Saddest Deaths In Sonic The Hedgehog

The cast of characters in Sonic the Hedgehog is certainly unique and varied. From the Blue Blur himself and his many friends to powerful villains and unsung heroes, each character has a unique charm that sets them apart. Coming up against countless enemies has seen many characters putting their lives at risk to save others, or even sacrificing themselves for a noble cause.

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Many characters in the Sonic the Hedgehog universe have demonstrated these selfless, noble acts when the need was most dire. Often, their sacrifices leave a huge impact on their friends. Sometimes, the character has become so well-loved, and their impact so powerful, that their death saddens and resonates with fans. Many of these saddest character deaths can certainly be felt by both fans and characters alike, and thus make their video game or television appearances all the more memorable.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead

9 Longclaw's Death

Sacrificed Herself To Ensure Sonic's Safety

Longclaw the Owl was a kind, gentle yet fiercely protective owl who looked after young Sonic, as seen in the 2020 movie Sonic the Hedgehog. She was determined to protect Sonic from anyone who would use his powers for evil, namely the echidnas. When the echidnas ambushed the duo, Longclaw tried her hardest to get the infant Sonic to safety.

However, Longclaw is shot down by an arrow. With the echidnas coming ever closer, Longclaw, being desperate for her infant's safety, sends Sonic through a giant Ring to another planet, Earth. Buying time for him to escape, she takes on the whole tribe alone, though is killed by them. Her death left a huge impact on Sonic as he grew up, and throughout the films, he tries to honor her legacy and make her proud.

8 Sage's Sacrifice

Sage Became A True Hero

Sage’s personal character growth in Sonic Frontiers brought a greater emotional weight to the story. Despite starting as an antagonist, the AI is softened and even made to cry by the friendship Sonic has with Amy, Tails, and Knuckles. Sage desperately wants to feel part of a family with her "father," Dr. Eggman. In the end, Sage allies with Sonic to collect the Chaos Emeralds and then face the evil malevolence of The End.

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Super Sonic manages to penetrate The End, but it's not enough. As The End attempts self-destructing to kill everything around it, Sage sacrifices herself by colliding with it, before weakly asking Sonic to "look after father." Along with Eggman's clear devastation that she didn't survive the fight, the ending theme "Dear Father" encourages an emotional response from fans, as the antagonist-turned-hero gave her life to save everyone else's. However, Sage's sacrifice has lost some of its impact since she has the potential to return. It seems Eggman managed to restore her data in the game's final post-credit scene, and The Final Horizon's divergent path has her survive.

7 Sonic's Death

A Horrendous Shock To His Friends

Sonic '06 follows the plot of the cunning Mephiles the Dark who, as it's revealed, was secretly trying to kill Sonic to rejoin with Iblis and destroy the world. By causing a distraction, Mephiles ambushes and kills Sonic with a spear of energy. Princess Elise is devastated, her tears releasing Iblis, who fuses with Mephiles, creating Solaris once again. Sonic’s death resulted in one of the most hopeless moments in the franchise, as Solaris engulfs the world in darkness and starts to destroy time itself.

Upon seeing him dead, Sonic’s friends are plunged into deep sadness. With the scene set against emotional music, Amy cries bitterly, and even Sonic’s rival Shadow is solemn. However, fans know the titular character can’t and won’t stay deceased. After gathering all the Chaos Emeralds, Sonic is revived and faces off the evil Solaris with Silver and Shadow. However, for a moment, it seemed to Sonic's friends that they would lose both him and their whole world.

6 E-102 Gamma's Death

Corrects Wrongdoing At The Cost Of His Life

Once Eggman’s loyal servant, Gamma is affected by the doctor’s ruthlessness and enslavement of his fellow "brothers." Amy’s kindness greatly impacts him, and he spares her and lets her and Birdy go free. This started his rebellion against his programming, sending him on a personal quest for freedom.

He hunts down and destroys his fellow robots to "release" them from their enslavement to Eggman and to free the helpless animals trapped inside. Once Gamma’s deeds are done, he self-destructs, his "death" reuniting a family of birds. As such, Gamma’s noble acts, set against his very emotional theme, encourage fans to feel pity for him.

5 Blaze's Sacrifice

Silver Was Helpless To Save Her

Blaze the Cat was the lifelong and closest friend of Silver the Hedgehog, and he depended on her for advice. When Silver finally realizes how to save his world, he travels to Iblis’ domain and attempts to command the monster. However, Iblis won’t accept Silver as the vessel to seal it away forever. Blaze steps in, offering her life instead of his, as the vessel.

