As heartbreaking as it was to lose them again, Shadow was able to get some comfort in these exchanges. Learning his name was more than just the project that created him, hearing Gerald say he believes in him and regards him as a son, while Maria also wished for him to be happy, and that no matter what, she would be with him in his heart. These were things that he needed to hear and feel that the ARK tragedy robbed him of. Before, they were taken away from him so violently, this time, they faded away with smiles, though he still couldn't bear to watch them disappear completely and shed tears while racing to the next stage.
Agree. Especially with the Reflection music from Adventure 2 soundtrack playing in the background. That is the best music in the entire Sonic franchise. It's both sad and beautiful.
This was the closure Shadow needed. He can truly never turn back and has fully secured his title as the Ultimate Lifeform. He can lose, but he can never lose himself.
If we're including the 06 method as a possible means of bringing someone back, Shadow could potentially reunite with them. The real question is would he want to bring them back?
@@Iron8127even if wanted too he wouldn't know how 06 canonically didn't happen. unless they remembered what happend but thanks to the fight that he has with Mepholist shadow didnt remember him at all
@@Iron8127 well, Maria still would have a fatal disease, so she won't be living happily ever after anyway. It's a lose-lose situation for Shadow. His friend either dying from a bullet or from an illness.
To me it's peaceful in its own way. It's like he finally had a chance to farewell them in a more proper way: knowing that even if the fiscally died will be always living in his heart.
Yeah I second that, feel bad they haven’t got to meet Sonic and the others too. Shadow really does need more games for himself really and at least comics. Sonic should just get a break for a while.
@sophiaho2341 you could tell Shadow wanted to tell them what was going to happen. With him saying, "But you don't know what's going to happen!" But there wasn't even enough time TO tell them. That's what made it truly painful. Knowing this was going to be last time he saw them alive...
The unabashed adoration and reverence he has for her, man. It's so lovely to see how much he cares about her on full display, I keep crying over them. It's so sweet to see a chronically ill character be so openly loved. The fact that she also checks in on him too, asking if he's in pain. Waaaa 😭😭😭 i have too many emotions. I can't. It means so much to me, and it's also so nice to see such strong platonic love at the forefront of a story too. I wish my girl wasn't doomed by the narrative, but it's been wonderful to get so much content for these two, and see Shadow heal and resolve his grief some. 😭🥺
More like the kind older lady Amy would visit for advice when things aren't going her way with Sonic, but yeah, they would have had a wholesome friendship.
Seeing Shadow coming to terms with his old family being gone pulled strings to my heart. THIS is the Shadow game that truly defines Shadow and they nailed his character in every lasting second.
Stephanie Sheh did a fantastic job of voicing Maria. Sounding so sweet and innocent. Just as good as the previous voice actresses from other games. That's why I can't wait for Sonic the hedgehog 3 I really hope Alyla Browne who plays as Maria does well.
Fun fact: In this game, Maria was voiced by Stephanie Sheh, aka Hinata from Naruto, Eureka from Eureka Seven, Orihime from Bleach, Yui from K-On, Mikiru from Haruhi Suzimiya, Hazumu from Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl, Tharja and Kjelle from Fire Emblem Awakening, Beruka, Sophie and Rhajat from Fire Emblem Fates, Nabiki in Ranma 1/2 (the 2024 version), and Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon from Sailor Moon (in the 2010s redub of the 1992-1997 series, and the retelling, Crystal).
@@minicle426 At least Sailor Moon Crystal wasn't filled with fillers upon fillers like the 90s was. And it made the characters better, Rei being a prime example.
From start to finish of these cutscenes especially towards the end and the ending made me cry so hard for shadow. I feel bad for him to lose Gerald and especially Maria again, one thing is certain though. They will always be in shadows heart. EDIT: I rewatched the ending part so many times and still cried.
A GENUINE SMILE FROM THE SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG HIMSELF- MY BOI IS HEALING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like with all trauma, things get worse before they get better with an unfathomable amount of blood, sweat, and tears over a really long time- but they DO get better. Shadow has suffered the worst for decades and I love how in this game, he gets to put a large portion of his pain and grief to rest. He kills Black Doom (permanently this time), he gets to talk with his family one last time, and he gets some kind of closure. It's painful enough to make him cry a bit, but this also means his "worst" is over and he can now start healing and finding peace. And no, I am almost positive it will not be at the cost of his edgy persona lol
But then how would you justify Shadows development as a character? As sad as this is, their deaths as like a "Constant" that should never be removed, because that would have altered the already existing story to something that would not have been as impactful as in some games (keyword "some")
I mean sonic story never consistent anyway and they always make their writing worse in later games regressing some of their characters. Not like this won't hurt either lol Either way I respect it tho especially the ending of shadow the hedgehog where he puts his past behind him@@axell15thewispmaster79
@@paoerfulone1089 I pray to god (or whoever might listen) that one day we get a Sonic Unleashed remaster/rerelease, and that they put Silver in it as a playable Character. I feel he’d be a good mix between Speed and Werehog combat. Plus, he could have something special for night time.
