Shadow (Final Fantasy VI)

is a fictional character in the 1994 role-playing video game ''Final Fantasy VI'' developed and published by Square, alternatively known as ''Final Fantasy III'' from its initial North American release. Shadow is a mysterious assassin and cynical mercenary who joins the player's party along his faithful canine companion, at various points in the game's narrative. Choices made by the player throughout the narrative of ''Final Fantasy VI'' determine whether Shadow survives a cataclysmic event which occurs midway through the game's story, and whether his original identity as a train robber known as as well as details of his history with other major characters is revealed to the player.

Both Shadow and his dog were very well received by players and video game publications. Shadow's character arc, which culminates in his heroic self-sacrifice with an outcome that diverges based on the player's choices, has been lauded by some critics as one of the most memorable moments in the history of the ''Final Fantasy'' series.

Development

Although Shadow's artwork is supplied by Yoshitaka Amano, his background and story scenarios were mostly designed by Tetsuya Nomura. The character's concept was based on an unused idea Nomura had for ''Final Fantasy V'', which precedes ''Final Fantasy VI''. He had multiple character classes or "jobs" in mind, such as a ninja with a dog and a gambler who fought with dice and cards, which were not implemented for the game. Once work had commenced on ''VI'', Nomura developed Shadow and another party member, Setzer Gabbiani, around these character archetypes. Nomura wrote all of his notes by hand and utilized plenty of drawings for reference.

Gameplay-wise, Shadow avoids engaging in close combat, instead opting to throw ninja weapons at distance. His special ability "Throw" enables him to throw unequipped weapons that may inflict extremely heavy damage on an enemy. Being a Ninja class character, Shadow has high speed and strength but low defense and average magic statistics. His weapons are various daggers and he can also use specialized throwing weapons to attack multiple enemies. If an enemy hits him with a physical attack, there is a chance that his dog Interceptor will block it, absorbing all or most damage. Interceptor's counterattacks ("Wild Fang" and "Takedown") can inflict powerful non-elemental damage on non-floating enemies. Shadow's "Throw" ability also ties into his character arc, as he had effectively thrown away his loved ones; his withdrawn personality evokes an antihero like the Man with No Name, echoed in the original Japanese script for ''Final Fantasy VI'', where he informs the other characters that he threw away his name.

Shadow's musical identity, like other characters in ''Final Fantasy VI'', is bound up with his narrative journey and alludes to his presentation as a secretive assassin-for-hire. In keeping with the game's approach towards using leitmotifs that contribute towards the depiction of the character in question and to accompany dramatic events which involve them, "Shadow's Theme" (シャドウのテーマ Shadō no Tēma) signifies his narrative purpose; it is a direct homage to Italian composer Ennio Morricone's music for the Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western films starring Clint Eastwood. The game's composer Nobuo Uematsu mashed up elements from the theme songs of the "''Dollars Trilogy''" movies, ''A Fistful of Dollars'' (1964), ''For a Few Dollars More'' (1965), and ''The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'' (1966), to create a reference that captures Shadow's laconic character. Through his exploitation of a loop of cultural references, as ''A Fistful of Dollars'' was an unauthorized adaptation of Akira Kurosawa's ''Yojimbo'' which was itself inspired by American Western cinema, Uematsu repurposed musical cues from the aforementioned film's cowboy music for Shadow's theme to convey the notion that the character is an enigmatic and distant mercenary, who is nevertheless capable of heroic deeds.

Although it is possible to complete ''Final Fantasy VI'' without learning any details about Shadow's past, players may uncover information such as hints about a possible familial connection between him and the young girl Relm, provided specific decisions are made and certain conditions are met. The developers later confirmed in a 1995 interview that Shadow is in fact Relm's father.Chad Concelmo
The Memory Card .90: In her father's Shadow
Destructoid, 05.12.2011. At one point, the developers had considered implementing a cutscene in a bar where Relm's surrogate grandfather Strago Magus asks Shadow to reveal his identity.

Appearances

''Final Fantasy VI''

During the first half of the game, Shadow operates only on a freelance basis, at times available to the player for a fee and at times appearing in the employ of the Gestahlian Empire. In two instances within the World of Balance, Shadow is forced into the player's party Crescent Island and the Floating Continent. Shadow's fate is determined entirely by player action on the latter area, and the player will be prompted if they want to jump or wait for Shadow: should the player jump from the World of Balance attempting to escape the Continent's destruction sooner than 00:05 on the clock, Shadow is presumed to have perished during the collapse of the world. However, if the player waits until 00:05 on the clock, Shadow will accompany the party, jump aboard the Blackjack and be available for permanent recruitment in the World of Ruin.

In the second half of the game, Shadow is found injured within the Cave on the Veldt and is returned to Strago's home in Thamasa to heal. Later on, he may be acquired by betting an item he seeks at the Dragon's Neck Coliseum and winning the ensuing match. Whenever Shadow is placed in the party, his backstory is revealed through dreams and nightmare sequences by using a Tent or resting at an Inn. Shadow's actual name is Clyde and he once lived a life of crime with his partner, Baram ("Billy" in the Japanese version). The pair are infamous in the pre-war period before the game begins as a duo of train robbers known as the Shadow Bandits, but Baram eventually suffers mortal wounds during a failed railway heist. Baram tasks Clyde to finish him off, but Clyde instead panics, fleeing his friend. An indeterminate span of time passes, seeing Clyde collapse from exhaustion upon reaching Thamasa, found by a young woman and her dog. It is heavily implied that Clyde fathers Relm with this woman, eventually departing Thamasa under the guise of Shadow to escape his guilt over abandoning Baram.

At the game's conclusion, Shadow remains within the crumbling ruin of Kefka's tower, quietly separating from the party and encouraging Interceptor to flee with the others. His final words are directed to Baram: "It looks like I can finally stop running... Come and find me all right?" (Japanese version: "I don't need to flee anymore. Embrace me warmly"). Interceptor is later seen with Relm in Strago's section of the ending. In '' Final Fantasy VI Advance'' it is implied that Shadow remained behind in Kefka's tower as it collapsed, allowing himself to die.

Other appearances

Shadow is featured in the 1995 Nintendo 64 technical demo ''Final Fantasy VI: The Interactive CG Game''. He makes a cameo appearance alongside Interceptor in the 2008 fighting game ''Dissidia Final Fantasy'' as a tutor from the in-game manuals. He is an ally and a summonable "Legend" assist character in the 2008 social role-playing mobile game '' Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade''. He also makes minor appearances in the role-playing mobile games ''