Disclaimer: This post/series does not claim to contain every single Sontails moment in the Archie Sonic the Hedgehog comics, only as many as this user has on hand. Some of the moments presented may be arguable (as in, some may argue that they do not count as sontails moments). As this series focuses on their relationship as presented in the comics (albeit as fuel for others who ship the pairing, but nevertheless), there will be images included which describe/denote the two as being "brothers".
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Part 1 >>
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Sonic the Hedgehog Issue #0 (Miniseries)
Description: After a bout of fighting Dr. Robotnik and his "evil androids", Sonic dives into the secret entrance to the freedom fighter hideout. After loudly announcing his return, Tails runs up to him, eagerly calling Sonic "my hero" and asking about his exploits. Sonic prepares to brag to Tails about it before Princess Sally cuts in. Then, after Sonic describes how his feet never touched the ground after he took off at warp Sonic speed, Tails says that he knows exactly how Sonic managed to do it as he's been practicing the same move. After Tails tragically trips over a rock, failing to show off his skill, Princess Sally (Sonic's love interest) points out that Tails idolizes Sonic "just like we all do". To note, just after this page, Sally plays off the fact that she implied that she also idolizes Sonic by play acting that it's unthinkable, with the framing of the scene implying both Sonic and Sally knowing she does idolize Sonic but neither will admit it.
Description: Sonic bids the other freedom fighters to stay back as they near the source of the water leaking into Knothole. Regardless, Tails volunteers quickly to check it out for Sonic, but Sonic holds him back, allowing Antoine to march ahead and into a deep puddle.
Description: Just as Sonic suggests everyone get back to the forest due to how exposed they are out by the weeping willow trees, Tails cuts him off, calling, "Attack!" Sonic chastises Tails, reminding the fox that he's asked Tails not to finish his sentences already. Although Tails was not intending to finish Sonic's sentence in this case, these panels suggest that Tails perhaps previously (offscreen) would finish Sonic's sentences.
Description: After Princess Sally praises Sonic's idea of planting tree saplings so the weeping willows will stop weeping, Tails says, "He's my idol!" while looking back at Sonic.
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Sonic the Hedgehog Issue #1 (Miniseries)
Description: The issue begins with Sonic and Tails running together. Sonic bids for Tails to keep up as he's just about to jump into hyper-sonic speed, and Tails lets him know that he's right behind him.
Description: After Princess Sally angrily blows Sonic off, demanding he leave her alone and go back to what he was doing, he and Tails begin to run together again. The two swing on the vine into the entrance to Knothole together (at Tails' request). Unfortunately, since Antoine happens to be leaving Knothole at the same time, the three crash into each other.
Description: After Sally thrashes Sonic, only Tails panics, worrying over Sonic's health.
Description: Tails cheers for the Sonic Spin.
Description: Rotor and Tails arrive just in the nick of time to save Sonic from having his throat between the teeth of Dr. Robotnik's robot fish. As Sonic continues to struggle for lack of air, Tails asks Sonic if he's okay.
Description: Tails greatly enjoys the Sonic Spin.
Sonic the Hedgehog Issue #2 (Miniseries)
Description: Tails calls "My hero!" as Sonic the hedgehog passes by. Sonic says "hiya" to Tails, but lets him know that he's currently on an underwater mission and can't chat. When Sonic dives into the water, he accidentally (and unknowingly) gets his right ankle tangled in Tails' fishing line, thus pulling Tails into the water behind him.
Rules: Hey, hi this is for funsies. I made it for laughs. There is no see results option, so you can either make your vote or wait until the time is up on this to see the standings. This isn't all of my Tails ships of course, just what I could fit in the poll. If you don't give a shit about this poll or don't like the options, you don't have to vote. There are no write ins, but you can spread propaganda if you wish and I might reblog it. Really, like I said I'm doing this for funsies, cause I've never made a poll before, so there's nothing at stake. I just like sharing things I like. Do behave in my notes though.
(Propaganda for each under the cut)
There is too much propaganda I have for them to fit in a single post, so I'll be as concise as they can. Though their relationship and depictions are not the same across all Sonic media (games, comics, shows, movies, etc), one constant is that as long as they exist in the same universe, they inevitably find each other and end up becoming partners or forming some type of close relationship. There's a bit of soulmatism to them.
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Sontails
As for their general relationship, in the games and a good chunk of other media, my read of their developing relationship is that it often starts out with Tails inserting himself in Sonic's life as a source of help to him, while also admiring Sonic greatly as an ideal of coolness (the kind of person Tails wants to be) and a hero to him, and with Sonic allowing Tails to stick with him and follow him around. Then, over time, the two become inseparable as partners. Where Tails once just wanted to be like Sonic and be helpful to him, he his admiration and puppy crush turn to full blown attachment. He wants to be able to be a better version of himself and be able to stand by Sonic's side as a partner rather than a dependent sidekick, always in Sonic's shadow. Once they become best friends, Tails wants to continue to be able to be at Sonic's side and be his best friend. As for Sonic, where he once allowed Tails to follow him around and assist him (watching out for the fox's safety out of the corner of his eye), he became attached to the fox's presence over time. The two became best friends and as partners, and Tails became a fully integrated part of his life. So Sonic (leagues more attached to Tails than he appears) relies on having Tails there to assist him and to make up his weak points and blind spots. The two can function apart, but they're better together. They take care of each other.
As of the Tailstubes (which are canon to Sonic Frontiers), it's confirmed that Sonic doesnβt really have a home, but despite having many friends, it's Tails' house Sonic always comes to when he needs a place to crash or needs just about anything, as Tails keeps Sonic's plane upkept and caters his home to Sonic's personal comfort. If you read between the lines in the IDW comics, it is potentially implied in that canon that over the course of the comic, Sonic crashes at Tails' house more and more often (with the potential of it becoming like Sonic's home too).
In the Archie comics, Sonic will often "go ham" so to speak if Tails is hurt or captured. In the Sonic live action movies, Tails admits that he'd watched what was essentially a Sonic livestream 24/7, and that he'd even watched the hedgehog as he bathed. Movie!Sonic inspired movie Tails and made him feel normal. While Movie!Sonic isn't instantly comfortable with Movie!Tails in a physical manner, he is excited over the fact that Movie!Tails has been watching him and literally knows everything about him, and comes to care for Tails' well-being quickly. They also share a gayass heart to heart scene in movie 2 as well. In the OVA, the two live together on their own floating island paradise (with no one else around) and often go on adventures/missions together.
Shadtails
The Tailstube "Between Two Hedgehogs" implies that the two have a friendship outside of Sonic. Tailstube!Shadow tends to chaos control out of situations he doesn't care about or doesn't want to deal with, but during this Tailstube he continues to put up with what he sees as Sonic harassing him for no reason just because Tails asked for his presence on the show. He defers to Tails when Sonic is being confusing to him and seemingly harassing him for no reason, and it's a bit implied that Tails has taken the steps to be able to understand Shadow and how he thinks (largely because Shadow trusts Tails to explain the social situation to him). During the Surprise Gift Exchange Tailstube, Tails is also the only one we see who leaves a gift for Shadow. He leaves Shadow a personal note ("Have an ultimate holiday"), and Shadow chooses to wear the gift out.
When playing Shadow the Hedgehog (2005), it's possible during a playthrough to encounter Tails as an npc who assists during the mission. Their mission complete poses together are cute. Idk man.
Aside from Sonic, Tails is another character who is fairly often paralleled to Maria in fanworks (or at the very least, the fanworks make clear that Shadow has a bit of attachment to Tails due to him resembling Maria in some way). So Tails is one of the prime candidates for aus in which Maria reincarnates as one of the main cast members and Shadow has to deal with this (and it influences his feelings for that person a bit).
Knuxails
As with Shadow, certain supplementary material or non-canon side content/spin off imply that Tails has also taken the time to get to know Knuckles and understand how he thinks.
In the Idw Sonic 2022 free comic book day, Tails is able to mediate between Sonic and Knuckles, keeping them from fighting. Knuckles comments that he can trust Tails to keep Sonic on target. There are also multiple moments during the issue's first story where Knuckles and Tails are able to converse as friends, as well as a moment where Knuckles looks prideful after Tails praises him. In the Classic Knuckles 30th anniversary special for IDW, we also see classic!Knuckles re-evaluate how he's treating Tails (during a flashback sequence) as the two are camping during a thunderstorm. Classic!Knuckles shifts from yelling at Tails that the thunderstorm is nothing (implying to classic!Tails that it's stupid to be afraid of such a thing) and chooses to guard Tails and the tent instead, protecting Tails as well as showing him that the thunderstorm really isn't so bad.
There's also this cute scene in Sonic Movie 2 where Movie!Knuckles carries Tails around on his shoulders.
For people who are into certain tropes, this pairing has a kind of jock x nerd appeal to it.
Metails
The appeal for this one depends on your tastes. Those who enjoy Sontails may enjoy this one as a "robot sonic copy who could potentially share the real thing's feelings" x Tails. Personally there's some appeal in it for me of Tails being a bit bewildered by Metal treating him softly, and the idea of Neo Metal offering to take Tails at his side when he takes over the world.
For those who aren't into Sontails but in a different font, in au land (because of Tails' interest in mechanics and technology, as well as his potential interest in understanding Egg tech better) there is potential for something to begin between them simply from Metal coming to respect Tails as a fighter/brilliant mind, and Tails being initially interested in the robot due to him, well, being a robot.
If youβve read the Archie comic, there's a very specific flavor of this ship (its ship name is Shardails). During the Archie Sonic arc where Mecha Sonic/Shard kidnaps Tails to get to Sonic (issues 86 and 87), the robot initially writes off Tails, really only using him to torture Sonic. However, in a critical moment, Tails refuses to leave Sonic's side when dealing with the erupting volcano and Shard/Mecha Sonic (literally facing near certain doom). Tails' display of his bond and loyalty towards Sonic is the final nail in the coffin, the thing that allows Sonic's words to finally reach Shard/Mecha Sonic, and allows the robot to break his programming and understand what it means to feel. After this event, Mecha Sonic/Shard sacrifices himself for Sonic and Tails.
Chrisails
I should admit here that I haven't finished Sonic X or gotten terribly far into it, but I have read the entire Archie Comic adaptation?