10:45-11:23 made me cry especially since I love seeing Maria tell Shadow how she wanted him to be and to give him some peace and 13:06 is what really made me enjoy Shadow even more and this will definitely serve as a taste of what to expect in Sonic 3 movie
2 things i wished that happened 1. An interaction between Sonic and Maria and even Gerald. 2. Shadow talking to Sonic about what hes dealing with whilst sonic is on his adventure or at the end of the game a cutscene of shadow talking to sonic on what did happen. Casue i mean Shadow appears at the party at the end of generations.
@@sarahellenfernandesdecarva6491true, but Sonic would have helped him if he’d asked. Plus it’d be cool to see that Gerald did base Shadow off Super Sonic from Sonic 3
My wish was for Eggman to meet his grandfather and his cousin before they have gone back. It'll be an emotional moment for him while shadow watches on calmly at their reunion
Poor Silver 😂 if This is Shadow the Hedgehog mixed with Sonic generations, then they could mix Sonic 06 and Sonic generations and make it better like Mephiles and Iblis are the main villain and we will finally know the full backstory of Silver's future and the original Crisis City before Iblis's destruction
Hot take, but Gerald Robotnik is more interesting than Eggman. Bro was actually making life and playing god, while Eggman worked on Tesla bots in a Temu factory.
Did you forget that Eggman made SAGE, METAL SONIC, robots with SOULS - Points at Mecha sonic, the E series especially GAMMA, and so on. They are both capable of creating life. Don't undermine Eggman!
As we all remember their fate of that incident, Shadow was driven in grief and pain when he saw Maria shot in front of him. This time, they fade away but at least this time he sees them one last time before moving on again. Especially learning where he came from and what he was created to do, Maria was the one to give him a name rather than be called Project Shadow or Ultimate Lifeform. A name that means the darkness to find its light. Even then, Gerald and Maria did get to see what Shadow became to be because in their timeline 50 years ago, they never saw Shadow’s real life with Sonic and friends in 50 years of the future. But seeing what he is now, it’s likely that they know Shadow became something more than a weapon.
I haven't caught up or know the lore too deeply with the sonic franchise in years, but seeing Shadow's emotional side even in the slightest just changes my brain chemistry. It's so heartbreaking seeing Shadow lose them again and wanting to tell them what will happen (I could be wrong with my interpretation), but we know that if he told them, his character development would be gone...or at least I think so haha. What a great chapter for Sonic Gen.
Man I feel so bad for Shadow... the one chance he got to reunite with Maria and he can't exactly save her. Thanks for making the video I wasn't too sure on how things would play out with their story.
I am not ashamed to say i cried like a baby at the end of this game. Shadow and Maria's relationship (including Gerald 😭) is just so special and I'm so glad we can finally see it in the games and in beautiful animated shorts 😭💜👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
The fact they didn't put a full version of "Without You" by Casey Lee Williams in this game and had the end credits just be about moments with them hurts! Like seriously, such a missed opportunity! But it's really nice to finally get to see them together and bond a little bit before she's ultimately gone again! We also got Shadow tears! Shadow cried and I love that they allowed him too!
Generations was such a masterpiece and seeing Shadow’s point of view during the event hits harder!!! Shadow got to spend one last time with Maria and he didn’t want to lose her all over again but he had to let her go.
so maria and gerald return only to be murdered & executed respectively... it's gotta suck for shadow knowing he had a SECOND chance to stop it from happening. but it's his canon event
His second chance is seeing them again and showing them the future is in good hands. That no matter what happens next, they did right by believing in him
I think it really shows Maria's strength that she *knows*, at such a young age, that she would be miserable with Shadow's misguided desire, and that Shadow would be as well. That she puts her foot down and redirects him to what he has in his current life, and sends him off with all her love. Maria's become such an awesome character. Man. I'm so emotional over this.
Maria's illness was terminal at the time she was killed. Shadow's existence was meant to forward research that could potentially cure her, but that never succeeded. It's implied she would have passed away due to illness in a relatively short amount of time even if the GUN raid never happened.
Seeing Maria and professor Gerald gives me nostalgia for sonic adventure 2 and shadow the hedgehog because we haven't seen them in like 20 years Btw Stephanie sheh honestly did a fantastic job voicing her bringing out the kindness and gentleness she has for shadow it's so sweet
this was hurting, the end. Shadow lost them again...we even saw that he cried, not exactly but we saw a little drop of tears. in the end he did cry, just that he didn´t want anyone to see him cry. just like Sonic did in "Sonic Adventure 2" in the credits when Shadow "died" i mean when he says "sayonara, Shadow the hegdehog" he cries when he turns back
This is what I’ve wanted from shadow for years. The whole edgy thing, it’s an act. This is someone who actually deeply cares about the people who he loves yet he has suffered horrible trauma. People who suffer from trauma tend to show love in strange ways
Man this is more like it! I don't know if they got a different studio to animate the cutscenes or not. But they look amazing! Even though it's short, you can see frame by frame how expressive each character is! I mean comparing this to Sonic Frontiers cutscenes is night and day. Outside of the super Sonic fights, the cutscenes were extremely stiff and bland! But this is way better and more emotional. Also seeing humans back in the franchise, while still remaining in the Sonic artsyle is a plus!
