20 Video Game Villains That SHOULDN'T Have Died

The thing about an emotional character death is that it really needs to be final in order to stick with any real impact.

And while Shadow the Hedgehog's sacrificial demise at the end of Sonic Adventure 2 hit fans like a damn truck, its meaning was rather undermined by his revival in Sonic Heroes at the hands of Dr. Eggman.

Now, you're not going to find many Sonic fans who wish that Shadow simply stayed dead, because he's a brilliant character who has become one of the series' most beloved over the past 25 years.

But there's a solid argument to be made that he probably should've never perished in the first place, because on repeat playthroughs of Sonic Adventure 2 it rings so damn hollow knowing that it'll all soon enough be unpicked.

Shadow has an unexpectedly brilliant arc throughout Sonic Adventure 2, but the fact that he was resurrected so swiftly by Sega is clear proof that they knew they goofed by killing him.