Shadow the Hedgehog Statue Review

It’s been a long wait, but finally, finally, I’ve managed to get my hands on a First 4 Figures Shadow the Hedgehog statue! This chaos-filled antihero has been my all-time favourite Sega character since Sonic Adventure 2. What’s that? Sonic the Hedgehog? That faker can go take a hike! In the words of a wise and wonderful band named Crush 40

 

…Bow your heads low, all hail Shadow!

 

Shadow the Hedgehog Statue Review

 

 

 

Shadow the hedgehog is a black and red hedgehog, and the result of an experiment conducted over 50 years ago to create the ultimate life form. He is Sonic’s spitting image, and can match him in any capacity, including his speed thanks to his special jet-equipped boots. Shadow also inherently has special control over chaos energy, which he can use to manipulate time with Chaos Control, or obliterate enemies with several devastating attacks including Chaos Spear and the deadly Chaos Blast. Shadow answers to no one, instead only doing what he deems as being in his best interests.

 

Sculpt and Colour

 

Standing at 15 and a half inches tall and carrying a hefty weight to balance his dynamic pose, this First 4 Figures creation is truly a statue, not your standard PVC figure. The artist is Khurram Alavi, the sculptor of other Modern Sonic collectables such as Tails, Sonic and Knuckles, as well as figures from the First 4 Figures Sonic Diorama collection. First 4 Figures is a UK company that makes ‘hi-end Collectible Figures from licenses such as the Legend of Zelda, Metroid and Sonic the Hedgehog’. They also make some incredible Kirby, Mega Man and Worms figures.

 

As per usual with my reviews, let’s take a closer look at the item, starting from the top! I’m very happy to report that the expression on this statue is perfect. No one can deny that that frown, full of gritted teeth and disgruntled rage, is Shadow’s trademark scowl, the same scowl he saves especially for Sonic in the midst of a close race. The determined, blood-red eyes that stare off towards the finish line also speaks true of Shadow’s brooding personality. Narrowed to a deadly focus, Shadow’s brows are knitted with subtle moulding to bring out the ferocity of his gaze. His badass Mickey Mouse nose (words I never thought I would type) sits on an accurately dark muzzle which falls in line with two precisely shaped triangular ears.

 

Shadow the Hedgehog Statue Review

 

Shadow can’t be a Sega hedgehog without his Saiyan-esque (let the Super Saiyan vs. Super Sonic argument begin) spikes. A red stripe stretches down the centre of all six head spikes, their shape wide at the base and then lifting at the top like dangerous black flames. The comparison certainly goes well with Shadow’s fiery expression. The stripes are perfectly aligned with the shape of each spike, and the paint is full and unblemished. This same level of quality is brought to Shadow’s arms and legs, where shorter stripes peak from his gloves and shoes.

 

 

Two more black spikes stand from Shadow’s back. Looking a lot less like fire but having the same lethal connotations, these spikes resemble the primary dorsal fin of a shark, a convincing symbol of intimidation and impending doom most suitable for a hedgehog that once wanted to destroy Earth. In the centre of Shadow’s body is a tuff of white fur. The area has been sculpted well enough to make the fur look layered and textured. The colour matches the white of Shadow’s eyes, shoes and Mickey Mouse gloves, correctly tying in with the statue’s colour scheme.

 

 

Four gold rings hug Shadow’s wrists and ankles. These ‘Inhibitor Rings’ are used by Shadow to keep the chaos energy he stores in his body to a more controllable level. When removing them he receives an increase in power, but risks overexerting himself. Originally the statue was sketched with the rings being a florescent yellow. After sharing the early drawings online and listening to fans comments, First 4 Figures decided to change the colour to a much more accurate gold.

 

Shadow the Hedgehog Statue Review

 

Standard and Exclusive

 

This review is of the Standard version of Shadow the Hedgehog. This means that the flames erupting from Shadow’s jet-powered boots are a solid orange colour. The flames shoot downwards into the statue’s base, providing a solid structure for Shadow to balance from as he skates down the infamous Radical Highway. Not even the bottom of Shadow’s boots escape detail, with a small yellow jet engine visible for whoever cares to look closely enough. The base is very heavy, with the stylised pavement both looking and feeling like actual concreate. Bold white arrows have been designed all along the base, helping to make Shadow’s skating stance and the overall theme of speed much more convincing and lively.

 

 

 

The Exclusive edition comes with the same statue design but with one small added extra. Instead of the flames from Shadow’s skates being a solid orange, the Exclusive Edition has the flames light up, flickering in an alternating pattern before slowly fading away after being switched off. The flames are thus much more clear and see-through when not in use.

 

Packaging and Box Art

 

As you can imagine, a large statue needs an even larger box! The front of the box has a full-sized picture of the statue with some additional creative effects. Sparks fly from Shadow’s jet-powered boots, and in the background we see an explosion of blue and purple energy. It’s as though Shadow is escaping from one of Dr. Robotnik labs, or running from a G.U.N super machine that’s about to fire! The back contains a write-up of Shadow’s character from the Sonic the Hedgehog series, as well as a close-up of the figure and two additional snapshots. Rather importantly, the product number of that particular statue will be displayed below the snapshots. Only 1500 statues were made of the Standard Edition worldwide, whilst only 600 statues were made of the Exclusive Edition.

 

The left side of the box shows two pictures of the statue from a side and back angle, and the right side of the box shows another enlarged picture of Shadow but with motion blur. The First 4 Figures, Sega and Sonic the Hedgehog logos are present on each side the box, with the familiar yellow and brown chequer pattern from classic Sonic games displayed on each vertical edge.

 

 

 

I am Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Lifeform!

 

I couldn’t be more pleased with this statue. It honestly looks like a miniature Shadow has escaped from my game console and is now glaring at me from inside my home. It’s very easy to assemble, with only the body and hands needing to be pushed into place. It’s beautiful with no visible paint flaws, extremely accurate and highly detailed. Any Sega fan would be happy to have this in their collection.

 

If you do want to buy a Shadow statue as that special statement piece for your figure collection, I have to warn you that both Exclusive and Standard Editions are sold out on the First 4 Figures website, and they won’t be making any more to refill their stock. There are still some floating around with secondary sellers, but be careful not to pay an overinflated price tag for something that is already quite expensive. I was lucky to get a very fair price for my Shadow statue from Payton Collectibles. It’s a small but friendly online store that sells First 4 Figures items and a large selection of Marvel, DC Comics, Star Wars and gaming figures. I would definitely give them a try if you’re looking for that specific, hard to find figure!

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