Shadow is one of the Sonic series' most popular characters, and he's gone through a few different designs over the years.

Shadow the Hedgehog, also known as the “Ultimate Life Form,” has been Sonic’s most iconic rival since his debut in Sonic Adventure 2. He’s appeared in a number of Sonic games and other media since his first appearance, including spin-off games, TV series, and even his own game. His moody, darker appearance gives him a cool vibe and sets him up perfectly as the opposite of the optimistic Sonic.

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Shadow is truly a fan favorite Sonic character, and well-deserving of the honor. While his character design has stayed consistent over the years, he’s had a few notable different looks over his many appearances.

Before jumping into Shadow’s designs from the games, let’s look at where he started, as his concept art is fascinating. The sketches here show a fairly different look at Sonic’s rival, as the earlier pencil sketch makes him look more like Knuckles than Sonic. The interesting spark in his eye hints at a different version of Shadow’s power, too.

The colored sketch brings Shadow closer to his final design, but it still seems off. Going for his iconic red stripes seems to be the better design choice, as his black and white color scheme is fine, but doesn’t have the same striking appearance as his final version.

Now this is the Shadow the Hedgehog you’re familiar with! It’s clear to see some elements from his later concept art made the final cut: the red, white, and gold shoes, gold around his wrists, and the black coloring with red eyes.

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Yet Shadow’s design has evolved for the better from the original concept, adding the pops of red that give the character an extra edgy look. Also, these images show Shadow’s perpetual scowl, whereas some of his concept art gave him a light smile similar to Sonic’s. These standard images perfectly capture Shadow’s personality.

Shadow’s 2D design easily translates into the 3D model of the Sonic games. The angle of his hedgehog spines is less sharp than his 2D appearance but still swoops upward to set him apart from Sonic’s downward spines.

One of the most striking 3D Sonic appearances for Shadow is in his own game, Shadow the Hedgehog. The 2005 game is infamous these days for being the one to give Shadow actual guns to play with. This is certainly unusual for the Sonic franchise, yet Shadow, with his darker story and personality, pulls it off.

Like Sonic, Shadow also takes on special forms due to the Chaos Emerald’s power. His standard form is Super Shadow, which is a glowing gold version of the hedgehog. To set him apart from Super Sonic, Super Shadow still has his recognizable red streaks.

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Beyond Super Shadow, he also has a couple of other unique transformations. In the Shadow the Hedgehog game, Shadow also transforms into Dark Shadow when channeling his vengeful side, or Hero Shadow when channeling his heroic side. Dark Shadow adds a red glow to Shadow’s form, which works naturally with his base design, but interestingly, Hero Shadow gives him a blue tint, reminiscent of Sonic himself. These forms are only in Shadow the Hedgehog, but it would be awesome to see them return in a future game.

In the Sonic Dash mobile game, Shadow has alternate looks like most other characters. Shadow’s Halloween-themed look, Vampire Shadow, fits perfectly with the brooding hedgehog’s personality. The lightning bolt white streak is a fantastic detail, and the purpose of his outfit works well with his natural fur color.

Captain Shadow is his other alternate look in Sonic Dash, and he rocks his pirate outfit very well, cutting a menacing figure. Red was an excellent color choice for his pirate costume.

Just when you thought Shadow couldn’t get any cooler, cue his Sonic Riders look. While his character design updates are simple, they are effective for the Sonic Riders spin-offs. Shadow keeps his classic look, but adds a pair of sunglasses and a unique ring around his ankle.

With these added accessories, Shadow’s ready to fly around on his hoverboard. While the brighter blue and green coloring of these accessories is strange for Shadow’s darker tones, he still comes across as a hedgehog you don’t want to cross.

Shadow’s most epic alternate look appears in Sonic and the Black Knight, where Shadow takes on the character of Sir Lancelot. This game, set in the Medieval Era of King Arthur, clads the Sonic characters in armor.

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Shadow’s armor is exceptionally cool, made out of a darker gray metal with red accents. His armored gloves also have a spiky design to them, which works well for the prickly hedgehog. Also, his sword his massive, showing off Shadow’s strength as a knight. He certainly poses quite the challenge for Sonic to take down!

Shadow makes several appearances in the Sonic Boom TV series and its spin-off video games. In the show, Shadow’s design has been updated, like the rest of the cast, adding in a few details. Like the other characters, Shadow’s Sonic Boom look makes him appear taller and lankier than usual.

Shadow’s Sonic Boom look also gives him a unique set of arm and leg guards. Fittingly, these new features are red and black that are suitable for his character. Other than this addition, his design is consistent with his default appearance.

While a clear image of Shadow’s design in the CGI style of the Sonic the Hedgehog movies isn’t available to us yet, the teaser image from the end of the second film is exciting to see. Shadow’s design is instantly recognizable, as it includes his black and red color scheme and startling red eyes.

Though we’ll have to wait until a Sonic the Hedgehog 3 teaser trailer to get more details on Shadow, his initial design for the big screen is promising.

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Madelynn Lee is a List Writer for TheGamer. Her favorite game franchises include The Legend of Zelda, Kingdom Hearts, and Pokemon. She also writes fantasy novels and analyzes literature for her personal blog. When she's not gaming or writing, Madelynn enjoys watching the Minnesota Vikings or tackling the challenges of gluten-free baking.