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Regarding Shadow Dragons, the Monster Manual (p. 85) states:

Any damage-dealing breath weapon possessed by the dragon deals necrotic damage instead of its original damage type. A humanoid reduced to 0 hit points by this damage dies, and an undead shadow rises from its corpse and acts immediately after the dragon in the initiative count. The shadow is under the dragon's control.

Does this necessarily mean that the humanoid becomes the undead shadow? It should clearly state that, if that is the case. This matters in case the party wishes to raise the character from the dead via a revivify or raise dead spell.

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    \$\begingroup\$ I found the answer myself after further searching. I decided to answer my own question instead of deleting. \$\endgroup\$
    – mdrichey
    Jan 15, 2019 at 19:08
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    \$\begingroup\$ Thank you! That’s the preferred way to handle that situation. \$\endgroup\$
    – SevenSidedDie
    Jan 15, 2019 at 19:09

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The undead shadow is literally the humanoid's actual shadow, turned into an undead monster. It is not the humanoid's soul itself.

The Monster Manual entry for the Shadow states:

If a creature from which a shadow has been created somehow returns to life, its undead shadow senses the return. The shadow might seek its "parent" to vex or slay. Whether the shadow pursues its living counterpart, the creature that birthed the shadow no longer casts one until the monster is destroyed.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Does it give advantage to stealth-checks or anything if one doesn't have a shadow? \$\endgroup\$
    – Deduplicator
    Jan 15, 2019 at 21:59
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Deduplicator I'd ask that as its own question. \$\endgroup\$
    – mdrichey
    Jan 15, 2019 at 23:51
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    \$\begingroup\$ This paints Peter Pan in a more grim light... \$\endgroup\$
    – Lux Claridge
    Jan 16, 2019 at 14:58
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No, the humanoid is just dead.

The shadow rises from the corpse. The corpse doesn't become a shadow, it just appears out of it.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Even when correct, an answer is always better when it includes support for its conclusion. \$\endgroup\$
    – SevenSidedDie
    Jan 15, 2019 at 19:11

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