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History[]

Past[]

Main article: Project Shadow

Shadow's history dates back to fifty years prior to the Space Colony ARK incident, when "Project Shadow", a secretive project sanctioned by the government, began under Professor Gerald Robotnik's supervision on the Space Colony ARK. The purpose of the project was to create immortality, and apply it to the "The Ultimate Lifeform", which the United Federation president planned to harness as a weapon. Gerald, however, had his own goal in mind: He planned to use the results of the project as a way of finding a cure for his dying granddaughter Maria, who was suffering from the incurable illness NIDS. As such, although Gerald had his own concerns that he was crossing a moral boundary by attempting to create immortality, he put these aside for the sake of his granddaughter.[9] There are two reasons why the name "Shadow" in particular was coined: one came from the irony that a shadow could not be created, referencing the belief that immortality was impossible[9] and working as a metaphor of "unreal things";[10] while the other one came from Maria herself, who said that it sounded "cute" and that shadows could "teach people the way to the light".[10] However, Gerald himself thought that the name sounded "villain-like".[10]

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Shadow awakening after his creation, from Shadow the Hedgehog.

Despite receiving resources from the government to back the project, Gerald soon hit a barrier in his research, and, out of desperation, took advantage of the Black Comet passing by the Earth (something which only happened every 50 years) and contacted the Black Arms living on it. The leader of the Black Arms, Black Doom, offered his blood for usage in Project Shadow, in return for the seven Chaos Emeralds being delivered to him when the comet returned in 50 years. Gerald agreed, but secretly made preparations to defeat the aliens, as he had suspicions about their ulterior motives regarding the emeralds. Using the DNA from Black Doom, Gerald created Shadow the Hedgehog.

Upon awakening, Shadow began his life on the ARK, forming a strong bond with Maria, and assisting the researchers. Meanwhile, with his research successful, Gerald shifted his focus to preparing for the return of the Black Arms. This led to the creation of the Eclipse Cannon, a laser which could harness the powers of the Chaos Emeralds to potentially destroy the Black Comet.

However, disaster struck when the results of Project Shadow and the research behind it were leaked to G.U.N.. This leak, combined with the already-strained ties between the United Federation, incited fear in the upper branches of the government, who, afraid of Gerald's true involvement with the Black Arms, ordered an invasion of the ARK to shut down the project.[9]

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Shadow hearing Maria's final wish before being sent to earth, from Shadow the Hedgehog.

Raiding the ARK, the G.U.N. forces sealed the Biolizard away, and sent most of the colony's inhabitants back to Earth, while all the researchers involved with Project Shadow were killed, excluding Gerald, who attempted to flee, but was instead captured. Shadow and Maria also attempted to flee, having been instructed by Gerald to locate an escape pod.[9] However, just before they could reach the pod, G.U.N. Soldiers arrived, and Maria was fatally shot. With her dying breath, Maria activated the pod with Shadow in it, and implored Shadow to give all the people on Earth a chance to be happy. Confined to the pod, Shadow was forced to watch in agony as his friend fell to the ground, and the pod was ejected towards Earth.

Shadow's pod was eventually recovered by G.U.N., and the hedgehog was sent in suspended animation to Prison Island, where Gerald was forced to continue his research under government supervision. Having gone insane with grief after learning of his granddaughter's death, Gerald began secretly brainwashing Shadow,[11] modifying his memories so he believed he was meant to destroy humanity. Gerald also secretly kept a diary of his experience, in which he encouraged anyone who found it to release Shadow, should they desire mass destruction. Soon after, Gerald was incarcerated and executed, while Shadow was kept sealed away on the island.[9]

Sonic Adventure 2[]

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Shadow meeting Sonic for the first time, from Sonic Adventure 2: Battle.

In Sonic Adventure 2, Dr. Eggman set Shadow free from a G.U.N. base on Prison Island, where he had spent approximately fifty years in suspended animation. In exchange, Shadow agreed to aid the doctor in his plans to take over the world, holding to himself his true intentions as wishing to get revenge for the death of his friend, Maria Robotnik, as he thought she wanted. To achieve this, the black hedgehog revealed the Eclipse Cannon to the scientist. Beforehand, he also stole the green Chaos Emerald from a bank, unknowingly also framing Sonic the Hedgehog for the deed.

He later participated in the second heist alongside Dr. Eggman and Rouge the Bat against Prison Island, where he would plant explosives throughout the island as part of their getaway, although his resemblance to Sonic also resulted in Amy Rose mistaking him for the latter. However, because Miles "Tails" Prower came to Amy's rescue from Dr. Eggman, he was forced to act fast due to the unexpected delay. In addition, after Rouge ended up getting caught and stranded in the containment area while recovering the four Chaos Emeralds, Shadow, largely because he realized that his plans of avenging Maria Robotnik would be for naught if Rouge perished in the explosion, rushed to get to Rouge and by extension the Chaos Emeralds.

After meeting Sonic for a second time, Shadow also believed that Sonic was trying to copy him. They fought to a stalemate before Shadow was forced to leave to rescue Rouge (with Sonic also learning from Eggman via Shadow's radio that the island was about to blow up), and just barely arrived at Rouge's location and used Chaos Control to warp himself, Rouge, the four Chaos Emeralds and presumably Eggman out at the last possible second. After the demonstration, needing the final Chaos Emerald to fulfill their plans, Shadow pursued Tails' plane at a canyon. Although he was unable to stop them, he nonetheless reported to Eggman that they are headed his way. When Eggman discovered the presence of two apparent emerald readings, and thus deduced Tails' plan of placing a fake Chaos Emerald into the cannon, Shadow departed, apparently to confront Sonic and Tails to stop them for interfering, although Eggman stopped him, wanting to deal with them personally. After Sonic was seemingly killed by Dr. Eggman via a rigged escape capsule, Shadow, witnessing the explosion, guessed that Sonic was only an ordinary hedgehog.

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Shadow and Sonic having a rematch, from Sonic Adventure 2.

Afterwards, Shadow stumbled upon Rouge's plan to steal the Chaos Emeralds, and deduced that she was in fact a spy for the President of the United Federations, although Rouge then unveiled a report from Gerald Robotnik regarding the Biolizard, claiming, it, not Shadow, was the actual Shadow. However, Shadow was forced to depart after Eggman mentioned an anonymous figure (Sonic) heading towards the Eclipse Cannon, although not before stating that he's still Shadow despite his memories possibly being fake, and that "the fake emerald is good enough for Rouge." He then discovers Sonic the Hedgehog at the area. Shadow, impressed at Sonic's capability of using Chaos Control despite using a fake Chaos Emerald, nonetheless stated that he cannot allow him to live before fighting on a collapsing runway. In the last story, Eggman inserted the final Chaos Emerald, only to initiate a destabilization program on the ARK. Professor Gerald Robotnik then revealed that he had made this function to have revenge for Maria, and that the ARK would destroy the Earth. Sonic, Eggman, Rouge, Tails and Knuckles took a shortcut to the cannon's core so they could stop the Professor's mad plan.

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Shadow having transformed into Super Shadow, from Sonic Adventure 2.

Amy Rose then helped Shadow realize Maria's true wish. In a twist of fate, Shadow ultimately aided Sonic when realizing, with Amy's help, Maria's true wish, which was to save humanity. Meanwhile, Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles had reached the central core, where they reactivated the Biolizard. Notably, a scene from Gerald Robotnik's diary appeared again. After Shadow defeated the Biolizard, Knuckles used the Master Emerald to stop the Chaos Emeralds. But the Biolizard, being the prototype of Project Shadow, used Chaos Control to fuse with the ARK, continuing its fall. Then, Sonic and Shadow, in their Super States, destroyed the Biolizard. The Ultimate Lifeform prototype became a monster, codenamed Finalhazard. Using their powers, Shadow and Sonic defeated him and executed an enhanced Chaos Control which stopped the fall and warped the ARK. Afterwards, Shadow's energy was drained out and after falling to the Earth, he was presumed dead.

Sonic Heroes[]

Android or Hedgehog

Shadow in stasis, from Sonic Heroes.

In Sonic Heroes, Rouge discovered Shadow unconscious in a stasis pod located in the deepest part of one of Dr. Eggman's bases, after he was believed to be dead. As she activated the capsule, E-123 Omega ban to scan Rouge and the newly awakened Shadow, believing him to be a creation of Eggman. As Shadow awakened, Omega fired a round of guns at Shadow and Rouge. Shadow ordered Rouge to step away while he took on Omega, but Rouge stepped in to break them up, quickly ending the skirmish. Shadow discovered that he has amnesia and could not remember anything before his release, aside from his name and brief images of Maria Robotnik's death. He unwillingly joined forces with Rouge and Omega, to form Team Dark and find Eggman.

On their way to Eggman on Grand Metropolis, Shadow and his team met up with Team Chaotix, and began fighting against them as Rouge suspected them to be searching for "Eggman's treasure". Later, Shadow met Dr. Eggman in a casino, asking him for his identity; however, "Eggman" denied that Shadow had "a past to remember". On another battle against one of Eggman's machines, Shadow discovered that there are clones of him, much to his already established self-confusion. After giving it a brief break, Shadow, however, chose to proceed forward. Unbeknownst to him, Neo Metal Sonic had collected Shadow's data while the hedgehog was fighting during that moment.

