Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Post-Credits Scene Explained

By Tanner Dedmon

With Sonic the Hedgehog 2 now out everywhere in theaters, people are finally able to talk about what happened in the film, what happened at the end, and what happened after the end. It's that last part we'll be focused on here since we've already confirmed that there is indeed a post-credits scene, and it's one that Sonic fans will likely get excited about given that it means yet another character from the Sonic universe is set to join the series in the next movie.

Spoiler Warning: Heavy spoilers for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 exist beyond this warning.

At the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and after the credits roll for a bit, we're treated to a scene where military personnel talk about files hinting at the existence of a secret lab that's apparently been around for 50 years or so. While they talk about that and an even secreter project housed within, we see a quick shot of none other than Shadow the Hedgehog, the no-nonsense Sonic antagonist seen occasionally in different mediums throughout the years.

Who is Shadow the Hedgehog?

Shadow's pretty recognizable just like Sonic with the former sporting a red, black, and white look opposite Sonic's blues, but how does he fit into the story? That reference to 50 years wasn't just a coincidence as Shadow was created by Gerald Robotnik, the grandfather of Jim Carrey's Dr. Robotnik we see in the Sonic movies, and was released 50 years later by the younger Robotnik. Shadow was intended to be the "Ultimate Life Form" and was aptly worked on under the "Project Shadow" codename referenced in the newest movie.

As far as his demeanor goes, Shadow is much more determined and serious compared to Sonic and even compared to Knuckles who's serious himself but comes off a bit goofy at times in the new movie since he's in unfamiliar territory. Just as Knuckles eventually becomes friends with Sonic and Tails, Knuckles has historically reached a truce with Sonic and company even if they don't always see eye to eye on their methods.

Shadow has appeared in a couple of games over the years, but many may recall him from his standalone Shadow the Hedgehog game released in 2005. This game showed a much darker take on the Sonic franchise where Shadow used guns and other weapons and even swore from time to time. How he'll be portrayed in the next film remains to be seen, but we'll likely see some of these more serious elements carried over if nothing else.

You can check out our review of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 here while we await more discussions about this movie and news pertaining to Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

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