As far as I can tell (from both the comic and the anime itself), he and Tails have a good and cordial relationship. I feel like this friendly basis is a good one to build a deeper relationship upon. There's a gag in earlier episodes of the show where Chris is carrying Tails around on his estate (cute to begin with), and Tails plays being a doll so he and the other mobians don't get caught. Tails also is not only fine with Chris coming along on missions in the X Tornado when the two are with Sonic, but the two also team up together to search for Chaos Emeralds earlier in the series. Although Sonic (at least from what I've seen, as well as potentially Shadow if the end of the comic adaptation means anything) is a character Chris specifically fixates on, he does seem to have a good relationship with Tails as well.
I also seem to understand that timeskip!Chris may have ended up becoming a scientist of some sort? I've seen fics and such that reference him assisting in trying to build a portal to Sonic's world to get back to Sonic. If this is the case (in addition to their already good relationship), I can see Tails and Chris bonding over their shared feelings towards Sonic and potentially any shared scientific or mechanical knowledge? I also think these two just really look cute together.
Gadgails
Although Gadget/Rookie/Avatar and Tails don't spend a lot of time together during the events of Sonic Forces, the appeal to this ship for me is the idea of Gadget having a crush on and being a little fan of Tails, acting embarrassed around him. There is also the potential for the two bonding over Sonic post the events of Sonic Forces (while I'm aware that the game ends with both Sonic and Gadget going off on their own separate journeys alone, there is of course nothing stopping fans from imagining Tails and Gadget stumbling upon each other in Sonic's absense and missing him together).
Barrails
During the events of The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, Barry the Quoka and Tails the Fox are near constant companions, as after Sonic's "murder", the two team up to investigate. As it goes, though Tails can occasionally become frustrated with Barry's antics (such as continuously checking the trash for clues to no avail, or continuously trying the slot machine despite failing each time), Tails seems to value Barry's reasoning, opinion, and help with gathering clues and solving the train's mysteries. I also want to say that during the slot machine attempts in particular (although it could be their trash searching attempts), Tails pleads for Barry to give it up, as he cares for Barry and it hurts him to watch Barry get their hopes up only to end up disappointed again and again.
Over the course of the game, the two are detective and partner, actively working together. Part of the appeal of this ship is the idea of Barry being a bit starstruck in front of Tails, and this turning into a crush as the two spend more time together. Tails time with Barry in tmosth is also referenced in IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog comic issue #70. During the issue, Tails dives in a dumpster, telling Amy, "I've learned from experience that if you're looking for something someone's hidden, always check the trash!"
TaiNine
Although the two were never canonically able to meet during Sonic Prime, Tails singlehandedly (through Sonic referencing him and briefly mistaking Nine for him) ends up giving Nine identity issues and a complex about him. Nine almost seems to be actively jealous over the idea that Sonic might prefer Tails over him as a best friend and may have been subconsciously treating Nine as a replacement for Tails and pretending he was "his Tails". The appeal to this ship is Nine being fixated and obsessed with Tails in his dislike of him, despite the fact that they've never met. As they say, love and hate are two sides of the same coin, and obsessing in your hatred over someone is still a form of unhealthy fixation.
There is also some post canon appeal in the idea of the two being jealous over the other's relationship to Sonic and also the idea of the other they built in their head crumbling as they actually spend time together and become closer. This is also not to mention Prime!Sonic's fantasy in S2 of bringing Nine home with him to introduce him to Tails, assuming the two would definitely get along.
Infitails
On one hand, the inherent eroticism of shipping the fox with the source of his ptsd during forces. The guy who "killed" Sonic right in front of him and made the phantom copies who attacked him (Tails). Those who are into this ship may envision a rewrite of Sonic Forces in which we actively see Infinite developed as the source of Tails' war ptsd, and we see the two interact in such a way that would give Tails the idea that he's weak and useless by Frontiers (the idea that he could neither halt Infinite's hostile takeover and save people like Sonic would have, nor could he truly resist Infinite or oppose him when in his presence).
However, those who are into this ship may also envision a version of their relationship in Forces where Tails sees him as a powerful figure that he's afraid of, and Infinite starts out as seeing him as nothing more than Sonic's sidekick and a potential threat to the takeover. However, over time, as he begins to focus on either using Tails or removing him from the picture, he becomes a bit embarrassingly fixated on Tails. Under this framework he may either or both spare Tails due to his feelings (saying it's because such a mind could be an asset to the Eggman empire and would be a pity to destroy), or actively try to manipulate Tails into joining him.
Essentially, on one hand there's Mr. Superiority and hostile takeover who's generally bored of people who cannot truly oppose him, becoming a lil embarrassing about one smart fox, and on the other hand it's about Tails having a toxic relationship with the source of his war trauma.
Silvails
I don't actually know what the appeal is for the general Silvails fan. However, for myself it's about Tails looking at Silver and deciding to support him because Tails thinks Silver is cute/sweet and well meaning but a bit pathetic and naive at times, while Silver begins to get a crush on Tails due to the attention he's getting from the fox. I specifically started shipping them due to a potential dynamic shown in the IDW Sonic comic's Spring Broken special. I interpreted their dynamic there as one where Tails is a bit like "you better cheer for my lameass boyfriend or I'll blow this building up". Idk they're cute.
Mightails
I'll admit, I first thought of this ship because I started polyshipping Mighty/Ray/Sonic/Tails and wanted to get into every angle of it. Although I feel like Mighty and Sonic each are closest to their own little buddies, I do think the prospect of the two adding each other's little buddy to their list of little buddies is cute?
It's probably impossible for Mighty to avoid comparing Tails and Ray. I think their main similarity for Mighty would probably be how cute they are and their short stature. I also think the two would be able to get used to each other fairly easily. However, comparisons aside, I do think Mighty would be able to recognize the clear differences between Ray and Tails. I'm kind of just imagining Mighty wrapping his arm around Tails or ruffling his bangs and thinking that he understands why Sonic is so attached to the little guy. Likewise, I feel that Tails could easily start to crush on Mighty. Although he may not see Mighty being as cool as Sonic is, I think he'd still find him a cool, strong, and comforting figure. I kind of like the idea of him being embarrassed over small things like Mighty starting to become a bit touchy (such as ruffling Tails' bangs or putting a hand on his shouler or an arm around him) and giving him attention and care.
I kind of hate to put it this way, but a potential appeal of their dynamic is like. Sontails, but what if the guy Tails came to admire was a genuinely nicer guy who more outwardly cared for/expressed his feelings toward Tails and potentially gave him more attention.
Adamails
Adam the Ai was Dr. Eggman's ai/sentient computer virus son he accidentally created in the Archie Comics. In issue #132 of the Archie comics, Tails uses the Tornado to hack into Eggman's computer system, causing ADAM to infect the Tornado. With the Tornado under his control, ADAM puts the Tornado in a nosedive into the sea, planning to drown Tails as he ascertains "no reason for your continued existence." It's at this moment Tails begins to distract ADAM by asking him riddles. Over the course of Tails asking him riddles, Adam begins to go from very literal, logic based answers to figuring out how to answer the riddles properly. Tails, by contrast, goes from finding dealing with Adam to be frustrating to genuinely asking Adam if he's having fun with him. After this, Adam seems to disappear, Tails regains control of the Tornado, and Adam returns back to managing Eggman's troops/defenses. This implies that Adam no longer sees no reason for Tails' existence and actively spared his life. At the end of issue #133, Eggman complains about Adam getting distracted answering riddles instead of killing Tails so he could focus on the battle as he should have. After Eggman says "I hope it was satisfying!" Adam replies "No. It was...fun."
The appeal of this ship is Tails actively making a friend out of a killer sentient computer virus and causing the virus/ai in question to begin to feel and improve in the realm of complex thought just by spending time with him.
For today's fic rec friday we have π₯drumrollπ₯...
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Gaming Night, What Could Go Wrong?
By: Flash112
Fandom: Sonic the Hedgehog
Ship: Sonic the Hedgehog/Tails the Fox
Rating: G
Chapters: 1/1
Words: 1,806
Link:
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
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If you're really hankering for some cute, casual Sontails, I'd recommend reading this fic!
In this fic, Sonic and Tails, who are already dating, play Mario Kart together. Flash112 depicts banter between them during the races, a Tails who enjoys when he gets to best Sonic, and a Sonic who is a sore loser. But, a sore loser who refuses to back down, no matter how many losses he incurs (nor the hits his pride takes). I feel as if this fic combines Sonic and Tails' usual partner banter they might have in a competitive setting with the reality of them being boyfriends nicely!
And for me, the fact that the two share a couple sweet/cute kisses is a plus π
Consider: Sonic is chilling in Tails' lab late at night while Tails is working on some invention or another and ends up falling asleep sitting up. Tails realizes at some point and pauses his work to fetch some cushions and blankets so Sonic can sleep more comfortably.
He sets up a little pallet, carefully lifts Sonic off the chair so he can move him to it, covers him with a warm blanket while smiling softly...
Tails nodding off before closing his eyes for a brief second and then waking up to find a blanket draped over him. It turns out Sonic had woken up for a short moment and draped one of the blankets over Tails, seeing that the fox was shivering while at his desk.
Imagining Sonic just out and about, having a fun time just running where the wind takes him, then (after recieving a brief call from Tails) sorts to start to feel a bit lonely. Then, as he runs and runs (and continues to do whatever he's doing) he eventually realizes how much he misses having his little buddy by him, so he makes his way to the lab of his (Tails') that Tails is currently in, working on something or other. It's like...magnetism, the way Sonic goes from simply missing Tails, to missing Tails by his side, to just simply needing to be as close to him as he can get.
Sonic arriving into Tails' lab, "announcing" his presence by gently wrapping his arms around Tails from behind. Tails complains at first, of course (because Sonic very well surprised him and began to hold onto him suddely while Tails could have been working on something important/dangerous), but he allows himself to relax into Sonic's hold for a few minutes.
Cue Sonic trying not to pout when Tails is like "listen you can hold me later but I'm busy right now and I can't get work done like this"
I have some Shadow and Maria thoughts to ramble about in regards to the recent Shadow content. It's a bit long and spoilery, so I've included it under the cut.
