Summary
- Sonic the Hedgehog's multimedia franchise includes different versions with unique characters and storylines.
- Characters like Zonic and Cosmo were created for adaptations, expanding the Sonic series' world.
- Villains like Mammoth Mogul from the comics show the dynamic and evolving nature of Sonic content.
Sonic the Hedgehog is primarily a video game series at its core, but after multiple television shows (including a few anime series), comics, and a film trilogy, it can also be considered a successful multimedia franchise. These various iterations tend to differ wildly from one another, often introducing different takes on the characters, and more broadly, entirely separate continuities.
Additionally, many characters are entirely invented for these adaptations, with no counterpart in the games to speak of. In spite of their lack of connection to the canon, many of these characters are still very engaging, helping to broaden the scope of what exactly the Sonic series can be.
5 Zonic The Zone Cop
Appears In: Sonic The Hedgehog (Archie Comics)
This hedgehog serves as a counterpart to Sonic from the Archie Comics. He exists in a parallel dimension known as the No Zone, which is 90 degrees from every parallel zone. He is dispatched to monitor different realities, often appearing sideways due to the angle of his home zone. He often recruits Sonic for various missions which concern alternate realities.
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Zonic, despite being their most prominent member, is far from the only Zone Cop. There are other counterparts to the mainline characters, such as Zespio, Zector, and Zouge, all acting as part of the force in various capacities. There is even a Warden Zobotnik, who, like his mainline counterpart, is not fond of Zonic, despite being a colleague of his in this Zone.
4 Cosmo
Appears In: Sonic X
Cosmo was a supporting character in the third and final season of Sonic X (2003-2006), an anime series partially based off the Sonic Adventure games. She was a plant-like alien who was targeted by the Metarex, an organization of cyborgs who seek to wipe out all life in the galaxy that isn't plant life. Cosmo was eventually rescued by Sonic and his friends, who she asked to help eliminate the organization. She steadily builds a rapport with the group, becoming particularly close with Miles "Tails" Prower.
Unfortunately, Cosmo determined she needed to sacrifice herself to put a stop to the Metarex. The person to aid her in this effort was a tearful Tails, who needed extra convincing to be on board with the plan. Despite her death, Sonic was able to recover Cosmo's heart in the form of a seed. Tails later put Cosmo's heart in a plant pot, and took care of it as it began to grow.
3 Mammoth Mogul
Appears In: Sonic The Hedgehog (Archie Comics)
This Mobian Mammoth is a long-lived villain, deriving the majority of his power from a Chaos Emerald that fused itself to him. From here, he gained intelligence, longevity, and various abilities he would come to make use of throughout his lifetime. He has a tendency to view other beings as inferior to himself, although his own plans tend to end up in failure, often due to the involvement of Sonic.
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While he remained an antagonistic force in the series across his various appearances, Mammoth Mogul decided to end his pursuit of active villainy. This was the result of repeated losses against Sonic, which made him view the Hedgehog as unbeatable. He preferred instead to wait Sonic out until he was either dead or in a particularly vulnerable state. An alternate future version of Mammoth Mogul from Silver the Hedgehog's doomed timeline also exists. Here, he is a remorseful mentor who aids Silver and appears to deeply regret not helping prevent the catastrophe that befell Mobius.
2 Agent Stone
Appears In: Sonic The Hedgehog (Film Series)
Dr. Ivo Robotnik is no stranger to sidekicks across the various continuities. Few of them are quite as memorable in recent years as Agent Stone (played by Lee Majdoub). He was introduced as Robotnik's assistant in Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) while the good doctor was working as a US Government Operative. Stone's role in the film was expanded as Jim Carrey improvised his own take on Robotnik a bit more. From there, he became a breakout character, even receiving his own promotional poster for the film's sequel. Stone is notable for his love for and devotion to Robotnik, remaining loyal to him well after he was jettisoned into space.
Upon Robotnik's return in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022), Stone is excited, and even makes a latte with custom art of himself and the doctor, with swirling hearts. Stone is shown to be quite smart on his own, although he's clearly not as intelligent as Robotnik, and it is possible that Stone's admiration of Robotnik has something to do with his superior intellect.
1 Sally Acorn
Appears In: Sonic The Hedgehog (TV Series) & Sonic The Hedgehog (Archie Comics)
This chipmunk princess debuted in the relatively short-lived cartoon series, Sonic the Hedgehog (1993-1994), the second to be produced by DiC after Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (1993). Both cartoons featured some similarities, such as the voice of Jaleel White as the titular character, but Sonic the Hedgehog introduced numerous changes. The story now focuses on a ragtag group, known as The Freedom Fighters, who face off against Robotnik, now in control of a dystopian industrial city known as Robotropolis.
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Sally Acorn was the leader of The Freedom Fighters, a foil to Sonic, and an occasional love interest to boot. She is known for her strategic acumen and grounded personality, tending to prefer a calculated approach over Sonic's more reckless behavior. Despite the cartoon only being on the air for a bit over a year, it became the basis of one of the longest running Archie Comics, which shared its name. Although the comic gradually shifted to take more inspiration from the games, Sally remained a major character in the series until it was discontinued in 2017. Sally was technically in one video game, Sonic Spinball, but this minor entry remains her sole appearance in the medium.
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