The Philosophy of Shadow the Hedgehog | An In-Depth Character Analysis
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- Опубликовано: 6 июн 2024
- The philosophy of Shadow the Hedgehog explained. A character and story analysis of the infamous emo anti-hero, Shadow the Hedgehog, and his morality. We will discuss how Shadow's character origin and history is connected to the philosophical concepts of essentialism, existentialism, Friedrich Nietzsche's ideal of the Ubermensch, and how Shadow manifests his goals through the Will to Power.
Thumbnail Art: Twitter/@Ls1389
Beyond Good & Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future
amzn.to/3ZF05Lt
Crime and Punishment
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CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
01:27 What We're Getting Into
02:38 Shadow and Maria
07:55 From Essentialism to Existentialism to Shadow
11:42 Shadow, Kierkegaard, and Angst
13:08 Shadow the Hedgehog is a Mess
14:21 Paths
16:03 Shadow's Path
19:15 Nietzsche and Shadow
20:51 Shadow the Ubermensch
24:07 A Warning
24:55 A Shadow of His Former Self
25:50 Shadow Defines Himself
26:55 Outro
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HELPFUL SOURCES:
Existentialism: Crash Course Philosophy 160
• Existentialism: Crash ...
Essentialism vs. Existentialism
factmyth.com/essentialism-vs-e...
Nietzsche’s Moral and Political Philosophy
plato.stanford.edu/entries/ni...
The master and slave moralities: what Nietzsche really meant
bigthink.com/personal-growth/...
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Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the copyright act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.
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Shadow is the embodyment of the metaphysical idea of "don't kill the part that's cringe, kill the part that cringes"
💯 I’m pinning your comment lol
Well put
Beautiful comment 👏
@@Ranni This is the most video essay feeling video essay of all time, everything from how crazy the idea is to you sounding like a 14 yr old fanboy. Just like me fr fr I am taking notes, I just disagree with one thing that Sonic is unrealistic, is it that hard for you to believe that there exists a guy with his life and morals figured out?
This one of the reasons i love Devil May Cry so much. If you really look at it, those characters are SO fucking cool and even MORE capable, yet they all have some cooky aspects of themselves that we all CAN relate to in the most wholesome of ways.
I think Shadow working with GUN actually kinda makes sense. He let go of his past, right? After his own game, he fights for his own beliefs, not only for Maria's promise. So seeing that GUN has changed after many years, Shadow decides to become a part of it to help the world better. Yeah, this is the same organization that killed Maria and many other people in the ARK, but that's the point. He let go of his hatred, his past.
That's very true!
Well yeah, Towers himself changed G.U.N by rising to the very top so it would never again commit anything like raid of the space colony ark. Sure details about the raid weren’t declassified till after the Black arms invasion because of Towers whole 50 year misguided revenge obsession with shadow, but still Towers changed G.U.N for the better.
I would also add that, going off the neitzsche stuff, he might care more about using GUN to help achieve his goals, but also as a method of self improvement. Maybe he doesnt like them, but he knows better than to let the past control his deciscions and recognizes the benefits he will get by working with them. And as he stated at the end if his 06 story, if they turn on him, he will fight back. Until then, he'll use them for himself just like GUN is likely doing with him. Also his two best friends work there so like, he wants to at least stick with them for awhile.
It helps that his best friend works for gun too
To add onto this even further, the Expert Mode in Shadow the Hedgehog acts as Shadow's training regiment for G.U.N., according to its dialog from the Commander at the beginning of the levels. One of which actually has the Commander apologize to Shadow for almost shooting him, and another has him invite Shadow to see his family. Pretty wholesome stuff.
Fun fact: An achievement/trophy for beating Last Story in Sa2 is called "Beyond Good And Evil" and the trophy pops just after Shadow sacriface when Rouge asks "Where is Shadow?". So you might just see how Sega/Sonic Team is seeing Shadow.
Oh that's cool! Didn't know that.
Hmm. Just like how Shadow hasn't sacrificed himself for any sort of morality, he did it for his promise to Maria.
The thing is Shadow isn’t all about pride and rage. He just is written wrongly these days. He is calm and collected. He listens to others when needed, he only uses his ego when needed too.
Wait so he’s not supposed to murder people?😅
@@gracekim25 Actually, yes. He knows what it feels like bc Maria.
Yeah, ironically ‘06 was the last time he was written well. Now he’s just Vegeta in hedgehog form.
@@gryffindorftw6198 Lol.
Yeah, but hopefully he will leave FurGeta territory
man i hope they write him good in the movie, he is really a complex character that doesn't deserves the bad writing he had over the years
Yeah my boy deserves it!
With how well they treated Knuckles, I have hope :)
@@emiwarbleKnuckles was dope in the movie. Pretty much combined every version of the character in one.
They managed to revive Knuckles and Tails, so they’ll probably do good with Shadow. Or maybe they start him out as this edgy Vegeta clone, but develop him to be the Shadow we see in Adventure 2 and Heroes
i have hope for shadow in the movie, the main writer(?) behind the sonic movies has shadow as his favorite character so i'd like to believe he'd make sure to do him justice and fix the general perception of him after all these years of him acting out of character
Shadow working for GUN is actually an amazing direction!! He joined to help stop the corruption from within and it shows how he no longer lets his trauma define his life.
GUN was destroyed killed off by Eggman, so Shadow doesnt work for anyone.
@@sonicsucks20When was this?
