Sonic the Hedgehog: Your Way

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Sonic the Hedgehog: Your Way

Post by Ivogoji »

The recent Sonic Forces inspired IDW comic and the fustercluck that is the Paramount movie have sparked a lot of discussion over who and what Sonic is and what kind world he lives in, what kind of stories he should be in, and so on. For a long time I've been thinking about making a Sonic version of this Batman Your Way quiz, which could be an interesting way of exploring some of those issues. I'm curious to know what other fans' idealized interpretation of the Sonic universe is like. So using the Batman quiz as a template I've thought up a similar set of questions focusing on different aspects of Sonic lore.

Sonic's appearance and personality
Sonic has had several visual revamps over the years; which one would you consider the best, most true-to-character Sonic design? How much freedom do you think artists should have to tweak Sonic's design? Which artist out there has drawn your favorite take on Sonic (can be official art or a fan work)?

What do you think are the essential elements of Sonic's design that should remain unaltered? What about the rest of his supporting cast, what do you think they should look like? Some characters like Dr. Robotnik go through really dramatic redesigns in different media, is that more acceptable than when it happens to Sonic himself?

How old is Sonic? Should he be a certain age in all of his appearances? Does he age over time? Should his age be evident in his outward appearance?

What are the features of Sonic's personality that set him apart from other characters?

What are the things he likes to do? Are chilidogs his favorite food? What's his favorite genre of music? Does he read books or watch tv? What kind of stuff would he like to read/watch? Does he have any hobbies?

Is Sonic a do-gooder hero or more morally ambiguous? Does he seek out threats to fight or only act in self-defense? If he lives in a SatAM like setting where he's involved in a political conflict, does he take a definitive stance on what the country he's fighting for should be like?

Does Sonic kill bad guys who aren't robots or space monsters? Does he spare enemies like Eggman or Metal Sonic out of kindness, or a desire to fight them again? How concerned is he about protecting bystanders in his battles?

Does Sonic feel responsible for protecting his friends and/or the entire world? Is he primarily a thrill seeker who doesn't worry about the harm his enemies cause? Does he ever feel guilty about failing to stop disasters like the destruction of Station Square from happening?

How competitive is Sonic? Does he have a Goku-like obsession with seeking out new challenges or is he more relaxed about it? Does it bother him that there might be opponents out there that are stronger or faster than he is?

Does Sonic care about the environment, small animals, and the like? Is he really close to nature? Does that play into his conflict with Robotnik?

What are Sonic's personal ideals like? Does he always live up to them?

Does Sonic have psychological weaknesses? Is he hydrophobic? If so, how bad is his hydrophobia? Is he afraid of other things, like spiders or what have you?

Does Sonic have character flaws? Is he hypocritical? Can he keep promises? Does he lie to his friends? Is he kind to people? Has he ever made some major mistakes? Does he have a "greatest failure"?

Does Sonic have a story arc? Do his adventures change him or does he stay the same in spite of everything that happens? What are the major turning points in his life story?

Sonic's powers
How did Sonic get his super speed? How long has he had it? How much does he know about it? Is it an usual or unprecedented power to have in his setting?

How fast is Sonic? Should he be able to run faster than light? Can he see bullets moving in slow motion or dodge bolts of lightning?

What should his core moves be (like Spin Dash, Homing Attack, Light Speed Attack)? How skilled is he at close quarters combat? Should his moves be mostly for fighting or exploration?

What other powers does he have? Is he physically strong? Durable? Can he create destructive shockwaves using his speed? Can he summon tornadoes? Does he have lots of additional techniques like Insta-Shield or Chaos Control?

What's the nature of Super Sonic? How much stronger is Super Sonic? What powers does being Super Sonic grant him?

What about his less commonly used powers and transformations like time travel or Hyper Sonic, how many should he have? Does Sonic intentionally avoid using things like that? Should he be able to access powers like that easily?

Does he use weapons? Is he good with a sword? Even if he doesn't like guns, could he use them proficiently if he had to?

What about Sonic's more mundane skills, does he have a lot of practical every-day knowledge? He was the original owner of the Tornado, is he as good a pilot as Tails? Does he like flying planes, racing cars, skating, Extreme Gear, etc? How good is he at all of those things?

Does Sonic have creative talents, like singing or playing guitar? Can he draw? Can he dance?

How smart is Sonic? Is he good at planning on the fly? How's he always running circles around geniuses like Tails and Eggman? Is he low-key a master tactician?

How powerful is Sonic overall? How does he measure up with the likes of Superman or Goku? Does he beat Eggman with relative ease like in Sonic X or is it a desperate struggle like in SatAM?

Does Sonic have physical weaknesses, like not being able to swim? What are his limits?

Sonic's relationships
Why is Sonic fighting Robotnik? How did they meet? How long have they been fighting each other? Do Sonic and Eggman have a concrete origin like in Fleetway? How serious is their rivalry? Do they respect each other to a degree? Does Sonic hate Eggman? Do they get tired of fighting each other? How should their final battle play out? What would Sonic do if he defeated Eggman once and for all?

How did Sonic meet Tails? How close are they exactly? Why does Tails look up to Sonic? What do they have in common? Are there any conflicts between them?

How did Sonic meet Amy? Why does she love him? How does Sonic himself feel about her? Could he ever return her feelings, or does he just dislike her? Does he view her in a similar way to Tails?

Are Knuckles and Sonic still rivals? How close are they as friends? How'd they get along when they first met? Do they still fight each other sometimes? Can Knuckles ever fully trust Sonic? What's Sonic's attitude towards Knuckles' whole Guardian of the Master Emerald thing?

