After Keanu Reeves‘ breathtaking performance as Shadow the Hedgehog in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, new fans may be interested in learning more about the mysterious and brooding character. Takashi Iizuka, Shiro Maekawa, and Kazuyuki Hoshino created Shadow the Hedgehog for Sega’s Sonic Adventure 2 on the Dreamcast in 2001. Shadow seemingly dying in Sonic Adventure 2 made it seem like he would never appear again, but the newly fan-favorite character would make his return in Sonic Heroes as he suffered from amnesia. This storyline would then continue in his own game, Shadow the Hedgehog. Taking inspiration from characters like Al Simmons/Spawn from Todd McFarlane and Vegeta in Dragon Ball Z, Shadow is an anti-hero and occasional foil to Sonic the Hedgehog.
For people who aren’t gamers, but want to learn more about Shadow’s backstory after his live-action debut in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (not counting his brief appearance during the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 post-credits scene), Shadow gets a full story arc in Sonic X. The animated TV series, localized on 4Kids Entertainment in the U.S. from 2003-2005, follows Sonic and his friends (and enemies) as they’re transported to a realistic human world. They search for the Chaos Emeralds to return to their home planet. The show ended with 78 episodes, six of which focused on Shadow’s storyline.
Shadow the Hedgehog Makes His Screen Debut in ‘Sonic X’
The Shadow Saga in Sonic X begins in Episode 33 “Project Shadow,” but Shadow (Jason Griffith in Sonic X) himself doesn’t fully appear until Episode 34 “Shadow Knows.” This six-episode arc is a faithful adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2 with some minor changes to fit within the Sonic X world. It’s a great entry point for viewers who have seen Sonic the Hedgehog 3 or are interested in learning about Shadow before seeing the film. The story sees Dr. Robotnik/Dr. Eggman (Mike Pollock in Sonic X) discovers his late grandfather’s work, Project Shadow, and awakens Shadow from cryosleep. Dr. Eggman has Shadow commit various crimes for him, and since Shadow looks similar to Sonic (voiced by Griffith as well), the authorities believe Sonic is the culprit. When Sonic comes face-to-face with Shadow, he’s confused that there’s someone like him. But as they realize they have the same powers, Shadow outmatches Sonic.
While Shadow could’ve easily been seen as just an edgier version of Sonic, it’s his compelling backstory that makes him such a fan-favorite character. While he was being studied by Gerald Robotnik (also voiced by Pollock), Shadow befriended Maria Robotnik (Rebecca Honig in Sonic X), Gerald’s granddaughter, who brought out a lighter side to Shadow. She plays a pivotal role in Shadow’s arc that defines his character and personality. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 also features Gerald and Maria, which caused longtime Sonic fans to be excited to see if the film is following the events of Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic X in terms of Shadow’s story. Beyond this arc in Sonic X, Shadow returned in Episode 60 for an original storyline and became a main character for the rest of the series.
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‘Sonic X’ Is the Perfect Onboarding Point for Sonic Movie Fans
Sonic X is great viewing material for people who enjoy the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog films due to its narrative and setting. Since the Sonic characters are transported to a very true-to-life Earth, audiences learn everything about Sonic lore through the human characters in Sonic X. Just like how Ben Schwartz‘s Sonic befriends a human, Tom Wachowski (James Marsden), Sonic is taken in by a young boy, Christopher Thorndyke (Suzanne Goldish), in Sonic X and the two become best friends and help each other on different adventures. While the live-action franchise is taking its time to introduce a couple of iconic Sonic characters per project, Sonic X features a vast lineup of them throughout the history of the games, like Amy and Cream the Rabbit. Similar to how Sonic X viewers were introduced to Shadow in the series, the show is also a good way to get acquainted with other characters in Sonic lore before they make their live-action debut in future projects.
Sonic X does a great job of adapting stories from the Sonic video games and fleshing them out into full story arcs. The runtime of the Shadow Saga in Sonic X is roughly 120 minutes across six episodes, just 10 minutes more than Sonic the Hedgehog 3. For those waiting to see Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on streaming platforms or audiences who want more of him after seeing the film, watching Sonic X Episodes 33-38 is a good start to understand who Shadow is without having to find a copy of Sonic Adventure 2 to play.
Sonic X is streaming on Prime Video in the U.S.
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Sonic X
A slight malfunction causes Chaos Control, and sends Sonic the Hedgehog to Earth. While there, Sonic meets Chris Thorndyke, who aids at collecting the Chaos Emeralds, so Sonic and friends can go home.
