Project Shadow (episode)


 * For the canon event, see Project Shadow.

"Project: Shadow" is the thirty-third episode of the anime series, Sonic X, as well as the first episode of the Shadow Saga. It first aired on 16 November 2003 and 30 October 2004 in Japan and the United States respectively.

Appearances
Characters:
 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Amy Rose
 * Cream the Rabbit
 * Cheese
 * Shadow the Hedgehog
 * Rouge the Bat
 * Christopher Thorndyke
 * Nelson Thorndyke
 * Lindsey Thorndyke
 * Chuck Thorndyke
 * Frances
 * Danny
 * President
 * Topaz
 * Christina Cooper
 * President's third assistant
 * Jim
 * Mister Stewart
 * Scarlet Garcia
 * Gerald Robotnik
 * Maria Robotnik
 * Doctor Eggman
 * Decoe
 * Bocoe
 * Bokkun
 * Gun Beetle
 * Laser Hunter
 * Shield Hunter

Japanese version

 * "SONIC DRIVE" - Opening theme
 * "The Shining Road" - Closing theme

English version

 * "Gotta Go Fast" - Opening theme (USA and CAN)
 * "Sonic X" - Opening theme (AUS, NZ and UK)
 * "Gotta Go Fast" (shortened) - Closing theme

Plot
The episode starts with Sonic running through the ruins of Station Square following Perfect Chaos' destruction of the city when he suddenly hears crying sounds from the debris. As the residents of Station Square repair their city, Guardian Units of the Nations begins mass production of its own Hunter series robots to counter Dr. Eggman. Using a spy robot, Eggman examines their progress and notes with annoyance that "all they did was copy (his) designs." As he hacks GUN's computers for more information—displaying pictures of several GUN robots—he finds a database entry for his grandfather, Gerald Robotnik. Eggman concludes that he was born on Earth, rather than in Sonic's world, and that the two are parallel dimensions. As Eggman continues his search, he uncovers Gerald's diary that reveals he has finished the final product of his "Ultimate Life Form" project, named "Shadow". Transferring it from GUN's computers alerts them to his activities, and the President assigns Rouge and Topaz to monitor him.

Rouge and Topaz secure a Chaos Emerald to use as bait to gain Eggman's trust—as well as the Master Emerald itself, which Rouge is unwilling to leave behind although Knuckles tried to stop her. Meanwhile, Eggman fights his way into GUN's base on Prison Island. He reaches the capsule containing Shadow and releases him, astonished to see the silhouette of a hedgehog in the cryogenic vapors.

Regional differences

 * The following scenes have been cut/edited:


 * The word "Passward" in Japanese version is corrected to "Password" in the English dub.
 * The names of the GUN robots and part of Gerald's diary are erased in the English dub.
 * The Laser Hunter's picture is never shown in the English dub.
 * The text "Prof. GERALD ROBOTNIK" is replaced with a picture of Gerald in the English dub.
 * Parts of Gerald's diary are removed/blurred in the English dub.
 * In the Japanese version, when Christina Cooper talks to Sam, she calls him "Intelligence Commander." Sam says that was his name yesterday, and his current name is "Farewell Young Headlight." In the English dub, Christina says that Rouge and Topaz are leaving, so Sam can stop the car "here", to which Sam says he does not want to break the law so he will wait.
 * In the Japanese version, there is a shot of Cream putting down a cup. That shot was removed in the English dub.
 * In the Japanese version, there is an eleven-second scene of Bokkun where he is startled by something and looks over, only to see Jerome roaming through garbage, whom he scares off. That scene was removed in the English dub.
 * The report on Project Shadow has its cover shortened from "The Secret of the Project Shadow" to just "Project Shadow" with a different font in the English dub.
 * In the Japanese version, there is a three-second shot of an extra lighthouse shining light over Prison Island, looking for the explosion. That shot was removed in the English dub.

Differences from Sonic Adventure 2

 * 1) In the encounter between Knuckles and Rouge fighting over the Master Emerald, the Master Emerald was not shattered in the episode; rather it was stolen by Rouge. Also, Eggman was absent from the scene and Knuckles and Rouge did attack each other (when they didn't in Sonic Adventure 2).
 * 2) In Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic gets chased by a G.U.N. Military Truck, but in this episode he doesn't.

Trivia

 * The Australian DVD gives the name of the episode as "Shadow".
 * Gerald Robotnik's diary was different in this episode than the one used in the source material, as it omitted any references to Maria's death or his resulting insanity and it indicated that the main reason he wanted Shadow released was as vengeance against GUN for the measure of immorality he found intolerable in regards to a conspiracy involving taking over both his Artificial Chaos project as well as the Eclipse Cannon.
 * Knuckles does not recognize Rouge in her costume even though he saw her in the same costume in "Beating Eggman, Part 2".
 * Although it is established that both Sonic and the human's worlds share in both the time and space making them parallel in this episode, yet in Cosmic Crisis, it is made clear that one year in the human world equals one month in Sonic's world.