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Shadow mocking Sonic, from Sonic Heroes.

In Lost Jungle, Shadow confronted Sonic and his team of Knuckles and Tails. When they encountered each other, Shadow had no memory of Sonic, and asked Rouge about him. The two teams began taunting each other until Omega threatened Sonic and his team to destroy them. Shadow then started a fight against Sonic and his friends. When they made it to the Egg Fleet, Shadow made up his mind to defeat Eggman once and for all even if he was not truly the ultimate lifeform.

After "Eggman" was seemingly defeated, Shadow remarked that Rouge's desire to steal the Master Emerald from Knuckles as she was explaining her next plan is nothing strange for him. Shortly after that, Neo Metal Sonic revealed himself to them, and began transforming as Shadow, his teammates and the other teams were witnessing that moment. Having no other option, Shadow worked with everyone else to help defeat the monster, and gladly gave his Chaos Emerald to Sonic. After the final battle, Shadow and E-123 Omega were holding the defeated Metal Sonic.

Sonic Battle[]

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Shadow confronting Sonic, from Sonic Battle.

In Sonic Battle, Shadow had numerous instances of a mysterious voice telling him to not allow a so-called "strong power" to exist. Eventually, this prompted him to go to investigate at Dr. Eggman's Gimme Shelter base in Night Babylon, where he found the Gizoid, an ancient weapon of mass destruction in the scientist's possession which he recognized as the voice that called him. Soon after, he found Rouge, who also went to investigate after hearing rumors of Eggman hiding something important. Afterwards, however, the two were confronted by a horde of the doctor's Guard Robos, whom they promptly fought. Despite holding the advantage, the black hedgehog was attacked by one of the robots while he was looking away, heavily injuring him. The bat thus took him to her Club "Rouge" nearby, where he would spend several days recovering.

A few days later, Shadow headed to Emerald Town, where he found Sonic with the Gizoid approaching Tails' house. Following a misunderstanding, the two hedgehogs fought in the area over the robot. After losing due to his weakened state, the black hedgehog left, but not before asking his rival not to let Eggman get ahold of the Gizoid. Much later, Shadow learned that Tails and the Gizoid, now named "Emerl", found out about the latter's background in a governmental computer, and told the fox to destroy the robot before it collected the seven Chaos Emeralds to regain its full power and destroy the world. However, Tails did not listen, and a confrontation between the two soon ensued in Central City. Fortunately, Rouge stepped in and stopped the battle, since Guard Robos were hot on their trails too. The black hedgehog was also forced to quit fighting when his poor condition got the best of him. Shadow promptly left with the bat while Tails and Emerl escaped to Emerald Town.

Over the next few days, Shadow would have flashbacks of his past, from the time he was awakened by Dr. Eggman, to his recent fights with Sonic and Tails over Emerl and his formation of Team Dark with Rouge. When he finally recovered, the black hedgehog headed to Emerald Town, where he found the blue hedgehog and informed him that Emerl only needed one more Chaos Emerald to awake his full power, which would destroy the world, but Sonic believed the robot would not do that since he had a heart like Shadow, who was also a top secret ultimate weapon. As the black hedgehog brushed off his arguments, Sonic gave up trying to argue with him and let him have the Gizoid. Despite Emerl being attracted to Shadow's Chaos Emerald, the blue hedgehog let him go with the black hedgehog, believing he would learn who he really was with his help. Along the way, Shadow and Emerl were confronted by Chaos Gamma in Central City, whom they defeated. With Gamma unable to move and only uttering his wish for destruction, the hedgehog reminded the robot that this was the fate of weapons of war.

Continuing along, Shadow and Emerl returned to Gimme Shelter, where they were confronted by Rouge. With the hedgehog wishing to know why he had a "soul" despite supposedly being a weapon of war, the bat explained to them that Professor Gerald had little interest in using his research for war, and thus gave Shadow a "soul" identical to that of Maria, wishing that the black hedgehog would never fight despite how crazed humanity might become. She continued, saying that while the professor was unable to erase Emerl's destructive code, he did implement a special code in him to turn him into a ordinary robot when the following quote was uttered: "Bring hope to humanity". Afterwards, Shadow gave the Gizoid his Chaos Emerald and ordered him to "bring hope to humanity", thus making Eggman no longer able to control the robot. Later, the hedgehog had a showdown with Emerl to see who was the strongest; midway through though, the Gizoid told him that he wanted to see his friends one last time. As such, Shadow ordered him to go meet his friends for the last time and then to go fight him at Central Highway.

After complying with Shadow's orders, Emerl fought him in the specified area. When the Gizoid won though, the black hedgehog saw some unexpected help from Sonic, who wanted to give the robot a bigger challenge. After Emerl won despite the odds, he thanked the blue hedgehog and the others for raising him up. Believing that a weapon having feelings was ridiculous, Shadow left with a frown.

Shadow eventually joined Sonic and his friends when they were watching Emerl take on Dr. Eggman in the Death Egg. However, things turned sour after the Gizoid went haywire when the scientist showcased the power of his Final Egg Blaster, which caused the robot to take control of the laser cannon and aim it at earth. Discovering that this was the doctor's plan all along, the black hedgehog saw as Sonic tried to use the Master Emerald to stop the rogue robot, with no success. With only thirty seconds left before the Final Egg Blaster fired and destroyed the planet, Shadow saw this as a result of human ignorance and greed. He and the others later watched as the blue hedgehog went onboard the Death Egg himself and defeated Emerl, stopping the cannon from firing and saving the world. Unfortunately, however, the robot was destroyed, with the black hedgehog seeing this as Gerald's final program: if a weapon went out of control, it would terminate itself. Upon his destruction, Emerl left an Emerald Shard in which, according to Sonic, his soul was still resting.

Shadow tries to convince Sonic that Emerl is a threat, but Sonic refuses to believe him, forcing Shadow to fight Sonic. Sonic wins, but Shadow still warns him about the unknown dangers the Gizoid represents. Rouge the Bat saves Shadow while they are investigating Dr. Eggman's secret base and takes him back to her home. Shadow talks about how the people of Earth must destroy him and Emerl if they ever want peace, still believing that he is a weapon. It is revealed, however, that he ultimately has the heart and soul of Maria Robotnik, implying he could not be the enemy of humanity.

Shadow the Hedgehog[]

In Shadow the Hedgehog, while being haunted by the thoughts of his past memories, Shadow witnessed an alien race known as the Black Arms arriving on earth to invade, where the leader of the race, Black Doom appeared before him through Doom's Eye and told him to bring him the Chaos Emeralds "as promised" before disappearing. Fueled with the desire to seek out his past and find the truth behind Doom's words in hopes of uncovering his past, the black hedgehog went off to find the Emeralds. Beginning in the ruins of Westopolis, he seemingly collaborated with the Black Arms[note 1] before ending up at Dr. Eggman's Cryptic Castle. Believing that the doctor knew something about his past, Shadow infiltrated the castle and found Amy, whom he helped rescue Cream and Cheese, before being confronted by the scientist's Egg Breaker. With the pink hedgehog's help, however, he destroyed the mech and later found himself caught in the crossfire between the Black Arms' ancient aerial fortresses and the Eggman Empire's Eggman Fleet. In the aftermath, he had four Chaos Emeralds in his possession.

After successfully gathering all of the Chaos Emeralds and ending up at the Black Arms's Black Comet, Shadow was confronted by Black Doom, who commanded him to give him the Emeralds so that they could begin the "prosperity ritual". However, Sonic the Hedgehog and the others, including Eggman himself, then arrived and told the black hedgehog not to listen to the alien leader. Nevertheless, after revealing the Black Arms' intention to harvest humans as an energy source, Doom took the Chaos Emeralds from Shadow and used Chaos Control to warp the Black Comet down to the surface of the earth. The alien overlord then explained that he helped Professor Gerald create Shadow, but only in return for the Chaos Emeralds, which were needed to bring the comet down to the surface, before he paralyzed everyone with a special gas and left them to be devoured by his alien offspring, the Death Leeches. Due to having the same blood as Black Doom, Shadow was the only one not affected by the gas and continued forward as he finally put his past behind, swearing to never let anyone manipulate him again, and was determined to destroy Black Doom.

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Shadow looking back at his past one last time before moving forward, from Shadow the Hedgehog.