I think this should tell Sega that it's okay to get a bit overboard with the fanservice WHILE also giving us moments that are emotionally taxing to invest with.
@@hiddenmaster6062 ah ok. Still, I'd be willing to see more roster returns. Not shouting for Maria to come back to life and be playable. But at least something like no one missing out when everyone becomes playable. Like how Cream was missing in Team Sonic Racing.
@@kennydarmawan13 Or anyone who still very much prefer they revert Amy's design back to the classic one. And we all know that's not happening. lol Still though, the important is they're moving in the right direction. Hopefully this isn't the start of something we all hate.
@@hiddenmaster6062 I see. Let classic Amy stay classic. And yeah. I hope so too. Not turning into a "Sega relies on overusing its past games as crutch for writing".
13:05 a rare shadow smile, in fact, except when he's smug, i've never seen him smile. Please Sega, let Ian Flynn work with this shadow in the IDW comics, cause the current shadow is annoying as hell
To think that this game’s story was tied to GENERATIONS is mind boggling. Shadow Gens has an INFINITELY better story, along with better gameplay tbh. I feel like SEGA was too scared to sell this game on its own.
It's funny you say that because the base game cutscenes were also changed. Not drastically mind you, but a side by side shows that there was a noticable change. A lot of self deprecating jokes were removed and the silliness was toned down. In addition, modern Sonic was given more lines when previously he said nothing.
@@NotSpecialDude A pitiful band aid in the attempt to de-Pontaffize baseline Generations, but the game remains lazy and basic. And the voice lines mostly mediocre.
I know I shouldn't laugh at that scene but hearing Maria say "sayonara" with Shadow sporting a surprise pikachu face had me laughing and replaying the scene for a lot longer than it should have
It reminds me of some official art on Sonic Twitter that showed princess Elise in a similar style, if she ever appears again, she will likely have that design
Shadow Smiling threw me off so hard. I wonder what type of person shadow was before the events. He probably wasnt like Sonic constantly cracking jokes but i bet he wasnt broody
It already ended in Shadow the hedgehog, but I think is nice to give a rounder feeling and ultimate ending to the crude story of the Space Colony Ark, probably the darkest and longest stroy in the franchise after over 20 years.
"But you don't know what's going to happen." He knows doing nothing to stop them returning to their time is condemning them to a violent death when the Ark is eventually raided. He knows if he walks away, Maria will be killed, and Gerald will be arrested and go insane. But he has to do it. Maria is right; he can't just keep them frozen in time. I did not expect this game to be this emotional.
Small detail but when Amy reminded Shadow of Maria’s real final wish, the tear fell from his left eye and now all these years later, the tear fell from the same eye.
It was heartbreaking seeing Shadow lose the only family he knows once again but it was also bittersweet that he was able to really come to terms with their deaths as well as being given the chance to see them one last time. Maria really is his angel, she as well as Amy where the only ones that were able to bring him back from that point of uncontrollable rage. Everything he does is to fulfill Maria's wishes... and the fact Gerald called him son, was heart touching.
SHADOW HOLDING HER LITTLE HAND ✋ 😭 HIS TEARS HITTING ROUGE IN THE FACE TOO 😢😢😢 I cannot function. This game plus the Dark Beginnings short film is everything I’ve wanted for this character for YEARS.
That last scene at the end, where Maria and Gerald are returning back to their own timeline, Sure was sad, especially for Shadow. But at least he got to see them again for one last time
Hope there's more to the cutscenes for the endgame sonic party later on. But maybe not gonna happen. So only Rouge and Shadow know the hidden story Shadow overcame.
I really like shadows story. It has a slightly dark tone to it but just enough to make it mature tone. I hope they expand shadow character in games to come with him in it.
![Maria's First Christmas [Comic Dub]](/img/n.gif)
13:01 Shadow smiling just like Sonic to reassure Maria is the most wholesome stuff I've seen from this hedgehog.
As heartbreaking as it was to lose them again, Shadow was able to get some comfort in these exchanges. Learning his name was more than just the project that created him, hearing Gerald say he believes in him and regards him as a son, while Maria also wished for him to be happy, and that no matter what, she would be with him in his heart. These were things that he needed to hear and feel that the ARK tragedy robbed him of. Before, they were taken away from him so violently, this time, they faded away with smiles, though he still couldn't bear to watch them disappear completely and shed tears while racing to the next stage.
Thank you for this comment... It is heartwarming!
Will this actually CHANGE Shadow's personality? Will he be a bit more relaxed or is it back to status quo
Considering this took place during Generations, probably status quo.
Well apparently sxs gens takes place after frontiers, so maybe a lil bit of both
No, it doesn't. Sonic Generations and Shadow Generations take place at the same time, which means 2011, nowhere after that.
Maria calming down Shadow is the best thing I have ever seen…my poor heart!!
