Note to self: Don't try converting Shadow to Catholicism. Shadow cannot handle when the choir sings "Ave Maria."

"They're not rivals because they're so different, they're rivals because they're so similar" oh my goodness how is this the first time I've heard that interpretation, that is the absolute best and most badass take I've ever heard about shadow.

Shadow became the very thing he was mocked for in his game. Why Sega insists that their most popular character be written terribly is beyond me.

Maria's rolling her grave with whatever the fuck Shadow did to himself in the metal virus arc. That to me will NEVER be canon.

Shadow pre-2010's (and even Archie despite that version being different) was a character with 2 sides, rough on the outside and soft on the inside, post 2010's got the rough side but didn't get the soft side, making him one note. He seems to be slowly improving though, so we'll see.

I hope that in Sonic x Shadow Generations, they can bring the Shadow we love so much back

Shadow is one of the most tragic characters in Sonic Series.

I feel like no one gets the fact that Shadow has moved on from Maria. He literally threw his photo of them on the arc because he’s no longer attached to his past. All the fan comics I see people make of him they always bring up that he loves and misses Maria with all his heart, but he doesn’t feel that way anymore ofc he cares for his old family. But Shadow knows he’s found a new one which the sonic community doesn’t understand. Shadow isn’t defined by his past and he never will be.

At this point, PixelRush should make a "Nobody Understands (certain Sonic character)" series so that we can hear this man give deep and juicy analysis about how characters used to be well written before being flanderized, neglected, shelved or misinterpreted by people, fans or SEGA themselves. I’m betting that Knuckles, Silver or Tails will be next in the list.

What people think when speaking of Shadow: _Vergil, Edgy The Hedgy_ How is Shadow portrayed by media: _John Wick, GUNS!_ How he actually acts: _Less obsessive, more polite, introverted Jack Garland with a pinch of C H I A O S_ **Now Playing: Shadows Rising**

Speaking of Archie, I really loved how different that version of Shadow is while staying true to the themes of the character. He's way more cooperative than every other version combined, yet he still holds that sense of responsibility and longing for purpose from the original SA2 story. Really makes me hope the best for Sonic Movie 3 where they take Shadow in a new direction without losing the soul of the character.

Seriously, *THANK YOU.* It breaks my heart to know how mistreated Shadow is in this modern era, to the point that newer generations of fans will have no idea of everything he was created to be at the beginning. The only way they'd ever know is because of people like you, providing things like this, if they so choose to even look into his origins. Also, I feel I must add something to this- For me, ever since Kirk Thornton took over as modern Shadow's VA, everything feels WRONG. I loved his performance as Shadow in Sonic Boom- but people who are really aware know that the writers knew what they were doing. And Shadow was fit in as another shitpost, and sadly, wasn't even given a background. Then again, none of them really were. Modern Shadow literally feels like Kirk "BOOM-ified" him. The smooth, cool, willing to learn and do what's right vibe from what Shadow had feels completely gone. I don't necessarily blame Kirk for this, but it really does make me wish for the days of Jason Griffith's Shadow.

Man, its depressing that Shadow's peak was 06, one of the most hated games to Sonic fans (Though personally, I love it since it introduced my fav character Silver) I can only hope that it changes int he future and we go back to the personalities we fell in love with at the start.

Heres how shadow generations' story is gonna happen: 1. Either they write him like they wrote him in the latest tailstube, a guy with a massive ego. 2. Write him like SA2 shadow and perpetuate the misconception that shadow is 100% devoted to maria even tho ever since shadow 05 he has not. 3. Or they write him exactly how he should be and maybe even add something substantial to his story.

You know it's an amazing character when they are so complex and such a puzzle like this. Maybe that's why so many are drawn to Shadow.

Shadow isnt edgy, and people refuse to believe he has good reason to push people away- which he does. 1. He has PTSD 2. He's afraid of having a bond with people, whether it be friendly or a sibling bond like with Maria. He doesnt want to feel the pain of losing another loved one. Fuck the 2010's and the ignorant fans

I think instead of rivals, Shadow and Sonic should be portrayed as... allies with differences. As you said, Shadow is goal-oritanted while Sonic just "follows his plan instead" (ha, reference to Escape from the City). They are two sides of the same coin, and will team up if they have the same goal. Heck, in 06, Shadow saves Sonic's life from Silver's attack (even if he can't remember that due to the timeline wipe). That right there is one of my favourite moments from the games. And... Shadow. Has. Friends. (Another thing that Sega seems to have forgotten). Rouge and Omega are the two most important figures in Shadow's current part of his life. Omega being a kindred spirit (both of them were designed for destruction, but came out as more anti-hero than anything else). And Rouge? Well... Shadow sees her as a symbol of redemption. If a selfish jewel-thief like Rouge can turn around and end up assisting to save the planet, and become the leader of a team... that is telling a lot to Shadow about how the most unassuming person can be a hero. This is why I expanded upon Episode Shadow on FF. The plot beats are pretty much the same, but we get more interactions with Shadow, Rouge and Omega, and how the team split apart leading up to Sonic Forces.