Black Doom fled, leaving behind Shadow, the only hope for the planet. Shadow caught up with Black Doom and suddenly was attacked by mind control. Black Doom told him that he could control him as they had the same blood running through their veins. Just then, Team Chaotix activated a film showing a sane Professor Gerald Robotnik sometime before the raid on the ARK. In the video, he told him that he was the only hope for the planet. It was revealed that the only way to defeat the Black Arms was to destroy the Black Comet using the Eclipse Cannon. As the video ended, Maria stepped into the frame and gave Shadow the inspiration he needed to break through Black Doom's control. Black Doom escaped and prompted Shadow to use the Chaos Emeralds to become Super Shadow and fight the alien leader. Black Doom, now in his Devil Doom form, fought Shadow but was defeated. Shadow then used a super-powered Chaos Control to warp the Black Comet back into the planet's orbit and tear it apart with a blast from the Eclipse Cannon. Onboard the ARK and with the world now safe, Shadow looked at a picture of Maria and Gerald before tossing it away, resolving to put his past behind him and move forward with his life.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)[]

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Shadow being informed about his mission in White Acropolis, from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).

In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), Shadow is a playable character and has his own storyline and a new enemy called Mephiles the Dark. In this game, his story intertwines with those of Sonic and a new character, Silver the Hedgehog. In this role, Shadow is requested by G.U.N. to go to Dr. Eggman's base at White Acropolis to rescue their agent (Rouge), who was last contacted 26 hours prior. After storming the base and taking out the robots in the outer perimeter, he started the mission upon being briefed. However, by the time he arrived at the main gate, he encountered Rouge who at the same time opened the gate, to which he explained to a surprised Rouge that he had orders directly from the President to rescue her. Afterwards, Shadow was asked by Rouge whether he wanted to know what she was sent to retrieve. Shadow did not care, as he was only sent to rescue her. On the way to the extraction point, they were ambushed by several Eggman Robots, including the Egg Cerberus.

Upon arrival, he learned the history of Kingdom Valley, including the Solaris Project. He and Rouge encountered the new villain, Mephiles the Dark when the Scepter of Darkness falls and shatters (as Shadow rescued Rouge from freefall when she and the scepter were knocked away by Eggman). Mephiles, who had been sealed inside the Scepter of Darkness, was subsequently released with the relic's destruction, adopting Shadow's appearance due to absorbing his shadow. Shadow was confused by Mephiles' familiarity with him before the villain sent him and Rouge to the future as part of "a one way ticket to oblivion." Shortly after assessing their situation, they encountered Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, who had themselves been transported to the future by Eggman. After explaining their shared predicament, Shadow then told Sonic that the only way to return to the present is to find two Chaos Emeralds and then perform Chaos Control together. Shadow and Rouge then found the Green Chaos Emerald but also discovered Omega's husk. Shadow then discovers that Omega's on standby mode. As they are unable to do anything for him, Shadow and Rouge reluctantly leave Omega behind. They then rendezvous with Sonic's group. Upon discovering that another Chaos Emerald was near the volcano, Shadow and Sonic proposed to locate it. Upon finding the Chaos Emerald, they fought Iblis, a fiery monster within the volcano. After the dispatching of the monster, Shadow proceeded to use Chaos Control with Sonic, opening a wormhole to their present. Before Shadow could follow after Rouge and the others, he noticed Mephiles' presence nearby and pursued him instead. Shadow followed Mephiles to a volcanic platform and questioned the demon whether he was responsible for the world's destruction. Mephiles showed the Shadow of that time period, held in stasis, revealing that in the aftermath of Iblis' destruction of the world, Shadow had been labeled as the enemy of mankind due to his perceived role in the disaster and their fear of his power. Despite the shock of this revelation, Shadow refused to join Mephiles, informing him that he "controls his own destiny." He fought Mephiles to a stalemate until Omega, who had awakened to fulfill Rouge's request from the present to aid Shadow in the future, intervened. The two then chased after Mephiles upon his defeat, returning the present, but he escaped from their presence.

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Shadow and Omega having returned to their time frame, from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).

Shadow searched for Rouge near the warehouse docks after her disappearance from G.U.N.'s contact. Informed Dr. Eggman's robots were hunting Mephiles down and mistook Shadow for him, the black hedgehog left to find the scientist for answers to Mephiles' identity. Upon meeting the doctor, Shadow learned a vital clue to Mephiles' possible origins that it pertained to the accident during the Solaris Project, and was offered more information on the project in exchange for capturing Mephiles. Shadow later thwarted Silver's second assassination attempt on Sonic and fought him to allow the blue hedgehog to continue his own mission. After fighting to a stalemate, Shadow managed to overpower Silver with Chaos Control until the latter hedgehog's own use of Chaos Control interfered with his, causing a portal through time to appear. Understanding that Silver had been trying to kill Sonic to prevent his apocalyptic future from occurring at Mephiles' suggestions, Shadow informed him that Mephiles was really using him to erase the past. Shadow then suggested that Silver accompany him to the past if they are to discover the truth of what happened ten years prior. Shadow then entered the area just as the accident occurred, and checked on the Duke's body, although he soon witnessed the birth of both Iblis and Mephiles. Shadow then pursued Mephiles, although not before being handed the Scepter of Darkness by the Duke to seal Mephiles, while Silver went after Iblis, rendezvousing briefly to get by a switch in their paths. Shadow then proceeded to use Chaos Control when cornering Mephiles, and then sealed him in the scepter, although not before the latter threatened that he will die in the future (explaining how he knew Shadow upon his release). He and Silver then returned to the future, leaving the scepter behind since he already knew its fate.

A minute of truth

Shadow being informed that Omega is the one who seals him in the future, from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).

Meeting up with Rouge, Shadow requested her to contact GUN to see what the scepter was made out of, hoping to recreate it. He then rendezvoused with Omega upon learning that the latter had cornered Mephiles. By the time he and Rouge arrived, however, Shadow discovered that Omega had furiously driven Mephiles off. Omega then admitted that Shadow, in the future, is sealed away by the reprogrammed Omega. As the revelation shocked all of them, Rouge told Shadow that she would always remain by side even if the world would turn against him. Shadow's team then returned to Soleanna, where they had to find someone with archaeological knowledge on the object. They then rescued an archaeologist, who informed them that it would appear at a priest's fountain by lighting black flames, which Shadow accomplished. After taking out several of Iblis's and Mephiles' henchmen that had invaded the city from the desert, a grateful Lord Regis, acting under temporary authority after Eggman had kidnapped Princess Elise a third time, opened the way to the desert. Deducing that Mephiles needed at least one Chaos Emerald to reform with Iblis into Solaris and devour time, the trio went to the ruins that Mephiles was headed to, most likely because a Chaos Emerald was nearby. However, they found Mephiles getting the Emerald in the ruins' inner sanctum. When asked once more to join, Shadow exposed what Mephiles' true plans were. After which, they then fought in an intense battle.

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Shadow and the others witnessing Sonic's revival, from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).

Although Shadow, Rouge and Omega ultimately won, Shadow's attempt to seal him failed due to Mephiles time traveling to his encapsulation and absorbing Shadow's power via his shadow, alongside his gaining of a Chaos Emerald (In the Japanese version, Mephiles said that since he had absorbed Shadow's power through the latter's shadow, Shadow cannot seal him again). Undeterred, Shadow, upon declaring to the newly created Mephiles clones that he will fight as he always had even if the world declares him to be as an enemy, and proceeded, alongside his teammates, to plow through the Mephiles clones with his full power backing him.

Despite seemingly wiping out the clones, Mephiles nonetheless gained a hold of the seven Chaos Emeralds (an event Shadow briefly witnessed immediately after slaughtering the clones when the yellow and green Chaos Emeralds glowed intensely) and merges with Iblis, becoming Solaris. Shadow, along with Silver, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Dr. Eggman, also discovered that Mephiles had killed Sonic to ensure Iblis' release (due to his sealing of Iblis inside of Elise weakening due to crying). In order to defeat Solaris before it consumed all of time, Shadow and the others proceeded to find the Chaos Emeralds to revive Sonic (Shadow finding one in Kingdom Valley). Afterwards, with Super Sonic's help, he turns into Super Shadow and joins him along with Super Silver to defeat Solaris.

After Elise extinguishes Solaris when it was just a tiny flame, the events of the game are then erased and do not occur; Shadow's future is then left open, since humanity would have yet to find reason to persecute him.

Sonic Rivals series[]

Sonic Rivals[]

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Shadow and Metal Sonic encounter Sonic, from Sonic Rivals

Shadow appears in Sonic Rivals as a playable character, alongside Sonic, Knuckles, Silver and Metal Sonic. Summoned to a strange island by Dr. Eggman via a cryptic transmission asking for his aid, Shadow is able to successfully locate Eggman and prevents Silver (who he meets for the first time due to their original meeting being retconned) from confronting him. Shadow assumes Silver was the one whom Eggman mentioned was targeting him, but once he mentions the cryptic message, Eggman denies it and sends his Egg Turtle on the hedgehogs. Initially deciding to leave things be, Shadow is contacted by Rouge who insists he keeps trailing Eggman while she uncovers more information. After contending with Knuckles in his pursuit of Eggman, Shadow is contacted by Rouge again only for the transmission to be cut short before she can reveal what she discovered about Eggman. Encountering Sonic and Metal Sonic, Shadow learns that Rouge had been captured within a card by Eggman and continues with more determination in learning what Eggman is hiding.

