Shadow Kids

## Voice Clips

**Shadow Kids** are the second minor enemies encountered in *Secrets of the Maw*. They are encountered in The Residence chapter and appear to be the main antagonistic faction of said chapter.

## Appearance

Shadow Kids are the same height as the other regular children encountered in the Maw, including Six and the Runaway Kid. Their bodies however seem to be made of a dark smoky aura, almost as if they are living shadows. Their only distinct features are the white masks they wear on their faces and the shadowy shackles on their right legs.

## Strategy

When the Runaway Kid takes out a second figurine to open the passage, the Lady suddenly disappears, and the light in the entire library turns off. It is at this moment that the Shadow Kids appear (the player can be guided by the laughter of children). They will start attacking the Runaway Kid by flying towards him at breakneck speed. If they catch him, they will levitate him amid a shower of black, shadowy fog with white sparks for a few seconds, before dropping him back to the floor. This leads to a game over.

To fight them off, the player must use a flashlight, from the light of which they burn out and dissolve in the air. Shadow Kids will attempt to evade the light by walking sideways, forcing the player to follow their movement with the flashlight. Multiple Shadow Kids can spawn at the same time, testing the player's multitasking skills. Once a Shadow Kid's body has been completely vaporized by light, its mask will fall to the ground and shatter.

## Powers and Abilities

* **Shadow Physiology**: The Shadow Kids bodies are made of a black, shadowy fog-like material that does not appear to be solid. These bodies can support glass masks in place of faces. Their bodies allow them to move much quicker in order to attack.

## Weaknesses

* **Light Source**: Shadow Kids do not like any sources of bright light, and will immediately die if they are unable to evade it. Those who avoid it will recover and continue to attack, but if their porcelain mask shatters, they will not regenerate.

## Theory

* Due to their childlike and dark appearance, it is speculated the Shadow Kids are similar yet indifferent to the Glitching Remains. Unlike the Glitching Remains who are typically docile and not very attentive, the Shadow Kids are aggressive and will stalk others in the Lady's Residence, such as the Runaway Kid, in order to attack them. How the Shadow Kids came to be remains unknown.

## Trivia

* The laughter of the Shadow Kids are sound special effects, that are often used in other projects.
* The Shadow Kids' masks are similar to the faces of the dolls that the Lady is tending to in her library.
* The Shadow Kids are one of the few characters in the *Little Nightmares* games that can be heard "speaking" through whispers.
* When asked about the Shadow Kids, Tarsier Studios writer Dave Mervik stated "They’re nobody in particular. Just like all children, they’re forever being left behind; and just like all shadows, they’re difficult to escape."
* According to audio director, Tobias Lilja, there are no words within the *Little Nightmares* world, only sounds, "sounds that are being sung are phonemes meant to strike the ear like language, but they aren't words in any existing human language", revealing that the words fans believed to have uncovered from the Shadow kid's whispers were never real, only what their minds believed sounded the most familiar in their language.
* Shadow Kids are one of the few antagonists in the franchise who take the form of children, along with the Pretender and the Bullies.
* Characters known as The Workers from the audio-fiction series *The Sounds of Nightmares* were given an oddly similar description to the Shadow Kids. In addition, they also have a similar aversion to light.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI4YtADbQrA
2. ↑ PlayStation: Blog - Little Nightmares’ creators answer your questions about the latest expansion to its PS4 puzzle horror
3. ↑ https://twitter.com/Izmarvelous/status/1409544108767694852
4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwT7NDC3LM0&t=5s

Noone • The Counsellor • The Candleman • The Workers • The Prisoners • The Tall Woman • The Child with Gooey Hair • Cici • The Bathers • Jester • The Merchants • The Shopping Mall • The Counsellor's Professor • The Performing Children (Rusty) • The Man in the Purple Suit • The Carnival People • The Dummy • Nomes • The Naughty Kids • The Balloon-Headed Man • The Puppet
Animals • Children • Unidentified Characters