I think I solved the canon route for Shadow the Hedgehog in a way that explains the story. First some ground rules.
1. The path that gives the most clues is the most logical one.
2. I support the Multiple Acts theory
Westopolis (Hero, self defense as the motive since BA are much more aggressive here).
Lethal Highway (Dark, Act 2 to Westopolis).
GUN wins Westopolis regardless of choices, loses Glyphic Canyon (Sky Troops implies this) and Digital Circuit regardless.
Prison Island (Hero, the disks are a potential lead, thus logical motive).
The Doom is Act 2 to Prison Island. Normal or Hero.
Eggman wins battle of Sky Troops. GUN wins battle of Death Ruins.
Cryptic Castle (Hero, expert mode says this is canon).
Mad Matrix is Act 2 to Cryptic Castle. (Hero, the files are a potential lead, thus logical motive). Sets up finale and foreshadows the lie.
Iron Jungle (normal or hero, Eggman tells the lie).
Lost Impact is Act 2. Hero.
Space Gadget is Act 3. Hero.
Final Haunt leads to Last Way. Canon ending is hero (via last way).
Overall, the closest path to canon route via Multiple Act Theory is 282.
Multiple paths isn't just a theory, it's objective fact once you dig in deep enough.
We've got Cream thanking Shadow for rescuing her, the GUN Commander apologising for how he was behaving, Eggman admitting that he lied about creating Shadow, the GUN Commander and the President both hiding out in GUN HQ, a whole fuckton of re-used dialogue when Shadow's on his knees in the Last Story, it's all incompatible and yet it's all true at the same time.
Yeah. This has been brought up before
Then again, is anyone who was with the organization at the time even still alive anymore?
Plus, he's all about putting the past behind him. Maybe choosing to work with G.U.N. is his way of letting bygones be bygones.
Edited by HandsomeRob on Oct 28th 2022 at 4:44:11 AM
One Strip! One Strip!Nope. But Batman never tried to destroy the world because of what the Mob did to his family either.
I mean, I get your point. It's pretty nutty to work with the organization who killed your best friend, even if by accident, and even if the ones who were part of the organization at that time are long dead.
But that's what happened. Not that it matters, since I assume G.U.N. is one of those factors that won't get much of a reference anymore since Shadow is totes a loner who doesn't hang out with anyone anymore.
If they bring the group back and Shadow slaps them all silly, I'm cool with it. If he says, I'll make sure you idiots don't fuck up someone else' life by working for you myself, I'm cool with it.
It's all about execution really. Either is good as long as some effort is put into making it work.
.....which, considering this is Sega, means it'll be awful, so never mind.
One Strip! One Strip!Yea, but we never actually see Shadow's thoughts or motivations on the matter...it just sort of happens and the audience is supposed to accept it. Like there could be a story there...but there isn't.
And honestly, I just can't see someone as independent as Shadow taking orders from anyone, least of all from the government.
Edited by BlackYakuzu94 on Oct 28th 2022 at 8:10:16 AM
A lazy millennial who's good at what he does.Which is why Shadow working for GUN has been a one-game thing. Hell, in Chronicles, Shadow is not working with G.U.N..
It's easier to suggest he only went to Soleanna to rescue Rouge as a request from the president, and we shall ignore the GUN soldiers saying Shadow trained with them.
To win, you need to adapt, and to adapt, you need to be able to laugh away all the restraints. Everything holding you back.I mean the mob and Government are very different organizations.
The latter is at least nominally supposed to keep the peace and support the people while the mob just prey on people.
Plus Shadow is shown fighting Eggman and keeping dangerous artifacts out of reach. I don't see Government agent Shadow killing civilians to cover up secrets.
"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"How often is the government ever portrayed as a positive entity in fiction?
Its fine for Rouge because her motivations are inherently selfish, she just wants jewels at the end of the day. Shadow tends fight for a good cause, even if he's a dick about it.
Can't really see him as a government dog when he can act on his own just fine.
Edited by BlackYakuzu94 on Oct 28th 2022 at 8:28:37 AM
A lazy millennial who's good at what he does.Depends on the type of fiction. Action series, usually not very often, but at the same time, the government in Sonic’s world is better than average for the genre.
My musician pageThey literally murdered a child and covered it up and drove a man insane...
And falsely accused Sonic of something he didn't do; even if you didn't subscribe that they weren't framing him to cover their own asses...it makes them grossly ungrateful to so readily arrest the person who's been saving the world repeatedly.
Edited by BlackYakuzu94 on Oct 28th 2022 at 8:30:49 AM
A lazy millennial who's good at what he does.What
said.
Corrupt government is so common in fiction, it'd be more impressive if a government wasn't corrupt in a fictional story.
Though I don't know if any writer knows how to write that, or is interested in doing so. It's probably a case where real life does too good a job of convincing writers that such a thing isn't possible.
One Strip! One Strip!But that's speculation, since we only have the one game where their working together to go off of.
Technically, even Rouge doesn't seem to be directly part of GUN, since she's always described as the President's personal agent rather than a GUN agent.