At one particular encounter, Shadow sees Eggman possesses a card of himself. Running into Silver again, Shadow is told that Eggman may really be an imposter, meaning the real Eggman has been trapped in a card. Finally confronting the villain, Shadow learns "Eggman" is really Eggman Nega, his descendant. After being bested once again, Eggman Nega plans to take a picture of the entire world, thus trapping it in a card, with his camera. The real Doctor Eggman is eventually rescued who escorts Shadow and Silver to Nega's space station to stop Nega's ultimatum. Assisted by Silver and Sonic in making his way through, Shadow is able to defeat Eggman Nega and Rouge is finally rescued. Shadow also appears on four of the 150 collectible cards in the game.

Sonic Rivals 2[]

Shadow also appears in the sequel to Sonic Rivals, Sonic Rivals 2. He is confronted by Metal Sonic and Eggman via a speaker in Metal Sonic, and tells him that he needs help. Before he can ask questions, he and Metal Sonic find Espio and Silver. Curious as to why Silver has returned to the present, Shadow begins to follow Silver while Metal Sonic follows Espio. Eventually, Shadow forgets to ask the Doctor why he is helping him and just continues to work with Metal Sonic. Eggman then tells Shadow that Eggman Nega is trying to release the Ifrit with the seven Chaos Emeralds. He enters the Chaotic Inferno Zone to press a switch inside the dimension to seal the Ifrit in its own dimension and after engaging it in a battle, he and Metal Sonic proved to be victorious but they are trapped in the process. Metal Sonic tears himself open to reveal a Chaos Emerald, and Shadow uses Chaos Control to warp them back to their own dimension.

Sonic Free Riders[]

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Shadow, from Sonic Free Riders.

In Sonic Free Riders, Shadow entered the World Grand Prix with Rouge the Bat as "Team Dark". While Rouge was only interested in the large cash prize and treasure that was given to the winners, Shadow's only interest was testing racing skills.

When the World Grand Prix started, Shadow and Rouge were fifteen minutes late to the opening ceremony. When they arrived, Omochao complained about their tardiness, but Shadow remarked that he had no interest in formalities. Discontent with the rule that three members were required for a team, but accepting it nonetheless, Team Dark chose their third teammate, an E-10000B, on a whim. At the races, Team Dark was insulted by their first opponent, Team Babylon. However, Shadow mocked his opponents in return as his team kept beating them.

After defeating Team Babylon, Shadow and his team faced Team Heroes. Though Sonic praised Shadow's earlier performance, Shadow replied that his opponents were no challenge for him. During their face-offs, E-10000B began to overheat, but Shadow showed the robot no sympathy. Insisting to continue the competition anyway, Shadow faced off against Sonic in a final race and won. Having beaten Team Heroes, Shadow told Sonic that he would never beat him.

In the finals, Team Dark faced Team Rose and was just one race away from winning when E-10000B began to smoke. However, Shadow kept pressuring the robot to continue. The two teams then quickly began arguing over how Shadow and Rouge treated their teammate. In the end, E-10000B was moved to the repairing department, while the rest of Team Dark had a final race with Team Rose by themselves. After beating Team Rose, Shadow and Rouge went for the Grand Prix Headquarters unannounced and took the cash prize and treasure themselves. As they were leaving though, Omochao informed them that they had only taken the dummy drops for the display and that the real prize was locked away, meaning they had to attend the award ceremony to get it.

Near the end of the World Grand Prix, Team Dark and the other teams came down with an equal amount of victories, and Shadow came to the award ceremony with the others to collect their prize. Once there, they were all told by Dr. Eggman (under his alias, King Doc) that they had one more race against his Gear-jockey robots. Shadow and Sonic quickly saw through Eggman's ruse, but the doctor had them race anyway. After the race, however, Eggman revealed himself and announced that that he had been collecting all the data on the racers in the Grand Prix with his E-10000 to make the ultimate Extreme Gear that he could use for his own agenda and challenged them all to a race. After beating Eggman though, Shadow noticed that E-10000B was spewing out a lot of smoke. Metal Sonic then revealed himself as the one controlling E-10000B and passing fake data to Eggman, explaining for the doctor's loss.

Shadow and the others then watched as Metal Sonic challenged Sonic the Hedgehog to a race, which the robot lost. Afterwards, it was revealed that Eggman never had any prize to give to the winners of the World Grand Prix. However, Shadow remarked that it was nothing new to him, just like the doctor's other schemes.

Sonic Colors[]

Shadown

Shadow meeting Sonic and Tails in Asteroid Coaster, from the Nintendo DS version of Sonic Colors

In the Nintendo DS version of Sonic Colors, Shadow was at Asteroid Coaster seeking information when he found Sonic and Tails, and gave Sonic a mission to test out if Sonic was still capable of fighting Dr. Eggman. After the mission, Shadow declined any hint of concern for the duo, but Sonic took it as a compliment.

Reuniting with E-123 Omega, Shadow and his friend discovered secret amusement ride of Eggman's. On their way to investigate, they were joined by Sonic and Tails. They arrived at a lab where Tails discovered records of an experiment called Project "Mother" on the computers. Shadow was disappointed they did not find more to help, but Sonic just was just happy to find something and left. Omega then asked why Shadow gave Sonic information, to which Shadow said he was just happy to let Sonic do all the racing around. Omega found this hard to understand since Shadow and Sonic were equals, but Shadow just replied that data would not tell him everything, leaving the automaton stumped.

Sonic Generations[]

Shadow & Rouge (Sonic Generations)

Shadow motivating the Sonics to defeat the Time Eater, from the console/PC version of Sonic Generations.

In the console/PC version of Sonic Generations, Shadow was sucked into White Space by the Time Eater. After completing all acts in the Dreamcast era, Shadow can be found in the City Escape hub. When found, he is waiting for Sonic, stating that he neither knows nor cares where they are, as long as he gets a chance to finish Sonic. He has a unique rival battle, where the two have to race each other on a looped pathway to and gain Power Cores to unleash special attacks. The battle is won when one depletes the other's ring count whilst using a special attack.

Shadow appears later on to motivate both Sonics, alongside Rouge and the all the other characters after their initial defeat against the Time Eater. After the Time Eater is defeated, Shadow shows up at Sonic's birthday party along with all the other characters. He is the only character who does not wave goodbye to Classic Sonic and Classic Tails in the end.

Sonic X Shadow Generations[]

In Sonic X Shadow Generations, Shadow will appear in his own storyline, titled "Shadow Generations," where he has to revisit his past. In this journey, Shadow will run into Black Doom and the Biolizard again and explore familiar locations.

Sonic Forces[]

Shadow vs Infinite Episode Shadow

Shadow defeating the Jackal Squad's leader, from Sonic Forces.

Several months prior to Sonic Forces, Shadow was on his way to Eggman's Facility to destroy the base. Along the way, he wiped out the Jackal Squad defense unit and easily defeated their captain, whom Shadow told to never show his face to him again, before heading in to destroy the facility.

A couple of months later, Shadow and his team went on a reconnaissance mission regarding a suspicious Eggman base. After being informed by Rouge that Omega went ahead of him, Shadow headed out to join up with him. After Omega, who attacked the base instead of investigating it stealthily, lost all communications with Rouge however, he went in search of the robot at his last recorded coordinates.[12] There, Shadow met Infinite, a mysterious being who had just defeated Omega. As Infinite ridiculed Omega, Shadow demanded answers from the unfamiliar entity. It was then that Infinite revealed that he was the Jackal Squad's captain, and that his loss to Shadow drove him to get assimilated with Eggman's finalized Phantom Ruby copy so he could never be as weak as he once was. Infinite then promptly repaid Shadow by trapping him in an illusion via the Phantom Ruby prototype's properties. Shadow ultimately escaped both the illusion and the doomed facility they were in, although not before learning that Infinite planned to overpower Sonic with his newfound abilities. About a month later, Shadow learned from Rouge that Sonic was in trouble, with the hedgehog already suspecting Infinite's presence thanks to the latter's final words to him beforehand, although he was seemingly unable to make it in time to help Sonic as he was overpowered by Infinite in the City and taken to the rebuilt Death Egg, leaving the world to assume him dead and lose hope of defeating Eggman quickly.

ShadowGrandEntrance

Shadow saving Sonic from his Phantom Copy counterpart, from Sonic Forces.

Shadow eventually discovered an imposter was wrecking havoc in his name. This imposter turned out to be a heartless and soulless Phantom Copy created by Infinite, who served as a soldier in the Eggman Army, alongside Phantom Copies of Metal Sonic, Chaos and Zavok. This Phantom Copy, along with the others and Infinite, allowed the Eggman Empire to conquer over 99% of the world. Six months later, when Sonic confronted the Shadow Phantom Copy in Sunset Heights, Shadow destroyed his Phantom Copy when it tried to attack Sonic, using his Chaos Control to freeze time right before the Phantom Copy could strike and delivering a roundhouse kick to take it out in one hit. Linking up with the Resistance, Shadow revealed to them the true nature of Infinite's Phantom Copies and virtual reality powers, and joined the Resistance in the war against the Eggman Empire. He had Rouge collect intelligence regarding where they could locate Eggman's files on the Phantom Ruby and its power source, leading to Classic Sonic and Tails hitting the Chemical Plant for the data.

