Shadow the Hedgehog is set to appear in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and it might show if Shadow is faster than Sonic and Knuckles. Although Shadow has only had a few seconds of screentime in the Sonic movies so far, he is the main villain of Sonic 3, with his powerful abilities making him a massive threat to the titular blue blur. By looking at Shadow's history in the games, comics, and other Sonic-related media, it can be guessed how powerful Shadow will be in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

Shadow is the product of Project Shadow, an experiment put on by Gerald Robotnik in an attempt to discover immortality.

Shadow is one of the Sonic franchise's most iconic characters, with the edgy antihero being a series staple since his first appearance in Sonic Adventure 2. Shadow is the product of Project Shadow, an experiment put on by Gerald Robotnik in an attempt to discover immortality. Although the militant GUN organization shut down Project Shadow 50 years before the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, as the film's post-credits scene shows, Shadow has finally awakened.

Who Shadow The Hedgehog Is

Shadow Was Created As An Attempt To Find Cures For Illnesses But Was Trapped For 50 Years

Throughout the games, Shadow has faced off with Sonic plenty of times. Although he is nicknamed The Ultimate Lifeform, when compared to Sonic and Knuckles on a base level, he isn't all that different. The main leg-up Shadow has on Sonic is his strength. While he is equal to Sonic in combat ability, Shadow's brute force makes him a foe to be reckoned with. Shadow has singlehandedly defeated the creations of Eggman and even supernatural deities like Black Doom.

His creation's entire purpose was to cure incurable deadly illnesses.

In the canon, Shadow is an enemy and sometimes an ally to Sonic the Hedgehog. He was created by Professor Gerald Robotnik using the DNA of Black Doom and is the last result of Project Shadow. His creation's entire purpose was to cure incurable deadly illnesses, and Gerald was looking for a cure for his granddaughter. However, Shadow ended up trapped when Robtonik was imprisoned as a threat to humanity. By the time Shadow was released 50 years later, he wanted revenge.

Ways That Shadow Is Stronger Than Sonic & Knuckles

Shadow Is Stronger Than Sonic & Knuckles In Almost Every Way

While Knuckles may be able to out-punch Shadow, Shadow's agility and smarts usually allow him to swiftly defeat the echidna. As a product of his creation, Shadow possesses the power of immortality, another ability he has over Sonic and Knuckles. In battles, Shadow will likely always defeat Sonic and Knuckles when it comes to a head-to-head matchup of brains or brawn.

Not only does this increase his strength, durability, and speed, but it also lets him use Chaos Control.

The aforementioned power levels of Shadow have all been him in his basic form. Due to his natural ability to harness chaos energy, Shadow can far exceed his usual abilities. Unlike most other characters, Shadow can harness the power from Chaos Emeralds without actually touching them. Not only does this increase his strength, durability, and speed, but it also lets him use Chaos Control.

Chaos Control is incredibly powerful, allowing Shadow to warp and freeze time, teleport, heal, create explosions, and even control space itself. By tapping into Shadow's chaos energy, the hedgehog becomes nearly unstoppable, something that will likely be seen in Sonic 3.

Shadow the Hedgehog can either be on par with Sonic and Knuckles or one of the most powerful entities. As long as he isn't close enough to the Chaos Emeralds to harness their energy, Sonic and Knuckles combined should be able to take down The Ultimate Lifeform. However, as Sonic 2's ending sets up, it is very likely that Shadow the Hedgehog's full potential will be shown in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

Ways Shadow Isn't Stronger Than Sonic & Knuckles

Sonic Has Shadow Beat In Speed

When it comes to speed, however, Shadow is slightly outclassed. Sonic is the fastest thing alive, reaching hypersonic speeds without breaking a sweat. While Shadow is still faster than Knuckles and Tails, his speed isn't due to his powers but due to his Air Shoes. With the Air Shoes on, Shadow can run up buildings and across ceilings, outrun bullets, and attack so fast that the eye can't even perceive it. Although Shadow isn't as fast as Sonic, he isn't too far behind. Without his shoes, however, he's not nearly as fast.

How Shadow Plays Into Sonic 3

Shadow Is Released After Decades Imprisoned & Wants Revenge

It looks like Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will be playing the same type of story that the franchise did with the second movie. In that second release, Sonic and his friends and family met Knuckles, another alien Hedgehog that wanted revenge against Sonic. However, it was all a misunderstanding, and the two fought for a long time before finally making up and realizing there was a greater evil with Dr. Robotnik. They then teamed up, which was good since Knuckles was stronger than Sonic in most ways.

Shadow has been on ice for many years, possibly decades. He wants revenge,

In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, it is happening again. With Shadow freed in the second movie's post-credit scene, he is not happy. If the story is the same as that of video games and comics, Shadow has been on ice for many years, possibly decades. He wants revenge, and the trailers show he is going after Sonic and Knuckles. It is the same story as Knuckles, but with a new villain who is even more powerful, suring both Sonic and Knuckles in all ways but super speed. The final result should remain similar.

While it looks like Dr. Robotnik will team with Sonic the Hedgehog here, fans know he can't be trusted. If Shadow is the same as the canon origin story, he is not a true villain, so he will likely end up as yet another super-powered ally for Sonic as his army and family continue to grow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.