# FAQ: Anticipating rebuttals to my analysis on Shadow Generations' story

> Responses I make in anticipation of some possible rebuttals for [What Shadow Generations does for (or to) Shadow's character](/-JXJDtOgS76XrtvC5DY9tQ).

## "Shadow acts that way because he is traumatised and trauma is complex."

I do not doubt at all that trauma can inform seemingly illogical or self-sabotaging actions. I acknowledge as much in the essay that grief happens in many, many possible ways, not all of which healthy or well-adjusted. I also acknowledge in that same passage that the events in Shadow Generations *written as-is* could have been written well or compellingly.

But herein lies the rub: you need to show that the text in the story supports your claim he is reacting from trauma.

I have argued at length that his shows of emotions are inconsistent and *not well-explained*. I have also already said in the essay's [concluding remarks](https://hackmd.io/@blurredblu/shadowgens#Shadow-Generations-as-vaguely-story-shaped) that people's brains are wired to fill in the gaps of an incomplete picture with story-shaped explanations.

Put this another way: with the way the story is written, *as-is*, if a young child (well within the target demographic of the game) who is unfamiliar with Shadow the Hedgehog plays the game and asks 'why did he do that?', answers should be able to come from *just what the story presents*. Because, as I've also written about, this game is supposed to get complete newcomers on board with his character as well.

Writing is communication.

Tell me where the story—in the cutscenes, in the dialogue, in the behaviours and interactions between the characters *from Shadow Generations alone*—communicates about the nature of Shadow's trauma. Communicates the message about how trauma makes someone act in strange, illogical, even self-sabotaging ways, with a clarity that even a child could understand it. If you are able to do this, I will hear you out.

If you cannot, then it is because you yourself are supplying an explanation that the story should've made some effort to communicate to you.

## "Shadow ran away from Maria because..."

### "...he is trying to move on from her."

If Shadow is actually trying to move on from Maria, then these moments would make no sense.




If anything, from these scattered moments, he is more invested in trying to stay right with her.

If you think he is earnestly trying to move on from Maria in Shadow Generations, show me using moments from Shadow Generations.

### "...he wouldn't want to see her die again."

Here is the thing: Shadow never really saw Maria's death.

He saw her dying, i.e. in the process of reaching death. But she sent him away with the last of her strength. Shadow never saw Maria's death because he was ripped away from her against his own will.

If anything, *Shadow wanted to be near Maria during her death, but was prevented from doing so.*

What I have argued is that based on how we know Shadow and Maria parted ways on the ARK, as well as the broad-strokes nature of grief, is that it is highly plausible that Shadow leaving Maria alone when she is hurting, fading away, or about to leave for good would be the last thing Shadow would ever want to do.

In the ending of Shadow Generations, Shadow has the power to stay with her and share their last moments together, unlike the way that Maria originally died. He has the power to do everything differently from the last time they tragically parted.

Instead, he runs away.

Why?

## "I liked the story actually."
It's fine if you liked the story. That is your subjective experience and evaluation. But emotions do not hold a truth-value that can support an argument for or against a claim.

It is equally true that you liked the story and I disliked it. Even if our emotional reactions may be informative for each of our own evaluations of the story, we cannot have productive discussions or falsifiable arguments about the quality, effectiveness, or technicalities of the story's writing based on *solely* those emotional reactions.

I am evaluating the story based on principles of literary analysis and effective creative writing, including what has been established of Shadow's character thus far. Any rebuttals about what I have covered should address it on its same level, i.e. involving information from the games and concepts from literary analysis.

## "You're miserable and can't be happy with anything." / "No story can be perfect."

Stories that I like in the Sonic franchise include Sonic beefing with a talking sword, Shadow wielding AK-47s, and Sonic turning into even more of a furry at night.

I'm not fiddling with some waxed moustache and tut-tutting with a monocle and a quill that Shadow Generations be on par with literary masterpieces with its sophistication or mastery, nor do I do so with other Sonic stories either. The idea that I could only be satisfied with a 'perfect' story, whatever that impossibility means, or a story brilliant enough to win a Pulitzer Prize is nothing but fiction.

What I *do* look for in a story are cohesive narrative arcs and believable character writing. Bonus points if said arcs and writing are effective or even emotionally moving. At the end of the day, what I value are messages and satisfying character arcs in stories. Those are only possible upon the bare minimum that the writing makes sense and conveys information in a manner that makes sense to the reader or audience. Shadow Generations repeatedly fails to meet that bare minimum.

## "You can't just blame script/scenario-writer Ian Flynn."
Correct—I'm blaming everyone involved in allowing his story to go through development into the state we see it now.

## "Are you saying the story in/by [insert other Sonic game or Sonic writers] is better?"
No. I am evaluating Shadow Generations' writing on its own grounds.

Comparative analysis is a viable means of evaluating stories, but by no means the only one. Any comparison of Shadow Generations' story to the works of other writers would have to consist of its own, separate analysis.

## "It's not that deep."
Why are you here then?

Sonic Team and the writers are paid to write stories for a game that is a paid product in a franchise that has sold [over a billion units of Sonic-branded products and continues to grow](https://www.sonicstadium.org/news/games/sonic-franchise-on-a-high-as-series-shifts-16-billion-units-as-of-2023-r1693/). I'll take a leap here to say that for something taking in as much money as this for a character as popular and profitable as Shadow that a story featuring him ought to pass logical muster at least, and respect the brand of what his character has gone through in the process.

Above all, if you find there is no depth to be found in analysing a story featuring a character as renowned and beloved as Shadow the Hedgehog, who is distinctive by virtue of the [detailed, emotional stories that feature him compared to the rest of the Sonic characters](https://youtu.be/i6bN780AyuE?t=1328), that tells more about you than it does about me.