Dark Rider

Dark Rider
Shadow on Dark Rider in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing.
Appearances
First appearance	Shadow the Hedgehog
Appearances in other media	Sonic Comic
Statistics and overview
User(s)	Shadow the Hedgehog
Purpose	Transportation Racing
Description	A GUN motorcycle

The Dark Rider, also known as the Bike, is Shadow the Hedgehog's motorcycle. It first appeared in Shadow the Hedgehog and has appeared in the next several installments of the Sonic the Hedgehog series.

Game appearances

Shadow the Hedgehog

The Dark Rider first appears in Shadow the Hedgehog as an unnamed vehicle. It is shown in the game's intro, where it gets destroyed, and in Lethal Highway.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)

Shadow riding the Dark Rider.

The Dark Rider reappears in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), where it appears in Radical Train and Aquatic Base. It also appears in Shadow's seventh Town Mission, "Motorcycle License Test". It has been completely redesigned, and is now armed with machine guns and its speed can be increase using an ability called the Boost Dash. Unlike in Shadow the Hedgehog, the Dark Rider is needed on certain missions to advance as it allows Shadow to transport faster.

In gameplay, the Dark Rider is harder to steer. While it is faster than the Buggy and can jump higher from Ramps, the Dark Rider has a weaker armor. Also, should the rounds for its machine guns empty, it will reload in seconds. If the Dark Rider rams at into a wall at full speed, it will overturn and cannot be flipped back unless the player gets off it and back on again. When its Health Gauge is critical, its engine starts to smoke, and when it empties, the vehicle will explode (without harming the player).

To board or get off the Dark Rider, press /. Pressing / makes it reverse/brake, pressing / twice triggers a Boost Dash, and / fires its machine gun.

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing

The Dark Rider appears once more in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing as Shadow's vehicle. Its appearance is identical to that in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), but it lacks its machine guns. Instead of the GUN insignia, it has the Black Arms insignia on its fuel tank.

Trivia

• The Dark Rider bears an resemblance to a 2003 Harley Davidson XL1200 Custom Anniversary Edition.
• Shadow is one of the four characters in the Sonic franchise in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing that rides a bike family vehicle. (the others being Big, Metal Sonic, and Knuckles).
• The Dark Rider also appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series, debuting in Sonic Universe. It appears humorously on the cover of Sonic Universe #23 with Cream the Rabbit and Cheese the Chao riding it. Amy asks why Shadow even has a bike and he explains that all GUN Agents must be issued with a vehicle. Rouge points out that even though he doesn't need it, Shadow customized and maintains it himself, to which he admits, "I really like that bike."
• The Dark Rider was made into a toy for the Sonic & Sega All-Stars 3" action figure series, coming with a Shadow figure with hands especially molded so that they could wrap around the handlebars of the bike, keeping him on it. The Dark Rider was also made into a radio-controlled toy with a working headlight.

Gallery

Concept artwork

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing

Artwork

Gallery
The Dark Rider in Shadow the Hedgehog. The bike as it appears in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). The Dark Rider as it appears in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing.

Sprites

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing

References

Shadow the Hedgehog (game)

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Main article · Scripts (Main Story, Last Story) · Credits · Manuals · Glitches · Beta elements · Library Sequences · Gallery

*Only playable in the GameCube and PlayStation 2 versions · **Only playable in Battle Mode
V·T·E · Category

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)

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Main article · Scripts (Sonic, Shadow, Silver, Last) · Credits · Manuals · Glitches · Beta elements · Gallery

*Unused
V·T·E · Category

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing

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Main article | Staff | Glitches | Gallery