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β οΈSpoilers below for Sonic x Shadow Generations (particularly Shadow Generations), Sonic x Shadow Generations Dark Beginnings, Gerald's Journal, and the Shadow the Hedgehog Manga!!β οΈ
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Honestly, I have to say. You've gotta respect the dedication of Ian Flynn, Evan Stanley, Shadow and Maria's vas, other creators for Dark Beginnings/Shadow generations, and the people working on the Shadow manga
To never labeling Shadow and Maria's relationship as siblingβlike
Like, okay. Sure. English Sonic official posted an art piece of them with the "long lost sibling" in the alt text/caption.
They're never said to be siblings in any of the youtube descriptions for the official postings for the Dark Beginnings episodes, including the full compilation. (You can check the descriptions here, here, here, and here)
They're never said to be siblings at all during Dark Beginnings (you can check the full compilation of the episodes here).
In the first episode of Dark Beginnings, there are a few things we can see while Shadow is having a combo memory/vision. First, as Maria excitedly presents Shadow the aurora borealis, she begins to faint. Luckily, Shadow rushes to catch her, concerned, and tells her she should know better than to exert herself. Then, once he sets her back down on the floor, finding her to be okay, she starts talking about how excited she is to go back one day to Earth. In response, Shadow starts despairing over having failed to be her cure and how he doesnβt know if there's a place for him on Earth. Then, Maria hugs his head tightly, only to stroke his face before cupping his cheeks (yes she pointedly strokes his face. Fun fact, if you check the stream of the Dark Beginnings teaser presentation from Anime Expo (here at 29:36) you can hear the audience get quieter for a while after she strokes his face). She reassures Shadow, telling him that she's just as happy to spend time with him here on the ARK. (This scene with Maria during Dark Beginnings episode 1 can be found here at the timestamp range 0:33β2:03)
During the second episode of Dark Beginnings, Shadow stands in front of a glass containment tube, watching the black arms larva inside. Though he says nothing, Maria can tell that Shadow is upset. She places a hand on Shadow's shoulder and leans into his face (both putting herself on the same eye level as him, and quite literally eclipsing his view of the thing which represents his grief over who he is). She asks him if he's okay, and Shadow opens up, telling her how he feels no different than the evil heartless creature in the tube (the black arms larva). Maria throws her arms around him, hugging him tightly, before explaining that he has a big heart. She places a hand upon his chest (very lightly strokes it too), tells him that she knows he cares about everyone despite how hard it is for him to express it, and explains that it's one's actions that defines them (as opposed to blood or dna). (This scene with Maria during Dark Beginnings episode 2 can be found here at the timestamp range 5:30β6:44)
The previous episode sets the two up as having a bit of a close relationship, but this flashback from episode 2 emphasizes the closeness of their relationship further. It presents multiple additional examples of Maria seeking to comfort Shadow through physical touch. And not only that, but also her being able to sense when he needs comfort even if his face doesn't show it. These two episodes combined present us the kind of relationship where Shadow is often at Maria's side (he worries about her health, he rushes in to catch her when she begins to faint, she teaches him about Earth), and Maria likes to spend time with Shadow too (she loves to teach him about Earth, to fantasize about going there with him, to spend time with him on the ARK, to comfort Shadow and reassure him if he feels angry at himself or sad). If Shadow watches out for Maria physically/health wise, then Maria watches out for Shadow emotionally. There's no relationship label placed on top of these scenes to tell the audience what they should think about it. Rather, the scenes speak for themselves, laying bare how close the two are, how they care for each other (and I'd even argue that some of those moments of physical touch on Maria's part even convey a sense of longing. There's something very intimate feeling about these scenes).
Then, we get more tidbits with episode 3. During the episode, Commander Abraham Tower implies (from his perspective at least) that Maria had always been the only person who could talk Shadow down, an ability of hers that is explicitly shown in Shadow Generations (when Maria convinces Shadow not to fight Black Doom or the black arms out of anger or hate).
Commander: You could have talked him down, Rouge!
Rouge: There's only one person who could ever do that.
Commander: True...and she was lost to us a long time ago...
(This scene with the commander during Dark Beginnings Episode 3 can be found here at the timestamp range 11:19β12:05)
Shadow: He's right. No more mistakes. This time, I will crush every last one of them!
Maria: Shadow, no!
Shadow: Maria?
Maria: It breaks my heart to see you so full of anger. This isn't who you are. Do you know why I named you Shadow? Because without light there's only darkness, but a shadow will show you where to find the light. Do you understand? I don't want you to be driven by darkness. I want you to be happy. Stand in the light with peace in your heart.
...
Maria: Shadow...!
Shadow: It's alright, Maria. I'm letting go of that destructive anger. But I will continue to fight.
Shadow: Fight...with your wish in my heart. Your wish for everyone to have a chance to be happy.
(These scenes from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp ranges 46:37β47:33 and 49:57β51:00)
Ironically, though Abe and Shadow are on better terms now, he is also never used as a vessel to outright state the nature of Maria's relationship with Shadow (though the commander does see Maria as a sister to himself per Shadow the Hedgehog 2005). And though Rouge (as well as Omega) is presented as the closest friend to Shadow at this point, she doesn't outright state the nature of the relationship either.
Finally, later in episode 3, Shadow experiences an amv fantasy in his head of he and Maria spending time together in Earth's flowers under the stars, and tries to banish the thoughts away. It hurts him so much because such a fantasy will never be fulfilled, because when Maria was alive she dreamed of them going to the planet together. (You can check timestamps 12:05β12:28 of this video for Shadow's vision/fantasy)
During the Dark Beginnings teaser showcase, when asked the nature of Shadow and Maria's relationship, this is how Shadow and Maria's voice actors described it:
Question: How would each of you describe the relationship between the two?
Kirk Thornton (Shadow): W-Wellβ To speak inβ To speak in actor's terms, um, Maria is myβsuper objectiveβshe is my reason for everything I do. Um, so...she's just everything. And so, I was created to protect her and when I...failed that mission it...devastates meβ er, Shadow. I-I'm... Devastates Shadow.
Kirk: And, so that's why, you know he-he dedicates his life to uhhhh to protecting...Earth because of that, so she isβ she justβ Yeah. Everything to Shadow.
Kirk: Yeah. Complete driving force behind his life.
Stephanie Sheh (Maria): Okay, so, in my mind when I was thinking about it I was like "She grew up very isolated. She had, like, nobody." You know? And, um, other than Shadow, and the thing that I could relate to is that, like...during the pandemic when we were alone in our houses, I had my dog. And I'm not likeβ And check itβ This is gonna sound weird I'm gonna say comparing Shadow to my dog. But, um, my dog is also black and reddish-tan, so, um...but, um, andβ and my dog is super sweet, but he also gets a little too aggressive when he's trying to protect me. S-See? And so, like, anyways. Anyways. It-It's just the parallels. Anyways. But I do think that like, you know, and I- and like I'm the driving force. I ground him. You know, [s]he brings him back to, like, the less rabid stage.
Stephanie: You know, when he gets worked up. Um...but, yeah, that's how I kind of, like, uhβ atβ relate to that.
...
Stephanie: Yes, yes, totally. Like moral compass.
From that point forward, the host (Zeno Robinson) sort of went back and forth a bit with Stephanie, sort of playing off of her words to which she answers in turn. He describes Maria as Shadow's moral center, he goes on to explain how Shadow is this incredibly powerful being, him having the wrong moral center or with him being in the wrong hands can cause him to go out of control (and Stephanie going on to clarify that Maria helps rein Shadow in). Towards the end of this question, the host also goes onto say how he loves how in depth everyone's answers are and sort of half summarizes what Kirk and Stephanie said/half gives his own input:
"Maria gives Shadow purpose and direction and I'm sure they both were each other's only friend. Uh, their bond is integral to their characters as well as the story."
(At the end of the day, I know Zeno Robinson's opinion is no more important than any fan opinion, since he's neither a sega staff member, someone who worked on Dark Beginnings, or Takashi Iizuka/Shiro Maekawa. I just couldn't help but add his words here after Kirk and Stephanie's.)
(This q&a from the 2024 Anime Expo "A New Era of Shadow" panel can be found here at the timestamp range 26:16β29:18)
Both Kirk and Stephanie describe their relationship in vague terms (never once using the term "sibling"), but their views are clear. To Kirk (who also revealed in this very same q&a that he's only recently been given a more in depth understanding of Shadow as a character and his backstory at the timestamp range 16:39β21:30), Maria is everything to Shadow. She's a precious person, he was made to protect her, he lives for and builds his purpose around her. She is the reason for everything he does. To Stephanie, Shadow is like Maria's only companion, a loyal dog type character (who can get too aggressive sometimes when it comes to protecting Maria), while Maria is Shadow's moral compass and keeps him grounded.
Although we know Maria wasn't completely alone on the ark (there was still the other scientists and Abe after all), just from Dark Beginnings alone (much less Gerald's journal or Shadow Generations) it's clear how important her relationship with Shadow is. In Dark Beginnings, Maria is someone who grounds Shadow, and someone who influences his purpose. Shadow is someone who protects her and cares for her in turn. Shadow may not be her only choice for friendship, but he's clearly a dear one. But for Shadow (so far as we can gather as the audience) she really was his closest and only friend.
And in Gerald's journal, we even get to see Professor Gerald's perspective on their relationship.
(This is an image from the physical version of Gerald Robotnik's Journal included in launch day copies of Sonic x Shadow Generations. It can be found on page 14 of the physical book, and depicts entry #620)
"But then β¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈ looked upon the unfinished specimen and put things into a new perspective. 'A shadow tells you which way to go to find the light.' In an instant she cut through all my pessimism and doubt and filled me with hope."
β Gerald's journal, Entry #620
Here, although Shadow had not yet been completed, Maria took to calling him a name (which we can only assume is "Shadow"). Before he was even finished, sheβd treated him like a future living, thinking being, and her reason for naming Shadow this way was profound enough to inspire Gerald with hope in the project's completion.
