History Heartwarming / ShadowTheHedgehog

-->''"Maria loved this planet. I will '''not''' let you destroy it!"''

** Even more heartwarming, if Shadow chooses to go full hero from this point on, he can still reach the Pure Hero ending and take out Black Doom for good. In the game's eyes, Shadow choosing to help Cream and Cheese is more than enough to redeem him for his atrocities in Westopolis and Digital Circuit.

* A minor one, but the fact that (if the player chooses) Shadow takes the time out of his day to help Amy find Cream and Cheese in a haunted castle, then getting the two out of the area to safety. What makes it even more heartwarming is this mission is in a level that is only available on the ''Pure Dark route''. Perhaps even the Ultimate Lifeform has a soft spot for the extremely kind rabbit girl.

* Sonic's involvement in the story and relation to Shadow is this. He's always warm and welcoming to Shadow and believes in Shadow's abilities and capacity for fighting the good fight. Up until the end, no matter how bleak things get, Sonic ''always'' believes in Shadow and it's only when things reach the most dire of breaking points that Sonic's hand is forced and he sounds [[EtTuBrute absolutely devastated that it's come to this.]] The fact that various paths that lead to the Pure Hero ending of Sonic and Shadow working together to stop Black Doom's invasion have titles like "Power of Love", "For Love's Sake", "Beloved Memories" and "Under the Name of Love" also puts Sonic's motivations for [[LoveRedeems believing in Shadow]] in a [[ICanChangeMyBeloved different light]] for [[ShippingGoggles those who want to see it.]]

** One important one is how the G.U.N. Commander will actually inform Shadow that he has become a grandfather. The fact he is telling him this shows the development the man has gone through in his relationship to the ultimate lifeform.

-->'''G.U.N Soldier''': I won't forget this!

-->'''Eggman:''' This is the final stage!\\

'''Chesse:''' Chaaoo!\\

--->'''G.U.N. Commander:''' Shadow, do you read me? First, [[CharacterDevelopment I want to... apologise for the other day]]. Actually, I just became a grandfather last week, and I was thinking of maybe having you over. I know training is tough, but try and do your best!

* The titles of some library sequences in which Shadow starts out taking the Dark path, then goes full Hero after encountering certain characters. For example, going full Hero upon meeting Amy in Cryptic Castle results in a sequence titled [[LoveRedeems "The Miracle of Love"]].

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sthh.PNG]]
[[caption-width-right:350: ''"[[HeroesFrontierStep I'm Shadow the Hedgehog, and I made a promise that I intend to keep! With the power of these emeralds, Black Doom and his army are finished! This is who I am!]]"'']]

-->'''Dr. Eggman''': Shadow, can you hear me? This may be the last chance I get to speak to you, so... [[spoiler:what I said about having created you? It was all a lie. Everyone thought you had died during [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure2 that horrible incident]]. But I rescued you with one of my robots! You lost your memory, that's all. You really ARE the UltimateLifeform my grandfather created!]]

--->'''Sonic:''' (''[[WorthyOpponent quietly impressed]]'') Man... heh, I didn't think you had it in ya.

-->'''Vector:''' Well, well! If it isn't Shadow! Your timing is impeccable. You know that Eggman fella pretty well don't ya? Well we need your help to hack into his computer, and don't ask why! And we don't have anymore time to waste! \\

-->'''Cream:''' Good day, Shadow! Thank you so, so much for rescuing me the other day![[note]]Cryptic Castle, Hero Mission[[/note]] Cheese and I will be cheering you on during your training! Good luck!
-->'''Maria:''' Shadow, I believe in you!

-->'''G.U.N. Commander:''' Shadow, do you read me? First, [[CharacterDevelopment I want to... apologise for the other day]]. Actually, I just became a grandfather last week, and I was thinking of maybe having you over. I know training is tough, but try and do your best!

* The music for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmMeV54GckY&feature=youtu.be Final Haunt]], the final level in the Pure Hero path, perfect captures the mood of the level -- Shadow has remembered his faithful promise to Maria to protect others, and now he's going to honor that promise by storming the Black Comet, the home of the Black Arms. Regardless if you go dark (more like FriendlyRivalry at this point, since Shadow is challenging Sonic so he can be stronger to defeat the Black Arms as well as being there for their "little friendly competition) or hero (which ends with both Shadow and Sonic confronting Black Doom), Shadow has found the meaning that he's searched for so long, and is finally at peace. This is even summarized in this Youtube comment.
-->'''Youtube Commenter:''' If there’s one thing this game did right, it’s the fantastic parallels between [G.U.N. Fortress] and Final Haunt (the final Pure Hero mission). Both of them have pretty slow, relaxed themes. At least, considering what you’d expect from fast-paced, violent final levels. But it represents the fact that there is no more inner conflict within Shadow. His mind is fully made up. He knows where his heart is. The difference is, in Final Haunt, Shadow knows who he is. He’s found what he was after. (...) Final Haunt is upbeat. Shadow has discovered who he is. His mind is made up, and he’s going to fulfill his best friend’s dying wish. He can finally put the past behind him and move on. Because he’s at peace.

[[caption-width-right:350: ''"I'm Shadow the Hedgehog, and I made a promise that I intend to keep! With the power of these emeralds, Black Doom and his army are finished! This is who I am!"'']]

* Some of the post-game messages are this. When you replay the game after completing it, you would hear your ally or an important NPC communicate with you (the replaying of the game is stated to be one massive simulation).