Things Sonic Does Better Than Shadow

Sonic the Hedgehog has faced a countless number of adversaries since he first popped up in 1991. Some of his most iconic rivals include Metal Sonic from 1993’s Sonic CD, Silver the Hedgehog from Sonic The Hedgehog 2006, and of course, Knuckles the Echidna from 1994’s Sonic The Hedgehog 3. The blue blur has tussled with many foes, but almost always manages to come out on top. But out of all of these enemies, the one that Sonic is most often compared to is Shadow The Hedgehog, the ultimate life form.

Born as the result of a scientific research project aboard the Space Colony Ark, Shadow was designed for the purpose of achieving immortality, as well as finding a cure for Gerald Robotnik’s granddaughter, Maria. Fifty years on from his creation, the black hedgehog was freed by Dr. Eggman and has fought with both him and Sonic time and time again. The two hedgehogs are constantly compared by casuals and hardcore fans alike, with the score never truly having been settled in the games. In defense of the commonly touted “fastest thing alive,” here are some things that Sonic does better than Shadow.

5 Sonic Inspired Shadow’s Creation

Blue Was The Blueprint

This one might seem like a bit of an obvious one. Shadow’s introduction came 10 years after the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 1, and was the first male hedgehog added to the series following that. The two are constantly mistaken for each other in Sonic Adventure 2, from the military hunting down Sonic for Shadow’s crimes, to Amy hugging Shadow from behind without realizing he was a different hedgehog.

But the Blue Blur being used as the blueprint (pun intended) for Shadow’s design is not only something that existed in the development of the game. It’s also reflected within the actual lore. Sonic exists as a prophecy of sorts in the canon of the games, depicted in murals and such that existed long before he did. It’s heavily implied that Gerald Robotnik was inspired by the mural of Super Sonic fighting Perfect Chaos in the Mystic Ruins when creating Shadow, the Biolizard, and the Artificial Chaos.

4 Sonic Always Does The Right Thing

A Fighter For Freedom

While Shadow is often depicted as a hero in the Sonic games, his moral compass is slightly skewed. The ways he acts are perfectly understandable, as he feels betrayed by humanity because of Maria’s death. But the revelation he experiences in Sonic Adventure 2 that brings him to save the world isn’t one brought about by a change in character. He changes because he remembers Maria’s true wish: for Shadow to protect humanity. If her wish had been what he originally remembered, Shadow would have destroyed the earth with no questions asked.

Sonic, on the other hand, has a much better grasp on his own morality, and chooses to save the world because he believes it’s the right thing to do. He’s an incredibly empathetic character, and always tries to solve a problem before fighting. Fans see this in games like Sonic Frontiers, where Sonic tries to avoid conflict with Sage at first, despite friends like Knuckles attempting to attack her.

3 Sonic Is More Optimistic

Always Finds A Reason To Smile

Here’s another point regarding Sonic’s personality and how his attitude makes him a better hero than Shadow at times. Again, Shadow’s bleak outlook on life is reasonable given his circumstances. We’ve seen the hedgehog give up before in the past, such as in the Semi Hero-Hero ending of Shadow The Hedgehog. Shadow deems himself a mistake that should never have been created, walking away with his head down.

As Chip says in Sonic Unleashed, Sonic “never gives in […] to the darkness inside his heart,” and always manages to maintain a positive outlook on their adventures. Even when the odds are completely stacked against him and his friends, Sonic always believes that there’s a way. Players directly see this difference between the two hedgehogs in Sonic Forces. Shadow tells Sonic that there’s no way to win against Infinite’s army of clones, to which Sonic responds: “Of course we can win this! We just haven’t figured that part out yet.”

2 Sonic Has More Forms

He’s A Hedgehog Always Evolving

One of the coolest moments in the series comes at the end of Sonic Adventure 2, where the two hedgehogs finally team up and use the seven Chaos Emeralds to activate their super forms and defeat the Biolizard. Fans get to see Shadow’s super form twice more in the mainline Sonic games, but the Ultimate Life Form never gains access to any more transformations throughout the series.

Unlike Shadow, Sonic has transformed into a multitude of forms across the series, each with its own unique powers and purposes. His second form came as early as Sonic the Hedgehog 3, where he gained access to Hyper Sonic by using the Super Emeralds. And there have been many more over the course of the games, from the Darkspine and Excalibur forms of the Storybook games, to the Werehog seen in Sonic Unleashed.

1 Sonic Has Saved The World More

“I Will Never Give Up The Fight!”

Sonic is always the main character of this franchise for a reason. He has far more medals on his chest when it comes to times he’s saved the world, and is always available when trouble calls. The hedgehog has fought numerous monsters, aliens, and Eggman creations, rising above his foes every time and restoring peace to the planet.

This isn’t to say that Shadow hasn’t done his fair share of world-saving, too. He saved humanity from the Space Colony Ark in Sonic Adventure 2, destroyed the Black Comet in Shadow The Hedgehog, and helped defeat Solaris in Sonic The Hedgehog 2006. But in two of these three, he needed Sonic to complete their mission, and Shadow was the only one immune to the Black Comet’s paralyzing gas, leaving him the only one capable of saving humanity. And there have been countless times when Shadow wasn’t around in the face of world-ending threats, whereas Sonic is always the first in the face of danger.