his senses he goes off to fight the Biolizard, determinedly and softly telling Amy that he has to keep his promise to "Maria...and [her]."

Amy was also the only one to see Shadow's tear after he remembered that Maria wanted him to save the people that live on Earth, making her the only person to see him cry in Sonic Adventure 2.

During Sonic Battle, Amy shows excitement and concern upon hearing Shadow's survival through Rouge, but quickly becomes angry when Rouge will not tell her why he's there.

During Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow can choose to assist Amy in helping find Cream the Rabbit and have her fight alongside the player during the stage and in the boss battle, but this time, there is no reward in return. Also, at the end of Shadow the Hedgehog, Amy shows an odd amount of faith and admiration for Shadow, regardless of him being Sonic's arch-rival. When Rouge expresses concern for Shadow following the destruction of the Black Comet, Amy reassures her with her hands clasped and a cheerful smile on her face, "I'm sure he's fine, Rouge! After all, he is Shadow!" which further displays her positive outlook on the black hedgehog and her general optimism.

The Commander

Shadow, do you read me? First... I want to apologize, for the other day. Actually, I just became a grandfather last week, and I was thinking of maybe having you over. I know that Training is tough, but try and do your best.

— The Commander, Shadow the Hedgehog

The Commander and Shadow were enemies because the Commander blamed Shadow for the death of his family and Maria 50 years ago during the G.U.N. raid on the ARK. Throughout the game, he orders his troops to kill Shadow. After the events of Shadow the Hedgehog, the Commander apologized and invited Shadow over to his house to see his new grandchild; this is presumably the time that Shadow became a G.U.N. agent.

Metal Sonic

So you're the one behind all of this, huh?

— Shadow, Sonic Heroes

Shadow, along with Rouge, Omega, and the rest of the teams from Sonic Heroes were distracting Metal Sonic, in his Metal Madness form, so that Team Sonic could transform into their Super state. Sometime later, Shadow and Metal Sonic are forced to work together when Doctor Eggman calls for Shadow's assistance in Sonic Rivals 2. Although they are together for a brief amount of time, Shadow does seem concerned about Metal Sonic multiple times, despite the fact that Metal Sonic is a robot with the inability to speak. Shadow constantly asks him if he's alright and at the end of the game when Metal Sonic tears himself open to retrieve the Chaos Emerald within his body, Shadow tells him to stop, for he fears Metal Sonic will destroy himself. Shadow's concern may be due to the similar friendship he had with Omega. He also may think that he was doing this on his own intention as he only needs Eggman to speak for him. Another possibility is that since Gerald Robotnik created Shadow, and Eggman, Gerald's grandson, created Metal Sonic, he felt it was right. Shadow does show some deep concern for him as he even talked to Metal Sonic himself instead of Eggman.

Team Chaotix

You should thank me for letting you live.

— Shadow, Sonic Heroes

Shadow has had several altercations with the detective agency, the first being a confrontation in Sonic Heroes that escalated into a brawl, with their differences then seemingly set aside later when they joined forces against an evolved Metal Sonic. Team Chaotix resumed their role as allies in Shadow the Hedgehog, with each member participating as a partner in the hero missions of various levels.

Individually, Vector perceives Shadow as a friend, as demonstrated in one of the endings of Shadow the Hedgehog when the crocodile attempted to console him when he concluded himself to being nothing more than a living weapon of mass destruction, though Shadow apparently didn't want to hear it. Espio has shown his capacity of friendship for the black hedgehog and the two proved to make a good team when they confronted Dr. Eggman. When Eggman tries to lie and manipulate Shadow, Espio tells the hedgehog not to fall for the doctor's tricks and to defeat him first. Charmy has exercised a more enthusiastic relationship with Shadow, demonstrating how much he respects and looks up to him while often stating how "cool" Shadow is. All the Chaotix voices are present in supporting Shadow during the last story as well as Expert Mode.

Infinite

I've only become what I am because of you, yet you don't remember. But I suppose that's the way it goes. It simply means that the old me was too weak, too pathetic to remember. And now, you've become nothing more than an insect, waiting to be crushed underfoot.

— Infinite, Episode Shadow.

Shadow first encountered Infinite back when he was known as the Ultimate Mercenary after decimating the Jackal Squad group he led. Although the Ultimate Mercenary expressed confidence that he could beat Shadow with his own abilities, Shadow promptly proved him wrong by easily beating him before the latter could get a chance to fight back, leaving the mercenary terrified. Shadow was less than impressed with the Ultimate Mercenary during this time, bluntly and rudely telling him that he was worthless, as well as telling him not to show "[his] pathetic face" towards him ever again before taking his leave. Little did Shadow know, however, that this would ultimately prove to have serious ramifications months later, when the Ultimate Mercenary proceeded to fuse with the Phantom Ruby to become stronger.

Several months later, he encountered Infinite, who reminded Shadow (who had already forgotten who he was) of their earlier encounter, and then proceeded to fully demonstrate his new abilities by trapping him within a Virtual Reality world via the Phantom Ruby. The encounter left Shadow shaken, as well as disturbed by Infinite's letting slip of his intention to defeat Sonic.[38]

Friends/allies

Rivals

Enemies