7:16 Thank you for including this text. Most video essays on Shadow just skim the 2010s as just bad and do not give an explanation. The problem isn't that he was mischaracterized in the games. It was the fact that he just wasn't in games. Like the reason he's broody in Generations isn't because he's edgy, but rather Sega wanted a Shadow Boss fight to celebrate the 20 anniversary and only had a single paragraph for a reason on why the two are fighting. I feel like Sega needs to give a more concrete reason to have Sonic and Shadow fight each other because I understand, Shadow is a dark clone character, and you want him to fight to og character to see who's better physically or philosophy.

I actually fully agree with this video. Although shadow has had his moments recently (I think he’s portrayed decently in MOSTH & Sonic Prime) I’m really hoping that shadow generations and the third sonic movie gets him right

I love Shadows character SOOOO much. I wish they would keep the Japanese version and the American versions the same, I think little kids wouldn’t understand or see bigger plots anyways if they just added them in.

people forget that since shadow the hedgehog 05, shadows commitment to maria doesnt define who he is. He defines himself.

The other thing is people fail to understand Shadow's relationships or misinterpret them. Shadow and Sonic do respect each other but do not see each other as friends. Shadow and Rouge have a more sincere bond with each other than they do with the other characters (except for Maria when it comes to Shadow). Amy and Shadow can't change each other because they are fine with who they are. They wouldn't want to.

Shadow is one of the characters I think has been misinterpreted the most recently, he's not edgy and brooding, he's calm and collected, he does have feelings just he doesn't express them out loud, he's an introvert who slowly opens up in the events of SA2

"I am Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog."

Not even SEGA understands him... and most likely won't for a loooong while.

Small detail, but I love that there's no question mark in the thumbnail for this video. Because it's not a question. Shadow is misunderstood by A LOT of people.

OMG THANK YOU, you're right, Shadow nowadays is nothing like Vegeta! Vegeta was wreck less when he fought Goku to the point where he nearly killed him for his own selfish need for immortality. Meanwhile Shadow was more laidback and used strategy when he fought Sonic, and only did it to fulfil the revenge that he thought Maria wanted. But even taking that out of the equation, Vegeta actually had a more consistant arc that stayed with him than Shadow did. Because what he learned in the past, stayed with him for the rest of the DragonBall franchise. Whereas Shadow in the Colors Era didn't. And to anyone reading this, don't say "Well, um, actually, Shadow nowadays is more DBZ Abridged Vegeta, not the real one." Because newsflash, EVEN ABRIDGED VEGETA WENT THROUGH A MORE CONSISTANT ARC THAN SHADOW!!!

rip early 2000’s shadow the hedgehog😔 you will be missed😿

It’s a crying shame the SA2-Heroes-06 Shadow got yeeted into oblivion and still hasn’t been recovered.

I thought Shadow in Sonic Prime was at least a little closer to the OG Shadow of at least being goal-oriented at least. I mean, yeah, he did originally waste some time roughing Sonic up to get his tech, but once he realized he can't do anything in the Shatterverse he was willing to ally with Sonic rather than think he can find another way on his own terms, which was what Boom Shadow did -- that was more stupidity than stubbornness at that point. Prime Shadow also saw more of the big picture than Sonic did in Prime and was able to help Sonic focus at times, even giving Sonic his own subtle support when he was feeling down. So I think Prime does show a good representation of their rivalry of having the same goals but achieving them in different ways. That especially showed in season 3 when Shadow simply wanted to finish Nine but Sonic thinks there's a chance to reason with him.

Some of Shadow's character traits that I only noticed and appreciated as an adult is his loyalty to his beliefs, and how much he truly trust those closest to him. In 06 when he learns Omega betrays him he looks hurt by this and only Rouge reaffirming that she will always be by his side does he seem to calm down and look at them.

Your right. Nobody understands me. 😔😭

Thanks for bringing up how Forces actually did Shadow pretty okay. There's been a couple of folks who've claimed that it further ruined him by having him be the reason for Infinite becoming Infinite, except… that wasn't actually a result of his hubris? As Infinite himself says, Shadow's business was already raiding Eggman bases and breaking through everything in his way. He's probably kicked around and insulted a LOT of people during that time. It's not his fault that one of them went on to become the Sonic equivalent of a school shooter.

Well articulated. It is interesting to see a video acknowledge the idea that the western branch of Sonic, don't quite seem to fully understand Shadow (and other characters) either. As much as I do enjoy the IDW comics, the team behind it are not without there missteps.