Maria is such pure hearted angel
Agree. Especially with the Reflection music from Adventure 2 soundtrack playing in the background. That is the best music in the entire Sonic franchise. It's both sad and beautiful.
If she was alive she could have talk some sense to shadow
Right? I didn't even know she named him Shadow in the first place
and she named him too oh my heart 🥹
This was the closure Shadow needed. He can truly never turn back and has fully secured his title as the Ultimate Lifeform. He can lose, but he can never lose himself.
'Shadow realizing his family dying is a canon event' The Movie
If we're including the 06 method as a possible means of bringing someone back, Shadow could potentially reunite with them.
The real question is would he want to bring them back?
Yes he would
I’d second that
@@Iron8127even if wanted too he wouldn't know how
06 canonically didn't happen. unless they remembered what happend but thanks to the fight that he has with Mepholist shadow didnt remember him at all
@@Iron8127 well, Maria still would have a fatal disease, so she won't be living happily ever after anyway. It's a lose-lose situation for Shadow. His friend either dying from a bullet or from an illness.
The ending was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. So beautifully animated. I love it so much
At least he had a beautiful and comforting closure with Maria and Gerald unlike the tragedy 50 years ago 🥹❤️
I think Shadow was crying at the end because of the tear. Poor shadow, he didn't want them to leave.😢❤
The tear hits hard
To me it's peaceful in its own way. It's like he finally had a chance to farewell them in a more proper way: knowing that even if the fiscally died will be always living in his heart.
Gerald called him his son and that he's proud of him.
🥹❤
its... beautifil, really
He really is shadow's father 🥲
Black doom may be shadow’s father but he isn’t his daddy and he finally got his chance to say goodbye 🥹🥲
Not sure if anyone noticed it, but Shadow actually shed a tear after Maria and her grandfather returned to their normal timeline.
Shadow needs a hug after all of what he had gone through.
Yeah, they returned to their normal timeline, to die.
Yeah I second that, feel bad they haven’t got to meet Sonic and the others too. Shadow really does need more games for himself really and at least comics. Sonic should just get a break for a while.
Gee thank you captain obvious
Yeah, I noticed that. You don't see him cry very often. The last time we saw this was in SA2.
11:00 damn his name gave a WHOOOOLE new meaning to it and I all for it
This is some kingdom hearts level stuff and I'm all for it
The meaning was given in a sonic channel comic before the game
@@sanyeah6817true 😂
It's cheesy as all HELL
@@KyleEvra-15 shut up. “ChEEsy aS hELl” man grow up. It’s a meaningful name
Shadow having to say goodbye to his dad and sister for the second time while knowing they are going to die very soon
@sophiaho2341 you could tell Shadow wanted to tell them what was going to happen. With him saying, "But you don't know what's going to happen!" But there wasn't even enough time TO tell them. That's what made it truly painful. Knowing this was going to be last time he saw them alive...
My heart!
The unabashed adoration and reverence he has for her, man. It's so lovely to see how much he cares about her on full display, I keep crying over them. It's so sweet to see a chronically ill character be so openly loved. The fact that she also checks in on him too, asking if he's in pain. Waaaa 😭😭😭
i have too many emotions. I can't. It means so much to me, and it's also so nice to see such strong platonic love at the forefront of a story too. I wish my girl wasn't doomed by the narrative, but it's been wonderful to get so much content for these two, and see Shadow heal and resolve his grief some. 😭🥺
I bet Maria and Amy would have been great friends!
Amy would have adored Maria 😭😭😭
Omega would be her big shiny uncle.
Being that Amy was the one to repeat Maria's wish unknowingly, I can see it
TBH, Maria would've gotten along with everybody in Sonic's crew.
More like the kind older lady Amy would visit for advice when things aren't going her way with Sonic, but yeah, they would have had a wholesome friendship.
Maria: Your friends need your help.
Shadow goes and literally does nothing except tell Sonic to Get Up 😂
Accurate! 🤣
Tbf it's sonic/classic sonic vs Dr eggman/robotnik I think they should be fine without him
Hey, Shadow had a long day and he's tired. Everyone else has no excuse, but he's at least emotionally wrecked.
LOL
Seeing Shadow coming to terms with his old family being gone pulled strings to my heart. THIS is the Shadow game that truly defines Shadow and they nailed his character in every lasting second.
Stephanie Sheh did a fantastic job of voicing Maria. Sounding so sweet and innocent. Just as good as the previous voice actresses from other games. That's why I can't wait for Sonic the hedgehog 3 I really hope Alyla Browne who plays as Maria does well.
Stephanie Sheh is no stranger to innocent and sweet characters. Her most famous role is as the English voice of Hinata Hyuga in Naruto.
Did she also voice Megumi Bandicoot from CTR Nitro Fueled? Because Megumi is a very sweet character.
@@amazaneone1810 She did indeed!
She’s also sailor moon in the dub
@@GacLosen6556don’t forget she also did orihime from bleach
13:05 - 13:32
OMG, did Shadow just smile there? Like, *_ACTUALLY_* smile without the evil eyes?!
This is Shadow to me, no more Edge the Hedge.