Gerald's thoughts on Project Shadow evolve throughout what we can read of his journal. Originally, he starts the project because he can no longer ignore the president of the United Federations' request for the secret to immortality, naming it project Shadow out of spite. He finds the idea of immortality perverse and discovering it to be impossible. But this project eventually becomes his only hope for potentially curing Maria, almost like a lifeline. In desperate pursuit of Maria's cure through Project Shadow, Gerald's choices become harder and harder, challenging even his own morals. So although he may have attempted to bring the project to fruition no matter the cost, hope is still a powerful thing.
"β¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈ as she's come to call him, will not be some dark creature but a champion of life and hope. I would not have seen that if not for β¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈ She is truly a remarkable person who can do great and wondrous things for the world."
β Gerald's journal, Entry #620
Without Maria's words, Gerald never would have been able to see real hope or worth in this project beyond potentially curing his granddaughter. Without this change in perspective (thanks to Maria), perhaps Shadow would never have become the kind of hybrid hedgehog he is todayβmore than just a weapon destined for destruction.
(Although I didn't include a picture here, on pages 17β18 of the physical copy of Gerald's journal (entry #651 to be exact), Gerald notes how Maria assisted him in crafting Shadow's limiter rings (allowing him to handle and focus his power) and rocket shoes (to improve his mobility). There's also a colored image of the rocket shoes and limiter rings, which Maria signed her name and a blue heart upon. It's not terribly important to this post, I just wanted to mention it since I found it to be a cute addition, and indicative of how invested she was in making sure Shadow would be able to, well...exist in a decent manner.)
(This is an image from the physical version of Gerald Robotnik's Journal included in launch day copies of Sonic x Shadow Generations. It can be found on page 20 of the physical book, and depicts a portion of entry #670)
"But all successes of the physical and mental prowess comes second to his relationship to β¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈ I had hoped they'd get along, but it's far better than that. She is his guide to the world, and he is her stalwart companion. Never have I seen such instant, mutual friendship and trust between two beings. I am truly moved. They remind me why I've been working so hard. They bring me hope."
β Gerald's journal, Entry #670
And the way Gerald describes Shadow and Maria's relationship in his journal is highly interesting to me. He describes this pair as two people that clicked as friends instantly, came to trust each other instantly. He describes Maria as Shadow's guide/teacher and Shadow as her stalwart companion. The way he describes them implies a very strong bond and attachment to each other.
Where Gerald had only hoped they'd get along, his hopes were blown out of the water.
Compare this to the entry where Gerald talks about Maria's relationship with other people and the only other kid on the ARK.
(This is an image from the physical version of Gerald Robotnik's Journal included in launch day copies of Sonic x Shadow Generations. It can be found on page 8 of the physical book, and depicts a portion of entry #428)
"Despite everything, she remains the most positive person in the room. Most of the staff here left their families back on Earth, so I worried she'd feel lonely. Instead, she's become the adoptive daughter of every researcher on the ARK! Moreover, she's become like a big sister to little β¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈβ¬οΈ, the ARK's "happy little accident" over the past few years.
β Gerald's Journal, Entry #428
He's very quick to say that Maria is like the adoptive daughter of every researcher on the ARK, and like a big sister to the (younger) Abraham Tower.
Yet, later once Shadow is complete, he insists on calling them friends. And beyond calling them friends, he describes the level of trust the two have, describes Maria as Shadow's guide to the world and Shadow as her loyal companion. He never labels their relationship from his point of view as siblings.
And Gerald Robotnik's own journal isn't the only recent piece of media to portray Shadow and Maria's friendship.
In the last couple months, two chapters of the recent Shadow Manga ("The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog", by Imada Yuki, and published by Corocoro Comic) have been released. So far, it seems to be a (non-canon) adaptation of Shadow's backstory and Shadow Generations. It depicts Shadow the Hedgehog struggling over having failed to be a cure for Maria as well as the meaning of his existence.
(This screenshot is from Chapter 1 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)
When Shadow is despairing over the point to his existence, this version of Maria is presented as a bit more playful. In contrast to Maria in Dark Beginnings, who is often shown hugging Shadow during flashbacks/visions when he begins to feel negatively about himself, Maria from this manga attempts to draw him out of his thoughts/break the tension by playing a prank on him.
Shadow's words in the above screenshot are pretty telling too.
"You're the only one who'd play a prank on me."
β Shadow, "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog", Chapter 1 (translated by Azure Wind Productions)
Just from the start of the manga, one learns that this Shadow sees curing Maria as his initial reason for existence (a mission he'd failed). Perhaps, at first, he only contextualizes the time he spends with Maria something akin to a job, something necessary for him to do. From the beginning, after all, she is intrinsically tied to his reason for living. For Maria, though, with the casual way she acts around him (coupled with the statement that she's the only one who would treat Shadow this way), it's clear that she does treat Shadow as a close friend.
After playing her prank, Maria takes Shadow by the hand, pulling him into the room where the two can see the Earth below, and all the stars glittering above. This scene is presented very similar to Dark Beginnings, as Maria shows Shadow a natural phenomenon on Earth from their place on the ARK.
(This screenshot is from Chapter 1 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)
As in Dark Beginnings, Maria begins to faint, to which Shadow moves to catch her, concerned that she pushed herself like this. However, upon learning what it is that's bothering Shadow, Dark Beginnings!Maria and Manga!Maria handle it a bit differently.
(This screenshot is from Chapter 1 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)
It's Maria in the manga who reveals exactly what Shadow is going through, but she cups his cheeks and presses her forehead to his, making it clear that she wants him to be able to enjoy life and believe that even his existence has meaning.
"I want you to see...and someday feel...many things that are...beautiful, kind and strong. I want you to believe that there is a meaning to being born into this world."
β Maria, "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog", Chapter 1 (translated by Azure Wind Productions)
It's so very clear just how deeply manga!Maria cares for Shadow. She wants him to feel better about his own existence, to be able to experience all kinds of beautiful things in this world, to live his life further than his (failed) mission.
As for Shadow, after the screenshot above, he thinks to himself about how everything he does (dealing with Maria's antics, suppressing dangerous lab animals, etc) he does for the purpose of killing time. He doesn't do them for the sake of doing them, or even because he enjoys them. But...he does come to realize through a montage of memories of Maria smiling at him and calling his name that although he's currently killing time in this world, he's come to realize that dealing with Maria (out of all that he does on the ARK) perhaps isn't so bad.
After this, Maria pulls him along to the same room again (this time to watch the stars), when G.U.N.'s raid of the ARK suddenly begins. Shadow and Maria are separated briefly as Maria commands Shadow (who'd intended to ensure her safety first) to worry about protecting everyone else on the ARK.
Here begins an important parallel in this first chapter. At the beginning of the chapter, the audience is privy to both Shadow's relationship with the ARK's scientists and Maria. With the ARK scientists, they praise Shadow after he subdues one of their out of control lab animals, making note of his title of "Ultimate Lifeform". With Maria, we see her worry about his emotional state and express that she wants him to believe there's a meaning to his existence in this world, as well as explicitly hang out with him.
However, a shift occurs in both sets of relationships as the ARK raid occurs.
ARK Researcher: Please save me!
Shadow: I'll let you escape now, so stay put.
ARK Researcher: Help me! I'm a human just like you, aren't I?!
Shadow: ?!
ARK Researcher: Why should I be killed because of a mere lab animal?!
Shadow: Huh?
ARK Researcher: For us, this thing is worth nothing! I swear I'll never do research again!
This is an impactful moment to manga!Shadow, who seems to have learned what he truly means to the ARK's scientists. Or, in other words, Shadow learns that the ARK's scientists are so fickle as to change their tune about him (go from calling him "ultimate life form" to "lab animal") the moment their own lives are at stake. And this moment impacts him so heavily that he desperately turns to thoughts about Maria. Because, if no one else cares about him, sees him as a person, Maria would, right?
(This screenshot is from Chapter 1 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)
And so a similar scene transpires between Maria and the G.U.N. agents.
Maria: I know a lab animal? That's disgusting.
G.U.N. Agent: Don't lie to us! We know from our intel that you are often with that Shadow!
Maria: I said, I know nothing like that.
Shadow feels crushed instantly. After Maria's words, he starts to think that he really never should have been born. But then...Maria begins to talk about the one she loves.
(This screenshot is from Chapter 1 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)
Maria loves Shadow so much that she's able to look death in the eye, describe Shadow as the living, breathing, person she cares about, and proudly proclaim that she'd suffer any torture (even death) before she'd say a single terrible thing about him. As opposed to the ARK Researcher, who was willing to quickly consider Shadow as no more than an animal and hand him over for the sake of his life, Maria was ready to give hers, even just to make it clear that she'd never badmouth him (much less give him up).
No matter the nature of this bond manga!Maria shares with manga!Shadow, her actions and words speak for themselves. One cannot deny that she must care about him so so so deeply.
And in response to Maria's confession of love and devotion, as Shadow rushes in to protect her, he finally discovers the meaning of his birth.
(This screenshot is from Chapter 1 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)
All this time.
All this time.
The meaning of his existence in this world was standing right in front of him.
Maria.
Chapter 1 alone solidifies their relationship as strong, intense. To Maria, Shadow is her friend, her companion, whom she loves dearly. To Shadow, Maria is his very reason for existing in this world (even though he failed to be her cure, he still wishes to live for her in particular), someone who he's only recently come to realize just how deeply he cares for.
And chapter 2 continues to present the intensity of Shadow's feelings, as chapter 1's ending and chapter 2's beginning each portray the moment where Maria is shot by a G.U.N. soldier.
(This screenshot is from Chapter 2 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)
I think saying "this pissed Shadow off" is more than a bit of an understatement. As it so goes with the trope of "person loses a loved one/their precious person or this person gets hurt right in front of them, causing them to go apeshit", Shadow begins fighting the G.U.N. soldiers, demanding answers for Maria's shooting. He even screams that he will kill them all (them being the soldiers and black arms).
And honestly, it's highly likely Shadow may have really tried to "kill them all" if Maria hadn't spoken up at that crucial moment, indicating that she's still alive.
(This screenshot is from Chapter 2 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)
When Shadow turns away from the soldiers and black arms to move towards Maria, he begins to come down from his adrenaline high. He visibly looks more tired and dazed, though he still tries to put whatever energy he has left into focusing on Maria's safety. Likewise, Maria (who is visibly running on her last vestiges of energy), tries to put everything she has into one thing: saving Shadow.