Everything you said from beginning to start, especially about all of the sonic characters, I fell in love with them because of who they are when they were introduced and what made them who they are and how they matured since then now… Like you said it feels like nobody understands the anymore. They wanna make them the way how the audience wants them to make them. Especially shadow

You know....I gotta admit. I usualy am VERY sceptical with Shadow analyses (& other characters....but mostly Shadow) & if I should give them a try, since I've seen hundreds, that go in 99% the same way, talk only about the same 4 games, I know the drill....But this one is one of the few good ones, I not even partialy but fully agree on ! Once again, Pixelrush proves, he DOES know his characters. And I just wanna say THANK YOU ! For....not being the 100000st person to trash Shadow's game, how much "it's responsible for modern Shadow & ruined him. Not canon, nothing matters anyway" or going the same route again, "he's only good in SA2 & 06. Nothing else matters ! Look how heroic & selfless he is - why isnt he nice to Rouge, Sonic, humans & helps everyone 24/7 ?! But his promise to Maria !" Just THANK YOU !!! And...sorry for the long text wall incoming ^^" ----------------------------------------------------------- And also the comic bit....yeah. Like, I dont even hate IDW Shadow THAT much like in the games. Heck I dont even hate him THAT much in Tailstube but....yeah. It's VERY hard to like & defend him. I also gotta say a few things about that in a sec. Like, him & Sonic always being at odds & not getting along....is the truth since day 1 ? ^^" also heard others say it & agree, they are so different, yet alike. "Two sides of the same coin." Heck even the SA2 logo looks like Yin & Yang ! But....that's a whole different can of worms, I'm not gonna open that Pandora'x box now. ------------------------------------------------------- Shadow not wanting to waste time - or help people, when he's focused on another task - & "go after a real challenge", when he's after a villain (who turned out to be Starline) & getting the wrong guy, isnt even the problem & ooc for him. He didnt lie when he told Rouge "I didnt do it for you" (when he helped them stop Clutch & saved the abused Chao) It's just the wording....it sounds alot like the usual 2010s "I dont care, I'm only here to kick ass & make shit worse" writing. I still dont know what to think of the infamous moment in issue 19....I was rather shocked, "no way they're gonna kill him off just like that" & sure didnt expect it to be THAT HATED ....but yeah. The rest...doesnt look too good for him -------- And I also wanted to say THANK YOU for talking about that one ! Like, I know fans just love blaming the mandates a little too much. Got a bad idea, writing, execution ? Blame the mandates ! I too dont wanna deny that they dont exist nor make it harder for the writers to work with them & the characters. And I dont think Ian is a bad writer - I REALLY respect his patience with this fandom...I would have quit years ago. BUT ! The more I learn about how he views & wants to write or change the characters into what HE wants them to be, instead of who they actualy ARE ! That's....where the problems begin (Yeah it's defintily something I see alot in IDW & ALL THE TIME in the fandom too ! Sonic, Shadow, Amy, Silver, Knuckles - You name it !) Like YEAH ! I really do trust Evan or whoever more with writing Shadow & Amy than Ian & half the fandom. I dont actively watch the Bumblekast, so I cant name the exact day, month, year, timestamp. But thank you for including that one ! As said, YES ! Mandates can make it harder ! I dont deny, Sega made some stupid choices. BUT - And THANK YOU again for saying it ! Mandates & rules exist, like guidelines, to keep things in check. They exist for everything ! Or else....if fans want the Archie soap opera back & that fanon version of Shadow.... :T You just gotta work with & around them. If some people can work better with the material they're given, than others..... (like, heck, I'm a Sonic fan for over 10 years & had absolutely NO idea 2 years ago, how I'd write/describe Eggman or Knuckles, besides "he's a strong, stubborn guardian, who's joke now" :/) As said, I dont realy watch the Bumblecasts. But I heard some things. I know Ian wanted Shadow to take off his inhibitor rings, to fight off the zombots & then succumb to the virus. But Sega said NO ! - Why....? Ok. But the question is: Why & if they NEEDED to erase Shadow from the plot ?! Cuz he's too OP ? Yeah...that's a weak, lazy excuse for "I dont want to write him" or "Idk what to do with him". Like, they did it AGAIN in his last story arc (where he's written better) or even in Prime ! Sideline, nerf, tone him down....big oof :T Yeah, we can all blame the mandates for not allowing that cool idea. But, didnt Ian also admit years later, it was HIS own idea, to erase Shadow ? And that he'd do it differently now ? That he was ALWAYS planned to go down ? Same outcome. He'll lose & become a zombot. Just....worse execution. Like....you could do so many different things XS I mean, Sega just said "No you cant do this, try something else" ? Did Sega actualy tell him to write Shadow like an idiot, who HAS TO TOUCH AN INFECTED ZOMBY ?! Again, I dont deny, it IS hard to write Shadow. Ian is not a bad writer & IDW gets more than enough hate but.....yeah maybe it is the writers fault sometimes too ^^" IDW gets ALOT of criticism, I share nowadays too (like the characters being written differently than in games, even the IDW "OCs" get hate too or Knuckles NEVER showing up - cmon you CANT tell me thats also the "Booh Mandates !" fault) --------------------------------------------------------------------- I know some other series that also have multiple writers, authors etc...and yeah. It IS a mess & inconsistent. Because everyone wants & sees something different ! Or, lets be real, doesnt always know their characters (like I said, I'm a fan for ages & like that too) Yeah, I think we actualy should ask ourselves: How comes, Sonic characters & writing are still consistent in Japan, after all those years ? While the western side...is a mess, all about the memes, parodies & wants to "fix" everyone (I know, you & many fans nowadays critisize Frontiers too). I'm not too familiar with the japanese side but....if you read the Sonic Channel stories (I cant believe fans hated THAT story about Shadow too....we're so lost & hopeless, RIP), or check out Shadow's game or - especialy TSR & Frontiers (even if that one's worse) It's SO DIFFERENT ! Like TSR Sonic, Shadow, Silver are SO DIFFERENT & better in japanese ! O.o ----------------------------------------- I also heard about some interviews about Shadow in Boom & Movie 3. That Sega said, "Shadow is a tragic, serious character. Jokes & comedy wont work". So....what happened to "Shadow episode ? NOT happening !" ?! Like....yeah sure blame the Sega mandates for Boom Shadow & making him being so edgy & serious the whole joke -_- Then I saw a Movie 3 interview. Idk who it was, but somebody said the EXACTLY SAME THING ! "Shadow is a serious, tragic character, the jokes like with Knuckles wont work". And suddenly everyone LOVED IT ?! "FINALLY ! Somebody gets him !" Like ???? I'm sorry but what's the difference ?! I...really cant with this fandom -------------------------- So...yeah. I know, most of my comment is just about the IDW comics...well, at least I dont gotta defend his game & writing this time ^^' Yeah...I dont even think Shadow is THAT bad, like fans make him out to be....but it's VERY HARD to like & defend him now, VER hit or miss since the 2010s, between the forced, edgy rival or "fixing" & making him too soft & fanon. Anyway.....I said my part. Thank you to whoever reads ALL THIS !