Taking both Emeralds from Silver, Blaze takes Iblis inside her and slowly starts to fade away. She commands Silver to send her to another dimension quickly, but Silver can’t bring himself to hurt her. Desperate and torn, Silver pleads with Blaze that he "wouldn’t know what to do" without her. After a final goodbye, Blaze is carried away from him, and into another dimension. Silver is left all alone, and though his world is finally free from Iblis' ruin, just as he sets out to achieve, it deeply hurts him to get it that way.

4 Molly's Death

A Noble Girl Who Suffered A Shocking Betrayal

Molly’s death is one of the most tragic in the series, even being removed from Sonic X's English dub. A determined Resistance fighter, Molly only wanted to see her world restored after the Metarex’s destruction. After teaming up with Shadow and Rouge, the trio travels to an abandoned factory to reclaim supposed "valuable records." It turns out Molly’s close friend, Leon, had betrayed her, sending her there to get caught in a fatal trap. There were no records, only a bomb.

When she realizes she was set up, Molly despairs, as it's revealed her Resistance friends had allied themselves with the evil Metarex. Molly ends up very distressed by Leon’s plan to eliminate her, that she refuses Shadow and Rouge’s advice, letting her grief drive her. She rushes at the Metarex’s fleet, who strike her down instantly, much to the horror of everyone around. Shadow, in particular, mourns her loss since she reminded him of Maria Robotnik, a girl of similar age to Molly from his past whom he also lost in a tragedy.

3 Shadow's Sacrifice

Fought To His Last Ounce Of Strength To Stop The Evil He Began

Shadow quickly became a popular character due to the air of mystery that surrounded him. Shadow is mostly a villain in his first game, Sonic Adventure 2, allying with Eggman and Rouge to gather the Chaos Emeralds to fulfill a quest for revenge. However, Shadow eventually realizes what he truly promised Maria, quickly redeeming himself to aid the others in stopping the plans he initiated.

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Shadow risks his life to save Sonic and Knuckles from the Biolizard, and then joins Super Sonic in defeating the Finalhazard. However, Shadow couldn’t sustain his Super Form, so in attempting to prevent the ARK's collision course, it took all of Shadow’s strength. He falls towards Earth, telling Maria he fulfilled her dying wish. Sonic returns to the space station, wherein his allies join him in mourning for their fallen friend. Though Shadow was brought back for future games, his apparent death was especially sad for players at the time. Shadow had become well-loved, and this was originally intended as his only game appearance. Additionally, the highly emotional ending music, and the fact Shadow's efforts to put things right cost him his life, still carry an emotional weight for fans today.

2 Cosmo's Sacrifice

There Was No Other Way To Save The Galaxy

Throughout Sonic X’s third season, Cosmo the Seedrian ends up being one of the strongest female characters. She alone can truly destroy the Metarex’s evil, and thus, she unhesitatingly gives her life to ensure this. Immobilizing the Metarex’s leader, Dark Oak, buys time for her friends to deliver the final blow, though it means killing her too.

Cosmo is unafraid and commands Tails to fire the Power Cannon at her. In a heartbreaking moment, fans see Tails’ desperate inner struggle. He loves Cosmo, and can't bring himself to shoot her, yet he knows the consequences. After the deed is done, Tails and all Cosmo’s friends unite in grief for her. Being such a lovable character and a powerful viewing moment, Cosmo’s sacrifice resonates on an emotional level with viewers too.

1 Maria Robotnik's Death

Her Death Profoundly Impacted Characters, Fans And The Entire Franchise

Maria is set to appear in the movie Sonic the Hedgehog 3, thus generating much speculation about who she is and what she means to Shadow. A kind and innocent girl, Maria lived with her grandfather, Gerald, in the Space Colony ARK. However, due to GUN's conspiracy, her life was placed in danger. Shadow, her best friend, tried to take her to safety. Maria then strove to get Shadow off the colony, since he was GUN's primary target.

Sadly, Maria was shot and killed for helping Shadow escape to Earth. Her death drove her grandfather Gerald, and thus Shadow, to execute revenge on not just GUN, but the entire planet, for their terrible crime. Some of the series’ darker games involve Maria’s tragedy, with villains like Black Doom using Shadow's traumatic memories for their own gain. Maria gave her life to protect Shadow, thus creating one of the most chilling and emotional moments in the franchise.

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