Eventually, Shadow took part in the final battle between the Resistance and the Eggman Army at the Eggman Empire Fortress, which the Resistance sought to break into in order to destroy the reactor powering the Phantom Rubies and win the war. Just as Shadow and the others got pushed back by Infinite however, Omega, fully operational again, came and distracted the villain. After that, Infinite put Eggman's endgame into effect: using his Phantom Ruby prototype, he created a virtual sun above the planet to drop on the Resistance with and kill them all. While Shadow awaited the outcome however, the sun was neutralized by the Avatar. Shadow then reengaged the Eggman Army while Sonic and the Avatar defeated Infinite and destroyed the Phantom Rubies' reactor. However, when Eggman entered the battlefield with a Death Egg Robot armed with the original Phantom Ruby, which was powered by the mech itself, the doctor began producing thousands of Phantom Copies that threatened to overwhelm Shadow and the Resistance. Fortunately, Shadow and the Resistance were saved when Sonic, Classic Sonic and the Avatar destroyed the Death Egg Robot, causing the Eggman Army's Phantom Copies to vanish and leaving the Resistance as the winners of the war.

In the aftermath, Shadow, alongside Sonic's other allies, bid farewell to Classic Sonic as he returned to his own world, and vowed to rebuild the world. Afterwards, back at the Resistance HQ, he watched the Avatar leave to go on their own adventure after the Resistance got disbanded.

Team Sonic Racing[]

In Team Sonic Racing, Shadow and his team joined Dodon Pa's Grand Prix alongside Dr. Eggman and his team. However, Team Dark's true intentions for joining the Grand Prix was to investigate Dr. Eggman.[13] In that Grand Prix awaited opponents like Team Sonic, Team Rose and Team Vector. For the races, Shadow received the Dark Reaper to race in.

During a race between Team Dark and Team Sonic, Shadow focused solely on Sonic as they raced neck-to-neck in their speed-type race cars. Eventually however, Dr. Eggman intruded on the teams' race in order to compete against them on his own as a "special guest" (which Dodon Pa permitted despite knowing it was a lie). After Eggman began gaining the lead, Shadow, his team, and Team Sonic all agreed to put their feud aside and work together to keep Eggman from winning the race. Instructing his team to follow Team Sonic's example (only better), Shadow received a Slingshot speed boost from his team that allowed him to pass Eggman alongside Sonic. Shadow and Sonic would afterward pass the finish line while the others took care of Eggman with a combined Wisp power-up assault. However, Dodon Pa was too busy watching Eggman's beating to see which one between Sonic and Shadow crossed the finish line first. As such, the two hedgehog decided to have a rematch.[14]

ShadowTeamSonicRacing

Shadow stating his reasons for being in the Grand Prix, from Team Sonic Racing.

Eventually, Shadow met Sonic after a race, who wanted to know if he was working with Dr. Eggman. Shadow replied grimly that he was only in the Grand Prix to stop whatever evil plans Eggman was cooking up. However, the two hedgehogs' egos soon clashed, and Shadow and Sonic ended up challenging each other to a race. Afterward, they agreed that they had to watch out for both Dodon Pa, whose motivations for hosting the Grand Prix was a mystery, and Eggman. Soon after, Shadow learned that Eggman and Dodon Pa were seemingly working together. Since they did not know what the pair was up to though, the heroes decided to keep racing for now. Later, Eggman would sent hundreds of Eggpawns after the racers. As Shadow set out to slag the robots with his team, he would end up competing with Sonic over who could beat the most Eggpawns. Later, after it was revealed that Dodon Pa was a good guy and that he was using the Grand Prix to gather information for his corporation's Ultimate Energy Engine, which Dodon Pa wanted to use for philanthropic purposes, Shadow came to Sonic and reminded him that they still had Eggman to worry about.

Soon after, the heroes learned from Big that Eggman had kidnapped Dodon Pa and brought him to the Final Fortress. Wanting to rescue Dodon Pa, Shadow and co. went to the Final Fortress. There, Eggman had them compete in a number of races with Team Eggman and his army of Eggpawns in exchange for Dodon Pa, not knowing Eggman was using them to gather the Ultimate Team Energy needed to finish the Ultimate Energy Engine. Once the engine was complete, Eggman stole it from Dodon Pa and incorporated it into his Death Egg. Shadow and his crew subsequently faced the Death Egg, and beat it in a race. However, the Death Egg soon after went crazy and drove into the Final Fortress's core. As the Final Fortress crashed, Shadow and his comrades were forced to abandon their cars and evacuate the airship while Team Sonic saved Dodon Pa. Down on the ground, Shadow was reunited with Team Sonic when they arrived with Dodon Pa. Just as the Grand Prix seemed over since the cars had been destroyed when the Final Fortress crashed, Dodon Pa decided to give everyone new cars, thus allowing Shadow and his allies to race once more.

Other game appearances[]

Sonic Pinball Party[]

In Sonic Pinball Party, Shadow's name appeared on the list of participants that took part in the Egg Cup Tournament.

Sonic Riders series[]

Sonic Riders[]

In Sonic Riders, Shadow is a playable character for Free Races. He is unlocked after beating the Hero story mode. He is a Speed Type character and his default Extreme Gear is Darkness, which he uses to skate like his default shoes. His Level 1 Attack temporarily stuns a nearby opponent; the Level 2 attack makes an opponent temporarily lose his or her balance. His Level 3 attack freezes a nearby opponent so that Shadow can easily pass them. He plays no role in the story. Shadow has the following stats in gameplay:

Image Type Stats
Dash Limit Power Cornering
SonicRiders Shadow Speed ★★★ ★★★★ ★★★ ★★

Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity[]

Shadow uses his gb

Shadow on the Black Shot, from Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity.

Shadow appears in the sequel, Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, as a speed character and his default Gear is called the Black Shot. Again, he is unlocked by completing the Hero Story. Once again, he plays no role in the story. Shadow has the following stats in gameplay:

Image Type Stats
Dash Limit Power Curve
Shadow the Hedgehog (SRZG) Grind ★★★★ ★★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★★

Sonic Storybook Series[]

Sonic and the Secret Rings[]

In Sonic and the Secret Rings, Shadow appears as a playable character in Party Mode. He can be unlocked by obtaining thirty Fire Souls.

Sonic and the Black Knight[]

In Sonic and the Black Knight, Shadow appears as a playable character in Battle Mode. He can be unlocked in Battle Mode by clearing the "Defeat the Boss: Sir Lancelot" mission in Deep Woods. In gameplay, he has the same moveset as Sir Lancelot, Shadow's alternate reality doppelganger from the world of Camelot. He also wields Arondight during battle and his Soul Surge is Chaos Punishment.

Mario & Sonic series[]

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games[]

Like Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow is an extremely fast hedgehog that can give his more famous blue rival a run for his money in most Speed events. Additionally, his accuracy will help give him a leg up in the events like the archery and fencing.

Shadow's profile, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games website

In Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Shadow appears as one of the playable characters in both the Wii and Nintendo DS version of the game.

In both versions of the game, Shadow has the following characteristics and icons:

Icon Skill Type Stats Emblem
Shadow icon (Mario & Sonic 2008) Speed Shadow-Stats MyS emblem Shadow

In the Mission Mode in both the Wii and Nintendo DS versions of the game, Shadow has to beat a set of five missions, which will unlock a final mission. Clearing all six missions will award the player with the Shadow Emblem. These missions include:

  • Wii:
    1. 100m Freestyle: Beat your rival! - Finish before Tails! (Your overall place doesn't matter.)
    2. Dream Fencing: Win by knocking your opponent out of bounds! - Win after forcing your opponent out of bounds 1 time(s)! (Force your opponent to the fence, and land a Special Move.)
    3. 110m Hurdles: Beat your rival! - Finish before Blaze! (Your overall place doesn't matter.)
    4. Single Sculls: Beat your rival! - Finish before Vector! (Your overall place doesn't matter.)
    5. 400m: Beat your rival! - Finish before Sonic! (Your overall place doesn't matter.)
    6. 100m: Beat your rival! - Finish before Sonic! (Your overall place doesn't matter.)
  • Nintendo DS:
    1. 100m - Don't let Sonic pass you!
    2. Javelin Throw - Throw 3 times in a row for a total of at least 220m!
    3. Cycling - Collect all of the stamina!
    4. Dream Fencing - Win with a special attack as your final move!
    5. Dream Race - Use items on all of your opponents.
    6. Dream Shooting - Beat Luigi when he's in top condition!

in both the Wii and Nintendo DS versions of the game, the player can also earn the Shadow Crown by getting all gold and 1st medals using Shadow.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games[]

Shadow the Hedgehog, in his black fur and red stripes, returns to test his skills in the Olympic Winter Games. With the ability to harness the power of the Chaos Emerald, Shadow can perform Chaos Boost on the Wii and DS, and Chaos Control on the DS.

