Summary
- Zavok is a powerhouse from the Deadly Six, bringing unpredictability and tough fights.
- Infinite wields illusion powers and self-conscious arrogance, making him a strong antagonist.
- Eggman, a fan-favorite, executes outlandish plans with a twist of quirky personality.
The Blue Blur himself, Sonic the Hedgehog, has faced off against a plethora of dangerous villains throughout his many adventures. While Sonic will almost always have a speed advantage over his foes, many of these antagonists will often have other tricks up their sleeve, which they can use to outmaneuver the speedy hedgehog, forcing him and his friends to get creative in how they take them down.
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While a villain's strength can definitely contribute to making them memorable, their backstory and design also need to stand out to ensure they aren't forgotten about after their game's release. Additionally, they also need to have some complexity and nuance to their character and motivations to help make them more intriguing than the average one-note antagonist. With all that being said, it's time to rank the very best villain seen in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise based on how interesting they are as characters, alongside how memorable and beloved they have become among the fanbase.
8 Zavok
The Powerhouse Of The Deadly Six Pushes Sonic To His Limit
Sonic Lost World
- Released
- October 29, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Sonic Team, Dimps
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Wii U, PC, 3DS
The main antagonists of Sonic Lost World are a group of scoundrels known as the Deadly Six, but while Sonic confronts each of these dangerous aliens one by one, it quickly becomes clear that the leader of the pack is Zavok. As someone who came to acquire a deadly hard-hitting fighting style thanks to his training with master Zik, Zavok proved to be an extremely tough opponent for Sonic to take on, but aside from his power, what also makes Zavok so interesting is his unpredictability.
While he begrudgingly agreed to team up with Eggman at the beginning of Lost World, Zavok was simply biding his time to eventually betray his newfound ally whenever he got the opportunity, and that's exactly what he and his ragtag group do in order to obtain more power and technology. Zavok's overly vibrant design can admittedly be a little jarring for someone who is supposed to be an intimidating villain, but he is still someone who managed to make enough of an impression to reappear in some of the games that came after Lost World, including Sonic Forces.
7 Infinite
Pair A Jawdropping Design With Absurd Levels Of Power, And You Get Infinite
Sonic Forces
- Released
- November 7, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Sonic Team
- Genre(s)
- Platformer, Shooter, Fighting, Adventure
At the beginning of Sonic Forces, a handful of Sonic's iconic villains make a grand return, but there is also one new antagonist who is thrown into the mix, that being Infinite. The self-proclaimed 'ultimate mercenary' manages to become absurdly powerful after fusing with the dangerous artefact known as the Phantom Ruby, allowing Infinite to create illusions and false projections to manipulate his enemies with. While some consider Infinite to be the strongest villain in the entire series, he is still much more than simply a villain who wreaks havoc without having any personality.
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Behind the cold exterior, Infinite is extremely self-conscious and arrogant, always trying to downplay others to make himself look big. This isn't even mentioning his oddball appearance, which only feeds into his menacing aesthetic. It's honestly a little underwhelming how Infinite is dealt with at the end of Sonic Forces, but it's an otherwise small stain on a fantastic villain.
6 Metal Sonic
Eggman's Ultimate Creation Is Always A Fun Boss To Take On
Sonic CD
- Released
- November 19, 1993
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Sonic Team
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
When Eggman realized that he wouldn't be able to take Sonic down single-handedly, he turned to the next best option: creating a copy of his arch rival who could get the job done for him. Enter Metal Sonic, a robotic copycat who has been a thorn in Sonic's side for many years. What immediately stands out about Metal Sonic is his appearance, with the glossy suit of steel and lack of facial features making him look like a cold-hearted killing machine, especially with those giant eyes, which are always focused on his target.
However, Metal Sonic has also had a pretty interesting journey, since it doesn't matter how many times he's taken down, he always shows up once again to try and overcome his inspiration. In the comics, there have even been moments where Metal Sonic has questioned his own programming, with him being a character who has inspired a ton of external content, alongside being a very common face in many of the games.
5 Black Doom
The Black Arms' Mysterious Leader Boasts A Badass Design And A Fascinating Backstory
Shadow the Hedgehog
- Released
- December 15, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E 10+ // Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
- Developer(s)
- Sega
- Genre(s)
- Platformer, Action-Adventure, Third-Person Shooter
- Platform(s)
- GameCube, PS2, Xbox (Original)
First introduced to the series with the Shadow the Hedgehog standalone game, Black Doom is a mysterious alien entity who is actually extremely important to the law of the franchise. When Gerald was still trying to create Shadow as a way to produce a cure for his daughter Maria, he would decide to infuse some of Black Doom's DNA into the ultimate creation, which explains not only why Shadow has such an edgy persona, but also how he can use the Chaos abilities seen in the Sonic X Shadows Generations remaster.
