(Old) Shadow the Hedgehog Is NOT An Edgelord | Characters In-Depth

Shadow has been mistaken as an edgelord for too long. Don't trust Boom!
Sonic the Hedgehog is owned by Sega

[puffpuffpassmako]

Finally someone understands him. Even as a kid I always knew his tough personality was due to his tragic past and not cause he's just edgy. He was depressed, lonely, and had ptsd from what happened to Maria. I hate how the newer games completely erase that part of him and just made him smug

[RubyofBlue]

It really needs to be made clear how much good a lot of 06's story has, for all its flaws. And I absolutely hate how Shadow has been delegated to a cardboard cutout of himself without the actual character. Hell this is an issue with more characters than just Shadow.

[Comkill]

Shadow in Heroes and SA2: I”’m gonna protect the world Maria loved so much.”
Shadow in Shadow the Hedgehog: “Humanity? More like futility.”
Shadow in 06: “I don’t care if people turn on me, I’ll do what is right.”
Shadow now: “I don’t have time to care about any of you, I’m better than all of you.”

[gracie]

Shadow’s old character is complex and brilliant. He isn’t edgy, he’s just in a lot of pain. Especially, in 06, he was past his pain..and rejected a chance of revenge he would have taken years ago, instead fighting for what’s right.

[NormalizeSonicFlippingTheBird]

I always thought even as a kid Shadow was pretty chill. Just quiet. Maybe a bit depressed. Especially compared to the rest of the SA2 cast. I got really confused whenever people would claim he was an edgelord.

[galaxycakee]

Sonic 06 can still be known as the worst sonic game ever to some people, but when it comes to the majority of the cast's character development, it succeeds imo.

[risso]

Apparently, Shadow was meant to be the Zero to Sonic's MegaMan. Stern and stoic, but with a good heart and defiant attitude. 06 is the closest we came to that and I wished we saw more.

[goldie]

You hit the nail on the head with how Shadow can be a relatable character to kids who are shy, introverted or only have a few close friends. That drew me to him when I was very young. I was incredibly shy and had a hard time making friends. Lots of people (both adults and kids) I knew acted like something was wrong with me because I preferred to keep to myself (not my family, just those at school), and it caused me to feel very insecure about myself. When my brother started playing the Sonic games, I was immediately drawn to Shadow. My first introduction to him was Sonic Heroes, and I loved how he was portrayed in it. It was one of the first times I saw a characters being reserved and quiet as acceptable and not something to be concerned about. Rouge and Omega never made any concerned or condescending remarks about his personality, and it made me feel better about who I was. Seeing a character who helped me overcome some of my own insecurities as a child being treated as either an afterthought or “just an edge lord” by the people still making Sonic content really does make me sad.

[seekerit]

I'm not even a sonic fan, AT ALL, but even I find this to be rather accurate. It's like people just think of Shadow's personality and character as just "*Crosses Arm and Glares*".

[stevespud]

You just summed up Shadow better than anyone I've seen and showed us the reason he is my favorite Sonic character. I couldn't have said it any better myself! Shadow is supposed to be a tragic hero who is quiet and determined but has a heart and genuinely cares about his friends and protecting the world. Not some egotistical jerk who is edgy and broody. Unfortunately the IDW Sonic Comics have regressed his character too. Sega apparently just wants him to be a dark edgy rival to Sonic without any compassion or character development. It really makes me sad to see Shadow portrayed like this in the modern day.

[Blit-X-TVLive]

Sega has forgotten about their characters personalities & went with stereotypes/typecasts instead.

[somedude]

I think one of the things that made Shadow such a strong character is that his up until colours ruined every character, Shadow was one of the few characters who's motivations didn't involve Sonic at all. Shadow lived his own life and had his own day to day goals that were completely divorced from Sonic, the only reason the two remained "rivals" is that Shadow was the only supporting character who Sonic never surpassed- whether it be fighting skill or speed.

[theimperfectgod]

You changed my mind... know i know who the real shadow is, he's a true hero.

[AngelMartinez-hvfj]

"Edgy" Has just become a blanket term for any character that wears black and doesn't mind killing.

[pastelalice]

Finally someone who understands Shadows character perfectly. It's a shame how he's been treated in recent games..

[nman]

Shadow is an introvert who cares about everyone, but has trouble showing it.

[Bobb]

SEGA's writing staff gets all their ideas from memes and fandom in-jokes, so he's an edgelord now. Also, Sonic is a one-note jokester incapable of taking anything seriously, Tails is a coward again, and Knuckles is a complete moron.

[aztroboy]

Bruh SEGA needs to hire better writers who understand characters, or maybe bring back the old writers.

[DezmonHazuko]

Hopefully Sega can stop trashing Shadow as a "edgelord." They don't understand the reason why Shadow is beloved by some many people.

[Klarpimier]

Sonic Prime does Shadow much better. He’s basically the jaded older brother that has to clean up after Sonic’s mess