My Character Flaw Is Bringing My Childhood Toy To Sonic Events

Thursday, April 24th 2025

So, as a kid, my parent bought me a Shadow the Hedgehog plush at our local movie rental store. It's one of those charmingly wonky, bug-eyed Toy Network prize plushes. I had a few different characters, and I cherished them because you just didn't really have video game toys in the early 2000s, unless it was Pokémon. Pokémania was big. Shadow went through the wringer, because he was my favorite.

Come 2020, I go through storage at my parent's house to help them declutter and what do I find, but all my old toys waiting for me in a bin? I bring home the Sonics (and the Pokémon, and the Donkey Kong, and...). I figure I like displaying stuff at my house, and these guys are a great bit of history to look at.

When the first Sonic Movie was set to release, I thought: Wouldn't it be funny to bring a plush to the screening? After all, seeing The Blue Blur on the big screen would've made kid me scream in joy. I allow myself to be cringe and take Lil' Shadow out to see the movie with friends.

The pandemic rolls around, everything gets shut down, and life sucks for a couple years. Shadow goes on the shelf with all his vintage video game plush friends. But then, the second movie comes out. We're all vaccinated and movie theaters are open with seat restrictions. Surely no one would mind if we... Brought Lil' Shadow out again to hang out with his Sonic-watching buddies?

By the time 2024 rolls around, Lil' Shadow just kind of became our dumb little Sonic Event mascot. Big life-defining Sonic Symphony Concert? Yeah, Shadow has tickets.

Of course, he wouldn't miss out the third movie, especially when it features him as a star!

At this point, it's just tradition. We getting a Shadow tattoo? Fuck it, Shadow has to come too.

(The Tattoo was fire. Thanks Rhea!)

Sonic Flash Day at the tattoo shop a couple months later? Yep, everyone has to contend with the front-facing anime face Shadow Plush.

Needless to say, Lil' Shadow is eagerly awaiting the next movie, or concert, or whatever fan event someone's cooking up in their basement. Whatever is Sonic-related in a reachable distance... He will come.

Okay, and maybe I had too much fun and it got out of hand.