Shadow the Hedgehog's profile, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games website

In both the Wii and Nintendo DS versions of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, Shadow appears as a playable character. He has the special skill, the Chaos Boost, which he can use in certain events to gain speed.

In both versions of the game, Shadow has the following characteristics and icons:

Icon Skill Type Stats Special Skill Emblem
Wii DS
Shadow (Mario & Sonic series) Speed Shadow-Wii-Stats Shadow-DS-Stats Shadow flag

In the Wii version of the game, a Mii costume based on Shadow can be unlocked in the game after winning five gold or/and 1st place medals in any Olympic/Dream Events with Shadow and then buying the costume in the boutique.

Mario Sonic Olympic Winter Games Adventure Mode 159

Shadow using a Chaos Spear to freeze icons on the console, from Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.

In Adventure Tours mode in the Nintendo DS version of the game, Shadow appears as one of the unlockable characters who can take part in the mode's sports events. He can be found in Cubirynth where he must be beaten in a Ski Cross Racing dream event upon his insistence. After that, Shadow will join the player's team, just after he spots a flying treasure hunter on the way. Later, back in Frostown with Rouge, Rouge wonders where Shadow has been. Shadow reveals to her that he has been in Cubyrinth looking for her. Rouge then tells him that she is going to look for Whitestones, and Shadow convinces her to trade her stolen Olympic memorabilia back for Whitestones. Also, in Sparkleton, Shadow is needed for the "Arrange the Marks!" mini-game. Here, the player is presented with a console with revolving icons depicting Dr. Eggman, Metal Sonic, Bowser, and Bowser Jr. on it. It is the player's objective to use Shadow's Chaos Spear to stop the revolving symbols in the right order within 40 seconds. Once done, it will open a gate in the overworld. Later, at Icepeak, when Rouge decides to help Dr. Eggman and Bowser when the villains bribe her with Whitestones, Shadow reminds Rouge of their agreement to search for Whitestones together. However, Rouge tells him that the opportunity is too good to pass up, much to his aggravation. After beating Rouge, who proceeds to free one of the Snow Spirits and pursue Eggman and Bowser when they go back on their deal, Shadow has confidence in Rouge that they can release the Snow Spirits together.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games[]

Like Sonic, Shadow is an extremely fast hedgehog that can give his more famous blue rival a run for his money in most Speed events. Additionally, his accuracy will help give him a leg up in events like Pistol Shooting and Fencing.

Shadow the Hedgehog's profile, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games website

In both the Wii version and Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Shadow appears as one of the playable characters. In the Wii version specifically, Shadow also has the special skill, the Chaos Boost, which he can use in certain events to gain speed.

In this game, across both versions, Shadow has the following characteristics and icons:

Icon Skill Type Stats (Wii) Class (3DS) Special Skill Flag
Shadow (Mario & Sonic series) Speed Shadow stats Challengers Chaos Boost Shadow flag

In the Wii version of the game, Shadow also appears as an interactable character in London Party. Here, the player can speak to him in order to play minigames and earn stickers. Also, a Mii costume based on Shadow can be unlocked in the game by either winning it through a Scratch Card or paying ten blank cards.

ShadowFogMachine

Shadow destroying a Fog Machine, from the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

In the Nintendo 3DS version of the game, Shadow belongs to the Challengers class and can only take part in sports events selected for this class. In the game's story mode, before the Olympics, Shadow and Silver were destroying Badniks that had gotten out of control and begun attack the people of London. After they caught up with an Egg Pawn and Flapper, Bowser Jr. fell from the sky and destroyed the two robots. Amazed by the strength of Bowser Jr., Shadow and Silver decided to test him by challenging him to an event. After the two hedgehogs were defeated, they admitted that they had fun and that they would meet again at the stadium. When a dense and colored fog later appeared on London Bridge, Shadow and Silver met Sonic, Tails, and Yoshi. Soon after, Jet flew overhead. After the group cornered Jet, Shadow challenged Jet to a race to get the latter to show them the Fog Machine that was on the bridge. In the end, Shadow won. When everyone got to the Fog Machine however, Bowser Jr. appeared, who was protecting the machine. Shadow, Silver and Yoshi managed to defeat him however. Shadow subsequently destroy the Fog Machine, which made the fog disappear and causing the bridge to be lowered. After Bowser Jr. then fled the scene, Shadow's group decided to split up and explore the other foggy areas in London. Some time after however, the fog returned, except now more intense, to London. In response, Shadow, Silver, Jet and Yoshi cleared the London Bridge of the fog, which the group later reported back to Sonic and Mario about to support them during their showdown with the masterminds behind the fog: Dr. Eggman and Bowser. After everything had been resolved, Shadow came to the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games.

In the Nintendo 3DS version of the game, a badge of Shadow can also be obtained from the badge machine.

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games[]

In Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Shadow appears as one of the playable characters. In this game, Shadow has the special skill, the Chaos Boost, which he can use in certain events to gain speed.

In this game, Shadow has the following characteristics and icons:

Icon Skill Type Special Skill Biography Flag
Shadow (Mario & Sonic series) Speed Chaos Boost Matching his great rival Sonic in almost every regard, Shadow is out to prove he's the ultimate competitor. Shadow flag

In Legends Showdown, Shadow is on the third team, along with Vector, Luigi and Princess Daisy. Also, a Mii costume based on Shadow can be unlocked in the game by getting at least twenty perfects in a row in a single Speed Skating 500m race.

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games[]

In the Wii U version, Nintendo 3DS version and arcade version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Shadow appears as a playable character.

In the Wii U version of the game, Shadow is available from the beginning and playable in all events. Also, a Mii costume set based on Shadow can be unlocked in the game by completing Shadow's Carnival Challenge. However, it must be collected in two separate parts, each with their own stat changes.

In the Wii U version of the game, Shadow has the following characteristics, description and icons:

Icon Skill Type Stats Playable Event(s) Biography Flag
Power Speed Technique
Shadow icon (Mario & Sonic 2016) Speed 5 9 4 All events A black-and-red hedgehog who bears a striking resemblance to Sonic. While Shadow may seem like Sonic's rival, he personally hates for the two of them to be seen together. A stoic perfectionist, Shadow has a great deal of pride in his own exceptional abilities. He hopes the Olympic Games will provide him the ultimate competition - one he has no intention of losing. Mario Sonic Rio Shadow Flag

In the Nintendo 3DS version of the game, Shadow is available from the beginning and has the following characteristics:

Artwork Stats Playable Event(s) Challenged in Road to Rio?
Shadow The Hedgehog 2015 Rio2016Stats3DSShadow
  • Football
  • 100m

In the arcade edition of the game, Shadow is available from the beginning and has the following characteristics:

Icon Skill Type Stats Recommended Event(s)
Power Speed Technique
Shadow (Mario & Sonic series) Speed 6 9 3
  • Long Jump
  • 100m

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020[]

In both the Nintendo Switch version and arcade version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Shadow appears as a playable character.

KnucklesAndShadowInTokyo

Shadow and Knuckles talking with Tails and Luigi, from the Nintendo Switch version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

In the Nintendo Switch version of the game, Shadow appears as one of the characters in the story mode. In this mode, Shadow and Knuckles came across Tails and Luigi, who were looking for a way to charge an object called the Excitement Battery with the cheer of the Olympic Games' audience so that they could save Sonic, Mario, Dr. Eggman, Bowser and Toad, who were suck inside a dying gaming system. To help excite the audience and produce enough cheers, Shadow and Knuckles went up against Peach and Yoshi is a Badminton court event, which they lost. Afterward, Shadow and Knuckles joined Tails and Luigi's team on their mission. After the five had gotten out of the gaming system, Shadow was convinced to compete in a 100m event with the others by Sonic. After that, Shadow left as the Olympics were ready to commence.

In the Nintendo Switch version of the game, Shadow is only playable in the 2020 events and has the following characteristics:

Artwork Skill Type Biography Wears unique clothing
between events
Shadow Tokyo Speed A black hedgehog known as the ultimate life form. Created with an immortal body, he wields Chaos Emeralds to warp space and time.

In the arcade version of the game, Shadow is only playable in the 2020 events and has the following characteristics and icons:

Icon Skill Type Stats Wears unique clothing
between events?
Power Speed Technique
Shadow icon (Mario & Sonic 2016) Speed 6 9 3

Super Smash Bros. series[]

Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]

Shadow is featured as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, found after Sonic becomes a playable character. Shadow activates Chaos Control when he is used, slowing down the user's opponents. He also appears as a sticker.