@@sonicsucks20 this isn't true at all, shadow is repeatedly shown working for GUN in sonic 06. he's literally talking to a GUN agent over the transceiver in the opening cutscene of his story 😭 the base he was infiltrating wasn't a GUN base, it was one of eggman's bases and shadow was trying to rescue a GUN agent from inside it
@@sonicsucks20 Last Story is the canon route, Shadow gets back Chaos Spear for the last fight against Devil Doom and they're alive, Shadow is a G.U.N. Agent for what he did and everyone saw live and forgets about Maria & Gerald, he stood on the Ark holding the photo with them before his small moment having him discard the photo, all Last Stories are the canon route/ending.
Plus, it'd be awkward for Shadow to be friends with Rouge if she worked for the same group that killed Maria. They changed in 50 years, especially considering the fact that we haven't heard of GUN doing anything bad in the normal timespan of the games besides frame Sonic.
My favorite quote for shadow in sonic 06 is “If the world becomes my enemy I will fight like I always have.” It really telling that shadow doesn’t care what world thinks of him he will faith in himself and his friends.
06 is retconed so it's literally not relevant to his character now.
@@sonicsucks20Still happened according to Generations, and then there's the whole thing about Silver being around and yaaaaaa
@@sonicsucks20Dude Sonic remembers everything, he LOOKED OVER TO ELISE and watches the Festival at the end, Elise has a mini fragment of the memories when that gust of wind was made by Sonic but Solaris, the Flame of HOPE made sure she cant fully remember cause doing the Festival.
@@sonicsucks20It’s relevant to the development covered in this video. Even if it didn’t happen, it still reflects how he came to view things.
I think shadow working with GUN isn't a bad thing because it's like what you were saying about how, "Shadow is letting go of his past," It's Shadow not letting the past actions of a GUN from over 50 years ago determine is his feelings towards a GUN in the present. In Shadow the Hedgehog, you can see how the President regrets what the government did to Shadow and the Ark, hopes to rebuild a better future together.
I think that Shadow working with GUN is him acknowledging how the GUN has changed since the past 50 years and probably for the better. But I also think that shadow working with GUN is sorta his silent way of keeping an eye on them while also welcoming the changes to it. That way he can be there to prevent any tragedies like the Ark incident from happening ever again.
Oh wow that’s an interesting insight!
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
Shadow doesnt work for GUN, Eggman killed them off.
@@sonicsucks20Dude Last Stories are canon.
This is a good video along with characters in depth. Shadow is not a villain, not a antihero, and he’s not an edgelord. He’s a hero with a dark story who grew into one of the best redeemable characters.
Yeah, back when people kept talking about anti-heroes, they regularly used Shadow as the poster child for it, and it was so confusing because I never really saw Shadow’s actions as severe as claimed ‘Anti-Hero’.
Now a days, I see they took him not being a carbon copy of Sonic as “Well, he’s black and red with a low, quiet voice. Must be angry, and that’s not very heroic!” Lmao like wtf?
Easier to see now a days. He’s quiet and awkward because he grew up, not just in a lab, but a lab isolated in space. As much as he loved his dad and sister, his dad was busy trying to cure Maria, and Maria couldn’t be insanely active. Then, the first time he comes in contact with new people, they kill his entire family. Next thing he knows, he tries to avenge them, only to wrong good people.
Now, he has to interact and live with said good people on a regular basis. On top of already not having too much social experience before, he also has to deal with the shame and guilt of hurting these people, several who call him friend or rival in a friend sense.
Who wouldn’t be quiet in that situation? What could you say? Sorry? Or do you just join in on all the fun and laughter? To someone who hadn’t experienced that before, that must have been pretty intimidating.
Also, the only time I’ve seen him come close to ‘anti-heroing’, when he tried to straight out kill Eggman as Dr Tinker in IDW, he ultimately relented, in the face of everyone asking for him to show mercy. His anger later wasn’t so much an ‘I TOLD YOU SO’, but because he was sick with worry for everyone during the entire event (something TMOSTH showed, even if he’s in danger, he thinks of anyone else in danger first.)
Really glad that now a days, he can start letting go of that guilt and shame, and start hanging out with everyone (in the ‘Murder of Sonic The Hedgehog’ game, he even make plans to buy Amy’s favorite band’s tickets for her, and when confronted, turns into a time the two of them could hangout, as she insisted he come along as well)
@@Norinia you’ve just described the perfect way I see shadow. They need to stop using antihero around him like a poster boy, plus I prefer dark hero. Also we’re in a new era and it’s time that he got a break and starts making more friends besides team dark. Plus they should explore his rivalry with sonic a lot more.
@@Norinia plus just because he’s quiet doesn’t not mean he wants to punch someone or go in a killing spree. So many people including myself can see themselves in shadow.
He really isn’t a hero, either though. More like one to his ideals.
@@turbomations well he actually is a hero. Most of the time. Just watch characters in depth it explains all of it.
5:00 I took "Stars don't twinkle, Moon doesn't shine" as a reflection of how Shadow feels about existence. I don't think he has this essentialist scientific view of things, he has a semi-nihilistic hate for the world since it took Maria away from him. He's blinded by the despair he experienced and can't see the beauty the world still holds.
That’s very true. To Shadow, the beauty of the world is gone because the world took everything from him.
@@RanniIt’s also important to keep in mind that shadow never even really saw the world until Eggman woke him up. Until then, it was simply a far off blue ball that Maria wanted to see. Without any prior concept of the planet and without Maria to give it meaning, it’s just a rock full of people he hates.