Shadow may act apathetic, but inside, he has a big compassionate heart. He cares about others just as much as Sonic does.
YEAR OF SHADOW BABBYYYYYYYYY
Man.. Why does he looks like Sonic with that Smile? 😂 I can see Sonic face in him
This is the 1st Time I ever Seen shadow Smiling After years Of Anger. This is a pretty big Change in my Opinion
Wanted to cry everytime shadow and Maria interacted in this game 😭
I cried three times in one day in fact watching this now is hard for me to stomach I’m worried I’ll cry again
Never mind I cried again
Cried again and told my loved ones that if they pass away , smile and accept it I’ll never forgive them
@@jackdikoko3137Stop commenting bro
Fun fact: In this game, Maria was voiced by Stephanie Sheh, aka Hinata from Naruto, Eureka from Eureka Seven, Orihime from Bleach, Yui from K-On, Mikiru from Haruhi Suzimiya, Hazumu from Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl, Tharja and Kjelle from Fire Emblem Awakening, Beruka, Sophie and Rhajat from Fire Emblem Fates, Nabiki in Ranma 1/2 (the 2024 version), and Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon from Sailor Moon (in the 2010s redub of the 1992-1997 series, and the retelling, Crystal).
You forgot Megumi Bandicoot from CTR Nitro Fueled.
And Mei from Lego Monkie kid
Also Yui from Sword Art Online.
Ugh. Crystal. One of the most godawful animes I've ever sat through...
@@minicle426 At least Sailor Moon Crystal wasn't filled with fillers upon fillers like the 90s was. And it made the characters better, Rei being a prime example.
14:31 bro this made me cry, like the ending of sonic unleashed
😢 Me too
Same here and it didn’t help when shadow had a tear fall on rouge he was crying 😢he didn’t want to lose them again
From start to finish of these cutscenes especially towards the end and the ending made me cry so hard for shadow. I feel bad for him to lose Gerald and especially Maria again, one thing is certain though. They will always be in shadows heart. EDIT: I rewatched the ending part so many times and still cried.
Shadow: “Maria”
Eggman: “No, Chaos Emeralds!”
Yosh!
you're almost out of rings, switch places with me!
"Wow, he's FAST!"
"No, I'm Shadow."
Shadow: YOU QUESTION THE NAME OF YOUR ANCESTOR’S GRANDDAUGHTER, EGGMAN?!
A GENUINE SMILE FROM THE SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG HIMSELF- MY BOI IS HEALING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Like with all trauma, things get worse before they get better with an unfathomable amount of blood, sweat, and tears over a really long time- but they DO get better.
Shadow has suffered the worst for decades and I love how in this game, he gets to put a large portion of his pain and grief to rest. He kills Black Doom (permanently this time), he gets to talk with his family one last time, and he gets some kind of closure. It's painful enough to make him cry a bit, but this also means his "worst" is over and he can now start healing and finding peace.
And no, I am almost positive it will not be at the cost of his edgy persona lol
Not all of them get to this point but Shadow did.
It's kind of inspiring to think if Shadow can heal, so can we
he can get closure of my heart
It sucks that they had to return to their time…. Shadow deserves to have them back.
Agreed, there fates should of been changed
But then how would you justify Shadows development as a character? As sad as this is, their deaths as like a "Constant" that should never be removed, because that would have altered the already existing story to something that would not have been as impactful as in some games (keyword "some")
At least he got to see them and one last time
Well, I mean there is the Chrono Trigger method
I mean sonic story never consistent anyway and they always make their writing worse in later games regressing some of their characters. Not like this won't hurt either lol
Either way I respect it tho especially the ending of shadow the hedgehog where he puts his past behind him@@axell15thewispmaster79
Damm wtf, a sonic game made me shed a tear???? Hands down, this game one of the best sonic games ever
That’s how you know it’s an amazing Sonic game
An amazing Shadow game slapped on top of an already amazing Sonic game. What could be better than that?
@@Twocoolman115Facts 😭
@@Twocoolman115 An amazing Silver game to go with them! When is my boi, Silver gonna get his chance to shine?!
@@paoerfulone1089 I pray to god (or whoever might listen) that one day we get a Sonic Unleashed remaster/rerelease, and that they put Silver in it as a playable Character. I feel he’d be a good mix between Speed and Werehog combat. Plus, he could have something special for night time.
10:45-11:23 made me cry especially since I love seeing Maria tell Shadow how she wanted him to be and to give him some peace and 13:06 is what really made me enjoy Shadow even more and this will definitely serve as a taste of what to expect in Sonic 3 movie
2 things i wished that happened
1. An interaction between Sonic and Maria and even Gerald.
2. Shadow talking to Sonic about what hes dealing with whilst sonic is on his adventure or at the end of the game a cutscene of shadow talking to sonic on what did happen. Casue i mean Shadow appears at the party at the end of generations.