Are Shadow and Sonic still rivals? Why are they rivals? Do they interact much outside of world saving? How friendly are they? Could they still become enemies if they were at cross purposes again? What's their feelings towards each other?

How close is Sonic to the other guys like Rouge, Cream, or the Chaotix? Do they know him that well?

What's his relationship with the other enemies he's encountered, like Metal Sonic?

Does Sonic have parents? Other family members? Uncle Chuck? Siblings?

Did Sonic have any friends before he met Tails, Amy, and Knuckles? Did he start a band in his younger days?

How sociable is Sonic? Does he spend a lot of time with his friends or keep to himself? What's he do when he's not fighting Eggman? How do his friends get in touch with him when he's on his own?

Does Sonic care about romance? Is he a lady's man? Which of his love interests throughout various media is he most compatible with? Is Sonic capable of having a permanent relationship or eventually marrying? Do you think he should?

Is Sonic a leader or a follower in the Freedom Fighters/Resistance? What's his role as a member of a team?

How does the average citizen in Sonic's world feel about Sonic? How well known are his exploits? Does he do interviews? Does he have a fan club?

Sonic's world
Mobius or Earth?

Grass huts or futuristic cities?

Do the talking animal characters have animal like behaviors or is it purely a cosmetic detail?

Do talking animals and humans coexist? How do they get along?

How does Sonic's world differ from our world in terms of history, culture, technology, and ecology?

Aesthetically, what should Sonic's world look like? How closely should it approximate actual game play? Are there rings and floating platforms everywhere?

Where was Sonic born? Does he live anywhere, or at least have a place he hangs out more than anywhere else?

Where did the Chaos Emeralds come from? Why do they exist? What's their relationship to the Special Zone?

What's the deal with the Floating Island? What's the history behind the Echidnas? The Master Emerald?

What's up with the Little Planet? Do people live there? How much does the general public on Sonic's world know about it?

What's the truth behind the Space Colony ARK? How did Project Shadow play out? Is Sonic the real Ultimate Life Form?

What's the story behind GUN? Are they completely corrupt or are they somewhat good? How powerful are they?

What's the Eggman Empire like? Should Robotnik rule most of the world or be confined to a few remote hideouts? How's he get the resources for his world domination schemes?

What are some of the other major locations on Sonic's world? What country do the characters live in? Where do Sonic and his friends see each other most often?

What's the future of Sonic's world supposed to be like? What's Silver's deal?

What's going on with other dimensions like Blaze's world or the storybook worlds? What's the cosmology of the Sonic universe look like? What role do guys like Illumina, Solaris, or Argus play in the grand scheme of things?

How serious or lighthearted is the setting in general? How compatible are the fairly dark Adventure era type stories with the cartoonishness of AoStH or Sonic Boom?
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Re: Sonic the Hedgehog: Your Way

Post by Ivogoji »

Sonic's appearance and personality
Sonic has had several visual revamps over the years; which one would you consider the best, most true-to-character Sonic design? How much freedom do you think artists should have to tweak Sonic's design? Which artist out there has drawn your favorite take on Sonic (can be official art or a fan work)?
Since Sonic Advance was my first Sonic game, and that was how he looked in almost all the Sonic media I consumed back in 2006-2011, I've always been partial to that era's design. I think it looks perfect and his appearance in other mediums should always be modelled closely on that design.

My current favorite artist's interpretation of Sonic is this one: http://sonic.sega.jp/SonicChannel/enjoy ... _22_sp.png, curtesy of Yuji Uekawa.

What do you think are the essential elements of Sonic's design that should remain unaltered? What about the rest of his supporting cast, what do you think they should look like? Some characters like Dr. Robotnik go through really dramatic redesigns in different media, is that more acceptable than when it happens to Sonic himself?
Mickey Mouse limbs, one eyeball, six spines on his back. Should always be dark blue. Except his arms. His arms aren't blue.
Since I'm boring I like the Adventure era look for the rest of the cast and don't particularly care for any other designs. I can live with, say, Classic Amy's appearance, but prefer her Adventure design far more. I do think Eggman can have more leeway, since there's a precedent for him looking very different in adaptations.


How old is Sonic? Should he be a certain age in all of his appearances? Does he age over time? Should his age be evident in his outward appearance?
I've always seen him as being 15 in Sonic Adventure and between 11 and 14 in games released before Sonic Adventure. I think most depictions should take place when he's 15. I don't think he visibly changes much as he ages, other than getting taller perhaps. I definitely don't like the idea that he somehow aged from his classic design into his modern design, that's dumb. I maintain that he's always had green eyes, and didn't gain them in some contrived circumstances like in the comics.

What are the features of Sonic's personality that set him apart from other characters?
Some people basically think Sonic has no consistent personality and that all he has to do to be Sonic is "go fast, be a hedgehog, that's it". Which is stupid, because if that were true Shadow the Hedgehog would be Sonic.

To me Sonic's defining personality traits are:
1- his optimism. He's always in a positive mood, never dwelling on negative thoughts or giving in to despair. He's almost never sad, thus he looks out for other people, so they don't have to be sad either.
2- his determination. Sonic never gives up.
3- his "coolness" ie how all the things he likes appeal to a youthful, savvy mindset. He was designed to embody what a kid in the 90s would consider cool and he should always maintain that vibe.
4- his sass. He is kind of a jerk. But he's playful about it. You can tell he's just teasing, unlike Shadow who genuinely talks down to people.