13:27 it didn’t undo his journey necessarily. Shadow had amnesia in Shadow The Hedgehog, due to his fall back to the planet. The gameplay ability to kill who you want is due to Shadow not knowing *any of them,* and thus does not know who to trust.
In Sonic Adventures 2, he didn’t actually have a case of amnesia. What happened instead was his pod was later recaptured by G.U.N, and his father, Gerald Robotnik, was forced to continue working on him up until his execution by firing squad.
Furious and driven mad by the entire situation, Gerald instead took advantage of the situation and surgically altered Shadow’s mind and memories so he would come to the conclusions he did.
(I doubt, had he been sane, Gerald Robotnik ever would have done this, as Shadow remembered a loving father (a now non canon Archie part showed a frayed Ai disc made by Gerald and Maria, created out of thought for Shadow’s long lifespan, and showed Gerald as such) and I doubt a loving father would alter his only living child’s memories so he comes to the conclusion murder-suicide is the only answer)
Thus, Shadow’s amnesia in STH is the only actual case of him having amnesia. It doesn’t erase his progress.
I don't remember Shadow having amnesia in SA2.
But I do remember is that Gerald altered Shadow's memories to mislead him into thinking Maria wanted him to get revenge.
Or does this fall under amnesia?
Anyways, neat video.
Yeah, you're right. Dr. Gerald manipulated Shadow's memories in SA2.
@@Ranni Yeah
Gerald manipulated Shadow’s memories in SA2
He gained amnesia in Shadow the Hedgehog
Correction he gained amnesia from the fall from orbit, had amnesia during sonic heroes, and moved on regardless of the amnesia in the ending of Shadow-05.
My interpretation has always been that Gerald simply engineered a desire to destroy the world and his mind altered his memories to fit that.
This is literally one of the best sonic related videos ive ever seen. Videos like this are what this franchise needs, truly. Awesome work man.
Thank you!
@@RanniI don’t know if you will reply but is Shadow an existentialist or absurdist?
I hold that a big reason shadow is so misunderstood is because the English localization team in the adventure era completely dropped the ball on the English scripts. Depending on whether you played in English or Japanese, you could get completely different dialogue and characterization. It was especially bad in Shadow since the localization made him come off as childishly edgy when that wasn't the original intent for his character. His game was a journey of him going down different paths in his mind and finding the truth about who he is for himself. His truth and his own life outside of his past. Self-actualization
I always saw more in Shadow than just edgyness. He's a tragic hero who does what he believes is right. After watching your video I gain more understanding who Shadow is and what his motivations are. Tbh the song "All hail Shadow" isn't so wrong. He is the ultimate lifeform but he doesn't want praise. He just wants the power over his own life and to protect the world.
Very enjoyable essay. There are also many parallels to be found in one of Nietzsche's other works "On the Genealogy of Morality". Here he elaborates on the concept of ressentiment, the motivation for an inversion of (moral) values; good and evil. As far as I am familiar with the lore, Shadow's character is also defined by his jeaulousy of Sonic's free spirit and a carefree life. Shadow uses his (self-imposed) responsibilities and goals (which limit his freedom) to jusitfy his actions and raise himself above Sonic. Which at the same time inverts what he actually values (freedom) into something lesser, and raises duty as a new virtue to strive for.
Also: both Shadow and Sonic have the ability to transform into "Blond Beasts", but that is a whole other can of worms...
Wow, just did a quick Google search of Blonde Beast....yeah...Hopefully he meant lion lol.
So based. Shadow tries to be free, sonic is free
Shadow wants to be frees, but can’t. The reason he envies Sonic. He isn’t trying to be better than him at all. Please don’t use the Meta Era for evidence.
YES. I’ve always loved shadow but when someone asked me why, I couldn’t give an answer. I knew there was some deep psychological itch that he scratched but couldn’t articulate it. This video just articulated it for me. Thank you
Glad you enjoyed the video! Yeah, Shadow is one of the most existential characters in fiction.
Thank you for explaining existentialism and angst so clearly and succinctly,. I’ve heard the terms banded around before but never completely understood, but now I know that I’ve struggled with existential angst a lot over the years. Christian to Christian, have you struggled with angst yourself?
The thing is, the definition Shadow gives himself in terms of who he is matches up perfectly with the definition Gerald and Maria gave him. That definition being that Shadow is a protector. All the other definitions, like Black Doom's definition, were given to Shadow because that's what they _wanted_ Shadow to be like. Gerald and Maria's definition describe who Shadow _actually_ is. And that should only be natural, since they knew Shadow the most back then. And besides, Shadow is simply a good person deep down.
Shadow is a rival of Sonic first and foremost before he is a hero.
@@sonicsucks20 You're just imagining things. Shadow when he was introduced wasn't Sonic's rival, he was a straight up enemy and they both were trying to kill each other. After that their rivalry is barely even mentioned upto 06 (the last time he was well written in the games)
Wow, very good video but I do want to address some of your points here.
When you criticize Shadow "being stripped of his character growth from Sonic Adventure 2 and that he has amnesia again"
First of all he never had amnesia in SA2, Gerald Robotnik just altered his memories, heck he had anything BUT amnesia because there's a scene where he tells Rouge whether if his memory is fake or not its all that he has. In the beginning of his game he's almost a TOTAL blank slate, all he remembers is Maria being shot and he even says in that cutscene he doesn't know who she is.
