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The blue blur is officially back! On August 27, the first trailer for Paramount’s upcomingSonic the Hedgehog 3was released. The three-minute preview not only brilliantly showcased Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles working as a trio, but also brought along an entirely new enemy in the form of Shadow the Hedgehog. While the black and red hedgehog made a minor appearance at the end of the second Sonic movie (with his literal eye-opening entrance), the recent teaser reveals that he will be a significant part of the upcoming movie. Apparently, he will be such a destructive force that Sonic and his friends have to team up with Eggman of all people.But what’s even more interesting to note (and has some casual Sonic fans scratching their heads) is how the trailer handles this new character’s backstory. Just as Commander Walter says, where Sonic foundfamily and friends, Shadow found only pain and loss.
Along with Walter’s epic and dramatic voiceover, two quick sequences show that Paramount, Sega, and the other production companies involved withSonic the Hedgehog 3are apparently following the same backstory for Shadow that was created by the video games. First, we see Sonic’s opposite in a green tube, putting his hand up to the glass to match that of a little girl’s. Then, after showing the carefree blue, red, and yellow speedsters racing in the jungle, the scene turns dark with Shadow (and presumably Gerald Robotnik) kneeling over somebody while numerous G.U.N soldiers surround them.
In about 11 seconds,the audience goes through the life and death of Maria Robotnik — Gerald’s granddaughter, Dr. Eggman’s cousin, and most importantly, Shadow’s best friend. Whether or notSonic 3will cover every detail regarding Maria has yet to be determined, but for clarification purposes, let’s take a look into who she was and why she had such a huge effect on turningShadow the Hedgehoginto a cold-hearted, detached antihero. Get your tissues ready because this is quite a tragic tale.
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Maria’s Connection to Shadow the Hedgehog, Explained
First making an appearance in thevideo gameSonic Adventure 2, the ARK is a space station that not only houses a human colony but also a top-secret research center that Eggman’s grandfather looks after.Scientific testing, weapons of mass destruction, immortal life — all of that. The first mistake was mixing people’s daily lives with such dangerous concepts, but that’s a lesson for another time.Maria is one of those people born and raised on the ARK. But unlike her other shipmates who can visit Earth when they please, the girl is unfortunately diagnosed with Neuro Immune-Deficiency Syndrome.
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This debilitating disease traps her in the ARK’s medical bay most of the time. She was never truly alone, though, as she was constantly comfortedby her grandfatherand a younger version of Commander Walters. Wanting to help his granddaughter no matter the cost,Gerald opted to participate in Project Shadow, which he thought would hold the key to her survivalsince it revolved around creating a creature with immortal life. He was nearing the completion of this one-of-a-kind lifeform but needed help with the DNA, which came from aliens known as the Black Arms and their leader, Black Doom. With a little bit of time and experimentation, Shadow the Hedgehog was born.
Shadow’s Best Friend Is Gunned Down
Even though Shadow was a living weapon (in terms of immortality, high intelligence, and independence), he and Maria came to formthe closest of bondsthrough their longing and admiration of planet Earth.Through Maria’s request, Shadow saved the entire ARK when rogue bioweapons called Artificial Chaos went berserk on all the crew. From that day forward, he pledged to protect her and the ARK no matter what. He had no idea, though, that G.U.N was secretly planning to kill everyone on board who was involved with Project Shadow. The Guardian Units of Nation not only hated the fact that Gerald was so far away from their control (up in outer space) but also strongly disagreed with his decision to compromise with aliens on potentially catastrophic projects (even if it was to save his granddaughter from dying).
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Soon enough and on an unprecedented scale, the ARK Seal Operation took place. This is most likely the latter scene we all see from theSonic the Hedgehog 3trailer — and with the most dire result front and center — Maria’s terrible fate. Within just a week, all the inhabitants of the station were sent back to Earth. Like something out of aspace-set horror movie, all the facilities on board were shut down, and all the staff regarding Project Shadow were promptly shot and killed. With only Gerald, Shadow, and Maria left on the ARK, the professor ordered the girl and Shadow to run to an escape pod of their own. With just a few more steps to their escape,Maria gets shot in the back by a soldier and has a few last words for Shadow. She tells him to give everyone on the faraway planet a chance to be happy and then succumbs to her fatal wound.
Maria Robotnik’s Tale Is an Emotional One in Sonic
As much as it should,the already twisted endingdoesn’t end here. It is believed that Shadow’s escape pod ends up being captured by the military (and transported to Prison Island), and Gerald (still alive) goes crazy at the news of her death. The ARK itself was eventually found once more by G.U.N, who did not dismantle it but reconstructed it under the guise of a simple asteroid. Even though witnessing Maria’s death instantly changed his once cool, calm, and passionate persona,memories of this day (and his promise to Maria) were wiped from Shadow’s mind.
Now under total scrutiny from the government,Gerald brainwashes Shadow into believing his only goal is to destroy humanity. Thanks to a final video message from Gerald and Maria, which Shadow sees many, many years later,he strays away from his evil idealsand destroys the Black Arms once and for all (who tricked Gerald in the first place). WhenSonic the Hedgehog 3releases in theaters on December 20, we will all see if the evil alien race makes their presence known, but for now, Maria Robotnik will definitely be one of the more emotional stories of Sonic cinematic lore.