What are the things he likes to do? Are chilidogs his favorite food? What's his favorite genre of music? Does he read books or watch tv? What kind of stuff would he like to read/watch? Does he have any hobbies?
He likes traveling mostly- seeing new places, meeting new people. He loves chilidogs, and any other food that appeals to a constant tourist, stuff that's easy to eat on the go. His favorite genre of music is, of course, Mongolian throat singing. We've seen him reading the One Thousand and One Nights in Secret Rings; I imagine he can speak and read in multiple languages after traveling the world so much, so he's picked up books from many different cultures. Stories of adventure and exotic locations would appeal to him- he'd love the Indiana Jones movies, or Tarzan, or James Bond. Of course he'd rather visit those exotic places than just read about them. His tastes in music and entertainment are probably influenced by his encounters with people on his travels. I could see him participating with street performers or challenging breakdancers to an impromptu dance off.

Is Sonic a do-gooder hero or more morally ambiguous? Does he seek out threats to fight or only act in self-defense? If he lives in a SatAM like setting where he's involved in a political conflict, does he take a definitive stance on what the country he's fighting for should be like?
I lean towards a more heroic depiction of Sonic. He doesn't exactly patrol for crime like a superhero, but he's always ready to leap into action at a moment's notice when the next crisis reveals itself. He has a somewhat removed view of worldly affairs, believing people should have the freedom to do what they want, only stepping in to protect the planet from extreme threats that they can't deal with without his help.

Does Sonic kill bad guys who aren't robots or space monsters? Does he spare enemies like Eggman or Metal Sonic out of kindness, or a desire to fight them again? How concerned is he about protecting bystanders in his battles?
In my view Sonic has a firm no killing policy, only making exceptions for What Measure Is a Non-Human type enemies, in contrast to other characters like Knuckles or Shadow who are much more cutthroat. He would try to keep any and all casualties to a minimum in all of his fights, whether they're friends, enemies, or bystanders.

Does Sonic feel responsible for protecting his friends and/or the entire world? Is he primarily a thrill seeker who doesn't worry about the harm his enemies cause? Does he ever feel guilty about failing to stop disasters like the destruction of Station Square from happening?
In my fanfic Ripple Effect I have Sonic growing from a simple thrill seeker into someone who has a clear mission to defend the world from threats like Eggman. I explored his remorse over Station Square a little bit in that story, but ultimately show him putting it behind him. He isn't unaffected by these tragedies so much as he understands that he can't mourn over them forever, and he has to be strong to get ready for the next challenge life throws at him.

How competitive is Sonic? Does he have a Goku-like obsession with seeking out new challenges or is he more relaxed about it? Does it bother him that there might be opponents out there that are stronger or faster than he is?
I lean towards a more relaxed view of Sonic's competitiveness. Guys like Jet mostly come to him. He likes having the opportunity to test his abilities against someone who can push his limits, but he isn't hugely invested in the outcome of these competitions. I feel like certain games like TSR overplay this aspect of his personality.

Does Sonic care about the environment, small animals, and the like? Is he really close to nature? Does that play into his conflict with Robotnik?
I like to think so. Adds an interesting layer to his acts of heroism. Flip side, I also like to think he could be pushed into becoming an eco-terrorist to protect his woodland friends. I don't view the other Sonic characters as having this mentality, and think they might even be kind of freaked out by Sonic's protectiveness towards 'his' planet.

What are Sonic's personal ideals like? Does he always live up to them?
I see Sonic as kind of a Buddhist, he wants to live a life free of attachments and strives to help others out of compassion. Goes along with his non-violence, environmentalism, and almost ascetic life style. He's on an endless pilgrimage for enlightenment and the taglines on the boxes ("Don't just sit there and waste your precious time. When you want to do something, do it right away. Do it when you can. It's the only way to live a life without regrets.") are his mantras.

I think he has trouble sticking to the non-attachment rule. Next Gen was about him getting attached to Elise then learning to let her go in the end. He isn't always strong enough to do what he believes the right thing is.

Does Sonic have psychological weaknesses? Is he hydrophobic? If so, how bad is his hydrophobia? Is he afraid of other things, like spiders or what have you?
I don't think he's hydrophobic, at least not cripplingy so as some works occasionally paint him. He just knows he can't swim so he's reasonably cautious around water. If he has to dive underwater to save someone, he will do it. He can take baths like everyone else. He likes to lounge around the pool, and he'll even get IN the pool, if he feels like it. If he is forced to spend a lot of time underwater, such as when navigating the Labyrinth Zone, he does start to experience anxiety- as anyone would.

The only thing he's really afraid of is losing his friends, particularly Tails.


Does Sonic have character flaws? Is he hypocritical? Can he keep promises? Does he lie to his friends? Is he kind to people? Has he ever made some major mistakes? Does he have a "greatest failure"?
Some of his stated values clash with his actual actions, ie contrast his speech towards Merlina when she went to extremes to preserve her world from decay vs him traveling through time to cleanse the Little Planet of Eggman's pollution. So I think there's a certain hypocrisy at the core of his character, ripe for intriguing internal conflict. He has more innocuous flaws of course; he can't keep a date with Amy, he doesn't always listen to Tails, some of the fights he picks with Knuckles are his own fault, etc. He isn't always honest with his friends, in the respect that he rarely opens up to them all the way and masks his true feelings with tsundereish posturing. Sometimes his inability to communicate his feelings with people is his biggest flaw (Fleetway Sonic is the most noticeable and severe example, but every Sonic is like this).

I think his two greatest failures are allowing Perfect Chaos to destroy Station Square and not preventing Emerl from reverting to his berserker programming. To me the latter should be the thing that haunts Sonic the most, since he didn't just lose a dear friend, he actually had to destroy Emerl with his own hands.