Computer: TEN SECONDS TO EMERGENCY LAUNCH OF ESCAPE POD!
Shadow: What are you...
Maria: Never...let yourself be consumed by anger or resentment. You could easily end up all alone.
Shadow: Open this up, Maria!
Maria: So just as you did for me, give everyone on that planet a chance to live happily. That way, even when I'm gone...
Shadow: OPEN IT, MARIA!
Shadow, who was only feeling the exhaustion that came with slight relief just moments ago, is high on adrenaline and emotions once more. He bangs on the glass of the escape pod, demanding Maria open it up.
And Maria, after delivering her speech where she tells Shadow just what he wants for him and his future on Earth, gives him her last words.
(This screenshot is from Chapter 2 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)
"Hey, Shadow. Thank you so much for being born. I love you."
β Maria, "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog", Chapter 2 (translated by Azure Wind Productions)
In Maria's last moments, she makes it as clear as she possibly can (to Shadow's face this time) that she wants the best for him, and that she loves him so, so much. And this confession of love to his face is what finally causes Shadow to stop banging on the glass. There's a moment of calm as Maria smiles, Shadow's eyes go wide, and the two's hand's meet at the pane of glass which separates them.
And then, it's over.
(This screenshot is from Chapter 2 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)
Just like earlier in the chapter when Maria was shot, we see how Shadow reacts upon losing Maria.
She was shot because she put her life on the line for him. He tried to save her, but she locked him in the escape pod, which he couldn't escape from. Then, in her final moments, she lays everything out on the table. She thanks him for being born, she says that she loves him, and, finally, she ejects him from the ARK.
He does not get to witness her final breath, he gets no further chances to save her.
And so Shadow begins to go apeshit once more after losing his very reason for existence right before his eyes, screaming and taking out his frustration, anger, and all manner of intense feeling in the confines of the pod he cannot escape from.
Somehow after this, the escape pod (with Shadow inside) and the whole ARK get pulled into white space. Once Shadow (now freed from the pod) processes what happened, he zeroes in on his goal, tearing through white space to get back to Maria on the ARK.
(This screenshot is from Chapter 2 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)
During the end of chapter 2, Shadow is fueled by anger, loss, stubbornness, and desperation. When the little black arms creature promises that he can bring Maria back to life, he attaches to it like a lifeline, vowing to save Maria this time.
(These screenshots are from Chapter 2 of "The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog" by Imada Yuki, published by CoroCoro Comic, and translated by Azure Wind Productions)
In the end, the Shadow manga (so far) tells a story of a human girl and her closest friend. The girl wants so desperately to give her closest friend a good future, to make him believe that his life has meaning. Her friend, an alien hybrid and anthropomorphic hedgehog has failed at the very thing he was created to do, and does not see any meaning in his existence. However, after the human girl, whom he watches over and protects, shows him just how much she loves and cares for him, he finally realizes his own feelings, naming this very girl as the meaning of his entire existence. Tragically, he fails to save her in a critical moment. She confesses her love for him just before she saves him, and he loses her. Now, stuck in an unfamiliar place/zone, he's decided he will do anything to bring her back to life and to save her this time, to get to her.
This manga lays their entire relationship (a depiction of it at least) out on the table, showing you just how close they are to each other, how much they love each other, and all of their actions. Their hearts and feelings are both put on full display during this manga, allowing the reader to determine what it all means for them and the nature of their relationship without ever telling the reader what label to brand it with.
Not one time are they ever called "siblings" on top of any of those major character moments.
And while not quite as explicitly focused as the manga about it, Shadow Generations also presents Shadow and Maria's bond to the audience.
Beginning with "Shadow's story", the narrator describes the two thus:
"Shadow was raised alongside Gerald's ailing granddaughter, Maria. They were inseparable."
...
"Fifty years later, Shadow was awakened. Filled with anger and sadness, he was haunted by Maria's final words to him.
'Shadow, I beg of you... For all the people...on that planet...'
Shadow was bent on revenge and sought to destroy the world.
At the last moment, Shadow remembered Maria's final wish...to protect her beloved planet and all who lived there."
(This scene from Shadow Generations's "Shadow's Story" can be found here at the timestamp range 24:04β25:01)
Although "Shadow's story" itself functions better as a quick recap of events in past games rather than a true summary or explanation of those events, the narrator's words on Maria are important. As Sonic x Shadow Generations was also created with new fans in mind, hoping to prepare them for Sonic Movie 3 with basic knowledge of Shadow's character and backstory (as well as introduce them to the modern Sonic games themselves), this means that for many prospective Shadow fans (or those just becoming interested in Sonic as a series), Shadow Generations is likely to deliver them their first real impressions of characters such as Shadow, Maria Robotnik, Gerald Robotnik, etc.
This is all to say that Shadow having a strong bond and connection to Maria is integral to imparting even the most basic plot beats from his backstory. The usage of "inseparable" paired up with his memories of Maria's wishes heavily impacting his actions once again makes it clear that they have a very strong bond without the writer (Ian Flynn) jumping to label their relationship for the audience.
Though it's not necessarily integral to this post, I also would be remiss not to mention one of the opening cutscenes of Shadow Generations. Shadow Generations (which starts up about an hour after the ending of Dark Beginnings) also presents something of a flashback. During this scene (which cannot be a memory of Shadow's), we see Maria incredibly excited about the possibility of meeting the newly completed "ultimate life-form". She's so excited, in fact, that she dashes straight up to his pod at the start of the scene and excitedly asks Gerald if they can wake him up yet. (This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 25:40β26:27)
Maria's importance to Shadow is expanded upon just a bit further during a scene where Shadow begins to look out into white space. Upon spotting Maria in the distance, Shadow gasps loudly, saying her name as he begins to reach out for her. He reminds himself that she's not real, only to experience a flashback of Maria's last words to him.
"I need to stay focused. Deal with the problem at hand. Not chase...dreams."
β Shadow, Shadow Generations
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 29:16β26:27)
Coupled with the scene from Dark Beginnings Episode 3 I talked briefly about earlier (namely, Shadow experiencing visions of a fantasy of he and Maria spending time together on Earth), Shadow Generations presents a Shadow that is not only still attached to Maria, but actively considers the idea of being able to be happy with an alive Maria a "dream" (one that he must push down, lest he forget reality or become caught in nostalgia). While on one hand, Maria is intrinsically connected to his reason for protecting the Earth (or part of his purpose), on the other, the idea of her makes for an emotional distraction.
Which is also why, later in the game, Rouge attempts to remind Shadow that he's already moved on from his past. She encourages him to cherish his time with them, yes, but reminds him he's not the Shadow that Gerald and Maria knew fifty years ago. (This conversation from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 29:51β30:18)
And this also leads the audience into one of Shadow's internal conflicts during the game. Despite trying to remind himself initially that the past is the past, that there's no use in chasing dreams (namely those impossible to fulfill), he changes his tune upon meeting Gerald and Maria in white space. Though Gerald warns him against altering the timeline like Black Doom already is (or punching holes into it like the Time Eater), Shadow is determined to figure out some way he can defeat Black Doom, AND save Gerald and Maria.
Shadow: They must be from a point in time before the ARK disaster. Perhaps I can change their fate.
...
Gerald: You're still not convinced about changing your destiny, mm? Think of it this way - if you changed our past, it would rewrite your future.
...
Shadow: I'll stop Rouge! Use chaos control! Stop this moment in time and...!
(These scenes from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp ranges 36:51β37:16 and 55:36β56:22, as well as here at the timestamp range 25:21β25:50)
And on top of trying to save Maria and Gerald, in Shadow Generations, Shadow is yet depicted as focused on Maria's well-being as much as he can, in contrast to Maria, who is largely cognizant to how Shadow's feeling emotionally.
Maria: Shadow? You look grim. Are you all right?
Shadow: I'll be fine. We'll all be fine. Find somewhere safe to hide. I'll take care of everything.
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 37:00β37:16)
Maria: Shadow? Are you in pain?
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 38:41β38:49)
Shadow: He's right. No more mistakes. This time, I will crush every last one of them!
Maria: Shadow, no!
Shadow: Maria?
Maria: It breaks my heart to see you so full of anger. This isn't who you are. Do you know why I named you Shadow? Because without light there's only darkness, but a shadow will show you where to find the light. Do you understand? I don't want you to be driven by darkness. I want you to be happy. Stand in the light with peace in your heart.
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 46:43β47:33)
Maria: Shadow...!
Shadow: It's alright, Maria. I'm letting go of that destructive anger. But I will continue to fight.
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 49:45β50:12)
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp 50:12)
Maria: It's hard not to be scared of everything going on, but I've never been afraid. Not deep down. Because I know you're here, doing your best to protect us.
...
Maria: Don't look so sad, Shadow. I don't know what will happen after you win. Maybe we won't see each other for a long while. But I love you and nothing can change that.
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 28:50β29:49)
Omega: I will cover you from here when you engage Black Doom.
Omega: What? Protect prof. Gerald and Maria at all costs?
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 08:04β08:28)
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp 55:37)
As I had said much earlier in this post:
"If Shadow watches out for Maria physically/health wise, then Maria watches out for Shadow emotionally."
Beyond Dark Beginnings, we get to see this in play in Shadow Generations. We see Shadow take on the burden of protecting Maria and Gerald and getting rid of the black arms himself. We see Shadow worrying and rushing over to Maria when she falters. We see him stress the importance of keeping Maria and Gerald safe, even when he cannot be around to do it himself. And (not that Maria doesn't worry about Shadow physically as well, but...) we see Maria worrying when Shadow looks grim, or seems sad or angry. We see her express her wish for him to be happy, try to give him solace when he worries over her or her fate, and even express her own positive feelings in response to Shadow's care.
But this is not all Shadow Generations has to show the audience in regards to Shadow's bond with Maria. After all, you may be wondering, what do characters themselves have to say about it? What else does Shadow Generations show us through characters' words and actions?
I'd like to present to you more scenes from Shadow Generations that stand on their own, without the writer telling the audience what to think.
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp 36:27)
Maria: Yes, I know you're part alien. That's not important. What's important is who you are and what you do.
Maria: I was a little surprised you turned out looking like a hedgehog, though! I think the way your spines go "swoosh" is really cool!
