Shadow is one of the coolest Sonic characters, and for valid reasons. Not only is he “cool and emo,” but as Ranni from his The Philosophy of Shadow video states, “I think what fascinates people about Shadow is that he’s a reflection of us.” He further states that, “as great as Sonic is, he’s unrealistic. Sonic is an ideal of the good triumphing over evil, of the resolve to rebel against corrupt oppression. Shadow represents struggle.” This struggle is what makes Shadow “One of the best existential characters in video game history.” As Ranni puts it. It makes Shadow relatable and can resonate with many people. To fully understand the depth of how someone relates to this brooding hedgehog, we first need to understand who he is and his backstory.

Shadow’s debut game was Sonic Adventure 2, or SA2 for short. SA2, at the time, was going to be SEGA’s last Sonic game, as sales for the Dreamcast and just SEGA sales in general were falling. SEGA felt at a wits’ end. SEGA put their sweat and tears into this “last game”; they had come up with the idea of a more serious story with Sonic being accused of stealing a Chaos Emerald and other charges, like property damage, when in reality Shadow had committed these crimes as he was just set free by Eggman after being in stasis for 50 years. This was because Shadow is a lab experiment by Dr. Gerald Robotnik, sponsored by G.U.N. (The Guardian Units of Nations). Gerald Robotnik is Ivo Robotnik’s (Eggman’s) Grandfather. Gerald had been asked by G.U.N. to make an immortal being, a weapon to manipulate for their gain. According to Gerald himself, the concept was “ laughable,” but ultimately, Gerald accepted. As finding the answer to immortality could help his granddaughter, Maria. Maria had been ill for a while. The poor girl had Neuro-Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (NIDS) with no cure in sight.

After Shadow had been created, they became instant friends. They’d spend hours together and just talk about life and the planet. Maria loved nature, and Shadow had never seen it, as he was created on the space colony ark away from Earth. He’d hear stories about how pretty the planet was from Maria, and he and she would often look down on the planet through the spacecraft’s big windows. This bond he grows with her is strong, so much so that the eventual loss of her to the Ark’s evasion from G.U.N. caused him to grow angry, hurt, and full of revenge. It also didn’t help that Gerald, also maddened by the loss of Maria, brainwashed his memories to make him think that Maria wanted revenge for her mistreatment, for her death. This false memory causes Shadow to cause destruction and almost destroy the world with the Ark’s eclipse cannon.

Just before the world ends, Shadow finally decides to save the world with Sonic and the 7 Chaos Emeralds, then once the threat is gone, Shadow falls from space down to earth, his last words being, “Maria, this is what you wanted, right? This is my promise I made to you.” He plummets and is believed to have burned up from the atmosphere.

Needless to say, Shadow is a very compelling character, and whether you relate to his struggles or not, his story has moved a lot of people in the fanbase, big or small. Shadow is deep and psychological; he constantly asks, “Who am I?” and usually finds his answer through himself, saying, “I am all of me,” in his main theme song from his own side game. Shadow is always finding himself through his own efforts, relying less on others and more on himself. He fought through all the boxes, the government, and his “Father,” Black Doom, and created his own identity, Shadow the Hedgehog.