Does Sonic have a story arc? Do his adventures change him or does he stay the same in spite of everything that happens? What are the major turning points in his life story?
Like I mentioned above, I see Sonic's character development as taking him from the "not a hero" depiction in the early games to the "self proclaimed hero" of SA2 onward, with the first Adventure game being the turning point. He's also less certain of himself early on, feeling threatened by Metal Sonic and Shadow's challenge to his identity at first, but finds them totally unintimidating in Sonic Heroes. He's grown the most from bonding with his friends; SA Sonic treated Amy and Knuckles as if they were just getting in his way, in subsequent games he treats them like teammates.

Sonic's powers
How did Sonic get his super speed? How long has he had it? How much does he know about it? Is it an unusual or unprecedented power to have in his setting?
I've always seen it as being a power bestowed by the Chaos Emeralds. Chaos Control can teleport things around, or stop time, or travel through time. Those kinds of effects are all functionally the same as super speed, right? Speed is just Chaos Control, Chaos Control is speed. The character type classes in Sonic games usually map on to Chaos Drives (Green/speed, Red/power, Purple/fly), so the intuitive conclusion would be that all the Sonic characters get their special abilities from exposure to different kinds of Chaos energy.

I think Sonic has had his super speed since he was born, thus he has had a lot of time to practice with it and explore its uses, making him very knowledgeable about his powers- moreso than some of his enemies who would try to replicate it, like Black Narcissus. Subsequently, while there are other people throughout the world who have developed powers similar to Sonic's thanks to exposure to Chaos energy, few of them have mastered it as Sonic has.


How fast is Sonic? Should he be able to run faster than light? Can he see bullets moving in slow motion or dodge bolts of lightning?
Sonic should be the fastest fictional character imaginable! At the very least I think he should have the same kind of super speed tricks guys like the Flash or Quicksilver are depicted as using. It would be a waste if Sonic were only faster than sound.

What should his core moves be (like Spin Dash, Homing Attack, Light Speed Attack)? How skilled is he at close quarters combat? Should his moves be mostly for fighting or exploration?
His moveset should always include Spin Dash, Jump Dash, Homing Attack, Light Speed Dash, and Light Speed Attack. None of that double jump business.

In addition to his basic moves I like the idea suggested in Sonic Battle that he knows capoeira or other martial arts that resemble dancing. It feels appropriate if his fighting style resembles something that he picked up for fun and repurposed for fighting.

What other powers does he have? Is he physically strong? Durable? Can he create destructive shockwaves using his speed? Can he summon tornadoes? Does he have lots of additional techniques like Insta-Shield or Chaos Control?
Yes.

I think he should have lots of additional powers like Sonic Wind, Insta-Shield, Bounce, etc to keep things interesting.
It's a shame there's never been a Sonic game where you can use all of those extra powers he suddenly had when Blaze fought him in Sonic Rush.


What's the nature of Super Sonic? How much stronger is Super Sonic? What powers does being Super Sonic grant him?
Going along with the idea that Sonic's speed comes from Green Chaos Emerald energy, Super Sonic is what happens when he has access to energy from all the colors: power, flight, swim (can breathe in any environment), and other stats for the Chaos Emerald colors that don't have Chaos Drives, like stamina (invulnerability), luck, and intelligence (not much of a change for Sonic, but think of this power as what turned an ordinary Chao into Chaos). Basically Super Sonic is Sonic's "true" form and his base state is just a taste of his full power.

What about his less commonly used powers and transformations like time travel or Hyper Sonic, how many should he have? Does Sonic intentionally avoid using things like that? Should he be able to access powers like that easily?
I think he should have abilities that are difficult or risky to use that he only turns to in extreme emergencies, such as Hyper Sonic.

Does he use weapons? Is he good with a sword? Even if he doesn't like guns, could he use them proficiently if he had to?
I think his go-two weapon would be throwing small projectiles at high speeds. When that isn't an option, melee weapons work too; they also take advantage of his speed. Guns are too slow.

What about Sonic's more mundane skills, does he have a lot of practical every-day knowledge? He was the original owner of the Tornado, is he as good a pilot as Tails? Does he like flying planes, racing cars, skating, Extreme Gear, etc? How good is he at all of those things?
I think he's a better flier than Tails, but not as good in a dog fight. He picks up new skills quickly, so he's learned a variety of things that come in handy during his travels.

Does Sonic have creative talents, like singing or playing guitar? Can he draw? Can he dance?
Yes.

How smart is Sonic? Is he good at planning on the fly? How's he always running circles around geniuses like Tails and Eggman? Is he low-key a master tactician?
Yes. I think this is one of the most underrated aspects of his character. Some of the maneuvers we've seen him do must require hundreds of split second decisions and calculations to pull off.

How powerful is Sonic overall? How does he measure up with the likes of Superman or Goku? Does he beat Eggman with relative ease like in Sonic X or is it a desperate struggle like in SatAM?
Stuff like fighting Perfect Chaos in Sonic Generations puts him in a pretty high tier. I definitely think he can keep up with Superman or Goku if he has powers similar to speedsters who have challenged them in their own universes. Sonic has never needed more than a week to completely dismantle any of the Doctor's plans, but the madman comes back from every defeat more dangerous than before, and the collateral damage their battles cause becomes greater and greater as time goes on.

Does Sonic have physical weaknesses, like not being able to swim? What are his limits?
My theory is that Sonic's super speed endowed musculature is too dense to float in water, thus he sinks like a stone without a flotation device, no matter how much he'd like to be able to swim. There's also an upper limit to the amount of damage his body can take, as while we've seen him shrug off falling from space and other heavy impacts, he still gets hurt when attacked by other characters who are as tough as he is. Some threats can simply bypass his durability, like the knock out gas Eggman sprayed him with in Sonic Adventure, or the electricity Eggman shocked him with in Sonic Unleashed.

