Sonic 2 Post-Credits Scene & Sequel Villain Set-Up Explained

WARNING: This contains SPOILERS for Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2‘s post-credit scene not only introduces an important character from the games but also shifts the balance of power in the Sonic movie universe. As promised by the director, Sonic 2 delved into the world of Sonic and brought many elements from the games to the screen – much more than the first film did. Tails and Knuckles joined the franchise, and what was once a more realistic setting with Sonic as a part of it evolved into something closer to a video game world.

That said, Sonic 2 is still maintaining a certain sense of realism as set by the first film, including finding reasonable explanations for elements that the games usually overlooked. Most of the human characters from the first film also return, including James Marsden’s Tom and Tika Sumpter’s Maddie. However, adding a famous character from the video games was what truly helped Sonic 2 find its perfect hook for Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

In Sonic 2’s post-credit scenes, G.U.N soldiers are discussing the aftermath of the battle against Robotnik, and the possible death of the villain when one of them mentions the discovery of a file called Project Shadow. The file had been discovered when G.U.N was deleting all mention of the Robotnik name from the database. The scene then goes on to reveal a Sonic-like creature being held in some sort of capsule, waking up from what appears to have been a long sleep.

Who The Black Sonic At The End Of Sonic 2 Is

The black hedgehog at the end of Sonic 2 is Shadow, one of the most important characters in Sonic‘s mythology and a recurring character in several games and animations in the franchise. Shadow is essentially a rival of Sonic, though his role ranges from villain to a friend depending on the story. The character first appeared in 2001’s Sonic Adventures 2 as one of the main antagonists in the game, and would later star in its own game, Shadow the Hedgehog thanks to the character’s growing popularity at the time.

Shadow showing up in the Sonic movies was one of the most recurring theories among audiences, but it can’t be said that it wasn’t a surprise to see Sonic’s famous rival being introduced so early in the franchise. Many believed that Shadow would only appear in a possible second Sonic trilogy, with the third film being dedicated to other villains such as Metal Sonic. Sonic 2‘s post-credits scene, however, indicates that Sonic 3 could be a loose adaptation of Sonic Adventures 2, focusing on the history of the Robotnik family, Shadow, and the Chaos Emerald.

Shadow’s Video Game Origin Explained

Shadow was the result of an experiment led by Professor Gerald, Eggman’s grandfather, who sought to create the perfect life form. The scientist’s best idea was to mix the DNA of villain Black Doom with that of the hedgehogs in what would be known as Project Shadow. Gerald’s ultimate goal was not to create a weapon, but to find a way to cure his granddaughter Maria Robotnik of a rare disease.

However, Shadow was captured and classified as a threat by the military and had to spend the next 50 years trapped inside a capsule on Prison Island, until he was discovered and set free by Sonic‘s villain Robotnik. Later, Shadow started to remember what had happened before his imprisonment, namely that Maria Robotnik had been shot by G.U.N while trying to help him escape. Shadow’s memories of what Maria had said before she died were mixed up with a feeling of revenge, and the hedgehog went into a spiral of rage and destruction that placed him against Sonic.

Later in that same game, Shadow realized that destroying humanity was not what Maria would want. In fact, what she had asked him to promise was to help protect the world. This led to Shadow finding redemption and helping Sonic and the others stop Gerald’s revenge plan to destroy the planet, turning the character essentially into an anti-hero.

How Powerful Shadow Is Compared To Sonic

Shadow is as strong and as fast as Sonic. He wears the Air Shoes, which allow Shadow to glide above the ground and reach higher speeds than his body would normally reach. That said, there is no consistency in how Shadow’s speed compares to Sonic’s throughout the games. In some versions, for example, Shadow has even reached the speed of light. The quest to find the perfect life form gave Shadow incredible acrobatic skills, bulletproof skin, super strength, the ability to perform movements even in midair, and keen reflexes. While Shadow can be killed in certain circumstances, he was designed by Gerald to be an immortal being who will never age or get sick.

There are three other forms that Shadow can achieve in which his powers grow. The first is Super Shadow, achieved when he obtains the powers of the Chaos Emeralds. The other is Hero Shadow, which occurs when Shadow focuses his mind only on helping people and starts to better use Chaos Control. Similarly, Shadow transforms into Dark Shadow when having thoughts of anger and revenge.

Shadow Continues Sonics Movie Universe

Shadow showing up in Sonic 2‘s post-credit scene may have surprised those who imagined that Metal Sonic, a Sonic-inspired robot created by Eggman as a way to destroy the hedgehog, would be the one to show up. Both Shadow and Metal Sonic would have enough potential to be the villains of Sonic 3, which means that the choice of the former was most likely at the expense of the latter. That said, Shadow’s reveal is further proof of just how confident the studio is in the Sonic franchise, and raises the bar even further for a Sonic cinematic universe.

In addition to Sonic 3, Paramount has already announced a Knuckles spin-off starring Idris Elba for Paramount+. Given the vastness of Sonic’s universe and how well received the first film was, it’s highly likely that new titles are added to that list. With Shadow now thrown into the mix, elements such as the Black Arms species, Black Doom, and most notably the seven Chaos Emeralds can take their place in the Sonic movies. Considering how Shadow eventually goes from villain to antihero, a spin-off series for the character as it’s happening with Knuckles after Sonic 3 could also work.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2‘s post-credits scene repeats the trick from the first film and teases a beloved character from the games. Shadow’s story is one of the richest in Sonic lore and offers several possibilities for Sonic 3. It remains to be seen how this tease will be paid off and how it will affect the creation of a Sonic movie universe.

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Marcelo Leite
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Marcelo Leite is a senior writer for Screen Rant with years of experience in creative and academic writing. Although his chosen field was structure engineering, there is nothing he likes better than writing about the things he loves.

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