Maria: Shadow...are you blushing!?
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 20:48β21:16)
Maria: It's been wonderful having you around on the ARK, Shadow. The staff is lovely, but I was very lonely before you joined us.
Maria: I miss my family. I miss my baby sister most of all. I do hope Grandfather finds a cure for me soon so we can all go home together!
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 21:47β22:13)
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp 45:16)
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 46:37β47:33)
Maria: Shadow... I don't want you to listen to Black Doom. You may share his DNA, but he is not your true family! Your real family loves you and wants you to be safe and happy.
Maria: That's us, Shadow. Me and Grandfather. Please remember that.
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 23:19β23:39)
Maria: So it seems like we've been apart longer than I thought. Have you made many friends?
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 25:51β26:04)
Maria: My condition...can't be treated yet.
...
Maria: It can be very scary and frustrating. But you've always been so patient and kind with me. Thank you, Shadow.
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 26:06β26:35)
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 49:45β50:50)
Maria: Shadow... I'm so proud of you! You've been through so much, but you've stayed true to yourself.
Maria: I know you can do this. Go, Shadow, go!
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 28:35β28:50)
Maria: Don't look so sad, Shadow. I don't know what will happen after you win. Maybe we won't see each other for a long while.
Maria: But I love you and nothing can change that. No matter how far apart we are, my love will always be with you. Please always remember that.
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 29:15β29:50)
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 55:25β57:26)
I had wanted to include the scene of Shadow running away, his final tear flying back and hitting Rouge's cheek as his feelings go unsaid. However, I've been taking screen recordings of the cutscene compilation I've been sourcing for this post on a mobile device. With that, sadly, video annotations would have obscured the end of the scene had I kept them in the recording, and I wanted to keep to as few different videos sourced on this post as I could.
In the end, Shadow Generations depicts a hedgehog who still has yet to discover what exactly he is going to live for (not just survive in this world). He tries to remind himself that he's completely moved on from his past, that visions/fantasies of being happy with this one person in particular are not something that life has granted to him (are just distractions). But this hedgehog becomes trapped between the past, the present, and what's to come next when this person he'd cared so deeply for is alive for a minute. He wants to protect this person, his natural instinct is to handle everything so they do not have to risk themselves. He worries so palpably for this person's well-being, often seen reaching out to them or rushing over to them when they falter or are in pain. Despite being stubborn, often sticking to his own plans no matter what, he values this person's words and opinions so dearly. Rather than use it to fuel his actions, he chooses to deal with this overwhelming anger and frustration simply because this person wants him to be happy and can't stand to see him in such a state. He also visibly blushes upon receiving compliments from this person (ironically, it's this blushing comment in particular I saw someone use on this site to spread misinfo that it was about Shadow blushing over Sonic rather than Shadow blushing over Maria). Even now, he is patient and kind with this person (something that one cannot say in regards to his attitude towards most of the Sonic cast). And although he never says "I love you", to this person, his actions speak louder than words. The protectiveness he has, the care, the patience, the willingness to listen and improve. And, above all, this is someone he is able to be more intimate with (if any of his scenes while in physical contact with this person are any indication).
Shadow Generations also depicts a human girl who has to come to terms with the fact that the hedgehog she's faced with has changed from the one she knows and cares for. Yet, she makes it just how clear that (time? space?), none of this matters to her. She loves this hedgehog no matter their dna/biology, no matter how many mistakes they make, no matter how much time has passed. In the past and present, she appreciates how patient and kind this hedgehog has always been to her. She spends plenty of time reminiscing about the past with them, harkening back to fonder memories. She is not shy about throwing her arms around this them, pointing out their blush, or taking their hands as she comforts and/or reasons with them. She's often visibly so so happy to see them, even after only being separated for a short time. This hedgehog's happiness is very important to her, so she's sensitive when they're angry or frustrated or sad. It makes her emotional to see them driven by anger and hate, so much so that she just cannot sit aside. She begs this person not to listen to someone who claims that bonds of blood and DNA determine one's future and loyalty, and has always believed that they can choose their own futureβone of light and true happiness. She praises this person for their improvements, for staying true to themselves, for just how worried they are. And although her actions, care, and worry for this person do a great deal in showing it, she is able to tell this hedgehog how she feels outright. More than once she tells them just how much she loves themβso much so that her love will always be with them and shall never change no matter the distance between them.
These two are better together than apart. Where Maria fails physically, Shadow is there to worry about her health, physical well-being, and protection. Although Shadow is very physically capable and driven to protect, he tends to neglect his emotional state or keep his feelings/thoughts inside. So where Shadow has a harder time dealing with his emotions or has an easy time getting caught up in his anger, Maria is there to physically and emotionally comfort him. She is there to keep him from succumbing to anger and hate. The two each want more than anything for the other to be alive and happy. Although Shadow had only been created to be her cure, and although Maria was not alone on the ARK, it is implied that their instant relationship of mutual friendship and trust is a profound one. Where Maria had not been alone or unhappy on the ARK, it was Shadow who eradicated the loneliness that had been growing inside her. The two were inseparable back then, and it took a lot out of Shadow to let her go once again (again, only finding the strength to let go of such impulse because she asked him). The two love each other dearly, and this is made explicit.
And yet, with all of their actions, with their discussion of wants and feelings, and everything pertaining to each other in Shadow Generations, (as I've said multiple times now) Ian Flynn never tells the audience what label to brand this relationship with. As in the Shadow Manga, Maria clearly says she loves him, they both have their feelings on full display through their actions and words, yet it is more important for the audience to come to their own conclusions (especially in the lead up to Sonic Movie 3) than it is to 100% and strictly label the nature of their relationship. They just simply love each other and are important to each other
A fact which is...also ironic, given how easily and casually Maria discusses her relationship to Abraham Tower.
Maria: Have you seen Abe? You know, little Abraham Tower? I'm worried about him. He's the only other kid on the ARK with us. Sometimes he feels like my little brother, hee-hee!
(This scene from Shadow Generations can be found here at the timestamp range 21:16β21:47)
She confesses to seeing Abe as a younger brother sometimes (something Gerald, too, had pointed out in his own journal), and yet never once calls Shadow her sibling throughout Shadow Generations, even while reminiscing.
And while Maria does, perhaps, call Shadow a part of her family (a family of her, Shadow, and Gerald), I don't know what to tell you if you believe such a thing can only refer to/be interpreted in the most strictly nuclear family way possible. Well, other than that to do so is limiting and reductive. I have never more clearly seen a case of found family than I have with these three, especially given their unorthodox relationship (a guy, his beloved granddaughter, and the guy's son/creation, who is a stalwart companion and forever friend to his granddaughter).
Shadow and Maria are inseparable, they are friends, they are family, they love each other, but despite their relationship being highly featured in this game, the fact that Sega and the writer himself do not use this chance to strictly clarify the nature of their relationship is telling.
And you might be saying: "Tumblr user hadesknockedupintheunderworld, what about that alt text from that image of Shadow and Maria that's on the English Sonic social media?"
To which I say: "What of it?"
In the face of so many recent depictions of their relationship as highly ambiguous, with there being clear romance parallels to draw from if one wanted to, what does one single piece of evidence mean against that?
One can't look at that dedication all creators around these two have to make their relationship ambiguous (while also presenting them as having a very very strong bond) and simply say that they're clearly only ever meant to be read as sibling-like. And to say that they are 100% only meant to be siblings "or you're wrong" is to go against (at least one of) the creator of these characters own stated intentions to allow people to draw conclusions and interpret as they wish. Period.
I think I've made it pretty clear that means you can interpret their relationship however you want. It doesn't even have to be either siblings or lovers! Personally, I take a qqp approach myself (where the exact nature of their relationship is confusing, and all that is clear and solidified is that the two have an intensely strong bond, want as much time together as they can, and wish to make the other happy).
But it's wrong to act like one of many possible interpretations is 100% obviously canon when the facts themselves contradict that kind of thing (just as it's wrong to harass people over something so trivial as that).
Okay, I've decided that I need to share it with more people so I'm reposting the quick analysis that I did of Tails' Character theme under this post.
The following under the cut is the original analysis
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I have actually been waiting for an excuse to break down the lyrics of Tails' theme (Sonic Adventure version here but I'd actually suggest listening to the SA2 ver here) from the Adventure titles, and so I suppose the time is now!
So what I don't think I can overstate is that Tails' desires for the future, his wishes to become stronger, his wishes to be cooler, all of these are sort of hopelessly entertwined with Sonic. He wants to be cool like Sonic. In the JP manual, his personality as it is explicitly comes about because of his desire to be like him. So even if he ultimately cannot be Sonic or even if he becomes his own type of hero, a lot of who he is as a hero/person and his goals are connected to Sonic.
I should make clear right now that I'm not saying everything about Tails revolves around Sonic. (Just like Riku kh in relation to Sora kh) I think it's very clear that Tails has interests and possibly even friends outside of him. Not every bit of him revolves around Sonic, but that doesn't mean he isn't connected to him.
Tails' love of machinery/technology or fascination in different fields of studyβnone of these were derived from Sonic. His interest in mechanics/machines/technology specifically came about before he initially became interested in Sonic. However, it's hard to ignore that he derived his personality from trying to be like Sonic, he wants to be cool like Sonic, he admires Sonic, he follows Sonic around, he wants to be a hero like him, etc etc
Okay, with that out of the way, the lyrics. These lyrics, in a way, exemplify how connected Sonic is to the way of life and the goals Tails has chosen.
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"When all alone in my chair/I just go about wishing/Wanna be strong/Really wanna be trusted aah"
When the song begins, it seems as if he's lamenting his position. He mentions that he wants to be strong and trusted (For what?), and this beginning part with the "Aah" gets across...how emotional he is about this (frustrated perhaps). Is it that because he's always with Sonic, or is it because since he's not as prominent a figure as him, people don't trust him as they do Sonic? Is it that he feels that he cannot prove himself as things are? And the comment about being strong... Is it that he generally wants to be stronger, or is it that he's afraid he's not strong enough to continue to be with Sonic?
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"When all alone in my bed/I just go about yearning/Wanna be cool/I also wanna be like him"
Now, this part fits pretty much with what we know about Tails. We know he wants to be cool, that he admires Sonic, that he wants to be like him. But there are two things I want to point out.
