The Ultimate Lifeform, created on the Space Colony ARK. The product of scientific genius Professor Gerald Robotnik and alien overlord Black Doom. Shadow the Hedgehog was created as part of research to cure the otherwise terminal condition NIDS (Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome), as Professor Gerald hoped Shadow’s immortality could somehow be harnessed to save his granddaughter, Maria Robotnik1Dr. Eggman’s cousin, if you were curious. Our boy is Ivo Robotnik to the government.. Shadow’s life onboard the ARK was a lonely one, but made brighter by the companionship of Maria, his one friend.
Tragedy struck when international military organization GUN2Guardian Unit of Nations deemed Shadow the Hedgehog a threat to global security. They invaded the ARK to shut down research, and kill everyone who knew about Shadow. This included the young Maria. During the assault, she focused not on saving herself but saving her friend Shadow, sending him to Earth on an escape pod moments before she was shot.3You may be aware of meme-y excitement around the idea that the Sonic 3 movie, which adapts the Shadow story, will feature Maria being shot. It’s out of some sense of “oh isn’t it wild that Sonic lore has a child getting shot???” and I feel like people are missing the point there. A child getting shot is whatever; Maria’s death was not an accident. GUN, who are treated as legitimate military authority to this day, intentionally murdered her. THAT’s your compelling darkness, and that’s the idea that is likely too radical to make it into the movie.
Maria lived her life trapped on the ARK, its low gravity prolonging her lifespan as her health degraded due to NIDS. She always wished to go to Earth, to visit that beautiful blue planet she could see out her window. And so Shadow dedicates his unending life to protecting the planet his only friend loved so dearly. And so we celebrate our protector in this, the Fearless Year of Shadow. All Hail.
(Katie’s tagging in for the thread today, could you tell?)