Sonic's relationships
Why is Sonic fighting Robotnik? How did they meet? How long have they been fighting each other? Do Sonic and Eggman have a concrete origin like in Fleetway? How serious is their rivalry? Do they respect each other to a degree? Does Sonic hate Eggman? Do they get tired of fighting each other? How should their final battle play out? What would Sonic do if he defeated Eggman once and for all?
As I see it, something similar to the Sonic Bible/Stay Sonic origin story happened, only Robotnik was always Robotnik and never Kintobor. Instead of getting zapped by one thousand volts of pure evil, Eggman became what he is now as a consequence of his own moral decisions. Sonic and Eggman were once extremely close friends, and when Eggman tried to persuade him to use his speed to aid his plans for world domination, Sonic thought it sounded like fun. The Doctor wished to put him through a program of rigorous physical exercises designed to unlock the full extent of his speed, reflexes, and endurance, hoping to transform him into the ultimate weapon. But Sonic saw the harm Eggman's actions inflicted on innocent creatures, and he realized he had to be stopped. The two have been fighting since Sonic was 8 years old, the same age that Tails is now. They were already enemies for several years before Sonic first encountered the Chaos Emeralds on South Island, the biggest showdown between them up to that point. It was several more years before Amy, Tails, and Knuckles got drawn into their conflict: Sonic and Eggman have known each other longer than they've known anyone else alive.

By now Sonic considers it a personal obligation to oppose Eggman, having allowed the Doctor's ambitions to get too far out of control. They still have some small semblance of their old friendship; it's the reason they can become allies moments after trying to kill each other. Sonic doesn't really hate Eggman- part of him wishes they could just go back to the way things were before the fighting happened. Another part of him relishes the constant challenge, as if they were still playing games to test Sonic's speed. But just as Sonic grows stronger every day, Eggman grows more deadly. They are an unstoppable force and an immovable object- the only way their contest can end is if one of them surrenders. I can see Eggman using technology to prolong his life for decades or centuries, and the two of them would just keep fighting, as long as the world still has room for them to fight in.

If there was a final battle, it would have to be far in the future, after Eggman has accrued vast worlds of armies and super weapons that can destroy universes, only then will Sonic be satisfied. It wouldn't just be a battle for fate of the world, it would be a battle in which the world does end, and a new one is born in it's place with a new Sonic and Dr. Eggman. If Sonic ever did beat Eggman once and for all, he would probably get restless after a while, deciding to travel to other planets or dimensions in search of things to do.


How did Sonic meet Tails? How close are they exactly? Why does Tails look up to Sonic? What do they have in common? Are there any conflicts between them?
I like the account in the manual. They are as close as brothers, and since the time they met they've become the most important person in each others' lives. Tails looks up to Sonic because he admires Sonic's confidence and fearlessness, how composed Sonic is in every situation and how easily he interacts with other people, traits the introverted Tails lacks. They share a similar love of freedom, independence, and the outdoors. They enjoy doing many of the same things- flying, racing, eating chilidogs- and have similar tastes in music. Tails does sometimes resent Sonic for disappearing for long stretches of time, and Sonic sometimes loses patience with Tails' attempts to get him interested in his inventions. The biggest area of conflict between the two however is Tails' unspoken admiration for Dr. Eggman and his undeniable scientific achievements. This irritates Sonic because he once respected Eggman in much the same way and he knows the cost of such a friendship; because of this he fears he will one day lose Tails to the Doctor.

How did Sonic meet Amy? Why does she love him? How does Sonic himself feel about her? Could he ever return her feelings, or does he just dislike her? Does he view her in a similar way to Tails?
I view Sonic CD as happening before most of the other games in the series, thus Sonic has known Amy longer than Tails or Knuckles.

Amy was lead to the Little Planet by her tarot cards. She considers her encounter with Sonic fated, decreed by the stars. In Amy's mind, Sonic is her soulmate, it is their destiny to be together. Sonic was her hero, the person she admired most in the world, and when her prediction that she would meet him was fulfilled it was like a dream come true for her. She's constantly gotten stronger trying to follow him on his adventures, learned how defend herself, learned how to help Sonic fight his battles so she could be by his side no matter what. Chasing Sonic throughout the years has made her the heroine she is today. Everything she's ever done was for him. The idea that she could never have him would shatter her whole world, make her doubt the things she treasures most. She can never do that, so she never gives up on Sonic. Amy would let the world end before she let him go.

There are so many interpretations of Sonic's feelings towards her, which is one reason I've always found their relationship intriguing. Maybe he returns her feelings, but is too shy to admit it. Maybe he can't stand her. Maybe he's afraid to get close because it would put her in danger. Many speculate that Sonic does like Amy, but her obsessive attitude puts him off, and that he would be more receptive if she were more calm and mature. Sonic's interactions with Nimue certainly suggest this might be the case (I think we can safely say he doesn't think of Amy as a little sister if he's comfortable flirting with her alternate reality double).

Sonic doesn't seem interested in dating or romance, so it's not surprising that he turns down Amy's advances. I think he does like having someone that chases him however. Any other girl in the world would have given up by now, but Amy keeps going. Sonic must admire that tenacity. If Amy ever did stop chasing him, Sonic would probably start chasing her- until then, I think he's pretty happy with the way things are.