2nd of all, you do know his amnesia is the REASON why Shadow acts differently from the ending of SA2, right? Like that's the POINT, he doesn't remember who he is and therefore doesn't know about his promise to Maria.
As for Gerald making the deal with Black Doom when you say it was a dumb thing to do. When you suggested it was possibly out of desperation, yes.
The whole point Gerald even participated in creating Shadow was to gain access to immortality to make a cure for Maria's health. So yeah the point was that he was so desperate to save Maria, Gerald LITERALLY made " A Deal with the Devil". And that gives a perfect explanation of why G.U.N raided the Ark in the first place, it was a consequence of him seeking help from the devil and causes his downfall.
But Gerald wasn't completly naive though, he had no intention of keeping his end of the bargain at all, which is WHY he designed the Eclispe Cannon to shoot the Black Comet when it came back. (Explaining the cannons purpose in the first place)
As for Black Doom and Shadow, given his Satan like design Black Doom also resembles Shadows inner Demons tempting him towards evil.
As for Shadow working with G.U.N in Sonic 06 it's supposed to show how Shadows really moved on from his past and is focused on the now and the future.
That’s true, yeah I failed to mention how Gerald manipulated Shadow’s memories in SA2. And I guess I could see how Shadow working for GUN could be seen as him moving on from his past.
I honestly found the reveal of Gerald working with Black Doom makes sense when you consider the fact that from an outsiders perspective, alongside that one level involving rampage artificial chaos creatures, Gerald sold out humanity to a race of alien invaders. GUN had every reason to intervene and shut down the Ark.
Although thinking about it, it probably played out a lot like the Gundam: Witch from Mercury Prologue. So yeah, Shadow is a Char clone without the mask, and Sonic is Amuro without the whining.
Agreed
This analysis is amazing!! This type of video is one of many reasons why I love Sonic so much! It's no wonder so many people love "simple blue hedgehog" because under that simplicity is something much more complex and deep, that allows us to understand ourselves :-) Thank you for doing it
Wow, I’m very happy that you enjoy it!
I think something to add to this is that Sonic is the thing (The Ultimate Lifeform,) Shadow was supposed to be
They're both heroes in different ways, and I think any clash between them is an interesting dilemna.
I'm reminded of Shadow's first appearance in the IDW comics, and his fight with Knuckles in Sonic Universe
though those are less philosophical
I wouldn’t actually say so. It is just Sonic’s pure heart and pure emotions make him the UL. The whole point of it. That was Shadow’s character growth.
Shadow is just what his name implies and eventually became more than what he was told he is. I also just loved his insane confidence and somewhat bratty behavior. I crushed on shadow as a kid not fully understanding Shadows character but it is true he feels more relatable than Sonic. I couldn't stand Sonic other than him being my favorite color because he doesn't come across as someone that could be achievable through the same real life acts. I get it, it's a game and has to be mostly a suspension of disbelief to make believe these fantastical things can happen. But with Shadow, his story feels so relatable, so sad, terrible, kinda ugly (thinking of the moment from SA2 where Gerald is asked to speak his last words before being shot and killed before a camera), and just so gosh darn dramatic. shadow is a beast of chaos of his own design, and it is awesome.
Yes, Shadow is working for G.U.N. in 06. Looks like someone didn't play the Extra mode in Shadow the Hedgehog, where he's training to join G.U.N.
Oh I’m not familiar with extra mode.
Shadow ain't working for GUN anymore. Thank Eggman for that.
@@sonicsucks20Dude this is in Shadow 05, please stop.
Wow, this video is great! I've never really thought about Shadow too deeply so this was a very interesting dive into his character. But real quick, being the huge Sonic nerd that I am, I just feel the need to quickly point something out lol:
6:05 - While it's not really possible to know for sure what Shadow's exact motivations were for his actions in SA2, it is heavily implied in Gerald Robotnik's video that plays during the last story (and I would argue basically confirmed based on other factors) that he reprogrammed Shadow to become vengeful, probably purposefully inducing his amnesia by taking out the part of Maria's final moments where she tells him to protect the world. The wording is a little unclear, but that's how I've always interpreted it.
Alright, that's it. Anyways, great work! Keep it up man.
Yeah, I remember that now! That Shadow's memories were reprogrammed by Dr. Gerald.
Sonic 06 did a good job giving Shadow a proper villain to showcase his personal growth and struggles
Heck, even in the clip you used from sonic 06… when Shadow is called out for fighting to save a World that would hate him after being saved? His answer was to fight alongside his comrades whom have fought alongside him since before he started fighting. Rouge and Omega both were involved in waking Shadow up, they were his first comrades while Eggman was the cousin of his beloved Maria… his choice in teammates says a lot about how he’s grown up since SA2
06 was the last game where the writer Shiro Maekawa was writing Shadow. Shadow was basically his child. So that game was the last where Shadow was in character.
Why he joined GUN of all organizations? I think because of two links. His friend Rouge, and his former "enemy" the GUN Commander. The Commander also joined GUN despite he had the exact same history with Maria as Shadow. The Commander joined the GUN most likely without knowing they were the ones to kill Maria, and that they were the ones to perpertrate the murder of people on The Ark. But after the events of Shadow the Hedgehog, he learned the truth. And I'm willing to bet that he went personally to apologize to Shadow, promising him that he will find out everyone who was responsible for the events 50 years ago if they still live, clean the GUN of any and all corruption... And then he offered him a job. For Shadow to continue to do what the Commander hoped to achieve by joining GUN himself. To assure better future.
