Summary
- Sonic is an iconic rival to Super Mario, with over 30 years of popularity.
- Dr. Eggman, Sonic's nemesis, is an eccentric villain beloved for humor.
- Tails evolves from sidekick to well-developed character in Sonic's world.
Sonic the Hedgehog has, for over 30 years, held a wide presence in the gaming world. The series is known for its high-speed action, lovable and unique characters and a detailed narrative which takes place across a large and colorful world.
Sonic The Hedgehog: 20 Fastest Characters, Ranked
The Sonic franchise is full of speedy characters. Each is unique, but one is ultimately faster than the rest.
From the Classic era to the most recent games and everything in between, over the years many new faces have joined Sonic's ever-increasing character roster. Yet, there are certain iconic Sonic characters which have remained the face of the franchise for many years and have always been extremely popular. Whether one of the earliest characters, sidekick or beloved anti hero, these characters, both heroes and villains, are staples of the franchise.
1 Sonic the Hedgehog
The Iconic Figurehead
The iconic blue mascot of the franchise, Sonic has been around for a long time and, as such, is a very recognizable icon even to those unfamiliar with the franchise. Sonic was designed to replace Alex Kidd as the new mascot for Sega in the '90s, and with it a new franchise was born. Known for his speed and witty personality, Sonic has remained popular for over 30 years.
Sonic is very well known for being a direct rival to Nintendo’s Super Mario. More recently, Sonic made the crossover to the world of cinema, and with three new movies under his belt already, the Blue Blur's journey is far from over.
2 Dr. Eggman
An Extremely Recognizable Villain
Sonic’s overarching nemesis, Dr. Ivo Robotnik, mostly known as Eggman, is both one of the most iconic Sonic characters and among the most iconic villains in the entirety of videogames. This evil scientist, with his trademark appearance, high IQ and many evil yet eccentric plans for world domination, has menaced Sonic ever since the very first game, when he tried to destroy Sonic's homeland in search of the Chaos Emeralds.
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Though Sonic and his pals usually get most of the spotlight in the games, these human characters have also grown immensely popular.
Since then, Sonic has taken down the mad doctor time and time again, whether it's his mind-control ray and interstellar amusement park, or laying waste to his many robot henchmen or other evil beings under his control. Eggman is a popular character for the comic relief he brings, his wacky and eccentric ideas and undeniable perseverance, which makes him very memorable.
3 Tails the Fox
The Trusty Sidekick
Tails is mostly known for being Sonic’s trusty sidekick and best friend, debuting only a year after the Blue Blur himself. Tails is one of the cutest and most gentle characters, yet he’s also extremely powerful, being able to run at speeds similar to Sonic and carry him by flying with his twin tails.
Tails has remained by Sonic's side for the longest time, yet he’s also come a long way as a character, learning to not just rely on Sonic but on himself and that he’s not just living in Sonic’s shadow. This character growth is seen in titles like Sonic Adventure and Sonic Frontiers. His shift from sidekick to a mainstay and well-developed character means he remains extremely popular to this day, and he even has a niche collection of self-titled games to his name.
4 Knuckles the Echidna
Sonic's Initial Rival
The red echidna debuted in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 as Sonic’s main rival, which presented a new dynamic between Sonic and another character. Knuckles instantly became a beloved character for this, but was also popular for his eye-catching design and his personal story. He’s the last of his kind and his lonely, stoic journey as the last guardian of the mysterious Master Emerald intrigued fans.
Knuckles is extremely strong, and when he eventually becomes Sonic’s friend, he makes up Team Sonic’s brute strength, alongside Tails' genius and Sonic's speed, making for an unstoppable trio. Knuckles is well-loved for the humor, rivalry, and brawn he brings to the franchise.
5 Amy-Rose the Hedgehog
A Close Friend Of Sonic
The first female character in the franchise debuted only a year after Sonic’s trusty sidekick. Amy is known for her energetic yet fierce personality and persistence in everything she does, and most of the time she puts this into trying to win Sonic’s heart. Since her rescue by him in the events of Sonic CD, Amy has consistently pursued Sonic and accompanied him on his many adventures. Like Tails, she has received quite a bit of character development over the years.
Amy is mostly depicted with her iconic Piko Piko hammer, which she can wield with brute strength and speed to take down many opponents. Her optimism also encourages those around her and gives her the qualities of a good leader.
6 Metal Sonic
Eggman's Evil Duplicate Of The Blue Blur
Sonic has had many rivals over the years, but Metal Sonic is one of his most deadly. This fierce metal duplicate is one of Eggman's most powerful robots, and he can easily reach Sonic speeds, and sports a sleek yet menacing design which closely resembles Sonic.
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The Sonic franchise has many strong characters, with these in particular standing out among the most powerful.
Metal Sonic was very popular in the Classic era, from his debut in Sonic CD to the iconic OVA movie, and remains a beloved character to this day. He has made an appearance in a number of games and has even made a crossover to Sonic’s movie canon, as seen at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
7 Shadow the Hedgehog
"Edgy The Hedgy"
Shadow was designed as the dark mirror image of Sonic, and is known for his brooding and mysterious personality and tragic backstory. This enticed fans from the start and thus, since his debut, shadow has always been one of the most popular Sonic characters. In fact, his popularity alone caused Sega to resurrect him for future games, since in his debut title Sonic Adventure 2, he was meant to have perished saving the world.
Shadow has a very well-developed backstory, and experiences arguably the most character growth out of anyone else, as he moves from a villain to an anti-hero and Sonic’s long-standing rival. Even if his own spin-off title was rather questionable for many, Shadow is a stalwart member of Sonic’s large cast and fans love him for the air of mystery and edginess he brings to the table.
8 Silver the Hedgehog
Iconic Look And Character Arc
With an interesting character design that is completely unique from Sonic and Shadow's predecessors, Silver brought something completely new to the franchise yet appealed largely to what was already established. Hailing from a post-apocalyptic future, Silver can time travel, and thus, his futuristic look made him appeal to many, even if his debut game doesn’t stand out as one of the best for most fans.
Known for his desire for world peace, Silver had a desperate struggle to fight for his future, which saw him get manipulated frequently by the evil Mephiles, and was first posed as another rival and enemy for Sonic. Silver is friendly yet extremely powerful and his move set and abilities bring something completely new to the franchise.
Sonic X Shadow Generations
- Released
- October 25, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Sonic Team
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
