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“ So… the shadow was hiding in a shadow, and then the Shadow came out of the shadow to stand with it in the shadows. This is starting to get out of hand. I really need to come up with better terminology! ” ― Sunny about his Shadow,
Chapter 108 Test Dummy
Shadows were different from Echoes. They were mercurial by nature, always changing their forms and shapes depending on the environment. And so, a Shadow was capable of change to some extent, it was capable of growth.[1]
Shadow creation was a part of Sunny's Aspect.[2]
Note: Shadow* - an echo transformed by Sunny or Shadow received from his Aspect Legacy or received a Shadow from killing other unique shadows. To not be confused with Sunny's invaluable shadow helper.
Characteristics
The Dependent Shadows of Sunny are dependent on him for their existence, drawing power from his soul, returning to it to recover and heal from injuries, and, in some cases, relying on him for sustenance.[3]
- It is unique to Sunny due to the special nature of his aspect. They are an advanced form of Echo modified by Sunny's Aspect to be able to grow and be more alive. They grow via consuming Memories.[4]
- Shadows possessed a semblance of consciousness and a distinct personality.[5]
- Unlike Sunny, who cannot get partial shadow fragments, his Shadows can increase their shadow fragment count by half a point.[6] Note: Soul Serpent is a special case due to it being tied to Sunny's Aspect Legacy
- To turn an Echo into a Shadow, Sunny had to possess the corresponding shadow in his Soul Sea to transform an Echo.[7]
- If a Shadow sustained serious damage, it would enter a slumber once dismissed. That slumber would last until the damage was sufficiently repaired, which meant that Sunny would not be able to summon the sleeping Shadow for some time.[8]
Echo to Shadow Conversion
From Sunny's Soul Sea, two beams of dark light descended from one of the Shadow Cores. One fell on the Echo, the other on a motionless shadow that stood with the rest of them on the still surface of the calm waters. The shadow seemed to dissolve into the dark light, and then, the Echo became wreathed in black flames that seeped into its flesh, changing it on a fundamental level. The boundless spellweave that was hidden within the Echo disappeared, replaced by darkness. A living shadow was now dwelling within the former echo.[9][10][11]
Connection to Sunny
Sunny speculated that he would only ever be able to control seven Shadows, at most. It is due to the relationship of his Shadows to his Class. Even though Soul Serpent was currently away, each of the Shadows occupied one of his cores.[12]
A Shadow without a Shadow Core to inhabit remained bound to him; however, they could not be dismissed or healed by the dark flames of his soul.[13]
Nurturing the Shadows
After losing the guidance of the Spell, Sunny had to discover new ways to nurture his Shadows. He learned that creating Shadows was a part of his Aspect but feeding them Memories was a helpful tool provided by the Spell. However, it was unreasonable for Shadow Creatures to depend on Memories for growth, as they were born from the Spell. The same was true for Echoes, who were also born from the Spell.[2]
To accomplish both, Sunny had to discover a new way to create Shadows without an Echo. He had succeeded partially although he still had no idea how to create a Shadow without an Echo, he had discovered ways to empower most of his Shadows.[2]
Show/Hide Shadows
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Shadow Saint | Saint, who previously grew in rank by consuming Memories with the Spell, was unable to be nurtured leaving her as a Transcendent Devil, as he had no way to strengthen her.[2] She evolved after she fought with Mordret's vessel, Castellan, in the Palace of Imagination.[14][15] She had unknowingly absorbed the Others' dissolving corpses into herself as eerie mist, unleashing a vortex of Nothing.[16] After Saint evolved to Supreme, the counter of shadow fragments that once appeared in her runes disappeared completely, without being replaced. This meant she could no longer use the usual method of gathering shadow fragments to advance and could not become Sacred (refer to Apotheosis) through the same means.[17] See also: Shadow Saint's Runes |
| Soul Serpent | Serpent had always been unique. Its Rank depended on how well Sunny had mastered Shadow Dance while its Class was equal to that of its master. Although Sunny couldn't receive Aspect Legacy Relics, he could advance in his mastery, leading to Serpent becoming Supreme. Granted, he hesitated to dive deeper into Shadow Dance, due to losing his True Name.[2] See also: Soul Serpent's Runes |
| Nightmare | Nightmare had to feed on powerful creatures' dreams, subjugating them and consuming them to reach a higher rank, despite the slow and dangerous process.[2] See also: Nightmare's Runes |
| Fiend | Fiend only needs to eat powerful creatures or mystical materials to grow. He had been feasting on Nightmare Creatures for years and recently advanced to the Supreme Rank after consuming a Great Demon. His attributes and abilities had grown stronger, but no new ones were yet gained.[2] See also: Fiend's Runes |
| Marvelous Mimic | The Marvelous Mimic could produce soul coins by devouring living beings. These coins could be used to strengthen one's soul, but if fed back, they would strengthen it instead. Sunny doesn't need the Mimic to rise in rank, as its most important traits depend on the potency of its master's soul, not the Shadow's own.[2] |
| Shadow Slayer |
After learning the name of the woman whose shadow she had once been, showed a subtle but meaningful reaction: her gaze turned distant for a short while before returning to its usual feral darkness, though with a slight change in her demeanor. She seemed to have regained her Aspect, or at least a shadow of it, and possessed a Transformation Ability.[18]
|
In Chapter 2980, the Nightmare Spell no longer provided streamlined methods for advancing Sunny's Shadows beyond the Supreme Rank and Apotheosis. Sunny speculated that this limitation was either because creating deities exceeded the Spell's capabilities or because the Spell was rationing its resources. At the time, none of his Shadows could be elevated past Supreme through the Spell's usual means. The sole exception was Soul Serpent, which was stated to be capable of becoming Sacred if Sunny fully mastered the sixth step of Shadow Dance.