Even if Shadow put the past behind him, I am pretty sure he didn't put behind him the sentiment of Maria. Just because he will not let himself be reminded of her death every so often, I don't think he'd choose to work against the betterment of the world, or against the wish that people should have a chance to live happily. I think he no longer is nihilistic.
I think what you get wrong is that Shadow is arrogant and bases his personality around his power. Shadow is not Vegeta. He only acted like this in SA2 to bring Sonic off ballance, and because he knew he was on a self destructive quest and nothing really mattered. But ever since then he was much more thoughtful. And even acknowledged when sometimes there were more powerful characters and entities than him. Shadow never called anyone coward like what the modern writers make him do. And didn't constantly bring up his superiority.
One of the things that was supposed to happen after he said "Goodbye forever, Shadow the Hedgehog" was that he didn't call himself "the Ultimate Lifeform" again. 06 is a long game, one third is focused on Shadow, and he doesn't call himself "the Ultimate Lifeform" once. Only Mephiles calls him that. Because it's that part of his past he let go. The "Ultimate Lifeform" is a label for his designated purpose he moved away from. And the name for pursuit of the absolute power - something he doesn't strive for, and even rejected in ShtH game.
If Shadow has any weaknesses, it's not arrogance or that his personality is based around his power. His weakness is the scar the death of Maria left in him. He was only a week or few weeks old when she died. He's not ready to have his friends die on him again if he can help it. That's why he goes on solo missions or mentions his power sometimes. It's just an excuse he can act alone and not risk his comrades lives.
Shadow does have friends, contrary to what the people that misrepresent his character want you to believe. Watch the 06 cutscenes. There are some of the most beautiful moments when it comes to Shadow and his relationship to his friends. Their relationships are portrayed with skill and subtlety. And it's all organic and natural. Unlike the stories surrounding Sonic and his friends, which are stilt, stiff, contrived and we are supposed to understand them as friends just because they are defined as friends on default. Yet these "dark" characters have much more deserved and well portrayed friendship.
The true sequel to the plot threads to 06 was never made. A sequel that would explore how GUN turned on Shadow once again, and his friendship with Rouge and Omega was truly tested. And so is his relationship with the world that is for some reason bent on treating him as the enemy. Maekawa alluded this story.
Yet we never got anything as deep ever again.
another song id like to throw in that i wish was explored is "The Chosen One", from "Shadow the Hedgehog". Its SUCH a good song! and i think it dives into shadows character very well!
I’ll have to listen to it again!
agreed, best song on the ost for me
Bro, Shadow is an amazing character, I’d go so far as to say that he’s the best character, he got done dirty in that pole. He’s also such a sad character and also very interesting. ALSO ID LIKE TO FIX A MISTAKE THAT PEOPLE NEVER SEEM TO FIND, SHADOW DIDN’T DIE EGGMAN SAVED HIM, I THINK THE ONLY REASON PEOPLE SAY THAT SHADOW DIED IS BECAUSE THATS WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, BUT THANKS TO HIS POPULARITY HE WAS BROUGHT BACK. Just wanted to put that out there.
This was a pretty comprehensive and well researched video! I liked it a lot, the depth of Shadow's character is insane and I like the way you interpret it. This was a very well made video, and I love the work ya put into it.
I was watching this video and you said, "Now only if there was a song that perfectly encapsulated all of this..." And at that moment I add happened and... "At BK, have it your way. You rule." Pure gold.
"Now if only there was a song that perfectly encapsulates this."
Legit thought you were gonna play All Star
That would be funny!
Shadow doesn’t have amnesia “again”. In SA2, he had the professor’s programming interfering with his memories. He only has amnesia in his own game, due to falling from space. And probably, because as ultimate life form as he may be, his mind is still a thing of human design, so probably not as resilient as that of a natural creature.
Despite working for GUN in 06, the version we see of our favorite hedgehog honestly is his best version. This sorta I do my own thing, but usually that's the right thing to do really shows him as a fully realized character. Especially when confronted by Mephilis throughout his campaign. The number of attempts Mephilis makes to pull Shadow towards darkness, showing him that he'll be sealed away when Iblis wipes out the world and betrayed doesn't sway him at all. Right after seeing it he simply say's that it's absurd and should it come to that, he'll deal with it then. And of course the final fight against Mephilis the "If humanity chooses to become my enemy, I will fight like I always have" still gives me chills. To him, it doesn't matter who is on his side and who isn't, all that matters is that he gets to make the choice at the end of the day. And let's not even go into how fiercely loyal to him Rouge is in that same game, literally telling him that even if the whole world is against him, she'll support him. Sonic 06, for being a terrible broken damn near unplayable Alpha Build of an unfinished game, gives Shadow probably his best story even if it is a little off the wall and kinda ridiculous. It shows us that this is who he is after burying his past and looking ahead to the future. Honestly a younger me liked him because edgy introvert with few friends appealed to me, but older me loves this guy that doesn't necessarily care about the outcome so long as HE ultimately is given the choice in the first place.
True, 06's depiction of Shadow has successfully established him as one of my comfort characters
I feel like his characterization in 06 is pretty good too. It's a good way to show how far he's come. He's an extremely mature character. I feel like it's the last time sega gets him right😂
One thing I'd like to add Shadow works with Gun its not the same as working for Gun, just like helping them at the end of SA2.
