Shadow the Hedgehog, as a character, is extremely misunderstood and incorrectly characterized at times, but I believe we can work to change that.

Shadow the Hedgehog was first introduced in 2001, originally supposed to be used as a one off character, but inevitably came back as a main stay, becoming one of the most popular Sonic characters to this day. Although he is very popular, he is often times portrayed as "the edgy, emo one", by fans and even Sega themselves. Die hard fans of Shadow know the character much better though, from how he was portrayed originally in Sonic Adventure 2, and would have a very different description. While Shadow is cold, blunt, and aloof, he also has a soft side, and always does the right thing in his book, which often benefits the greater good of society. I would say he has a great characterization in Sonic Prime, as this is exactly as he is portrayed, which leads me this this;

Why I think Shadow the Hedgehog should be portrayed as being on the spectrum.

1. Shadow as a character already shows very strong signs of being on the spectrum, such as not being very emotional, not thinking ahead before acting, and once again being rather blunt at times. You could argue that these are just character traits, but these being grouped together is great for my next point.
2.  This would be great representation. There are no Sonic characters currently canonically on the spectrum, and I believe making one of the main cast members be labeled so would be an amazing opportunity. We are in a point in time where people are becoming more open and accepting, and having Shadow on the spectrum would make a lot of people feel seen or heard, therefore only making Shadow even more popular and profitable. Sonic is already canonically accepting of everything, so Shadow would definitely be supported by him, and his other colleagues as well!

The world is changing so much, and this is a chance for Sega as a company to be viewed so much better than they already are, not to mention the fact the giving Shadow a disability while still showing him as the strong character that he is (physically and personality wise) would be extremely beneficial in ways I've already mentioned. I have an older brother who is on the spectrum, and he often acts and has the same kind of mannerisms as Shadow, which I find extremely interesting, and is one of the reasons I made this petition in the first place. So, if you would like like to be represented correctly, or just think that having Shadow the Hedgehog portrayed as this would be cool, please leave a signature.