True Shadow Creatures
- Main article: True Shadow Creatures
True Shadow Creature are independent Shadows described as Shadows that can exist without reliance on their summoner.[19][20]
Nature of Shadows
Sunny reflected on the nature of Shadow Creatures while considering Slayer's origins. Orphne of the Nine, once a mortal woman, had died in the Shadow Realm alongside the Demon of Fate. Her shadow remained there, refusing annihilation, and survived for thousands of years by hunting other shadows. Over time, that feral remnant became a Shadow Creature, a being born from the shadows of the dead yet distinct from them, like Nightmare. Sunny eventually killed this Shadow Creature and turned it into one of his own Shadows, which, by definition, made his Shadows, Shadow Creatures too. However, they were described as incomplete—neither simply shadows of the dead nor fully independent Shadow Creatures.[21]
Sunny himself shared a complicated existence connected to this cycle. He was a mortal man who, through the Nightmare Spell and the blessing of Shadow God, had become a Shadow Creature. After killing himself, he turned into a shadow and later remade himself into a Shadow Creature once again upon attaining Supremacy. With no trace of his mortal self left, he now considered himself a being born entirely from the shadow of a dead man.[21]
Shadow Weave
Mastery Over Shadows
Shadow Weave fundamentally altered Sunny's authority over his Shadows and his Domain. Before inheriting it, creating a new Shadow required an Echo as a transitional medium and the assistance of the Nightmare Spell. After inheriting Shadow Weave, Sunny instinctively understood that neither was necessary. Instead, he gained the nascent understanding needed to elevate suitable shades directly into true Shadows through his own power, requiring only experimentation to develop the complete process.[22]
Completing the Shadows
Upon the inheritance of Shadow Weave, Sunny sensed the beginning of an understanding that could finally make his Shadows "whole." He recalled Eurys' earlier statement that although his Shadows were powerful, they were incomplete. Shadow Weave appeared to provide the first insight into resolving that incompleteness, though Sunny had yet to fully comprehend the process.[22]
Trivia
- Even after the previous master of Nightmare died, the Shadow was still alive.[23][24]
- It seemed that shadow creatures had gone entirely extinct during or soon after the Doom War.[25]
- Sunny's Shadows were supposed to obey him absolutely, and most did without resistance. The only exception was Fiend, who occasionally put up a show of defiance but ultimately complied with Sunny's commands after making his indignation or reluctance known.[26]
- Most of Sunny's Shadows possess dark embers instead of Shadow Cores except for the Shadow Slayer, which had a radiant shard instead.[27]
- The destruction of one of Sunny's Shadow Cores in Chapter 3110, reduced him from a Titan to a Terror and left Slayer without a Shadow Core to inhabit, preventing her from being dismissed or healed by the dark flames of his soul.[13]
- In Chapter 3152, liberated some of his Shadows (became True Shadows) for Fifth Nightmare preparations. (Refer to Status of the Shadows)
See Also
- Sunny's Echoes and Shadows
- Category:Shadows
- List of known Shadow Creature Abilities
References
- ↑ Chapter 107 Growing Shadow
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Chapter 1661 Missing Light
- ↑ Chapter 3150 Final Preparations
- ↑ Chapter 110 Memento
- ↑ Chapter 510 Human Echo
- ↑ Chapter 696 Extraordinary Rock
- ↑ Chapter 827 Daunting Task
- ↑ Chapter 921 New Pets
- ↑ Chapter 105 Living Stone
- ↑ Chapter 106 Creating a Monster
- ↑ Chapter 1079 Imp
- ↑ Chapter 1027 The Fall of Falcon Scott (45)
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Chapter 3114 Missing Core
- ↑ Chapter 2549 Eye of the Beholder
- ↑ Chapter 2550 Broken Illusion
- ↑ Chapter 2512 Dr. Saint
- ↑ Chapter 2568 Jade Saint
- ↑ Chapter 2567 Staring Contest
- ↑ Chapter 652 Plentiful Gains
- ↑ Chapter 2129 Calculated Risk
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Chapter 2569 Demon Slayer
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Chapter 3105 Shadow Weave
- ↑ Chapter 644 My Enemy
- ↑ Chapter 652 Plentiful Gains
- ↑ Chapter 1592 Humble Shopkeeper
- ↑ Chapter 2132 Untamed
- ↑ Chapter 2131 Shadow Slayer
Sources & history
Shadow (Creature) · Shadow Slave Wiki
Source revision 43622
Adapted from Fandom. CC-BY-SA
Retrieved 2026-11-04 · Article version 1