The line that embodies Shadow the best, IMO mind you, is "If the world chooses to become my enemy, I will fight like I always have"
Shadow and the GUN Commander reconciled in the end of Shadow The Hedgehog (2005). In Expert mode, there's dialogue of the Commander apologising for everything he and GUN have done, and inviting Shadow for dinner to meet his granddaughter. Assumedly this is how Shadow ended up joining but... I wouldn't blame anyone for missing it in the game lol
Becoming an unbermensch is more about fulfilling a power trip was the best statement of the video imo
Who knew a cartoon hedgehog could have this much depth.
I legitimately view Shadow as an actual role model for myself. When I came up with a list of top 10 role models, he made my list. Your video helped me understand exactly why I feel this way. Thank you. You put it into words in a accurate way.
That quote at the end of your video / at the end of his story in sonic 06, really summarizes and nails exactly what I believe.
You mentioning parallels within the music.. and not just with visuals or ideas is what makes this so harmonious. The ability to tie simple and complex together is to reconcile.
Shadow is seen as an image, as we all are but at least he’s in the right picture. There will always be more and i think this video, and shadow, speak to expanding definition - Thank you so much
Dude that was such a nice video, good work, the way you explained everything was amazing, the philosophy and emo hedgehog similarities, i enjoyed 🦔🦔🦔
This was great. I enjoyed watching and hearing your thoughts.
Thanks John! Glad you enjoyed the video!
Yeah. I liked this! You did great. I had my own suspicions for a long. You’ve laid it out nicely and helped me come to grips with his story!
I can't believe I got drawn in thanks to this thumbnail, thinking "damn that sounds really interesting but kinda crazy" and then you fucking delivered dfgldg
Seriously this video was such good brain food
The sonic franchise and especially Shadow are so dear to me, because there are so many complex characters and with Shadow you managed to show me even more in depth stuff about his character that really does make a lot of sense!
Your short explanations shown on the video to the philosophies were really appreciated(because I love thinking about philosphical themes but it is demanding and more often then not you don't understand everything fully, so the core essence of it does help a lot with further explanations) and especially the lyrics interpretations! I kinda like Throw it all away more know ngl
I am still amazed by how eye opening and good this video was + the amount of depth you get out of a singular character I love this franchise so much
Bless the youtube algorithm for showing me this video, you did an excellent job! Can't wait for the next analysis!
you have packed my special interest perfectly into a video thank you
Glad you liked it!
actually, finishing the video, your mention of the ubermensch is quite literally the absurdist ideal mental state.
You don't actually become better in any way, it's just being able to push forwards in life while not allowing yourself to live in ignorance about the pointlessness of life, and being able to find your own reason to live.
The concept of absurdism does a good job of not glorifying the concept of having that philosophy, and acting like thinking that way makes you better than other people, which neitches description of the ubermensch heavily implies. (and is very wrong, if that's not obvious, thinking a certain way doesn't make you better than the other people who don't)
That was a great video!
Thank you Big!
I think it's a great analysis! I love playing these types of character essay videos while getting ready for work each morning, so I can never have enough haha 😄
Glad you enjoyed it!
One, extremely obvious, comparison of Shadow,is Vergil from DMC. My man got trauma on top of trauma, and his coping mechanism is be powerful, not necessarily by destroying humanity, but if it is necessary, he would erase the entire world for it.
There is also 'I am all of me', I dont care if it's cringe that song is a great song, I love that Shadow is going to be what he chooses to, not what he is made for.
You can say this video surely have a.. Nietzche public. *Gottem*
I've been loving your analysis videos. They're so good and go so deep!
I'd like to think that maybe the directors for the movies will get Shadow's characterization. Especially since I heard he did help work on the Shadow the Hedgehog game. We'll see though.
Thanks! Glad you’ve been enjoying them!
One of the reasons I liked about Shadow because he makes a compelling rival to Sonic both character and power. By motive he’s a good person (friend even) but by methods and choices he’s villainous. I personally think he should be a Tweener so he can serve a potential ally and a fierce opponent to both sides.
I loved this video! Shadow is a character that caught my attention from his first appearance and still does to this day, he has been misrepresented sometimes but we know the real shadow, independent, lives by his own rules extremely loyal to those he cares for
Best character in the Sonic universe! I loved the short philosophy lesson too! Great video!
Thanks glad you enjoyed watching!
Great video! I think its a shame how so many beloved characters these days change hands (writers) so often, leading to inconsistencies in their characterizations and development. Making it hard or impossible to really know who these characters really were ever supposed to be.
BUT
With it comes the opportunity for us to speculate and theorize and glean inspiration for our own works!
So true!
Glad after 80000 years we can all agree this story is a banger that actually deserves an appropriate analysis.
I can't help but return to this video from time to time.
I love Shadow , hes my favorite character lol ive even made fan fiction of him and team dark great video ❤ you talked about his character perfectly
Hey man just subbed! This video is so awesome and honestly your humor is great too. Shadow is such a bad ass character, it drives me nuts how the newer sonic games have either left him out or butchered his character entirely.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the video and appreciate the sub!
I just wanna say, I don't believe "I am all of Me" is at all cringy. I'm not sure where that even comes from. I think Crush 40 channelling heavy metal influence for the song fit Shadow really well. Not to mention, as a guitarist myself, there's some cool riffs in there. So what's cringy about it?
