This article is about the 2015 character. For the 2006 version of this character, see Shadow (2006 Series)
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Shadow the Hedgehog is a resident of the planet Mobius, and one of the main protagonists in Super Mario Bros. Z. He debuted in the first episode alongside Sonic, albeit without a speaking role.
Biography
History
Shadow is a dark and intimidating character on Mobius who most people try to avoid, often due to his dark past. He was created as part of "Project Shadow" by Professor Gerald Robotnik, the grandfather of Dr. Eggman, to be a specialized living weapon and a possible way to cure Nuero Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (N.I.D.S). However, production was difficult, with the Biolizard, the project prototype, being a massive health risk, leading to Gerald becoming desperate and contacting the alien race known as the Black Arms.
After a deal was struck involving the Chaos Emeralds, Prof. Gerald used the powerful blood from Black Doom, the leader of the Black Arms, to perfect the project, and Shadow the Hedgehog was born. Shadow quickly befriended Prof. Gerald's granddaughter Maria, but when Gerald was deemed insane for making his deal with the Black Arms, although Project Shadow in its entirety, alongside Project Gizoid, were condemned. His laboratory was raided and Maria was killed during the struggle to silence survivors.
Shadow escaped, having been ejected from Space Colony ARK by a dying Maria, and since then he has been deeply emotionally scarred, a trait that has led him to fight against or alongside Sonic the Hedgehog many times. Shadow's past later caught up with him during the Black Arms' invasion, which greatly affected his moral code, but he was able to put a stop to them by destroying the Black Comet, and he ultimately chose the side of good, vowing to forget his past forever.[1]
Metallix Saga
Shadow and Sonic's capsule teleported into the Mushroom Kingdom during the first Smash Tournament. Their capsule landed on Metal Bowser, cracking his metal armor and returning him to his normal form. When Kamek held Princess Peach hostage, Sonic and Shadow emerged from the capsule, with Sonic attacking Kamek, allowing Mario to finally finish off Bowser. After the battle, Shadow remained silent while Sonic began to talk to Mario.
Powers and Abilities
Being the final product of Project Shadow and often being referred to as "The Ultimate Life Form", Shadow is an immensely powerful fighter. Shadow's Hover Shoes allow him to glide along the ground as if he's skating on thin air, thus rivaling the speeds of Sonic (however, it has been implied and even to a degree demonstrated in certain forms of media relating to Sonic that he can still rival those speeds even without them). In addition to this, he possesses superhuman strength that even surpasses that of Sonic's. He is also very agile and athletic, being able to react to imminent danger within seconds. Because of Project Shadow, he is effectively immortal and does not show signs of age.
Shadow's fighting style focuses on brutal, unrestrained and powerful hand-to-hand combat. In line with his nature and potent abilities, Shadow has adopted a style where he fights his opponents using powerful blows, such as swift punches and roundhouse kicks. With the speeds Shadow can move at, he can disable the opponent through the force of his blows alone, while leaving them at the mercy at his incoming attacks. Unlike in the games, Shadow rarely uses the Spin Attack.
Shadow's signature technique is his natural ability able to tap into the powers of any nearby Chaos Emeralds and utilize their chaos energy to perform a wide variety of moves, most of which he does not even need a Chaos Emerald to use. Shadow's trademark power is Chaos Control, and is the most adept known user of it. With Chaos Control, he can manipulate space and time to slow down time and even teleport. While he mostly uses this for himself, it's been shown that he can teleport others too. When acting in conjunction with the capsule, Shadow was able to warp himself and Sonic through dimensions and into the Mushroom Kingdom. He also can use Chaos Spear, a technique where he throws a large bolt of condensed chaos energy, and Chaos Blast, where he releases a burst of chaos energy in a massive explosion surrounding himself. All of Shadow's chaos abilities increase in power with the number of Chaos Emeralds he possesses.[2]
Relationships
Sonic the Hedgehog
Since meeting each other, there has been a never-ending competition between Shadow and Sonic, and their battles can range from friendly races to fierce death battles. In any case, one always wants to outdo the other. Shadow and Sonic frequently fight due to their own views on justice and morality and how to act on them. In a sense, the two hedgehogs are polar opposites in every way except their appearance. Almost every time they meet, they fight ferociously. Neither is ever willing to accept defeat. Despite their fierce arch-rivalry, Shadow and Sonic have helped each other on occasions and even acknowledged Sonic's powers during their adventures. Shadow sometimes lets his ego get to his head and believes that Sonic is slowing him down, which can lead to more disagreements. They are forced to work together in order to take down Metallix and get the Chaos Emeralds, much to Shadow's chagrin.
Battles
To be added