Many people are confused about Shadow, like his game. It's confused many people so I'm here to explain. Just so you know it was very confusing for me too, it took me 2-3 freaking years to figure it out mostly because I was just a little kid.
Shadow's history
Shadow is the ultimate life, created por Professor Gerald Robotnik. His first appearance in the games was SA2. (Sonic Adventure 2) But sadly he "died" to keep a promise to Maria Robotnik.
Shadow reappeared in Sonic Heroes, but the game hinted that he was a "android". Now let's think logical here. He is the ultimate life form, that was in SUPER form! I've Sonic take a bigger fall then Shadow and he still lived. So that makes no sense that he would die that easily, at the end it also looks like the o espaço Colony Ark teleported, not explode, and if I recall Shadow can teleport. I'm pretty sure that teleporting wouldn't kill him.


Android or Original?
Shadow is not an android and here's some proof. If you were Eggman and had created the Shadow androids why the hell would YOU put one android in one room guarded por another robot? (Omega) All the other androids are exactly the same why put one in a room por itself that isn't special at all? Unless it was the original... Even Rouge had said in Sonic heroes that the room she was breaking into was Eggman Secret Treasure! Now another thing Shadow is way mais stronger than the other androids.


Shadow's game
I don't know why SEGA made this game mais complicated than any other games, but they did.
Shadow's game has many endings, but only one is the true ending. The true ending is where Sonic and his friends show up trying to stop Shadow from giving the chaos emeralds to Black Doom. Black Doom ends up taking them from Shadow por force, Gerald message reveals that Shadow was created to save the world from Black Doom. Shadow ends up saving the world an let's go of his past. At the very end he let's go of a picture with Maria and the professor. (And note he is the original.) Black Doom also happens to be his mother fucking Father!!!!


The ending Shadow's forgets about Maria and Gerald?
He doesn't forget them, he moves on, which means he won't be depressed about them and stuff. I wish SEGA wouldn't make him seem like he didn't like them or almost throw them away like trash.

Sum it up time
Shadow is the original life form, and did survive the o espaço colony ark fall, saved the earth, found his purpose which was to defeat Black Doom. That's Shadow The Hedgehog for you!


A little note
Shadow is not emo, if you don't like him with guns, blame some fãs who emailed SEGA to make him have weapons... That's right it wasn't all SEGA's fault!!!!!
This for all the people on fanpop who amor Shadow The hedgehog! And are confused!