Nah ,this was Shadow story , not Sonic
@@sarahellenfernandesdecarva6491true, but Sonic would have helped him if he’d asked. Plus it’d be cool to see that Gerald did base Shadow off Super Sonic from Sonic 3
My wish was for Eggman to meet his grandfather and his cousin before they have gone back. It'll be an emotional moment for him while shadow watches on calmly at their reunion
13:06 HE SMILED!!!!!😭😭😭🖤❤️🖤❤️
Throughout the entire Sonic franchise, we’ve only seen Shadow smile at least 3 or four times.
@@caralynnolson9692and even then, they were always more haughty than anything. Here, it was much sweeter, like "I want to make you proud, Maria."
Can’t wait for Sonic X Shadow X Silver generations in 2026
Poor Silver 😂 if This is Shadow the Hedgehog mixed with Sonic generations, then they could mix Sonic 06 and Sonic generations and make it better like Mephiles and Iblis are the main villain and we will finally know the full backstory of Silver's future and the original Crisis City before Iblis's destruction
The Timeless Year of Silver the Hedgehog 🤔
Sonic X Shadow X Silver & Knuckles Generations in 2030.
@@SolaricSage116 Featuring Dante from Devil May Cry
I hope so! I hope we dig into a deeper relationship with him and Blaze then as the emotional moments.
Hot take, but Gerald Robotnik is more interesting than Eggman. Bro was actually making life and playing god, while Eggman worked on Tesla bots in a Temu factory.
LMFAOOO
Did you forget that Eggman made SAGE, METAL SONIC, robots with SOULS - Points at Mecha sonic, the E series especially GAMMA, and so on.
They are both capable of creating life. Don't undermine Eggman!
@@Hi_Tobby None of those robots have a “soul”. They have the capacity to defy their coding, but that doesn’t mean they have a soul.
grass greener on the other side and stuff. If they milked shadow's story as much as they made eggman the villain you'd think differently lol
@@Hi_TobbyAs in “living, breathing life”, not robots.
It's been so long, since we've seen Shadow shedding a tear, the first time was on Sonic Adventure 2
When he cries, *we* cry.😢
Too Bad She didn't get a chance to meet Sonic a the rest of the friends .
And kinda sad that Eggman never get a chance to seeing her and Gerald
@@gearthehuman2115doesn’t Eggman hate Gerald
Maybe if the eggmen met Maria in person, they could potentially rectify things.
Only question is if they would even want to.
@@jockson7574 Well, he does, but he respected him again after knowing his grandfather's true intention
@@jockson7574it was never stated that eggman hated gerald for trying to kill everyone.
Just to say this: it's been a long time since we saw any other human in a Sonic game besides Eggman
What about 06 or sonic Unleashed
Over a decade ago for both.@@majorpeepo
Maria crying so much for shadow to not be angry
The ending broke my heart into a thousand pieces, We've never seen Shadow actaully cry before, it completely destroyed him seeing Maria & Gerald go.
As we all remember their fate of that incident, Shadow was driven in grief and pain when he saw Maria shot in front of him.
This time, they fade away but at least this time he sees them one last time before moving on again. Especially learning where he came from and what he was created to do, Maria was the one to give him a name rather than be called Project Shadow or Ultimate Lifeform. A name that means the darkness to find its light.
Even then, Gerald and Maria did get to see what Shadow became to be because in their timeline 50 years ago, they never saw Shadow’s real life with Sonic and friends in 50 years of the future. But seeing what he is now, it’s likely that they know Shadow became something more than a weapon.
I haven't caught up or know the lore too deeply with the sonic franchise in years, but seeing Shadow's emotional side even in the slightest just changes my brain chemistry. It's so heartbreaking seeing Shadow lose them again and wanting to tell them what will happen (I could be wrong with my interpretation), but we know that if he told them, his character development would be gone...or at least I think so haha.
What a great chapter for Sonic Gen.
Over 20 years it’s been since Shadow made me cry. Here I am as an adult now, crying because of the end of this story.
"Stand in the light with peace in your heart"
Maria ( 11:12 )
Preach, girl.✊🏼😫
SO INSPIRING
Shadow: "This time I'm mistaken, for handing you a heart worth breaking"
Man I feel so bad for Shadow... the one chance he got to reunite with Maria and he can't exactly save her. Thanks for making the video I wasn't too sure on how things would play out with their story.
I am not ashamed to say i cried like a baby at the end of this game. Shadow and Maria's relationship (including Gerald 😭) is just so special and I'm so glad we can finally see it in the games and in beautiful animated shorts 😭💜👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
I cried to every maria and shadow cutscene playing this it was so beautiful ♥
The fact they didn't put a full version of "Without You" by Casey Lee Williams in this game and had the end credits just be about moments with them hurts! Like seriously, such a missed opportunity! But it's really nice to finally get to see them together and bond a little bit before she's ultimately gone again! We also got Shadow tears! Shadow cried and I love that they allowed him too!