Are Knuckles and Sonic still rivals? How close are they as friends? How'd they get along when they first met? Do they still fight each other sometimes? Can Knuckles ever fully trust Sonic? What's Sonic's attitude towards Knuckles' whole Guardian of the Master Emerald thing?
The disparity between what I think Sonic and Knuckles' relationship should be like and the relationship they actually have in the games is pretty big. Sonic and Knuckles have polar opposite personalities. Sonic is all about freedom and living life according to his own rules, Knuckles is sworn to guard the Master Emerald, a responsibility that was set out for him thousands of years ago. Knuckles resents Sonic for the freedom he enjoys, something the Guardian can never have, making the hedgehog a walking existential crisis for Knuckles' world view.

Knuckles' struggle to protect the Master Emerald and the Floating Island is his whole identity, his reason to live. Sonic treats keeping the Chaos Emeralds away from Dr. Eggman more like a game than anything else. No wonder Knuckles turns on Sonic at the drop of a hat- he hardly needs convincing from Eggman to think Sonic is an enemy. Those two would have become enemies the moment they met even if Eggman was never in the picture.

Is all of their subsequent character development worth it? I don't know. Knuckles' friendship with Sonic is a threat to his commitment to stay on the Floating Island and guard the Master Emerald, something that would make Knuckles distrust himself, much less Sonic. Eggman might have brought conflict to Knuckles' isolated little world, but Sonic brought something much more dangerous: the temptation to give up his sacred mission entirely. Knuckles must hate Sonic for that, and hate himself even more for letting it happen.

Sonic surely can't stand the idea of the Guardian's existence. To be chained down to such a burden, never experiencing all the rich sights and sounds the outside world has to offer, it would make Sonic sick. It would make him twice as furious with all the nonsense the obsessive Echidna puts him through, knowing the reason for Knuckles' behavior was something so repulsive. We've seen Sonic clash ideologically with Elise or Merlina, but they have nothing on Knuckles. There are no two people on Earth who get under each others' skin like Sonic and Knuckles.

Of course they always fight, of course they can't make peace with each other. Look at them. Look at this Shakespearean tragedy.


Are Shadow and Sonic still rivals? Why are they rivals? Do they interact much outside of world saving? How friendly are they? Could they still become enemies if they were at cross purposes again? What's their feelings towards each other?
One thing about their rivalry that I think needs to be emphasised is: it's not that important to them. They aren't like Goku and Vegeta, they don't live to fight each other. Mostly I think they butt heads on purpose, because they secretly like each other's company, but can't admit it so they pretend to be "rivals". Despite that, I don't think they spend much time together; they have different circles of friends, different interests, different lives that seldom intersect outside of saving the world. They can be civil with each other, if the situation is serious; or take turns mocking each other, if the situation isn't serious. Sometimes their personal differences do become a source of authentic conflict though, such as when Shadow's more ruthless nature reveals itself. For example in Sonic Battle where Sonic wanted to protect Emerl and Shadow wanted to destroy it, then they had a fight for realsies. In most circumstances however, they don't want to fight, Sonic just wants to be Shadow's friend and Shadow just wants Sonic to mind his own business.

How close is Sonic to the other guys like Rouge, Cream, or the Chaotix? Do they know him that well?
Outside of his immediate circle of friends, he's probably closest to Cream and Vanilla, though he doesn't spend a lot of time with them himself; mostly they hang out with Amy and G-Mel, and he interacts with them in that capacity. Sonic's friendship with Big works much the same way; Sonic knows him, and Sonic likes him well enough, but they seldom meet each other. Vanilla would like to be a surrogate mother to Sonic and his friends, but Sonic is too independent to really let her into his life like that.

I like to think he has a long standing friendship with Vector that goes back to before Sonic 1, and he's also close friends with the other members of the Chaotix. Plus they're friends with Knuckles, so they're someone he can convince to hang with Knuckles that the Guardian wouldn't immediately reject. The same holds true for Mighty and Ray; old friends, old comrades, have a common ground with Knuckles. Mostly Sonic is comfortable with all of them because they're all boys; he doesn't have to worry about Amy trying to be his girlfriend or Vanilla trying to be his mom around these guys.

He isn't as close with Rouge. He knows she's someone who can be called on if the world is in danger, but he doesn't trust her outside of those situations. The two understand each other fairly well, but for Sonic that's a reason for greater caution, not less. Meanwhile he outright distrusts Omega and other rogue Eggman robots, perceiving them as potential enemies that are only being kept on a leash by one of his friends. He has more than a slight prejudice against 'clunkers' and it doesn't help that the one he sees most often is a violent psychopath.

I don't think he interacts with Blaze or Silver enough to have particularly developed feelings about them. He's friends with Blaze at least, but her living in another dimension puts a damper on any socializing they would do. Same for Marine. Other than knowing these guys are allies in the fight against Eggman and similar threats, they aren't really on Sonic's radar.

Emerl/G-Mel is his baby.

What's his relationship with the other enemies he's encountered, like Metal Sonic?
He sees most of his enemies as obstacles to be overcome. He doesn't think about them too much. He kind of likes fighting Metal Sonic and enjoys their rivalry, but he's ambivalent about whether Metal Sonic lives or dies. Probably the enemy he most personally disliked is Erazor Djinn; his treatment of Shahra triggered one of Sonic's most violent transformations.

Does Sonic have parents? Other family members? Uncle Chuck? Siblings?
I've toyed with the idea before, but mostly I think of Sonic as being an artificial life form.

Did Sonic have any friends before he met Tails, Amy, and Knuckles? Did he start a band in his younger days?
I consider the band from the early production materials canon. I also think he made friends with Mighty and Ray before he met Tails.

How sociable is Sonic? Does he spend a lot of time with his friends or keep to himself? What's he do when he's not fighting Eggman? How do his friends get in touch with him when he's on his own?
He spends most of his time between adventures on his own, usually traveling to some where new; unless Tails or Amy decide to follow him, they probably won't see him until the world is in danger again. Stuff like the American tv shows where Sonic hangs out with his friends casually all the time doesn't seem right.

