Shadow the Hedgehog is a character appearing in Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog video game franchise. Shadow was created by Takashi Iizuka and Shiro Maekawa, and debuted in the series' 2001 installment Sonic Adventure 2.
Shadow is the "Ultimate Lifeform", created by Professor Gerald Robotnik, grandfather of Doctor Eggman, using the DNA of Black Doom, a Black Arms alien. Shadow befriended Maria, Gerald's granddaughter, who suffered from N.I.D.S (Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome). They lived on the ARK, where they worked hard for a cure for N.I.D.S. But then, G.U.N. appeared and shut down the ARK, killing Maria in the process. However, her last dying words to Shadow were to "give everyone a chance to be happy", before launching him out of the ARK. Gerald, enraged and now insane that his granddaughter was killed, messed with Shadow's mind, making him think her last dying words were revenge. 50 years later, inspired by his grandfathers research, Doctor Eggman awakens Shadow from his slumber, inside a G.U.N. base, and Shadow told him to use the Chaos Emeralds to destroy the Earth, but Shadow later remembers who he is and stops the ARK. He later crashes to Earth.
Shadow has appeared in several Sonic games. His personality is sharp-witted and usually serious, because of how Maria's death affected his psyche. He is one of the edgier characters of the series. Although critics have divided opinions about this character, he has remained one of Sonic the Hedgehog's most popular characters, popular enough to even get his own game.
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