7:47 - For Sonic, he never cries, the only moment he cries was in Scrapnik island comics when he linked with Mecha Sonic and Mecha was crying while being in Sync with Sonic, which made Sonic Cry on Mecha's behalf

3:22 is wrong. The first, and honestly the biggest problem with the dub of Shadow the Hedgehog, is what Shadow says before transforming into Super Shadow. "I made a promise and I'm here to keep it". This gives the idea that Shadow is actively fighting for Maria. While Shadow did talk about fulfilling a wish, the way he did that was very different in Japanese. What he said instead was "Today is the day I will finally fulfill the Professor's wish and part with the past!" Taken with another line Shadow had had earlier on in the True Story, it's made very clear that Shadow destroying the Black Comet and fulfilling Maria and Gerald's wish was a means to an end, and that Shadow destroying the Black Comet was done to bury the last remnants of his past. While Shadow talked about how no one could tell him what to do after making his mind up right after getting up on his feet might have left people with the interpretation that no one can tell Shadow what to do because he has decided to fight for Maria's wish, there's no such room for interpretation with what he actually said. "My name is Shadow the Hedgehog. The one who let go of his whole past! I'm not doing this for anyone else and I'm bound by nothing." Shadow going up against Black Doom and the Black Comet wasn't done for Maria and Gerald. It was done so that he could bury the last remains of his past; A past he wants nothing to do with. While he may have said he was gonna put the past behind him in the English version, he was a lot more explicit in the Japanese version where he outright called the entire thing 'abominable' and told it to begone. That includes Maria. And ultimately, Shadow's decision to bury his past entirely and be completely done with it isn't even particularly far-fetched, and it all comes down to one thing: A lack of connection. The main thing that's worth keeping in mind now is the fact that by the time Shadow gets his hands on the Chaos Emeralds, he doesn't actually get the chance to go about wishing for his memories to return because a bunch of people show up. And ultimately, he decides against it. And without his complete set of memories, he doesn't have that sense of having actually experienced what happened 50 years prior. Therefore, any kind of impact Maria and Gerald would have had on him is ultimately nullified. That's why he's able to ditch his entire past; It basically stopped being his past. And he comes to the conclusion of him not wanting anything to do with his past due to this: Notice the pattern with this stuff here? -Maria tells him his purpose is to look over Earth. -Gerald tells him it's to get revenge for Maria's death. -Black Doom tells him it's to hand the Chaos Emeralds over to the Black Arms because of the deal made with Gerald and that Shadow should serve Black Doom because he helped create Shadow. -Eggman tells Shadow he's a Shadow Android in the main timeline and that he should serve him because of that, and in others he says Shadow should at least not get in Eggman's way because he is Gerald's grandson. -Sonic & co. tell him he's a hero who should fight on their side. -The old recording of Gerald telling Shadow his purpose is to destroy the Black Comet is dug up, Everyone has always been telling him what to do, with Shadow never having been given the ability to choose for himself. This is what ties into Shadow's decision to not pursue his past. We see him on his knees, and right after he hears everyone in his head telling him what to do; That's when he's had enough and gets up and says that he's done. He’s deciding not to reconnect with the Shadow he used to be before he got his amnesia. There's another little thing to bring up. It's a bit of a minor change in the dialogue, but it was a lot more significant in the Japanese version of the game. This is the last thing Shadow says in the last story: "Adios, Shadow the Hedgehog." This is a line we've heard before. Maria said that to Shadow before they were separated, and Sonic went on to say that same thing after he thought Shadow died (It's interesting to note that Shadow says "Adios, Sonic the Hedgehog" in Sonic X, probably because he was meant to say that to Sonic in SA2. Just a theory though.) And here we have Shadow saying that exact same thing. He is saying farewell to the Shadow that used to be tied to his past. And despite how the translation changed his character up significantly with the dialogue, there was one thing they couldn't change: The last thing we see Shadow do. As opposed to taking the picture of Maria and Gerald, the two people who meant the most to Shadow than anything else in the world, and respectfully placing it somewhere akin to how you would put flowers on the gravestone of a loved one; He chucks it away, and with enough force that it looked like it might as well have been a piece of trash that was stuck to his hand. Which is how he views his past going forward. Another interesting thing is that Never Turn Back highlights this part of his character. "And what will I become if I don't look back? Give myself a reason for this and that. I can learn, no U-Turn, gotta stay right here where I'm at." Shadow is