In anticipation of the upcoming Sonic X Shadow Generations, VGC interviewed Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka about the game and the Sonic franchise as a whole. One of the topics discussed centered around the character of Shadow the Hedgehog and his use of vehicles and firearms in his 2005 eponymous title. Though the game received mixed reviews on launch, it became a cult classic amongst Sonic the Hedgehog fans.

According to Iizuka (who was one of the creators of Shadow alongside Shiro Maekawa, Kazuyuki Hoshino, and Yuji Uekawa), Shadow “would use whatever he needed at the moment to get the job done” – including riding a motorcycle and shooting various firearms. Iizuka goes on to say that though Shadow used these things in the past, the character is “extremely powerful on his own and doesn’t really need a gun or anything because he can do it himself.” Lore-wise, Shadow was created by Professor Gerald Robotnik (not to be confused with his grandson Doctor Ivo Robotnik) to be the Ultimate Lifeform. Because of this, his powers rival those of Sonic and other mainstay characters in the franchise.

Shadow's wings in Sonic X Shadow Generations

And Shadow is powerful – so much so that he hasn’t used a gun or ridden a motorcycle since 2005. The recent trailer for Sonic X Shadow Generations even shows Shadow getting a new power that grants him wings. Shadow’s use of firearms somewhat aligns with Iizuka’s explanation of the character (having ranged options is helpful, after all), but riding a motorcycle is a bit contradictory as his Air Shoes allow him to reach high speeds without exerting himself. These decisions could have been made to give the character a grittier tone in the Shadow the Hedgehog game, but have since been phased out. Iizuka even sets the record straight by saying that Shadow will not use a gun in Sonic X Shadow Generations.

Shadow’s reemergence in Sonic the Hedgehog media is central to what Sega is calling the “Year of Shadow,” which includes the upcoming Sonic X Shadow Generations game and Keanu Reeves’s portrayal of Shadow in the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie. Fans of the anti-hero have a lot of things to look forward to, and guns are fortunately not one of them.