Shadow the Hedgehog is a character from the Sonic the Hedgehog series, created by Takashi Iizuka, designed by Yuji Uekawa and owned by Sega.
Shadow is an artificially created life form in the design of a male, anthropomorphic hedgehog. His trademark hover skates propel him at extreme speeds that rival those of Sonic. Shadow resembles Sonic in many ways. He is distinguished from Sonic by his fur, eye color, cuffs, shoes, and quill shape. He is one of Sonic's rivals and is considered to be an anti-hero.
Since his debut, Shadow has appeared in a multitude of games, television shows, and comic books. His past was almost a complete mystery until the game Shadow the Hedgehog revealed the events surrounding his creation. In contrast to Sonic, Shadow is typically portrayed as a tortured anti-hero, or a renegade who can just as easily serve the forces of evil as those of good. According to an official poll, he is the second most popular character in the series, second only to Sonic himself.
