Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is one of the most H๏τly anticipated franchise films coming up in the next few years, and while no specifics have been revealed about the movie since its initial announcement, one of the major points of discussion surrounding the project is how it is going to handle the growing roster of Sonic characters being introduced.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3‘s mid-credits scene gave a good look into the next film’s new additions, showing off Metal Sonic as the new villain and Amy Rose as another hero who will undoubtedly join up with Team Sonic to stop this threat. There are also whatever future villains arise as the franchise continues after.
However, while Amy and Metal will certainly be the main event of Sonic 4, the film shouldn’t ignore the rest of the cast, particularly Shadow, as, even though he was essentially one of the co-leads of Sonic 3, his reintroduction needs to happen sooner rather than later.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Teased Shadow’s Return As A Hero
The Character Is Definitely Going To Return Somewhere Down The Line
While Shadow spent most of the movie as the villain, Sonic 3‘s incredible ending showed his return to good, fighting alongside Sonic in one of the best scenes in the entire franchise. However, this led to him sacrificing himself in order to stop Gerald Robotnik and the Eclipse Cannon.
However, that clearly wasn’t the end for Shadow, as Sonic 3‘s final post-credits scene gave a small tease to the character’s return. It showed him picking up one of the Limiter Rings he was wearing, which he had removed during the film’s climax to allow himself to utilize his full power.
In the video games, Shadow’s death in Sonic Adventure 2 was meant to be permanent, but he was brought back for Sonic Heroes after fan reactions to the character were so positive.
While there was no hint as to what the character was going to be doing in his next appearance, he became a hero during Sonic 3, which will undoubtedly be carried over into his next appearance. His return could follow the video game story, which involved Shadow losing his memory for a time, but he would still end up as a hero.
Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Needs To Show What Shadow Looks Like As A Good Guy
His New Role In The Franchise Needs To Be Established Quickly
Shadow’s heroic side was shown off a little bit, but that was only during Sonic 3‘s explosive climax, and for most of the movie, he was the dark, brooding villain that most would expect from the character. There were moments of levity during the flashbacks with Maria, but otherwise, he was villainous through and through.
Sonic 4 will have a difficult time balancing all the characters that we already have with the new faces like Amy and Metal, and Shadow would further complicate the issue…
Now that he has made the choice to become a hero, the series needs to show what his role is going to be going forward. Even if Shadow doesn’t fully join Team Sonic, he is going to need to have some kind of interaction with the main characters to show how these very different personalities are going to mesh.
Not only would this be important for the story, seeing all of these characters interact in a less antagonistic way is also going to be very fun to see. Knuckles and Tails presumably don’t like Shadow all that much, considering they only personally knew him as a villain, and seeing them overcome their differences and work together is a perfect set-up for some great scenes.
It is worth noting that Sonic 4 will have a difficult time balancing all the characters that we already have with the new faces like Amy and Metal, and Shadow would further complicate the issue, but the character was such an important addition to the franchise that his return should absolutely be prioritized.
Shadow’s Return Can’t Wait Until Sonic 5
He Is One Of The Franchise’s Most Iconic Characters
While the Sonic movies have been coming out pretty consistently since 2020, on around a two-to-two-and-a-half-year basis, if Shadow doesn’t return until Sonic 5, then it could potentially be a five-year wait to see the character return to the big screen again.
Shadow was the biggest success of Sonic 3, and became one of the best characters in the entire franchise. Having to wait so long to see his return would not only be disappointing as a fan, but it would likely work against the studio, as Shadow’s return to the big screen would certainly bring a lot of people to theaters once again.
Shadow could have a spin-off series, which has been discussed a lot. However, no matter how good that series could be, it wouldn’t be nearly as impactful as seeing the character reintroduced in a full, theatrically released movie alongside the rest of the cast, making Sonic the Hedgehog 4 the perfect place to bring him back.