giving himself a reason for what he's doing going forward. If he had decided to pick up the old purpose he had of doing what he did specifically for Maria, there wouldn't be a reason for any mention of Shadow now giving himself a reason for what he does. As for what his new purpose is, the Sonic Channel spilled it out: He's not interested in peace or what happens to other people. He just doesn't like it when foolish people think they can do whatever they want. And another thing about him is how he's referring to himself as the Ultimate Lifeform pretty often. That's how he's validating his own existence; Being an ass kicker, basically. Going back to Shadow ditching his past, it even makes sense from a narrative perspective. One of the big things that people complained about when it came to Shadow returning in Sonic Heroes was the fact that his sacrifice towards the end of SA2 was kind of rendered pointless. With Shadow never reclaiming his memories and subsequent emotional ties to his past before burying the entirety of it, that sacrifice isn't as pointless as some people would think because the Shadow who cared about Maria is still dead. And while a lot of people point to 06 as evidence of Shadow fighting for Maria, the game shows us the opposite. Not just because neither Maria nor anything from the ARK is brought up, but because of Shadow's motivation for rejecting Mephiles where he spells it out himself: "I determine my own destiny." Shadow is for all intents and purposes a very Nietzschean character (All Hail Shadow very much highlights that), and his desire for absolute self determination is another example of that where he does what he wants to. Nowhere in 06 was it stated that he was an active employed agent of GUN, it was just temporary position he was holding while working with them during 06 where his reason for showing up was because the President contacted him asking him if he wanted to do something with them, with Shadow being like "Sure." And if anything, the fact he was as comfortable as he was with GUN just one game after StH with zero hesitation about being hired by the organization that took everything that once meant everything to him further indicates that he's that done with it all. Lastly, the Japanese plot synopsis of Sonic X Shadow Generations, thanks again to Windii for their translation work, doesn't even mention Maria at all, indicating that SEGA of Japan were sticking to the original writing Iizuka gave Shadow where he is just 100% done with everything from the ARK five decades prior and that Maria plays no role in his life at this point. Well, before Iizuka backtracked on that pretty recently, yet again contradicting lore. Now, I am aware of the comic that was put up by SoJ. What we see is a quick scene about how Shadow got his name, and is followed by Shadow riding off into the sunset. But that alone doesn't indicate that Shadow has any sense of connection to the past, and it sure doesn't mean that Shadow is somehow able to remember an event he was unconscious for. That being his creation in a tube. It just cuts to Shadow on his own riding off on his bike. It's not even stated that Shadow is thinking about how much he cares about Maria. And everything I've lined out so far indicates the opposite. I feel like using that comic as an example of Shadow feeling connected to his past is reaching. And before anyone brings up Sonic Battle, that game was made by a different dev team at the same time as Heroes was being made, hence how that game contradicts Shadow’s resolve at the end of StH. That being said, if there is one thing I will agree with you on it's the fact that Shadow was way out of character in the Metal Virus arc. Shadow has always been someone who very much focuses on the bigger picture.

To be fair Ian noted that he wanted Shadow to get infected differently. In the original draft Shadow intended to listen to Sonic’s concerns and actually tried to run it off, only for it to not work. In a disparate last act he would’ve tried taking off his inhibitor rings like how he did in 06.

I miss the pre-2010 times of all these characters. Shadow I feel got shit on the most. I hope that this new post-Frontiers era will bring balance to the Force, as it was. I do have high hopes for Sonic 3 the Movie. I don't think Ben and Keanu will let us down.

It's never any good to hold on to the past for too long, and it's rather unhealthy and over time shadow realised this. He didn't throw his photo of his old family away because he didn't care for them, no. He still holds maria deeply in his heart because he cared and loved her so much, but has moved on because now he knows he belongs with a new family now, with sonic and the others. Shadow may still have that loner side of him, but he was never edgy or violent, or aggressive. He has always been the quiet one who always spoke the truth and has a soft side for his friends and those he cares about. He's shown many times that he sometimes smiles and he has emotions. He has always reminded us that even if we have made a mound of mistakes in our past that we should always be who we are and stay true to ourselves and for that, I miss how shadow used to be. Not just some guy who doesn't show his emotions and acts cool all the time. Sometimes he's vulnerable and shows it when he's sad and cries too, just like the rest of us.