Trophy
ID Name Image Description Acquisition
NA PAL
366 535 Shadow Shadow Trophy Shadow the Hedgehog is a black hedgehog who resembles Sonic. He was created by Dr. Eggman's grandfather, Gerald Robotnik, to be the ultimate life-form. Not only does he look like Sonic, but he has equal abilities. He has great skill with the space-time warping technique called Chaos Control. To reach his goals, he'll use any means necessary. Random
Sticker
Image Name Page ID Area of Effect Effect User
NA PAL
Brawl Sticker Shadow The Hedgehog (Sonic Adventure 2 Battle)
Shadow The Hedgehog (Sonic Adventure 2: Battle) Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic Adventure 2: Battle) 274 685 Specials: Direct Attack +20 Sonic

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U[]

Shadow reappears in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U with the same role he had in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Wii U Trophy
Name Picture Category Trophy Box Description Acquisition
NA PAL NA PAL
Shadow Shadow the Hedgehog ShadowSSB4model Assist Trophy N/A Engineered to be the ultimate life-form by the brilliant Professor Gerald Robotnik, this black hedgehog appears very much like Sonic. He has a dark side, however. In Smash Bros., he uses Chaos Control to warp space-time, slowing every fighter down except the player who summoned him. A black hedgehog created by Professor Gerald Robotnik to be the Ultimate Lifeform. Though he looks a lot like Sonic, he's ruthless and will do anything to achieve his goals. In this game, he uses Chaos Control to warp time and space, slowing down everything around whoever summoned him. Clear the "All-Star Battle: Secret" event on hard difficulty.
Nintendo 3DS Trophy
Name Picture Category Description Acquisition
NA PAL NA PAL
Shadow Shadow the Hedgehog ShadowTheHedgehogTrophy3DS Assist Trophy Engineered to be the ultimate life-form by the brilliant Professor Gerald Robotnik, this black hedgehog appears very much like Sonic. He has a dark side, however. In Smash Bros., he uses Chaos Control to warp space-time, slowing every fighter down except the player who summoned him. A black hedgehog created by Professor Gerald Robotnik to be the Ultimate Lifeform. Though he looks a lot like Sonic, he's ruthless and will do anything to achieve his goals. In this game, he uses Chaos Control to warp time and space, slowing down everything around whoever summoned him. Clear Solo 100-Man Smash with all fighters.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[]

Shadow returns as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He now holds a green Chaos Emerald in his hand. Like his previous appearances, Shadow performs Chaos Control to slow down the opponents of the fighter that summoned him. However, in this game there is a brief second phase that completely stops the opponents. His visual distortion is green and is much more apparent with lightning also striking around him. In addition to this, Shadow appears as a Primary Spirit with the following characteristics:

Image Stat statistics Spirit Battle
Base Max Enemy Fighter(s) Enemy Power Stage Battle conditions
SF Shadow Variant Power: 2,702
Attack: 1,648
Defense: 1,054
Power: 8,147
Attack: 4,970
Defense: 3,177
Sonic 9,100 New Pork City (Battlefield form) Rule(s): Assist Trophy Enemies (Shadow); Item: Timer
  • The enemy's dash attacks have increased power
  • Hostile assist trophies will appear
  • The enemy is easily distracted by items
Name Type Class Music Acquisition
Shadow the Hedgehog Attack ★★★ (Ace) "Live and Learn"
  • Battle via Spirit Board
  • Purchase from the Vault Shop for 6000G
No. Slots Ability
788 2 Can Be Enhanced at Lv.99

Sega All-Stars series[]

Sega Superstars Tennis[]

In Sega Superstars Tennis, Shadow is a playable character that can be unlocked after completing the last mission in the Sonic the Hedgehog world. He plays tennis with other Sega characters.

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing[]

Shadow 31

Shadow, from Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing.

In Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, Shadow appears as a playable character. In this game, he is available from the beginning of the game. For the racing in this game, he is driving the Dark Rider, a modified G.U.N. motorcycle with the Black Arms insignia on the fuel tank.

In gameplay, Shadow has low speed and average turbo-boost, but his acceleration and maneuverability are at a very high level. His All-Star Move, "Super Sonic," lets him turn him into Super Shadow. In this state, Shadow can fly down the tracks while launching exploding Chaos Spears at everyone that gets into his line of fire.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed[]

In Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, Shadow appears as a playable character again. The player can unlock him by spending thirty-five stars in the World Tour. For the racing in this game, he is driving an experimental G.U.N vehicle that has tank treads instead of wheels, which can transform into a boat, a plane, or a car, depending on the surrounding terrain. In order to test his vehicle's raw power, Shadow entered the race.[15]

In gameplay, Shadow has high speed and boost, above-average handling, and low acceleration. His All-Star Move lets him perform the Chaos Blast, which can inflict damage to any racer or obstacle set on the track. He also has two stickers in the game; one can be unlocked by winning a race with him, and the other can be unlocked by sending a certain amount of challenges.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood[]

Shadow 26

Shadow, from Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood.

Shadow appears in Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood where he first searched for Omega who disappeared looking for Eggman's robots. The first fight against Shadow takes place in Mystic Ruins, though, depending on the player's choice of dialogue, Sonic may not have to fight him. If, however, the player chooses the more hostile dialogue options, Sonic will have to fight Shadow. The second encounter happens when the team reaches Blue Ridge Zone. At the start of the battle, Shadow states that while he can't outrun Sonic, he can outfight him. After suffering damage at the hands of Sonic and his team, Shadow flees from the scene. Sonic is the only one fast enough to catch him, so once Sonic catches up, the two have a showdown without the rest of the group. When Sonic ultimately wins, Shadow remarks that Sonic "has been practicing."

At first, Shadow only joins Sonic's team to help find Omega, but when he finds out that Omega was attacked by the Nocturnus, he remains with the party to help defeat them. If Shadow happens to be included in Sonic's team when they are about to face Commander Raxos, Shadow states that he can see many ways out this situation for himself but not for the others, possibly meaning he could simply use Chaos Control to escape leaving the others to their fate. In combat, Shadow deals medium attack power and has medium armor and is as quick as Sonic, allowing him three attacks per round.

When Omega joins the team, they can work together to use "Focus Field." When Rouge the Bat is in the party, the three can use "Metal Storm," which sends Omega through the air like a missile at the enemy. Shadow can team up with Sonic to use a move called "Atomic Strike," in which the two hedgehogs use Spin Dashes to circle around all of the enemies to create an electrical field.

Sonic Unleashed[]

In the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version of Sonic Unleashed, Shadow does not appear (though he and Knuckles were supposed to appear), but is briefly mentioned; during an interview with Brenda Hernandez, she will ask the name of the creature that came from the planet's core, with Sonic being able to incorrectly answer "Shadow the Hedgehog".

Sonic Jump series[]

Sonic Jump (2012)[]

In the 2012 remake of Sonic Jump, Shadow was supposed to be released as a playable character in an update, but was later scrapped. Despite this, Shadow holds a record of 5650m in every stage of Arcade Mode, placing first on the preset leaderboards.

Sonic Jump Fever[]

In Sonic Jump Fever, Shadow appears as a playable character. In this game, he can be unlocked after either collecting 300 Shadow Character Tokens or paying 900 Red Star Rings for him. In gameplay, Shadow is armed with the Chaos Spear. The power-ups he can utilize in this game include the Shield, Stun, Spring Shoes and Magnet.

Shadow also appears on the game's preset leaderboards, placing sixth in each Zone. When playing a Zone, a destructible monitor containing Shadow's portrait will appear if his score has been passed.

Sonic Dash[]

In Sonic Dash, Shadow makes an appearance as a playable character. In this game, he can be unlocked by either restoring Sky Sanctuary Zone, by purchasing him for $14.99 USD, or by collecting 100 of his character cards.

Image Rarity Affinity Bonus Upgrade Profile
Power-Up Highest level
Sonic Dash Shadow Portrait 7.0
Epic Sonic Dash Picky Dash Boost 11
x2 Multiplier 11
Magnet 9
Shield 9
Headstart 8

On 26 October 2019, as part of a Halloween event, Shadow was rereleased as Vampire Shadow, a variant character of Shadow previously featured in Sonic Forces: Speed Battle.

Image Rarity Affinity Bonus Upgrade Profile
Power-Up Highest level
Sonic Dash Vampire Shadow Portrait 7.0
Epic N/A Dash Boost 11
x2 Multiplier 11
Magnet 10
Shield 11
Headstart 7

On 17 May 2021, Shadow was re-released as Captain Shadow, a variant character of Shadow dressed in a pirate-inspired costume, as a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog series.

Image Rarity Affinity Bonus Upgrade Profile
Power-Up Highest level
Sonic Dash Captain Shadow Portrait 7.0
Epic N/A Dash Boost 11
x2 Multiplier 11
Magnet 8
Shield 11
Headstart 9

Sonic Runners series[]

Sonic Runners[]

Sonic Runners Shadow 2

Shadow, from Sonic Runners.

