Shadow the Hedgehog is set to appear in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and many are wondering how powerful Shadow is compared to Sonic and Knuckles. Although Shadow has only had a few seconds of screentime in the Sonic movies so far, it is likely that he will be the main villain of Sonic 3, with his powerful abilities making him a massive threat to the titular blue blur. By looking at Shadow's history in the games, comics, and other Sonic-related media, it can be guessed how powerful Shadow will be in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
Shadow is one of the Sonic franchise's most iconic characters, with the edgy antihero being a series staple since his first appearance in Sonic Adventure 2. Shadow is the product of Project Shadow, an experiment put on by Gerald Robotnik in an attempt to discover immortality. Although the militant GUN organization shut down Project Shadow 50 years before the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, as the film's post-credits scene shows, Shadow has finally awakened.
Throughout the games, Shadow has faced off with Sonic plenty of times. Although he is nicknamed The Ultimate Lifeform, when compared to Sonic and Knuckles on a base level, he isn't all that different. The main leg up Shadow has on Sonic is his strength. While he is equal to Sonic in combat ability, Shadow's brute force makes him a foe to be reckoned with. Shadow has singlehandedly defeated the creations of Eggman and even supernatural deities like Black Doom. While Knuckles may be able to out-punch Shadow, Shadow's agility and smarts usually allow him to swiftly defeat the echidna. As a product of his creation, Shadow possesses the power of immortality, another ability he has over Sonic and Knuckles. In battles, Shadow will likely always defeat Sonic and Knuckles when it comes to a head-to-head matchup of brains or brawn.
When it comes to speed, however, Shadow is slightly outclassed. Sonic is the fastest thing alive, reaching hypersonic speeds without breaking a sweat. While Shadow is still faster than Knuckles and Tails, his speed isn't due to his powers, but due to his Air Shoes. With the Air Shoes on, Shadow can run up buildings and across ceilings, outrun bullets, and attack so fast that the eye can't even perceive it. Although Shadow isn't as fast as Sonic, he isn't too far behind. Without his shoes, however, he's not nearly as fast.
The aforementioned power levels of Shadow have all been him at his basic form. Due to his natural ability to harness chaos energy, though, Shadow can far exceed his usual abilities. Unlike most other characters, Shadow can harness the power from Chaos Emeralds without actually touching them. Not only does this increase his strength, durability, and speed, but it also lets him use Chaos Control. Chaos Control is incredibly powerful, allowing Shadow to warp and freeze time, teleport, heal, create explosions, and even control space itself. By tapping into Shadow's chaos energy, the hedgehog becomes nearly unstoppable, something that will likely be seen in Sonic 3.
Shadow the Hedgehog can either be on par with Sonic and Knuckles or can be one of the most powerful entities in existence. As long as he isn't close enough to the Chaos Emeralds to harness their energy, Sonic and Knuckles combined should be able to take down The Ultimate Lifeform. However, as Sonic 2's ending sets up, it is very likely that Shadow the Hedgehog's full potential will be shown in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.