I love this analysis and this perspective on Shadow's character. It feels like he's been so distorted and separated from who he grew to be, to the point where he's just a cardboard cutout of who he used to be. It's a shame the direction SEGA took to try and "Cocomelon" Sonic -- it's always been for kids; having darker themes doesn't mean kids can't enjoy it or even understand it. So many people grew up with the original games and love them -- often BECAUSE of these darker elements as well. Removing all the depth and nuance of Shadow's character is just a reflection of how SEGA has been approaching characterization as a whole since the 2010's. I would like to push back on one thing, though. 8:20 - In my opinion, shadow getting infected in this arc isn't the problem-- it's the way they handle it. Ian had an early version of the draft where Shadow attempted to burn off the infection using his inhibitor rings instead of just blazing in with no apparent strategy other than "I'm strong and i'm gonna win." There's also some decent logic to the idea that, as the Ultimate Lifeform, Shadow should in theory be immune to a Virus... not perfect, but it's SOMETHING. I agree with Ian in that, for the story beat of having the tides turn against Sonic & co., having Shadow fall is a powerful sign of everything going wrong... the problem WAS the mandates in the execution of the idea. I hope that makes sense.

you know who else is misunderstood? Silver.

"An edgelord with an inconsistent character written with no planning whatsoever that was originally going to die in his debut game, but popularity was so high that he was kept around for it, rewriting his background story every 5 minutes with his only motivation being the memories of an innocent girl who dies but was given zero character development for us to care." - Someone who understands Shadow perfectly well.

Not even Kirk Thornton understood him until,he did the upcoming game. Yes…the voice for shadow for the last 14 years ,even when he did lines Maria was mentioned in for Lego dimensions and the twitter…didn’t know shadows backstory until recently.

I think the main issue with his character is that dark does not equate to evil and they seem to go out of their way in the past to make Shadow out to be some villain when he isn't. Yes he was the main antagonist in Sonic Adventure 2 for the most part but that's because of the tampering caused by Gerald in his act of revenge. Shadow at the end of the day was meant to be a hero. To help make the people of Mobius happy by Maria as her last wish and willing to sacrifice himself to protect them. As such characterizations of Shadow that make him look like a jerk towards everyone is insulting. Prime got the characterization of him right somewhat as you can see that he is upset his world is gone and he wants it fixed. His conflict with Sonic is not out of evil but out of anger because he blames Sonic for breaking the world. The very world that he promised his dead friend he'd protect. Shadow at the end of the day no matter how brooding he can be is meant to be a tragic hero. Not a villain. And that I think is what Sega needs to get right in Shadow Generations.

9:22 IDW was _declared_ canon in 2022, years after the fact. It was never conceptualised to be.

Now I got to clean my desk from the water spat out of my mouth from laughter after hearing the beginning of the video.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

Great video that I wholeheartedly agree with. Not too long ago I've wondered if Shadow would even be considered a favourite character for this many people if we had to rely on his depictions over the last 10 or so years. It's kind of sad to see such a strong character reduced to a 1-note stereotype and, well, here's hoping Shadow Generations provides something truly meaningful for the guy. To that end, however, I'd like to throw a couple cents in. I dunno, I think Flynn's initial idea of Shadow using his full power to burn off to disease only to ultimately succumb to it is not a bad bit. Shadow, first and foremost, was created to combat disease. That was the whole reason Gerald even took up Project Shadow. He is immune to most illness, so I could reasonably understand him taking off his inhibitor rings in hopes of overcoming the infection. While I think Shadow's portrayal in the comics hasn't been stellar, I think it had more good to it overall, even if marginally. Even's arc about Shadow getting hyper-focused on completing the task at hand only to realize the error of his ways and help heroes out is neat stuff. Still, one could only hope we'll get something to rival Shadow's initial appearance story wise.

I love your video, nailed exactly how I feel about Shadow as a character. I couldn't have said it better.

I have a feeling things might be going back on track with Shadow after seeing that Dark Beginnings teaser

Shadow is one of my favorite characters next to Knuckles and both have been completely watered down, especially during the 2010s. It really sucks to see Sega just portraying him as a "mean edge lord", I'm somewhat anxious to see how Shadow will be written in the 3rd sonic movie.

