Shadow (Final Fantasy)

Shadow (シャドウ, Shadou) 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, Interceptor (インターセプター, Intāseputā) 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 Clyde (クライド, Kuraido) 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.