It's been almost six years since Shadow's passing. He was a dear friend... I stumbled upon the post I typed about him when I discovered what happened to him. I'll repost it here since it got lost when moving to a new host a few years ago, so I'll post it here:
-Shadow32-11/24/1986 - 9/06/2007Apparently he wanted to cross the tracks to the side where his fellow students were and hadn't heard or seen the incoming train, probably because another train had just passed from the other direction.
I think everyone will agree that Shadow was someone you didn't easily forget. He had a very unique way of posting. It's difficult to explain if you've never had the pleasure of encountering him. His posts were characterized by a certain charisma, a certain flair. Every post was worth reading, every last one of them managed to bring a smile to your face. I remember a variety of traits: his ad rem turn of phrase, his wit and self-confidence (or was it arrogance?), his surprising depth and expertise (his SoulCalibur mastery comes to mind), his humour and emotion (the death of his mother).
I see Shadow as my online mentor. We first met at Gamespot's newly-established SoulCalibur Union, where we both were officers and co-founders. I was a complete newb at the time, while he was a seasoned veteran, but we immediately connected, perhaps because we lived in neighbouring countries (Holland and Belgium, respectively) and spoke the same language. Soon we growed to be the two leading figures of the union and I became his lieutenant at his own union, Beyond the Dark. We met Linkzero at SCU and invited him to BTDU, forming something I consider a kind of triumvirate. When I look back at those days, I know that I probably would've quit posting at gaming forums years ago if I hadn't met him.
Shadow's flamboyant way of posting made him a very polarizing figure. He had many friends and admirers, but quite some people opposed him. This usually ended in them being owned by Shadow, which further increased their negative sentiments towards him. This eventually resulted in a ban from Gamespot. After a short, but hilarious period under the alt -Komplecx-, he got banned for good and moved to the newly-formed TGZ. GS wasn't the same without Shadow, so I soon followed him to TGZ, where he had pretty much taken over the forums in less than a month with his unique charisma. Immensely respected by all, I think I can safely say that Shadow practically ruled this forum and brought it to its Golden Age. We were all saddened when he left because of log-in problems and many of us hoped he would one day make his triumphant return to reclaim his throne. Alas, fate decided otherwise. This unfortunate discovery explains his sudden disappearance.
Will I remember him as a brilliant poster, an inspiring leader or a loyal friend? I don't know, but I do know that I'm never going to forget him.
Thanks for everything Shadow. My mentor and dear friend, I salute you...