Shadow does have a good heart like his interaction with that Shadow Chao.

out of all the shadow content ive seen, for some reason this video in particular was able to make me see him in a different light, and have new appreciation for his character that i didnt rly care about other than cool design before

Don’t worry Pixel. I do understand Shadow. I probably understand him more than anybody else. You have no idea of how Shadow is important to me. All the precious lessons I have learned from him. No matter how life is hard, no matter how bad you suffered in the past, you can’t give up. You can be strong enough to overcome all obstacles and choose your destiny, and choose not to fall into evil. These lessons have made me the person I am today and guide my every action. So as not to forget them, I got the Shadow symbol tattooed on my left shoulder when I was eighteen. I agree with you, they keep doing Shadow right in Forces, but did it terribly wrong in Boom and IDW comics. But you didn’t mention Sonic Prime. Shadow was honestly the only good thing I’ll remember from this show. They wrote him so well, even better than Sonic who is so out of character. I really hope he’ll be himself in Sonic X Shadow Generations too. He deserves it. So much❤

Even though the events of Sonic 06 was erased from the timeline, that didn't mean Shadow's development was erased too. He was at his peak and balanced in 06. Sega needs to realize this...

Thank you for addressing this issue you've said everything that's been on my mind

I tried to help Shadow the Ultimate Lifeform and show him a better path (to follow Maria's legacy). But he just couldn't do it. Right now, I'm out of ideas. I don't know what to do with him anymore. If I can't help Shadow the Ultimate Lifeform, then no one will. It's too late for me, and for everyone. It's over.... forever.😔

As a shadow fan this freaking hurts me why would sega and sonic team do this to my boy 😢😭i really hope in shadow generations and sonic movie 3 shadow isn’t a big edgy stubborn jerk I want his personality like what he had in SA2 and 06 and maybe prime too

I'll be honest, I kinda like overly edgy Shadow, but not when that's all there is to him. His walls of edgyness and cold attitude, which can be made funny in some occasions as long as they're not too exaggerated and not too often, are just that : walls. And behind these walls is the real Shadow. Someone who is very sensitive, someone who can appreciate the beauty of things. He wanted to see Earth as much as Maria did after all. And he sure appreciates the beauty of his friendships, especially with Rouge and Omega. He respects Sonic's skill and the strengths of his allies. He probably won't say it directly due to his closed off attitude, but of course Shadow cares. He wouldn't aim to destroy the entirety of Earth just to fulfill what he thought was Maria's wish if he didn't care. His past experiences and trauma made it a lot more difficult for him to open himself to others, but he's healing thanks to his friends. I am convinced that edgy Shadow can be made funny by how edgy he is without removing the core of what makes him such a great character. After all this edgy persona isn't the real him. This persona is just a part of the walls I mentioned earlier. And maybe he could exaggerate this persona a bit too much at times, acting edgy while trying to keep his walls up. He cares, but he wouldn't openly admit it, so he could say something edgy and mean to hide it. For example something like "I don't need you. I'm strong enough by myself, and I don't need you to get in my way" The translation being : "I care about your wellbeing. I don't want you to get hurt, so I'm gonna go alone. Stay safe". I think that's how Shadow could work while still keeping the edgy scenes as a part of his character.

I really appreciate the growing attention being paid to Sega's messy practices, and the damage it has done to their cash cow franchise.

You gonna do a “Nobody understands Silver” to complete the hedgehog quartet?

The thing I’m scared for is that even if Shadow Gens brings back shadow to how he was Probably due to how much people don’t like shadow the hedgehog they will probably revert him from his arc in that game

I could not have said all that better myself. I truly do hope Sega brings back Shadow's original character and what he stands for. I absolutely hate that they dumbed down Shadow. If this keeps up, today's Sonic fans will never see Shadow for how he really is supposed to be portrayed. And that's really sad. As you said, Shadow is way more complex than the simple-minded imbecile Sega has made him out to be. Shadow's not dumb, he's extremely intelligent. And hopefully one day soon, Sega will bring back the Shadow true fans know and love. 🖤❤️

The choice of music in the end is phenomenal

Shadow by far is the coolest character ever created. His story is very tragic but also very compelling. I can't wait until generations comes out and see what story they have for him! It looks very promising!

‼️‼️‼️NEXT LONG VIDEO: NOBODY UNDERSTANDS SILVER‼️‼️‼️

I've gotten real sick of people dubbing him "shadow the EDGEhog", it was never funny nor was it accurate to whom he really was

"this is not the first time shadow lost his identity" ouch 😢

While your understanding of Amy's character is a lil'iffy, your understanding of Sonic and Shadow characterizations is impressive.

"MARIA!!" 🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣

And then we have blaze the cat a character everybody love but never have been utilized well at all

Amy and Maria understand him. Maybe his Nintendo Counterpart Dark Link would understand him.

Idk if I have enough spoons to really fully get into writing out an entire essay, so I'll try to summarize a bit. I love Shadow, I always have, he's just been such a cool ass character for me for many years, but recently through some major life changes and revelations, I've found I relate to him on a much deeper level than I initially did/thought I did, and he's so much more important to me now than when I first saw him on Sonic X back when it was still 4KidsTV. I relate to him in terms of finding it very difficult to deal with trauma, not knowing who I am, not knowing how to confront my past, feeling lost, etc., so to see him flanderized so goddamn bad hurts my soul, it does for all the characters I've grown to love over the years. I love this character, and want to see him be brought back to a consistent baseline, at least if they're going to claim basically every appearance of him is THE Shadow. I'm sick of SEGA having barely any consistency with this and no synergy within their various branches. These characters are not who they once were, and quite frankly many of the writing decisions are just baffling imo. What are they even trying to accomplish with this? Anyways, my brain is fried and idk if I have enough energy to add much more, maybe later if I remember. Bring my boi back SEGA, please, he means so much to me, stop flanderizing these characters!

