Shadow the Hedgehog

Shadow the Hedgehog is a character created by the Japanese game developers Takashi Iizuka, Shiro Maekawa, and Kazuyuki Hoshino. He is a major character in Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Shadow is an anthropomorphic black hedgehog created by Professor Gerald Robotnik, the grandfather of Doctor Eggman. Shadow shares design traits and attributes with Sonic the Hedgehog. He is an antihero who has good intentions but will do whatever it takes to accomplish his goals, putting him at odds with Sonic. Shadow first appeared in the Dreamcast game Sonic Adventure 2 (2001), although he was conceived during the development of Sonic Adventure (1998). Iizuka devised the concept, while Maekawa developed his character and Hoshino designed him. Influences included the Dragon Ball character Vegeta, the Image Comics character Spawn, the Sonic character Metal Sonic, and speed skaters. Sonic Team envisioned Shadow as a one-off character who would only appear in Sonic Adventure 2, but his popularity among fans led to his inclusion in subsequent games, beginning with Sonic Heroes (2003). Shadow has featured in many Sonic games, including the standalone games Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) and Shadow Generations (2024). Shadow is one of the few Sonic characters to have a full character arc; after witnessing the death of his best friend Maria Robotnik, he initially seeks revenge, but later vows to keep his promise to her that he would protect the world from danger. Kōji Yusa voices Shadow in Japan, while his English voice has been provided by David Humphrey, Jason Griffith, and Kirk Thornton. Keanu Reeves voices him in the feature film Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024). Shadow is one of the most popular Sonic characters and was named one of the greatest video game characters by Guinness World Records in 2011. However, he has proven divisive among video game journalists....