First, the word choice of "yearning" here is very interesting. As I said earlier, Tails' goals and ambitions, they seem to be hopelessly connected to Sonic. This leads into my second pointβthe clear separation between "I want to be cool" and "I also wanna be like him". It would be easy enough to say that Tails wants to be cool like Sonic or that he wants to be cool and wants to be like cool like him, but the "I also" separates these two points. Though we know from evidence (namely the jp manuals) that Tails wants to be cool and specifically looks to Sonic for the inspiration on how to become this way (trying to be like him), it's interesting how these lyrics specifically state that he wants to be like him the way they do. Like, yes Tails wants to be cool, but it almost suggests that he'd want to "be cool" no matter where he looked to inspiration on finally "being cool", and so "I also want to be like [Sonic]" seems to suggest that he wants to be cool in general, but he also wants to be like Sonic.
Essentially what I'm getting at is that his wanting to be cool is not necessarily because of Sonic, but he does want to be like Sonic (which may imply he wants to be cool specifically in the way Sonic is). And when you pair up Tails "yearning" about the kind of fox he wants to be, and that "yearning" centering thoughts of Sonic, well
You understand op's comment about how the song is about how Tails sits in his chair thinking about Sonic, right? Even if you disagree with "madly in love with", it's very clear just how highly Tails thinks of Sonic, how when he's all alone yearning, he thinks of Sonic while he thinks of his ideal self. Sonic is connected with his ideal self and future (in terms of how and who he wants to be), and yet he also yearns thinking of him.
And perhaps kinda gay to yearn while thinking about your best friend
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"But that's not something/I can do so easily/This is not simply my way/My own style/Gotta get ahold of my life"
Now, this portion actually presents a great deal of awareness from Tails. Sure, he wants to be cool. He yearns when he's in bed, thinking about Sonic, how he wants to be like him.
But he recognizes the futility of it. It's not so easy to simply be like Sonic, especially because Tails is neither him nor exactly like him. No matter how much he thinks or yearns, being exactly like Sonic does not fit him. Sonic's style is not his style, and (based on the "Gotta get ahold of my life") I interpret this portion as Tails coming to the unfortunate realization that just letting things be as they are now, trying to be exactly as Sonic is in all its futility, is keeping him stagnant. Ironically, he cannot grow or be a hero like Sonic as long as he simply tags along and only plays backup or simple support. He cannot grow by trying to be like Sonic in ways he can never be. He has to get ahold of his life and figure out how to move forward instead of letting things stay just as they are (and clearly, given the earlier lines, the way things are now frustrates him).
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"I wanna fly high/So I can reach the/Highest of all the heavens/Somebody will be/Waiting for me so/I've got to fly higher"
Now, this section is also highly interesting to me. Tails wants to fly high, he wants to (figuratively) reach the highest of all the heavens, he wants to be strong, he wants to be trusted. And while I think he does want this for himself partially for the sake of having these things and growing, the second half of this part might imply another reason that he wants to fly so high.
"Somebody will be waiting for me"
"Somebody"? Who is this somebody? He has to fly higher, reach the highest of the heavens, better himself, become stronger, because there's somebody already there waiting for him?
Well, given that earlier in the song the lyrics never confirm outright who "he" is, but we can safely infer that "he" is Sonic based on context clues and prior knowledge of Tails, I believe that this "somebody" is also Sonic.
While you could read it as him just saying that there are people out there waiting for him to save him, this place where somebody (singular) will be waiting for him is where the "highest of all the heavens" is. He has to fly higher to reach the highest of the heavens, and he has to fly higher because someone is waiting for him there. And so, to me, if someone is waiting for him, in the highest of all the heavens that he wishes to fly high enough to reach (a place that seems to be a metaphor for the place he wants to be, the point he wants to grow to, where he will reach a version of his best self), then that person must be Sonic. Sonic is someone he greatly admires, someone who's trusted and revered as a hero, someone who is cool. Sonic is someone he wishes to be like, easily someone who (to Tails) has already reached the highest of the heavens of his own merit.
And so, I move, that not only does Tails want to be strong and cool and become his ideal self for the sake of it, but he wants to "reach the highest of the heavens" so he can continue to be with Sonicβso he can be with Sonic as an equal, someone who ultimately is on his level as a partner, as two people who are better together, rather than someone who simply tags along or plays backup or simple support.
Ultimately, I think he wants to become his own person and ideal self for his own sake, and so he can rightfully be by Sonic's side.
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"When all alone in my sleep/I just go about dreaming/I see myself there/Having the same adventure/If I just follow you/I will never see the light/Now is the time to find my way/Through this life/Trying so hard to be strong/I've gotta keep going/Everything is a brand new challenge for me and/I will believe/believe in myself/This is the only way for me"
So when he's alone and he's dreaming, he's dreaming about the same adventure. Is it a dream of an adventure he wishes for, or is it a sign of stagnationβthat the adventure as it is is always the same?
I think "If I just follow you/I will never see the light" is a bit more clear/pointed, though. As I went over before, things will never get better or change if they stay the way they are. If he simply continues to follow Sonic, he will never "see the light" (or, perhaps, reach "all the heavens"). So he has to keep pushing, keep trying, keep bettering himself and following his own path, because he cannot grow if he is confining himself only to following Sonic and dreaming of being like him. Ironically, I think he's come to this conclusion partially because he cannot be who he wants to be or be a real asset to Sonic (or on the same level as him) simply by following him. However, by forging his own path and being his own hero, he can "see the light", reach the "highest of all the heavens", be like Sonic without being exactly like him.
I apologize for repeating myself, I just feel as if these lyrics are clear to me about what Tails wants for his life and what he wants his relationship with Sonic to look like. He recognizes what he needs to do to feel good about himself, to become his best self/achieve his goals, and how he can truly stand by Sonic's side rather than simply follow him around.
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"Many friends help me out/In return I help them/Certain things I can do/And there are things that only I can do/No one's alone/I wanna fly high/So I can reach the/Highest of all the heavens/Somebody will be/Waiting for me so/I've got to fly higher"
There are things only he can do
So I listened to this song and looked at the lyrics again just so I could type up this sort of breakdown. The very first time I listened to the song in the past, this line did not stand out to me the same way it does now.
And if you don't know why (understandable for the record), it's because the JP localization of Tails' part of the story in Frontiers specifically centers on this idea of him "doing the things only I can do". As he despairs about whether or not Sonic needs him, about how he just follows Sonic around and about how Sonic has to be there to save him, about how he can't just be like Sonic, Sonic confesses that he admires Tails for being able to do what he can't. And so, then Tails realizes that there are things only he can do. Not being able to be exactly like Sonic and do the things he can do is not a detriment, because he can pick up Sonic's slack. He can save the people only he can save. Quite literally, with their different styles and abilities, the two of them fill each other's gaps, they make up where the other falters. Working together, they can help a lot of people!
And so "there are things only I can do" is inspiring, because he doesn't need to be like Sonic to be a hero. He doesn't need to be exactly like Sonic to be his ideal self. And by working to strengthen his own skills and abilities and focusing on doing the things only he can do, he can be an asset to Sonic.
Not just an asset, but an equal in his own right!
(By the way, here is a fan translation of JP Frontiers I would highly suggest watchingβif not just to see how they localized all the scenes and story between Sonic and Tails. Where Eng has Tails center on the idea that he must separate from Sonic and go on a journey to become his own hero, JP has Sonic and Tails recognize the feats he's already accomplished, and they balance Tails' wish to continue to be at Sonic's side and be needed with the concept that all he really needs to do to ease his frustration and grow is to shift his focus. He doesn't need to leave Sonic or do more journeying outside of him. He's already done that. In JP Frontiers, he simply just needs to realize how he can be an asset and be an equal without having to be exactly like Sonic, and I personally feel that this fits Tails' arc better. But anyways, I digress)
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So, as the song comes to a close, and we leave off on Tails' wish to fly high to reach the highest of the heavens, where someone is waiting for him, what is this song about?
"Believe in Myself"
The title itself is definitely part of it. To progress to where he wants to be, to improve, he has to believe in himself. He has to believe that he can do it, even if it's hard. He has to believe that he's capable of reaching his goals.
I think this theme song is about how Tails is frustrated with the way things are now, about him recognizing that he must forge his own path if he wishes to move forward from here and become his ideal self, about how he must persevere and believe in his ability to reach his goals and live up to his ambitions, and about how he must focus on being himself and doing the things only he can do so he can stand by Sonic's side as an equal, not a follower.
So, in conclusion, I think there's a fair bit of ammo in here if you want to read this theme as gay. And while I'd personally elaborate more on op's statement, I also believe that Tails' character theme makes clear just how important Sonic is to Tails (and how much he lives in his head rent free just to yearn while thinking about him or by wanting to stand upon his pedestal with him).
Okay, I've decided that I need to share it with more people so I'm reposting the quick analysis that I did of Tails' Character theme under this post.
The following under the cut is the original analysis
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I have actually been waiting for an excuse to break down the lyrics of Tails' theme (Sonic Adventure version here but I'd actually suggest listening to the SA2 ver here) from the Adventure titles, and so I suppose the time is now!
So what I don't think I can overstate is that Tails' desires for the future, his wishes to become stronger, his wishes to be cooler, all of these are sort of hopelessly entertwined with Sonic. He wants to be cool like Sonic. In the JP manual, his personality as it is explicitly comes about because of his desire to be like him. So even if he ultimately cannot be Sonic or even if he becomes his own type of hero, a lot of who he is as a hero/person and his goals are connected to Sonic.
I should make clear right now that I'm not saying everything about Tails revolves around Sonic. (Just like Riku kh in relation to Sora kh) I think it's very clear that Tails has interests and possibly even friends outside of him. Not every bit of him revolves around Sonic, but that doesn't mean he isn't connected to him.
Tails' love of machinery/technology or fascination in different fields of studyβnone of these were derived from Sonic. His interest in mechanics/machines/technology specifically came about before he initially became interested in Sonic. However, it's hard to ignore that he derived his personality from trying to be like Sonic, he wants to be cool like Sonic, he admires Sonic, he follows Sonic around, he wants to be a hero like him, etc etc
Okay, with that out of the way, the lyrics. These lyrics, in a way, exemplify how connected Sonic is to the way of life and the goals Tails has chosen.
