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Sonic 3: What Are the Powers of Shadow the Hedgehog? Explained
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 introduces Shadow, voiced by Keanu Reeves, bringing a darker edge to the franchise. Explore Shadow's backstory, abilities and how the film draws from his iconic game origins!
Our favorite hedgehog movie is back but this time with its evil rival! Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will feature Shadow, voiced by Keanu Reeves, who was teased in a Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Easter egg. While the film seems to borrow heavily from the first Shadow game, it is understandable that it ignores his more infamous appearances (there is no chance he will start murdering people with a machine gun, though that would be very John Wick).
Let's take a closer look at Shadow, his story from the games, and what his abilities are.
Why is Shadow the Hedgehog evil?
Shadow appears in Sonic Adventure 2 as Sonic's rival and foil. After being awoken by Dr. Eggman, er, Robotnik, from a cryogenic sleep inside a secret military facility called Prison Island, his story is revealed in bits and pieces. Gerald Robotnik created the "ultimate lifeform," about an orbital research station called Space Colony ARK, according to Robotnik's grandfather. A military raid kills Maria, Shadow's only friend at the station, and he swears vengeance against the human race.
It was this darker and more complex backstory that set off what I call the grand anime-ification of Sonic. Sonic Heroes, the next big game after Adventure 2, returned things to a bit of a happy-go-lucky status quo, but continued Shadow's story with an amnesia plotline and a big clone arc tease. This led to Shadow the Hedgehog's infamously edgy 2005 game, in which Shadow wields a variety of firearms and attempts to assassinate the President of the United States, depending on your in-game decisions.
After a brief, lore-heavy, anime-esque era, Sonic's next big game, simply titled Sonic the Hedgehog, completely bombed in 2006. Rather than strange story choices, Sonic got Terminator'd by a psychic hedgehog from the future, was killed by a dark god who took Shadow's form, or kissed a human woman. It doesn't matter when you're 10, you're just in it for the ride. It is understandable, however, why Sega threw everything away.
In Sonic 3, what are the powers of Shadow?
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will probably not include Shadow story details, such as how he briefly worked for the U.S. government or how eldritch aliens commissioned his creation. Despite all that, his powers remain basically the same throughout the series, and that's what makes it so enjoyable.
Chaos Control is Shadow's most famous ability. He uses the power of a Chaos Emerald to slow down time around him, but there are several variations. It allows him to move so quickly that he appears to teleport, although at times, it has been shown to be actual teleportation. In a kind of All Hail Shadow technique, he's also used this ability to freeze time around him to bend others to his will. In the Sonic 3 trailer, Chaos Control is portrayed in its most basic form, and Shadow looks perfect coming out of the teleport. His air shoes have also been recreated in the film, which allow him to skate just above whatever surface he's on.
There are other Shadow powers, such as Chaos Blast from Shadow the Hedgehog or Chaos Spear, which fires a bolt of energy but they are less likely to appear in the movie because of the games they were featured in. As a nod to Shadow's preference for motorcycles in the games, the trailer shows him doing the Akira Slide on a motorcycle.
Does Shadow have more power than Sonic?
Shadow is presented in the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 trailer as a force to be reckoned with, which is sort of how a new villain is introduced in a trailer. Does he have the strength to defeat all three Sonic heroes together? It depends on the circumstances.
Shadow is tough to beat when he has the Chaos Emerald in his hand. Sonic eventually learns a version of Chaos Control in the games, but he never seems to master it like Shadow. Shadow usually has more combat-oriented moves in the games, which suggests he's a better fighter. Like Sonic, he can become a royalty-free Super Saiyan if he has access to all seven Chaos Emeralds, matching Sonic's "Super Sonic" form with Hyper Shadow. In the games, Knuckles and Tails are generally portrayed as being a full tier below Sonic and Shadow in terms of raw power, and the same seems to be true in the movie.
Nonetheless, Sonic will surely beat Shadow, or at least match him, before inevitably turning
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