Also, the darker concepts Shadow's character explores are important for us to consider. I think getting lost in all the artificial "obligations" we've put on ourselves as a species is a trap. I think existentialism isn't some horribly dark view of our lives, and can actually be very freeing. By acknowledging the fact that our existence IS so small and fleeting gives us the opportunity to create something meaningful from that blank slate. Living only by made up human concepts is limiting, and is a big part of why we've plateaued and even regressed in many ways; This idea that we're the best thing since multicellular life's inception having made us arrogant and self serving.
One thing I love about art like music and games is the illustration of such concepts; Sharing eye opening ideas through the lens of an easier to swallow format as a means to help others through this minefield of a society we're trapped in.
The song that was originally going to be used "Who I Am" by Magna-Fi actually makes alot more sense
I like how shadow just does his own thing. He isn't defined by good or evil. He isn't like a sonic who will always join the good side without questioning wether what he's doing is really good. Neither will he be like eggman who will jist commit acts of evil without thinking about what his end goal is. When shadow is presented with the 2 teams of good and evil he's a very flexible charachter who chooses whatever he thinks is best for what his goals are and if no side fits he just makes his own side and does whatever he thinks is good, be it good for himself or others it's his to decide but deciding any of this isn't always easy which you can also see in the way they built him up as a charachter
No, Sonic also does what he thinks is right and goes his way. He immediately questions or opposes others, even when they're on the "good" side
I've been addicted to philosophy for about 6 years now, and all throughout my childhood I've been a fan of Shadow.
This video is... a big chunk of me
So nice to meet a felllow Christian Sonic fan with a philosophical background. :) I studied Nietzsche and other modern philosophers for years, so fun to see their thoughts blended with a game franchise I've always admired.
Nice! Yeah I only read about philosophy for fun and never had any formal study on the subject.
@@Ranni It would be fun to explore Shadow in light of Carl Jung's work. He developed the shadow theory, after all
8:12 the night Spagonia theme here though 🔥
I love the video again ^^
Finally, a video essay of Shadow that is perfect ❤
If I got anything from this video is that Shadow the Hedghog has a kickin' soundtrack. I Am All Of Me may have been what got me into Alternative Rock ngl. Rediscovering some bangers from this video, thanks for the upload
Both Scourge the Hedgehog from Archie and Surge the Tenrec from IDW are similar to Shadow's views at least on what their purpose in life is.
Scourge is pure evil? I dunno about Surge.
All of this, shadow has been my favorite character since I finished SA2. I had gone through alot, and his story, one of pushing the past away, getting back up, and pushing onward. It genuinely inspired me.
To anyone who thinks shadow is genuinely just edgy, you really dont know the full story.
Love this video, thank you.
I feel like shadow having amnesia again in shadow the hedgehog is basically due to the fact he plummeted twoards earth in the last game, i mean, a fall that bad has to do something right? I know hes immortal so he survived the fall, but that doesn't mean he can't get brain damage.
In one of the modes in Shadow the Hedgehog (Super Hard Mode I believe...) Shadow is actually doing training for GUN, and by touching the help icons, you can reveal certain dialogue regarding the GUN commander.
Can I just say, the scene in Sonic '06 where Shadow takes off the glove rings, was so fucking cool with the current situation and music. 👌
Very good video, brother.
Thank you!
@@Ranni you’re welcome.
There actually is a gameplay path that can be Shadow the Hedgehog’s true canon path.
Note: Assumes multiple acts, the path with the most clues and best sets up Last Story, Expert Mode is cannon.
Westopolis (Hero, self defense cause aliens attack first) -> Lethal Highway (Dark, is Act 2 to Westopolis. GUN wins Battle of Westopolis but loses Battle of Digital Circuit and Glyphic Canyon. -> Prison Island (hero, pursuing potential lead) -> The Doom (hero, is Prison Island Act 2). -> Cryptic Castle (hero, via expert mode) -> Mad Matrix (hero, Act 2 of Cryptic Castle, pursuing potential lead). Eggman Empire wins Battle of Sky Troops, GUN wins Battle of Central City at high cost. -> Iron Jungle (normal or hero, Shadow hears the lie) -> Lost Impact (Hero, Act 2 of Iron Jungle) -> Space Gadget (hero, Act 3 of Iron Jungle). Towers confronts Shadow at Ark -> Final Haunt.
Oh wow, that's really cool!
Dr. Eggman adding fuel to the existential crisis that is Shadow's life is actually hilarious.
I don't think Sonic is unrealistic, I think he is an example of a very rare sort of person. These people often go unnoticed until times get so very bad and they become more noticeable. Shadow is realistic too of course just he is common, represents many. And there's nothing wrong with that either.
What a video, thank you ❤❤❤
You're welcome!
Truly a wonderful analysis! I agree with all your points, especially the conclusion. I don’t really like Nietzsche’s philosophy, but it certainly incapsulates Shadow’s character well.
I’m glad that you put his final quote from Sonic ‘06 at the end of the video, as that’s my favorite quote of his. Also, I know that Sonic ‘06 makes him work for G.U.N, but apart from that it has the best version of Shadow after SA2.
All I can say is that Sonic Prime has the most recent accurate depiction of Shadow after more than a decade.
‘Shadows not really a humble guy’
Shadow: ‘IM THE COOLEST’
When i think about that quote from Sonic Adventure 2, I see it 2 ways.