Sonic sometimes carries a communicator with him so Tails can get in touch, but I suspect this is only when there's an ongoing mission and that most of the time there's no way to contact Sonic without tracking him down.


Does Sonic care about romance? Is he a lady's man? Which of his love interests throughout various media is he most compatible with? Is Sonic capable of having a permanent relationship or eventually marrying? Do you think he should?
You'd think Sonic fancying himself a ladykiller would go naturally with his enormous ego, and that was certainly how he was depicted in early bios and such, but we never see it in the games themselves. To me Sonic is essentially celibate, since romance would cut into his freedom, which goes along with the 'asceticism' aspect of his character.
Different incarnations of Sonic are compatible with different characters, since each version of Sonic is a different character.


Is Sonic a leader or a follower in the Freedom Fighters/Resistance? What's his role as a member of a team?
Sonic's the kind of person who has to be his own boss; he doesn't want to be in charge of other people so much as he can't have anyone be in charge of him, so he tends to assume a loose kind of leader role. Usually he doesn't come up with the plans and leaves that to someone else (Tails, Eggman, Knuckles) instead, but in those situations Sonic isn't following their orders, he's just letting them play mission control.

How does the average citizen in Sonic's world feel about Sonic? How well known are his exploits? Does he do interviews? Does he have a fan club?
He's the world's hero, famed for his speed and his victories against Eggman. The events of the games from Sonic Adventure onwards are usually too big to go unnoticed, though I imagine what precisely was going on in the classic games remains murky to the general public. Most of Sonic's close friends are famous heroes in their own right by now. Sonic probably doesn't do much public speaking, so the world mainly learns about him through his friends; for example, when Tails received the Chaos Emerald from Station Square. I imagine there's a Sonic's Bodyguard Platoon running around somewhere.

Sonic's world
Mobius or Earth?

"A big Earth can be seen in the distance."
BEEG BEEG EARTH


Grass huts or futuristic cities?
Sonic's world should look like a place where Eggman would live.

Do the talking animal characters have animal like behaviors or is it purely a cosmetic detail?
When you look at Tails or Amy, they're very modern, they're very street savvy. You never see them acting like animals, such as sniffing the air for the scent of prey, or trying to use their teeth as weapons, or complaining about city life, or doing any of the other things furries attribute to their fursonas.

Now guys like Knuckles or Big are different, they actually grew up in the wilderness. But that's distinctive to them individually, based on their backstory, not a species-wide stereotype.


Do talking animals and humans coexist? How do they get along?
I always hated the Archie comics' depiction of MarySuetopia Mobians and Straw Overlanders. My thing is, Sonic basically acts like an ordinary human teenager already, trying to play up how alien or animal like he's supposed to be compared to humans is nonsensical. If Sonic and his friends are depicted as being fully integrated into human culture, then the relationship between humans and talking animals in Sonic's world should be presented in a way that's consistent with that.

How does Sonic's world differ from our world in terms of history, culture, technology, and ecology?
They have ancient civilizations with advanced technology, they have legends and stories inspired by those ancient civilizations, and they have modern super science technology reverse engineered from the ancient technology.

They also have a lot of giant mushrooms and giant snakes and giant alligators and stuff. It's kind of like Dragon Ball.


Aesthetically, what should Sonic's world look like? How closely should it approximate actual game play? Are there rings and floating platforms everywhere?
I go for a pretty literal interpretation of the game universe.

Where was Sonic born? Does he live anywhere, or at least have a place he hangs out more than anywhere else?
He was dug up out of the ground by Dr. Robotnik on Christmas Island, so Sonic thinks that's where he was born. He has United Federation citizenship and most of the places he likes to haunt are there, but he's constantly on the move so he has no real home.

Where did the Chaos Emeralds come from? Why do they exist? What's their relationship to the Special Zone?
The Emeralds are ancient super science basically. They were designed to be harnessed by a Controller (not the Master Emerald), who could unify their power and use it to protect the universe. The Special Zone is a pocket dimension that basically acts as the source of the Emeralds' power- Chaos Control, teleportation, super speed, etc are all effects that are produced from the way the Special Zone influences Sonic's dimension. The Chaos Emeralds vanish into the Special Zone whenever their energy becomes over taxted, to cool down essentially. This typically happens after Sonic uses them to activate his Super Form, but not always.

What's the deal with the Floating Island? What's the history behind the Echidnas? The Master Emerald?
You know, Sonic Adventure stuff.

What's up with the Little Planet? Do people live there? How much does the general public on Sonic's world know about it?
I think of the Little Planet as another thing the ancient civilizations left behind. I prefer to imagine that it's been abandoned for hundreds of years, so there's just the small animals living there, and the inhabitants of Earth don't know much about it.

What's the truth behind the Space Colony ARK? How did Project Shadow play out? Is Sonic the real Ultimate Life Form?
Yosh

What's the story behind GUN? Are they completely corrupt or are they somewhat good? How powerful are they?
I like a mysterious, morally ambiguous GUN. I like to think they're the de facto world rulers, some areas of the planet are too hard to control or aren't important enough for them to oversee, but they've got a strong grip on the United Federation and it's neighbors. Stuff like Eggman taking over the planet is a big deal, but GUN is entrenched enough that when he's defeated they can jump back to status quo relatively quickly, sliding into their old grooves like water.