I think this event helped Shadow find some closure he desperately needed. 😢
13:51 I'm not crying, you're crying😿
Generations was such a masterpiece and seeing Shadow’s point of view during the event hits harder!!! Shadow got to spend one last time with Maria and he didn’t want to lose her all over again but he had to let her go.
so maria and gerald return only to be murdered & executed respectively... it's gotta suck for shadow knowing he had a SECOND chance to stop it from happening. but it's his canon event
His second chance is seeing them again and showing them the future is in good hands. That no matter what happens next, they did right by believing in him
@@JDog2656but Gerald still goes insane 💀
@@dhi1145 and his creation Shadow ensures it doesn’t make innocents suffer for it
I think it really shows Maria's strength that she *knows*, at such a young age, that she would be miserable with Shadow's misguided desire, and that Shadow would be as well. That she puts her foot down and redirects him to what he has in his current life, and sends him off with all her love. Maria's become such an awesome character. Man. I'm so emotional over this.
Maria's illness was terminal at the time she was killed. Shadow's existence was meant to forward research that could potentially cure her, but that never succeeded. It's implied she would have passed away due to illness in a relatively short amount of time even if the GUN raid never happened.
Maria is truly the only one who could ever bring happiness and light into shadows' life❤
Amy has done that. She's trying to help keep happiness and light in his life.
Seeing Maria and professor Gerald gives me nostalgia for sonic adventure 2 and shadow the hedgehog because we haven't seen them in like 20 years
Btw Stephanie sheh honestly did a fantastic job voicing her bringing out the kindness and gentleness she has for shadow it's so sweet
this was hurting, the end. Shadow lost them again...we even saw that he cried, not exactly but we saw a little drop of tears. in the end he did cry, just that he didn´t want anyone to see him cry. just like Sonic did in "Sonic Adventure 2" in the credits when Shadow "died" i mean when he says "sayonara, Shadow the hegdehog" he cries when he turns back
Shadow…this story has been yours all along.
You just didn’t know it.
This is what I’ve wanted from shadow for years. The whole edgy thing, it’s an act. This is someone who actually deeply cares about the people who he loves yet he has suffered horrible trauma. People who suffer from trauma tend to show love in strange ways
You know what would have been heartbreaking? If after shadow left that last time, before she disappeared, maria said, "Sayonara, Shadow."
I like Prof. Robotnik and Maira. It's to see that Prof. Robotnik isn't a bad man just a sad man.
He wasn’t evil lol he just normal person
I know. He was never evil to begin with. Besides, he’s just someone who is very willing to help cure the sick.
I know and I feel bad for Prof. Robotnik.
@@brissadlr9939makes me wonder why eggman ended up the way he did.
@@tristanward9937He probably cared for his cousin Maria once
Cant believe we get to see shadow shed a tear😢
Not the first time
Man this is more like it! I don't know if they got a different studio to animate the cutscenes or not. But they look amazing! Even though it's short, you can see frame by frame how expressive each character is!
I mean comparing this to Sonic Frontiers cutscenes is night and day. Outside of the super Sonic fights, the cutscenes were extremely stiff and bland! But this is way better and more emotional. Also seeing humans back in the franchise, while still remaining in the Sonic artsyle is a plus!
Dude, whether it's Maria from any official or fanfic media, it doesn't matter. All forms of Maria are too perfect for this world.
I think this should tell Sega that it's okay to get a bit overboard with the fanservice WHILE also giving us moments that are emotionally taxing to invest with.
Frontiers already did that. The only two issues here is that SEGA is stupid and who exactly are they listening to now.
@@hiddenmaster6062 ah ok. Still, I'd be willing to see more roster returns.
Not shouting for Maria to come back to life and be playable. But at least something like no one missing out when everyone becomes playable. Like how Cream was missing in Team Sonic Racing.
@@kennydarmawan13 Or anyone who still very much prefer they revert Amy's design back to the classic one. And we all know that's not happening. lol
Still though, the important is they're moving in the right direction. Hopefully this isn't the start of something we all hate.
@@hiddenmaster6062 I see. Let classic Amy stay classic.
And yeah. I hope so too. Not turning into a "Sega relies on overusing its past games as crutch for writing".
@@hiddenmaster6062why are they stupid?
13:05 a rare shadow smile, in fact, except when he's smug, i've never seen him smile. Please Sega, let Ian Flynn work with this shadow in the IDW comics, cause the current shadow is annoying as hell
The music during Shadow & Maria's goodbye reminded me of Hans Zimmer's This Is My World from Batman V Superman.
I couldn't stop crying.😢
What is it called?
'This Is My World'
Shadow is neither a complete hero nor a complete villain. He is a neutral but an ultimate anti-hero.
11:43 pure, unadulterated hatred in his eyes
5:00-5:07 Aw, the look on his face.
It kinda reminds me of Gojo seeing “Geto” again in Shibuya
You can tell he’s thinking “It’s really her….”
To think that this game’s story was tied to GENERATIONS is mind boggling. Shadow Gens has an INFINITELY better story, along with better gameplay tbh.
I feel like SEGA was too scared to sell this game on its own.
It's funny you say that because the base game cutscenes were also changed. Not drastically mind you, but a side by side shows that there was a noticable change. A lot of self deprecating jokes were removed and the silliness was toned down. In addition, modern Sonic was given more lines when previously he said nothing.