TBF, when I say government is better than average in Sonic's world, that's just because it's a low bar to clear.
My musician pageYeah, at least the ending of Shadow the Hedgehog has shown the GUN Commander and President declaring they were wrong about Gerald and that they will strive for peace or some shit.
So I can see the Government in Sonic's world as less shitty and going to reforms.
"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"RE: Shadow and the Multiple Acts Theory:
That's a pretty good timeline to work with.
Man, what I'd give to see Ian Flynn use this to do a proper comic adaptation of the Shadow game. Maybe even as a graphic novel? But I guess that's a bit of a pipe dream given Sega's mandates. Here's hoping the Sonic 3 movie becomes a wake-up call for Sega to reconsider how to handle Shadow!
Part of why I don't see it as odd is that Shadow's personal beef was also noted as he legitimately wanted to find out his past, and was outright willing to give his life to the G.U.N. Commander if he was outright responsible for her death(at least in one route). G.U.N. wasn't so much against him as the disaster that happened on the Ark, due to Gerald's overall actions(which originally were to destroy the world).
Shadow also legitimately wants to help people, and G.U.N. often aligns with that goal. The thing about Shadow's game is it's only the Commander who wants him dead, and he has a legitimate reason. He believes him to be responsible for Maria's death(when ironically, it was his own organization). Thus, they both care deeply about Maria and have wanted to get vengeance for her. It's not hard for them to see eye to eye later on and realize that respecting Maria's wish to keep the world safe is even more important. Shadow either way doesn't seem to completely work for them(as shown above), but is more of an ally. I don't remember if in Battle, she specifically was getting Emerl's data(at the early part of the game's story, which is shown before Sonic would meet Emerl, though it only appears in her actual story) for G.U.N. or the President(and her own means, of course).
I also can't remember the entire reason she was raiding one of the bases in Heroes, when she found Omega and Shadow. Was she a G.U.N. or a President agent, or was it not specified?
G.U.N. was always odd in that it's clearly not just a normal part of the Government. They have their own agenda from time to time, and when the President had sent Rouge to spy on Eggman, but we only see G.U.N. as a full antagonist, they never really attempted to tie them together as straight-out allies yet. Shadow's game also tried to make them unconnected as is beyond plausible allies. Sonic 06 has Rouge now working for G.U.N.(with Shadow either allying with them due to Rouge, being a hired help, or may be a straight-out agent), suggesting they're finally good guys for once(Sonic Chronicles continued this). I think they dropped them overall outside of special cameos like in Sonic Generations via the G.U.N. Truck and all, after Chronicles. I don't remember them after said rpg at all.
Shadow?One story that stood out to me; in one of the post-reboot arcs of Archie, the commander is distrustful of sending Shadow on a mission to the black arms due to a potential betrayal and Rouge has to vouge for him.
And I'm like "bro, did you not bury the hatchet already????" And the GUN agents are just be racists as shit and mocking Shadow for being part alien and I'm "WHY ARE YOU PUTTING UP WITH THIS?"
I can understand "being the bigger man" but then there's being around people who literally do not trust you.
A lazy millennial who's good at what he does.It's not entirely unreasonable for them to be worrisome of Shadow regardless. He still is part of the Space Colony ARK incident, and still created a lot of trouble before his heel face turn in Adventure 2. In fact, he had the power to destroy the world and still has massive power. Now they find out his powers come from aliens outright(remember that in many cases, Sonic is just a normal earth person. Though I don't know if Archie is a two worlds thing, like, say, Sonic X is), ones that were trying to kill all of humanity. Of course they'd be a bit hesitant. He has a pretty bad history and anybody would just be a little on edge.
Shadow's also far more ruthless in how far he's willing to go to defeat an enemy, having no trouble with more violent means, even more present in his own game than before(and was taken fully as a thing in Sonic X, him being easily the most violent guy who is technically not a villain, with even Eggman often preferring less violent methods by default, which is saying something), so that means him following any pacifist orders, which will naturally happen as well for various missions by default, is very difficult to believe. Though to be fair, I'm not sure if Shadow is nearly as bad as he was in the core series or Sonic X, of both which he's quite ruthless(arguably worse in Sonic X, where he'd gladly kill one of the main characters in Season 3 if it means saving the world. And he's not going to negotiate at all. I don't think he was any better in the Japanese version either? I haven't seen his dialogue in the episode he goes after Cosmo).
Shadow?Rouge was looking to steal "Eggman's secret treasure" in Heroes...
It's not implied as such, it's literally the first thing she says in Team Dark's opening cutscene.
Rules of the Internet 45. Rule 45 is a lie. Check out my art if you notice.I never said anything about implications. I said I couldn't remember her reasonings and thought of possible ones since I didn't know.
Unless you were responding to someone else who did say about that, then never mind.
Yeah, sounds about right. Especially since she wasn't teamed up with G.U.N. for more than two games(from what I remember, being 06 and Chronicles).
Shadow?

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Flynn was hired as a consultante, so I doubt that Will apply this time.
To win, you need to adapt, and to adapt, you need to be able to laugh away all the restraints. Everything holding you back.