Who Is Shadow The Hedgehog In The 'Sonic 3' Trailer?

Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves) and Maria (Alyla Browne) in Sonic the Hedgehog 3

The newly released trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 follows up on the tantalizing post-credits scene from the last entry, showing off an intimidating new antagonist, Shadow (Keanu Reeves).

Beyond the live-action films, Sonic the Hedgehog lore is surprisingly elaborate; decades of games, a variety of new gimmicks, tons of tie-in comics and cartoons have created a dense narrative web that appears almost impenetrable to outsiders.

The Sonic fandom is fiercely, almost inexplicably dedicated to the blue hedgehog, despite the franchise’s wildly inconsistent output.

The fact that the first Sonic film planned to use the now-legendary “ugly Sonic” until the internet bullied the studio into changing the design highlights how the franchise has struggled to maintain a consistent vision.

Shadow was viewed as something of a joke when he starred in his own game back in 2005, but now the character is being voiced by the internet’s most beloved man, Keanu Reeves, capping off a successful film trilogy.

But who is Sonic’s dark rival, and where did he come from?

First introduced in 2001’s Sonic Adventure 2 as a dark mirror to Sonic, Shadow the Hedgehog later starred in his own spin-off, aptly titled Shadow the Hedgehog.

Shadow’s game was viewed by many fans and critics as a cringy, somewhat desperate attempt to make the Sonic franchise edgier, and presumably, more appealing to teens.

Amusingly, Shadow was even armed with pistols and swear words during this period, which added to the impression that he was nothing more than “edgy Sonic.” However, the character has a tragic backstory that expands the lore of Sonic’s universe.

Shadow was artificially created in a lab, in an attempt to create the “ultimate life form” and cure rare diseases.

This being the Sonic the Hedgehog series, the ultimate life form is a hedgehog, but Shadow is also spliced with alien DNA, taken from an interstellar tyrant, the Black Doom, who leads an army of aliens known as the Black Arms.

Shadow stands as a powerful rival to Sonic, able to match his speed by using jet-boosted shoes, which allows him to run with a distinctive sliding motion, like an ice skater.

The trailer depicts him as a formidable foe, able to easily take down Sonic and his friends.

Shadow also has the ability to teleport, which is taken from the games, but usually only under certain conditions.

Shadow was created by Gerald Robotnik, the grandfather of Dr. Robotnik—both characters are played by Jim Carrey, with the actor delivering an energetic performance that echoes the mania of his old, iconic roles, such as The Mask.

Gerald Robotnik was convinced to create Shadow in the hope of curing a deadly illness suffered by his granddaughter, Maria Robotnik. Normally, Gerald doesn’t live to see Shadow unleashed, but he is still alive in the film.

Both he and Shadow shared a close bond with Maria, but she was tragically killed by the military, who locked Shadow inside a secure facility after he was deemed a threat to humanity.

In the games, Shadow tends to suffer from amnesia, and is manipulated by unsavory characters, such as Doctor Eggman and Black Doom, to fulfill their own aims.

In the upcoming film, Shadow looks to have the same origin story with Maria and Gerald Robotnik, but his emergence appears to motivate an unlikely truce between Robotnik and Sonic.

Shadow tends to be depicted as an antihero, a character who takes time to find himself and figure out where he stands, but usually chooses to ally with Sonic and his friends in the face of greater threats.

It remains to be seen if the live-action films will flesh out Shadow’s alien backstory, but for Sonic fans, it’s surely a relief just to see a faithful depiction of Shadow on the big screen.

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