In Sonic Runners, Shadow is a playable Speed/Dark Type character with the following characteristics:

Icon Type Controls Profile Unlock Requirement
Sonic Runners Shadow Icon
Sonic Runners Speed Dark
  • Triple jump
  • 50% Score Bonus
A black hedgehog who looks just like Sonic. Shadow was created by Dr. Eggman's grandfather, and has a burning desire to achieve his aims - by fair means or foul.
  • Spend 200 Red Star Rings
  • Spend 2000000 Rings

Later, Shadow was rereleased as "Halloween Shadow," a Speed/Dark Type variant character of Shadow dressed in a Halloween costume, as a part of the Halloween Event. This character has the following characteristics:

Icon Type Controls Profile Unlock Requirement
Sonic Runners Halloween Shadow
Sonic Runners Speed Dark
  • Triple jump
  • 75% Score Bonus
Shadow's gotten all dressed up to take part in the Animals' Halloween event! Available on Premium Roulette (Halloween Event)

During the "Birthday on Windy Hill" event, Shadow saved Team Sonic's life when Dr. Eggman lured them into a trap. Gruff as ever, Shadow destroyed Eggman's Death Egg drone with his Chaos Blast and sent the doctor off. However, Shadow rejected Team Sonic's offer to join them in their confrontation with Eggman. While having no interest in going to Sonic's subsequent birthday party, he had Rouge give Sonic his regards.

Sonic Runners Adventure[]

In Sonic Runners Adventure, Shadow is a playable character that can be unlocked by spending 2000 Rings upon reaching level 5 in Green Hill. He retains his triple jump and the Speed/Dark-type from the predecessor, with the "Dark" bonus here changing enemies into Golden enemies (which count as two normal enemies point-wise) for a limited time.

Sonic Forces: Speed Battle[]

In Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, Shadow is a playable character. He has the following gameplay characteristics:

Image Rarity Stats Items
Projectile Boost Trap
Shadow Speed Battle
SFSBSuperRareCardIcon
Super Rare

Speed: 10/10

Acceleration: 9/10

Strength: 3/10

SFSBLightning
Lightning
SFSBSpeedShoes
Power Sneakers
SFSBStormCloud
Storm Cloud

On 31 October 2018, Shadow was re-released as "Vampire Shadow," a variant character of Shadow dressed in a vampire costume based on "Halloween Shadow" from Sonic Runners, as a part of the version 2.4.1 update. This character has the following gameplay characteristics:

Image Rarity Stats Items
Projectile Boost Trap
Shadow-VampireHD
SFSBSpecialCardIcon
Special

Speed: 10/10

Acceleration: 8/10

Strength: 4/10

Drac-O'-Lantern
Drac-O'-Lantern
SFSBElectroBoost
Electro Boost
SFSBStormCloud
Storm Cloud


Sega Heroes[]

In Sega Heroes Shadow is a Red Epic Striker hero that can be looted and is available to unlock after the player collects 50/10 shards. After the player completes Zone 6, Amy was surprised to see him and Blaze Fielding, questionining his intentions.

His MAX skill is Chaos Boost which requires nine mana. His Star skill is Chaos Spear and his Passive Skill is Indomitable Will.

Sonic Racing[]

In Sonic Racing, Shadow is a playable character. He becomes available by reaching League 7.

Image Vehicle Skill Bio
Sonic Racing Shadow Dark Reaper Capsule Gift The "Ultimate Lifeform". Once an enemy, now a close ally to Sonic.

Sonic Speed Simulator[]

In Sonic Speed Simulator, Shadow appears as one of the playable characters for the player to choose from in the options menu. He first appeared during the "Release Shadow" Event on 11 March 2023:

Image Unlocking requirement Rarity
SHADOWSSS
  • Complete the four objectives during "Release Shadow Event"
  • Purchase for 1,499 Robux during "Release Shadow Event"
Legendary

On 18 March 2023, Shadow was re-released as "Flame Shadow", a variant character of Shadow heavily inspired by one of the unlockable outfits for him in Sonic Rivals 2 .

Image Unlocking requirement Rarity
FlameShadow
  • Complete all 2 missions during "Shadow's Revenge Event"
  • Purchase for 999 Robux during "Shadow's Revenge Event"
Legendary

On 25 March 2023, Shadow was re-released as "Riders Shadow", a variant character of Shadow dressed in his Sonic Riders-exclusive attire.

Image Unlocking requirement Rarity
RidersShadowIcon
  • Land on Riders Shadow on Spin to Win wheel
  • Purchase for Robux during:
    • Race Update
Legendary

On 5 May 2023, Shadow was re-released as "Gold Style Shadow", a variant character of Shadow with golden accessories.

Image Unlocking requirement Rarity
GoldStyleShaodwIcon
  • Complete all 5 quests during "Golden Adventure Event"
  • Purchase for 699 Robux during "Golden Adventure Event"
Legendary

On 27 May 2023, Shadow was re-released as "Racesuit Shadow", a variant character of Shadow wearing his "Racer" outfit from Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (however with a lack of bottom attire).

Image Unlocking requirement Rarity
RacesuitShadowICON
  • Buy from the Raceshop for 1,250 Race Tickets via "Racing."
Legendary

On 25 August 2023, Shadow was re-released as "Cheetah Shadow", a variant character of Shadow with Yellow Glasses and a Cheetah Jacket, having the Black Arms logo imprinted on his Chest Fur.

Image Unlocking requirement Rarity
CheetahShadowICON
  • Complete all 5 Quests during "Cheetah Shadow Event"
  • Purchase for 799 Robux during "Cheetah Shadow Event"
Exotic

On 27 October 2023, Shadow was re-released as "Vampire Shadow", a variant character of Shadow with a Purple Top-hat and Tuxedo, with a Purple Bow near his Chest Fur. This character was first previously featured in Sonic Forces: Speed Battle:

Image Unlocking requirement Rarity
VampireShadowICON
  • Complete all 5 Quests during the "Vampire Shadow Event"
  • Purchase for Robux during "Vampire Shadow Event"
Seasonal

On 30 December 2023, Shadow was re-released as "Winter Shadow", a variant character of Shadow with a pair of goggles, Brown, White and Red Hands, Cuffs and Shoes and a Beige Bandana.

Image Unlocking requirement Rarity
WinterShadowICON
  • Buy from the Raceshop for 1,500 Race Tickets via "Racing."
Seasonal

On 9 March, Shadow was re-released as "Royal King Shadow", a variant of Shadow wearing a crown based on his Light Mobius counterpart from the Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Comics:

Image Unlocking requirement Rarity
SSSRoyalKingShadowIcon Complete all four tasks during the "Royal Anniversary" event Legendary

Notes[]

  1. At one point in Shadow the Hedgehog's Expert Mode, Cream thanks Shadow for saving her. This is something that can be done in Cryptic Castle, which is acceeded after helping the Black Arms in either Digital Circuit or Glyphic Canyon. As such, it can be assumed that Shadow teamed up with the aliens during at least the early phases of their invasion.

References[]

  1. Creators Interview 006: Maekawa Shiro. Sega. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved on 5 September 2022. "Interviewer: Who is your favorite character in the Sonic series? Please tell me why. / Shiro Maekawa: It's Shadow the Hedgehog. In fact, I am also the creator, but sometimes I feel a stronger bond than my real parents and siblings. I can't think of anyone else anymore."
  2. Fast talking. PlayStation UK. Archived from the original on 26 June 2009. Retrieved on 4 September 2016. "Interviewer: If you had to pick a character from the Sonic universe who would you be and why? / Takashi Iizuka: ...I also would have to pick Shadow for the fact he is a character I created."
  3. Ryan Drummond (@RYANtheDRUMMOND) on Twitter. Twitter (15 October 2020). Archived from the original on 15 October 2020. "SADKOOLAID: So......basically even before Jason Griffith, Sonic and Shadow were voiced by the same guy (at least for a few seconds during the final leave) this true @RYANtheDRUMMOND? / Ryan Drummond: Yup. For just that one game. Don’t tell Sega! 🤣"
  4. 4.0 4.1 Devra Newberger Speregen (2016). Sonic: The Ultimate Character Guide. Scholastic. p. 31. ISBN 978-1338033243.
  5. Sonic City. Sega. Archived from the original on 29 February 2008.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Sega . Sonic Channel (Japanese). Characters: Shadow. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved on 3 July 2015.
  7. 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 Shadow the Hedgehog preview. 1Up.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved on 24 May 2020.
  8. Sumo Digital (23 February 2010). Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing. PlayStation 3. Sega. Area/level: Shadow the Hedgehog's profile card.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 "50年前の真実" (in Japanese). ソニックアドベンチャー2パーフェクトガイド. Enterbrain. 10 October 2001. ISBN 978-4757706255.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 Sega (29 July 2016). Act:006 影の来し方. Sonic Channel. Archived from the original on 8 May 2022. Retrieved on 29 May 2022.
  11. Prima Development (20 June 2001). "The Beginning". Sonic Adventure 2: Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games. pp. 2–3. ISBN 978-0761536147.
  12. Sonic Forces: Looming Shadow, "Looming Shadow"
  13. 【特別企画】『チームソニックレーシング』レーサー直撃インタビュー! その3「チーム ダーク」 (Japanese). Characters. Sega. Archived from the original on 5 June 2019. Retrieved on 7 May 2019.
  14. Team Sonic Racing One-shot, "Team Sonic Racing"
  15. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Official website (Japanese). Characters: Shadow. Sega. Retrieved on 29 July 2015.
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