1. Shadow has an ego and does legitimatrly think he's cool, cooler than sonic.
2. Sega was aware that Shadow was edgy and came off as a "cooler sonic" and wanted to show that they were aware. I think the quote shows that sega liked Shadow alot but didnt take him completely seriously in adventure 2.
I love this video, one of the best
Thank you!
0:46 this is the same reason people like Vegeta over Goku. Yes i know its a different franchise but the creative minds behind the characters in sonic already have been open about how much DBZ influenced them. Makes sense why most young boys like myself was team Vegeta and Shadow
More SHADOW, please!
The funny thing about that intro is that it sounds like what Knuckles' character was supposed to be.
I find it interesting that people are upset about Shadow's character arc essentially reset in his game. Yes, it was weird, but also it shows that he is his own character and if he still questions himself, we can help him figure out an identity for himself.
To make this easier and not confuse his development, Shadow 05 is an alternate outcome to the aftermath of SA2 just like Heroes and with him coming across Omega and Rouge in his game, Shadow's been a TBI victim after the fall and basically been lurking around, though there's no explained or confirmed events during the timeframe but I think was said by the President when he looks at the photo in his office SA2 is 2 years prior to Shadow 05.
Okay, I had a lot of skepticism when diving into this, but you DO have a very good point there.
I've studied stuff like Hermeticism for a while, and Shadow's four colors are Black, White, Red and Gold. These correspond to the four colors in Hindu cosmogony, and also to the symbolic synthesis of Gold in Western Alchemy: Nigredo, Albedo and Rubedo stand for the works (practically conquests) in Black (mortality), White (eternal life) and Red (power) respectively, Gold being the state of spiritual perfection.
The Nazi flag also contained these three colors for possibly a similar reason - a complex symbolism of striving to become superhuman, or even godlike. The fact that Shadow "turns gold" and "does the right thing" in the end seems quite intentional in this regard as well.
Even the Chaos Emeralds may refer to Cauda Pavonis (tail of the peacock) in their many colors. Regarding the ending: In numerology, the number 11 is a master number expressing spiritual transcendence, so for example 10 as a number of completeness, and 1 as the number of singularity, practically representing "one above all", practically God, or whatever ultimate master of all may there be.
I didn't think I'd write ANYTHING under a Sonic-related video, let alone something this profound.
Wow this was a very interesting read! I’m not familiar with hermeticism at all, but I should do more research about it. Yeah Sonic and his world has so many deep things in it that were probably put in there for fun, but as a result creates more profound worlds and characters.
I'm sure this is a good video with valid points but that's still a hilarious thumbnail to stumble upon
It bothers me so many people trash on his character in his own game. Shadow from SA2 and Shadow the game might be physically the same, but they are essentially separate characters. They don't even directly confirm if he got his memories back at the end of the game. He put everything behind him because he wanted nothing to do with his shitty past. All the non canon stories, in one way or another, all represent what shadow is NOT supposed to become. Shadow the game isn't perfectly written by any means, but it honestly had one of the most profound and interesting stories in the franchise. Give me shadow the hedgehog over ANYTHING from the 2010s era oof. So if anyone prefers Shadows story in sa2 only, then this is the best way to look at it
Damn, this is good.
This... This is why I love shadow he's a beautifully tragic character I've never seen a more beautifully written character I love and always will love his character I am OBSESSED with this hedgehog he is THE BEST CHARACTER the DEFINITION of best character and yeah sonic is great and everything I wanna have the same free spirit I love sonic but he's not the most realistic character that's what makes shadow so great! He's realistic he's realistically beautiful... I have never seen a character this beautifully crafted shadow is THE best character i love shadow I would DIE for him
2:45 Pray I can find this song
I believe that what you are implying is that no man is good nor are they evil. Shadow is a character which struggles with good and bad, he wants to do something that he believes is good while knowing that it can be bad. He is trying to cope with the evil that he faced with evil, there are many people who does so but we should never succumb to evil even when we might have done so we should try to live a harmless enough life. Emphasis on enough.
Shadow is my favourite, I’ve always found him cool in sonic heroes (I was too young/ just born when SA2 was released in Japan) so I love learning more about him
15.7.23
This is great. God bless
Don't forget Team Dark's story from Sonic Heroes because it's canon too. (Shadow Androids and other things that leads to Shadow the Hedgehog)
This video definitely describes my boy Vergil too
This video went so deep, it even had medieval artwork in it!
(Edit: I love the video, not that many philosophical debates about sonic characters about, and Shadow's the perfect topic for one)
I don't think he moves to existentialism, I think he leans towards absurdism near the end.
Understanding that there is still no meaning, but using that as a reason to search for his own meaning and let that be his drive.
Technically still existentialism, but existentialism that's been through nihilism and comes out the other side understanding it and accepting it instead of disregarding it like existentialism would entail.
Idk if the lack of mentioning absurdism is due to not knowing about it or just not thinking of it, but I honestly think he's far more an absurdist than a plain old existentialist
Good insight. Yeah, I’m not too familiar with absurdism which is why I didn’t really mention it, but just a quick search online makes me realize that Shadow could also be a representation of absurdist thought.
Have you ever considered making a video about the philosophy of Sonic, or do you think that the videos you've been making (and probably will make) about his character cover most of your thoughts on the topic?
I do plan on eventually making a Philosophy of Sonic video!
@@Ranni Great! I'm looking forward to it. 🙂 I only recently discovered your channel and I really like it so far.
At 23:24 that was funny but also on point of shadows character lol