You speak the truth. Baseline Generations looks embarassingly lazy and basic (as it always HAS BEEN) compared to this.
@@NotSpecialDude A pitiful band aid in the attempt to de-Pontaffize baseline Generations, but the game remains lazy and basic. And the voice lines mostly mediocre.
@konektyka Bot detected
@@NotSpecialDude Yes, the preference of the change can be debatable, but it's good to know that Sonic Team didn't go the lazy route overall.
These events gave him the closure he needed to finally move on, as painful as it was.
I know I shouldn't laugh at that scene but hearing Maria say "sayonara" with Shadow sporting a surprise pikachu face had me laughing and replaying the scene for a lot longer than it should have
The humans actually look good for once in a 3D game
Sonic Unleashed: I'm a joke to you?
@@Hi_Tobbyi dislike that Pixar design though
It reminds me of some official art on Sonic Twitter that showed princess Elise in a similar style, if she ever appears again, she will likely have that design
They look good since Unleashed. It's just that we had no other humans appearing since Unleashed as well.
@@tuangaming4910Doesn't mean that they're not well made
This scene literally made me cry 10:50
SAME OMG somehow this got me more than the ending. They just want the best for each other 😭😭😭
They also used Reflection from SA2, bro I haven't heard that emotional song in years! 😭
I love how the plot is basically Majin Vegeta except that shadow doesn't want to be controlled.
Maria is so cute😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
this entire game is beautiful
The first time we see Maria since the 2012 version of Sonic Adventure 2 and speaking of Maria, anyone ready to see her in Sonic 3?
Shadow Smiling threw me off so hard. I wonder what type of person shadow was before the events. He probably wasnt like Sonic constantly cracking jokes but i bet he wasnt broody
Fun fact, Eggman is Maria's cousin.
Shadow the Hedgehog and Maria Robotnik moments. 🖤💙
I almost thought they’d do that one Batman meme panel , when Maria and Gerald was fading away
I cried at the ending!! It was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time! 🥹🥹🫶🫶🫶
Shadow smiling is something that i never tough that i would see in my life.
Now i can die in peace.
The stories in these games are so good now.
Thank Ian Flynn for that
It already ended in Shadow the hedgehog, but I think is nice to give a rounder feeling and ultimate ending to the crude story of the Space Colony Ark, probably the darkest and longest stroy in the franchise after over 20 years.
I really hope Shadow finds true happiness while making others happy.
1:45 Talk about a title “Shadow the Hedgehog, the lone dark warrior who judges the world by his own code” 😮💨😮💨😮💨
Dude this year is officially the sonic and shadow year
"But you don't know what's going to happen."
He knows doing nothing to stop them returning to their time is condemning them to a violent death when the Ark is eventually raided. He knows if he walks away, Maria will be killed, and Gerald will be arrested and go insane. But he has to do it. Maria is right; he can't just keep them frozen in time.
I did not expect this game to be this emotional.
Small detail but when Amy reminded Shadow of Maria’s real final wish, the tear fell from his left eye and now all these years later, the tear fell from the same eye.
Man I also had a tear in my eye when I saw Shadow have a tear drop from his eyes, shows you how much he is hurting but has to be strong about it 15:15
It was heartbreaking seeing Shadow lose the only family he knows once again but it was also bittersweet that he was able to really come to terms with their deaths as well as being given the chance to see them one last time. Maria really is his angel, she as well as Amy where the only ones that were able to bring him back from that point of uncontrollable rage. Everything he does is to fulfill Maria's wishes... and the fact Gerald called him son, was heart touching.
SHADOW HOLDING HER LITTLE HAND ✋ 😭 HIS TEARS HITTING ROUGE IN THE FACE TOO 😢😢😢 I cannot function. This game plus the Dark Beginnings short film is everything I’ve wanted for this character for YEARS.
That last scene at the end, where Maria and Gerald are returning back to their own timeline, Sure was sad, especially for Shadow. But at least he got to see them again for one last time
So you’re telling me Shadow didn’t say “Sayonara Maria” at the end?! 😢
Cool Video.
This is just beautiful..
Hope there's more to the cutscenes for the endgame sonic party later on. But maybe not gonna happen. So only Rouge and Shadow know the hidden story Shadow overcame.
I really wish shadow hugged her that last moment before they faded away
I really like shadows story. It has a slightly dark tone to it but just enough to make it mature tone. I hope they expand shadow character in games to come with him in it.
I never thought I would see updated models of Maria and Gerald Robotnik, but then boom!!! Sonic Team punched me in the face with it.
This is sad 😢
This game is now officially THE GOAT
Kirk Thorton and Stephanie Sheh were amazing as Shadow and Maria
Ikr, fun fact: They were also the voices of both Master Zik and Zeena from Sonic Lost World. So this is their second time voice acting together
@ Agreed and Stephanie is also the voice of Hinata in Naruto
That's cool, I didn't know that
@@michaelb.2662 I knew it was her the minute I heard Maria speak
And Kirk Thornton was also the English dub voice of Yujiro Hanma in Baki
11:11 not only his irises stop to glow, his pupils become larger.