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There are a few other reasons why Black Doom has won over the hearts of so many fans, though, with a big one being his design. With a giant decorated black cloak covering his body and eerie glowing red eyes, Black Doom's appearance is a lot creepier and more unorthodox than many of the other antagonists seen in the series, and this also applies to his tentacle form, which looks like something ripped straight out of a Lovecraftian novel.
4 Mephiles
The Only Villain Who Was Strong Enough To Kill Sonic
Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
- Released
- November 14, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Sonic Team
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Platformer
In order for a villain in any story to come across as genuinely intimidating, they need to be able to demonstrate how strong they are in practice, and it's fair to say that Mephiles definitely manages to achieve this. In order to break the seal that has been placed on Iblis, Mephiles needed to find a way to make Princess Elise cry, and he did this by skewering Sonic straight through the heart.
Killing off the main protagonist went a long way in presenting Mephiles as a villain who isn't just evil, but downright cruel in his actions. That being said, though, Mephiles was also pulling a lot of the strings from behind the scenes, too, and when paired with his terrifying design, it creates a villain who would quickly go on to become a fan-favorite antagonist, despite the lackluster reception of Sonic 06.
3 Merlina
Melina Took Sonic's Willingness To Help Others For Granted
Sonic and the Black Knight
- Released
- March 3, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone: Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Sonic Team
- Genre(s)
- Platformer, Hack and Slash
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Wii
In most Sonic games, it's made pretty obvious who the main villain of the game is going to be, since many of them aren't exactly shy about revealing their true affiliations and goals, but Merlina is a little different. At the beginning of Sonic and the Black Knight, it is Marlina who summons Sonic into the fantasy world after she is cornered by the Black Knight himself, so initially, she comes across as an innocent wizard who needs to be rescued.
Not long after, Merlina sends Sonic on a mission to retrieve the legendary Scabbard of Excalibur, only for her to then rip the sword away from Sonic in an act of betrayal. Merlina's primary goal was to use the overwhelming power of the sword to change the fate of her kingdom, but while she may have had good intentions, going against the natural course of fate would have resulted in countless deaths. This ends up making Merlina quite a complex villain who has sparked many online discussions and debates, so while she may be from a fairly forgettable game, that definitely cannot be applied to Merlina herself.
2 Sage
Eggman's Personal AI Learns About Love, Compassion, And Friendship From Sonic
Sonic Frontiers
- Released
- November 8, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Sonic Team
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
For the first few hours of Sonic Frontier s, Sage plays the role of main villain by trapping Sonic's friends in a cyber world, which she has been ordered to do by her master, Eggman. Sage's glitchy design already makes her pretty interesting, but what has really made her so beloved by many fans is the personal story she embarks on over the course of the game.
Every now and again, there will be scenes that show Sage listening in on Sonic and his friends from behind the scenes. The Blue Blur's dedication to rescue his friends, no matter what stands in his way, eventually rubs off on Sage, causing her to question not only a master but even her own existence. There's a surprising amount of depth to Sage, which isn't normally seen for most Sonic villains, and it ends up making her one of the highlights of Frontiers as a result.
1 Dr. Eggman
Eggman Will Stop At Nothing To Execute His Master Plans, No Matter How Outlandish They Might Be
Sonic the Hedgehog
- Released
- June 23, 1991
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Sonic Team
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
- Platform(s)
- Android, iOS, Nintendo 3DS, PC, Sega Genesis, Switch
Eggman has become an icon, not only within the Sonic franchise but in the gaming industry as a whole. Even those who aren't too familiar with Sonic will still be able to recognize the mischievous doctor anytime he shows up on screen, which is a testament to just how popular he is as a villain. While there are many factors that contribute to this, one reason Eggman is so admired is his quirky personality.
Sure, his plans of capturing innocent animals and stealing the Chaos Emeralds may be a little dubious, but his joyful nature and elegant way of speaking still manage to make him somewhat endearing. Additionally, Eggman has gotten pretty outlandish with his master plans as the series has gone on, which has also made him a ton of fun to follow. Whether he's trying to build an Eggman amusement park in outer space, or cracking the planet into multiple floating continents, there's never any telling what this guy is going to get up to next, and though he always fails, there's just so much to love about Eggman that it's not hard to see why he was made the main villain of the franchise.
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