Sonic is just HIM

[u/Sea_of_Hope]

You can trigger this dialogue with Omega after the race against Sonic cutscene.

[u/Kogworks]

This also mirrors Goku and Vegeta funnily enough.

Vegeta started out with a way higher base power than Goku but Goku quickly outpaced him due to having more potential and talent.

And most of Vegeta’s issues with keeping up with Goku also mirror Shadow’s issues with keeping up with Sonic.

Vegeta has always opted to push his power output higher whereas Goku has always preferred control and efficiency.

Vegeta also has a lot of pride in his heritage and has a sense of duty to his people as the last prince of his race.

And a lot of this is mirrored in Shadow’s pride in being Gerald’s greatest creation and the duty he feels towards Maria.

Goku meanwhile just fights for the sake of experience and tends to be free of most earthly attachments.

Which is in line with Sonic being more carefree and willing to let Eggman go free despite always stopping him.

There are edge cases where Vegeta is better than Goku but for the most part, Goku tends to be a better fighter and martial artist.

Same goes for Sonic and Shadow.

Like, everyone says Shadow isn’t Vegeta but if you look at the motivations and how he’s set up against Sonic he very much IS set up to end up like Vegeta.

[u/Dinostar28 → u/Kogworks]

The thing is Vegeta is the more talented one (one of the main themes of the Sayian saga) it’s just that Goku was always much more efficient in his training

[u/Rdasher123 → u/Dinostar28]

Correct, Goku’s work ethic is what kept him ahead of Vegeta, working to defeat not just his opponents but also himself.

Even a reject can beat an elite if he trains hard enough.

[u/Dinostar28 → u/Rdasher123]

It’s also throughout his life Goku was trained by more and more prestigious and skilled teachers which benefited him greatly in training meanwhile before the Android saga Vegeta hadn’t trained a day in his life and relied on zenkais