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"When all alone in my chair/I just go about wishing/Wanna be strong/Really wanna be trusted aah"
When the song begins, it seems as if he's lamenting his position. He mentions that he wants to be strong and trusted (For what?), and this beginning part with the "Aah" gets across...how emotional he is about this (frustrated perhaps). Is it that because he's always with Sonic, or is it because since he's not as prominent a figure as him, people don't trust him as they do Sonic? Is it that he feels that he cannot prove himself as things are? And the comment about being strong... Is it that he generally wants to be stronger, or is it that he's afraid he's not strong enough to continue to be with Sonic?
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"When all alone in my bed/I just go about yearning/Wanna be cool/I also wanna be like him"
Now, this part fits pretty much with what we know about Tails. We know he wants to be cool, that he admires Sonic, that he wants to be like him. But there are two things I want to point out.
First, the word choice of "yearning" here is very interesting. As I said earlier, Tails' goals and ambitions, they seem to be hopelessly connected to Sonic. This leads into my second pointβthe clear separation between "I want to be cool" and "I also wanna be like him". It would be easy enough to say that Tails wants to be cool like Sonic or that he wants to be cool and wants to be like cool like him, but the "I also" separates these two points. Though we know from evidence (namely the jp manuals) that Tails wants to be cool and specifically looks to Sonic for the inspiration on how to become this way (trying to be like him), it's interesting how these lyrics specifically state that he wants to be like him the way they do. Like, yes Tails wants to be cool, but it almost suggests that he'd want to "be cool" no matter where he looked to inspiration on finally "being cool", and so "I also want to be like [Sonic]" seems to suggest that he wants to be cool in general, but he also wants to be like Sonic.
Essentially what I'm getting at is that his wanting to be cool is not necessarily because of Sonic, but he does want to be like Sonic (which may imply he wants to be cool specifically in the way Sonic is). And when you pair up Tails "yearning" about the kind of fox he wants to be, and that "yearning" centering thoughts of Sonic, well
You understand op's comment about how the song is about how Tails sits in his chair thinking about Sonic, right? Even if you disagree with "madly in love with", it's very clear just how highly Tails thinks of Sonic, how when he's all alone yearning, he thinks of Sonic while he thinks of his ideal self. Sonic is connected with his ideal self and future (in terms of how and who he wants to be), and yet he also yearns thinking of him.
And perhaps kinda gay to yearn while thinking about your best friend
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"But that's not something/I can do so easily/This is not simply my way/My own style/Gotta get ahold of my life"
Now, this portion actually presents a great deal of awareness from Tails. Sure, he wants to be cool. He yearns when he's in bed, thinking about Sonic, how he wants to be like him.
But he recognizes the futility of it. It's not so easy to simply be like Sonic, especially because Tails is neither him nor exactly like him. No matter how much he thinks or yearns, being exactly like Sonic does not fit him. Sonic's style is not his style, and (based on the "Gotta get ahold of my life") I interpret this portion as Tails coming to the unfortunate realization that just letting things be as they are now, trying to be exactly as Sonic is in all its futility, is keeping him stagnant. Ironically, he cannot grow or be a hero like Sonic as long as he simply tags along and only plays backup or simple support. He cannot grow by trying to be like Sonic in ways he can never be. He has to get ahold of his life and figure out how to move forward instead of letting things stay just as they are (and clearly, given the earlier lines, the way things are now frustrates him).
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"I wanna fly high/So I can reach the/Highest of all the heavens/Somebody will be/Waiting for me so/I've got to fly higher"
Now, this section is also highly interesting to me. Tails wants to fly high, he wants to (figuratively) reach the highest of all the heavens, he wants to be strong, he wants to be trusted. And while I think he does want this for himself partially for the sake of having these things and growing, the second half of this part might imply another reason that he wants to fly so high.
"Somebody will be waiting for me"
"Somebody"? Who is this somebody? He has to fly higher, reach the highest of the heavens, better himself, become stronger, because there's somebody already there waiting for him?
Well, given that earlier in the song the lyrics never confirm outright who "he" is, but we can safely infer that "he" is Sonic based on context clues and prior knowledge of Tails, I believe that this "somebody" is also Sonic.
While you could read it as him just saying that there are people out there waiting for him to save him, this place where somebody (singular) will be waiting for him is where the "highest of all the heavens" is. He has to fly higher to reach the highest of the heavens, and he has to fly higher because someone is waiting for him there. And so, to me, if someone is waiting for him, in the highest of all the heavens that he wishes to fly high enough to reach (a place that seems to be a metaphor for the place he wants to be, the point he wants to grow to, where he will reach a version of his best self), then that person must be Sonic. Sonic is someone he greatly admires, someone who's trusted and revered as a hero, someone who is cool. Sonic is someone he wishes to be like, easily someone who (to Tails) has already reached the highest of the heavens of his own merit.
And so, I move, that not only does Tails want to be strong and cool and become his ideal self for the sake of it, but he wants to "reach the highest of the heavens" so he can continue to be with Sonicβso he can be with Sonic as an equal, someone who ultimately is on his level as a partner, as two people who are better together, rather than someone who simply tags along or plays backup or simple support.
Ultimately, I think he wants to become his own person and ideal self for his own sake, and so he can rightfully be by Sonic's side.
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"When all alone in my sleep/I just go about dreaming/I see myself there/Having the same adventure/If I just follow you/I will never see the light/Now is the time to find my way/Through this life/Trying so hard to be strong/I've gotta keep going/Everything is a brand new challenge for me and/I will believe/believe in myself/This is the only way for me"
So when he's alone and he's dreaming, he's dreaming about the same adventure. Is it a dream of an adventure he wishes for, or is it a sign of stagnationβthat the adventure as it is is always the same?
I think "If I just follow you/I will never see the light" is a bit more clear/pointed, though. As I went over before, things will never get better or change if they stay the way they are. If he simply continues to follow Sonic, he will never "see the light" (or, perhaps, reach "all the heavens"). So he has to keep pushing, keep trying, keep bettering himself and following his own path, because he cannot grow if he is confining himself only to following Sonic and dreaming of being like him. Ironically, I think he's come to this conclusion partially because he cannot be who he wants to be or be a real asset to Sonic (or on the same level as him) simply by following him. However, by forging his own path and being his own hero, he can "see the light", reach the "highest of all the heavens", be like Sonic without being exactly like him.
I apologize for repeating myself, I just feel as if these lyrics are clear to me about what Tails wants for his life and what he wants his relationship with Sonic to look like. He recognizes what he needs to do to feel good about himself, to become his best self/achieve his goals, and how he can truly stand by Sonic's side rather than simply follow him around.
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"Many friends help me out/In return I help them/Certain things I can do/And there are things that only I can do/No one's alone/I wanna fly high/So I can reach the/Highest of all the heavens/Somebody will be/Waiting for me so/I've got to fly higher"
There are things only he can do
So I listened to this song and looked at the lyrics again just so I could type up this sort of breakdown. The very first time I listened to the song in the past, this line did not stand out to me the same way it does now.
And if you don't know why (understandable for the record), it's because the JP localization of Tails' part of the story in Frontiers specifically centers on this idea of him "doing the things only I can do". As he despairs about whether or not Sonic needs him, about how he just follows Sonic around and about how Sonic has to be there to save him, about how he can't just be like Sonic, Sonic confesses that he admires Tails for being able to do what he can't. And so, then Tails realizes that there are things only he can do. Not being able to be exactly like Sonic and do the things he can do is not a detriment, because he can pick up Sonic's slack. He can save the people only he can save. Quite literally, with their different styles and abilities, the two of them fill each other's gaps, they make up where the other falters. Working together, they can help a lot of people!
And so "there are things only I can do" is inspiring, because he doesn't need to be like Sonic to be a hero. He doesn't need to be exactly like Sonic to be his ideal self. And by working to strengthen his own skills and abilities and focusing on doing the things only he can do, he can be an asset to Sonic.
Not just an asset, but an equal in his own right!
(By the way, here is a fan translation of JP Frontiers I would highly suggest watchingβif not just to see how they localized all the scenes and story between Sonic and Tails. Where Eng has Tails center on the idea that he must separate from Sonic and go on a journey to become his own hero, JP has Sonic and Tails recognize the feats he's already accomplished, and they balance Tails' wish to continue to be at Sonic's side and be needed with the concept that all he really needs to do to ease his frustration and grow is to shift his focus. He doesn't need to leave Sonic or do more journeying outside of him. He's already done that. In JP Frontiers, he simply just needs to realize how he can be an asset and be an equal without having to be exactly like Sonic, and I personally feel that this fits Tails' arc better. But anyways, I digress)
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So, as the song comes to a close, and we leave off on Tails' wish to fly high to reach the highest of the heavens, where someone is waiting for him, what is this song about?
"Believe in Myself"
The title itself is definitely part of it. To progress to where he wants to be, to improve, he has to believe in himself. He has to believe that he can do it, even if it's hard. He has to believe that he's capable of reaching his goals.
I think this theme song is about how Tails is frustrated with the way things are now, about him recognizing that he must forge his own path if he wishes to move forward from here and become his ideal self, about how he must persevere and believe in his ability to reach his goals and live up to his ambitions, and about how he must focus on being himself and doing the things only he can do so he can stand by Sonic's side as an equal, not a follower.
So, in conclusion, I think there's a fair bit of ammo in here if you want to read this theme as gay. And while I'd personally elaborate more on op's statement, I also believe that Tails' character theme makes clear just how important Sonic is to Tails (and how much he lives in his head rent free just to yearn while thinking about him or by wanting to stand upon his pedestal with him).
Hi! I love your art it's amazing can you draw more of your bullying cuphead AU it's fine if you can't sorry if I'm bothering ya by asking π
Thank you hahahahaha, my English is not good, thank you for loving my art, about this AU, I will add completely later, including Mugman ~Please waitπ€
was thinking about how itβd go if cup meet the demon mug and vice versaβ¦. cupβd be able to defend himself when push came to shove but poor mug could never shoot his brother, demon or not