But Shadow has his own way around it, but he likes Maria as a friend within the Ark before things happened, and before meeting Sonic and the others, it was sad about Maria.

I LOVE SHADOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You summed this up perfectly

Alternate title: Pixelrush doesn’t understand shadow.

This was an interesting explanation but I understand Shadow well and for what he has been through

I appreciate you mentioning the Japanese Shadow. I recently watched all the Japanese dub of the Sonic games, thanks to Wendii, and you are right. Shadow is the most consistent and likeable through and through. (Not counting Boom Shadow) And I'm observing that you and Pariah have made similar arguments when it comes to Shadow. Seeing the synergy there. one last thing: your comment at 10:00 - 10:13 really reflected my love for both Sonic and Shadow. They are not heroes. They do what they believe is right and will care less on what the world thinks about their decisions. Thanks for making this video.

Pretty much every Sonic Character went the way of modern Spongebob SquarePants, originally 3 layered and complicated characters, to 1 dimensional archetypes. And Shadow is definitely the worst case scenario. Not to mention, after Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes, and MAYBE Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow has no purpose anymore. In my opinion.

I dont buy that Shadow still cares about Maria at the end of his game. It's a possibility, but it doesn't totally line up. We don't know what happened in Shadow the Hedgehog leading up to the opening and the Last Story. Everything else is just a possibility, we never get a confirmation Shadow got his memories back. He saw the video, but that doesn't mean his memory was restored, especially since it's of something he'd have no memories of in the first place. Gerald never personally told him about any of this, hence the video. I think in the end he cares about doing what he says he's going to so he fulfilled his promise but after that I think hes just moved on. We're getting the walk back now because I think they realized without a backstory its harder to give him a motivation. Giving him amnesia in the first place was for the sake of introducing him to new players and dumping his backstory to uncomplicate things.

nobody gon talk about the intro? 💀💀

He's seriously because he's diligent, loyal and cares. I don't understand what keeps tripping sega up.

All Sonic characters sleeping video is coming up next for me

For the 1 billion time Shadow is NOT a villain people he's a hero just not as pure as Sonic is

I always felt like Shadow should have just stayed dead after Sonic Adventure 2

I know many people have said thid already but YES! I just have a massive sense of dread for Shadow's character in the future, especially for Sonic/Shadow Generations. And if it's going where i think it is, we'll never get his original characterization back. The only project I have hope for at this point is Sonic Movie 3

Great video, I hope you make a video for Silver

Hope they do my boy justice in Sonic 3

Poor shadow

06 Shadow & Adventure Shadow was the true Shadow in my opinion. (I will accept Prime Shadow xD)

The year of Shadow is definitely showing use the real Shadow the hedgehog. And it's showing us why he's the ultimate lifeform. Shadow can be mysterious at times, but that's just who he is. Shadow is a rival, an anti-hero, and the ultimate lifeform that can do anything. Never underestimate him or ever look down on him because he will prove you all wrong. 🔥🔥🔥Bow your heads low, All Hail Shadow!🔥🔥🔥

Well you can say about Sonic Prime whatever you want but I think they got at least Shadows personality right.

I love these videos

I still feel like a lot more people have already been made aware of this recently, with a lot of youtubers (with you to add to the list now) discussing the writing of Sonic games in the past few years, especially about what made the Adventure Era good and what made the Meta Era bad. In fact, I actually got into Sonic a few years back by watching all these videos talking about how bad Forces was. How the story sucked, how Infinite sucked, and how they mishandled Shadow. We all know how much of a meme Shadow acting edgy and calling Infinite worthless in episode Shadow became. Especially since it's Infinite's whole motive for becoming evil. Being beaten and called weak by Shadow. And then I got sucked into the rabbit hole that is Sonic lore, and I never got out. And then I got interested in the games. I had only played Colors DS (the superior version surprisingly), Generations and well... Forces back then. It opened my eyes to an entirely new side of Sonic, one I was completely unaware of. With deep lore, characters and backstories. These are things I love, and from that point on, I was officially a Sonic fan.

“Shadow is such an over powered character.” Uhhhmmm Sonic is just as powerful as Shadow, shadow is just more willing to employ more outright brutal tactics if the situation calls for it. I hate hate hate how the franchise began completely ignoring the entire point of his and Sonic’s arc in SA2 it’s commentary on what the ultimate life form might actually be. I love shadow to death, but I wish they would stop portraying him as the end all be all op character.

Ha! Shadow a grumpy old man………Holy sugar honey ice tea Shadow is canonical about 50 years old. If not older.

Shadow has peaked in 06