What's the Eggman Empire like? Should Robotnik rule most of the world or be confined to a few remote hideouts? How's he get the resources for his world domination schemes?
I kind of prefer Eggman-as-terrorist over depictions where he's already taken over, gives him a more complicated relationship to other characters and organizations like GUN. Eggman secretly controls a cabal of industries - oil companies, robot manufacturers, space shuttle engineers- that provide him with funding for his plots. We've seen a few of these, like Meteo Tech in Zero Gravity, but that's just scratching the surface. He's been building up his resources for decades and always has more stuff hidden away in case his latest scheme fails. Even if he lost everything his genius and organizational skills would allow him to rebuild it all in a trivial amount of time.

What are some of the other major locations on Sonic's world? What country do the characters live in? Where do Sonic and his friends see each other most often?
The United Federation in the west, Monopole in the east, and a few other countries in between like South Island. I think most of the cast lives in the UF, except the Babylon Rogues, who live in Monopole. Angel Island, Tails' workshop and Cream's house are probably the three places Sonic's friends most frequently see each other and where most of their casual interaction would take place. Behind those three places would be Amy's apartment (for Team Rose) and Club Rouge (for Team Dark).

What's the future of Sonic's world supposed to be like? What's Silver's deal?
It's been stated that psychic powers are common in Silver's time period, so I guess after 200 years things like the super speed and super strength most Sonic characters have evolved into telekinesis. In a non-destroyed timeline, I imagine Tails has revolutionized life on Earth with his inventions, and everyone has artificial Chaos Emeralds to power their machines. Blue Typhoon class spacecraft patrol the solar system and colonize other planets. Eggman Nega shows up once in a while to cause trouble, and there are probably other members of the Eggman family still around, such as Metal Sonic. Silver lived in the ruins of Soleanna in Next Gen, so I suppose he's still around that area in the new timeline. Silver has encountered Nega several times and figured out how the scientist's time travel works, using it to prevent disasters from happening and preserve his future's relative prosperity.

What's going on with other dimensions like Blaze's world or the storybook worlds? What's the cosmology of the Sonic universe look like? What role do guys like Illumina, Solaris, or Argus play in the grand scheme of things?
Sonic universe cosmology goes like this: there's the multiverse, which surrounds Sonic's dimension and parallel dimensions like Blaze's world, then there's pocket dimensions (Special Zone, Twilight Cage, Null Space), which are nested inside Sonic's world and it's neighboring dimensions.

The supreme deity of the multiverse is Illumina, Goddess of Dreams, and the Precioustone she guards is the object responsible for creating the universes. All of the various dimensions are born from peoples' wishes and dreams, which are then woven into new worlds by Illumina. That's why the storybook dimensions exist, they were created from the dreams of people on Sonic's world as their imaginations were inspired by the stories of Scherazade and King Arthur. Sonic's world itself is the product of someone else's dreams; the real world we live in, perhaps. Nightopia and Nightmare exist alongside Sonic's world as part of its dream, the place where their dreams go before being processed by Illumina.

Illumina has two aspects, one male (Void) the other female (Lumina Flowlight). Void represents the primordial darkness and emptiness that preceded the creation of dreams, while Lumina is the protector and preserver of created dreams. Void possesses all of the raw power of the Goddess, but not the wisdom to use it, so on his own he is unknowingly destructive and capable of erasing all of the multiverse down to its original state of emptiness. Lumina possesses the wisdom and character of the Goddess, but on her own is virtually helpless, limiting her ability to protect the world of dreams. It is only when the two are in harmony that Illumina can fulfil all her functions properly. The Precioustone and Illumina are linked, so that any fracture within Illumina produces a corresponding fracture within the stone.

Below Illumina are the class of gods with dominion over multiple dimensions. They are much less powerful than she is, but their actions are more readily felt by mortals: it was this race of gods that created the Chaos Emeralds, the Sol Emeralds, and the Jeweled Scepter. Argus is one of them, and may be the principal actor within Sonic's dimension, abducting civilizations from planets in that universe and transporting them to the Twilight Cage. It's possible Argus, or others like him, created the various artifacts of power scattered throughout the multiverse and that Argus is currently monitoring mortals to see how they use them.

Below these gods are those that only have the strength to influence one world. These are the various one off cosmic entities Sonic has defeated in his adventures, like Solaris and the Time Eater. Without objects like the Chaos Emeralds to challenge their might, mortals would stand no chance against them, but they are outclassed by these weapons as well as the higher beings who crafted them.

Most of the gods in the Sonic cosmos have two aspects like Illumina, embodying their raw power on the one hand and their intellect on the other, such as Iblis and Mephiles, or Dark Gaia and Light Gaia. This is because they are all imperfect reflections of the supreme deity, born from the dreams she's woven across time.

How serious or lighthearted is the setting in general? How compatible are the fairly dark Adventure era type stories with the cartoonishness of AoStH or Sonic Boom?
The great thing about the tone of the Sonic franchise is it's flexibility. You can tell either of those kinds of stories with the characters. I think anyone who writes the characters should take them with a minimal level of seriousness however; when a creator treats Sonic like a joke with no potential for emotionally poignant storytelling, we get stuff like the Paramount movie.
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Re: Sonic the Hedgehog: Your Way

Post by AugustChao »

Sonic's appearance and personality

Sonic has had several visual revamps over the years; which one would you consider the best, most true-to-character Sonic design? How much freedom do you think artists should have to tweak Sonic's design? Which artist out there has drawn your favorite take on Sonic (can be official art or a fan work)?
I think that Sonic's design should always have AT LEAST the basic elements: Six spines, gloves and shoes, Dark Blue fur (although Light Blue is fine for Classic Sonic I guess), not blue arms, and they can change it very minutely to fit the overall style of the game or media that it's in. I'm fine with them giving him minimal clothing like the scarf and bandages from Boom, but I like it less when they change his actual physical appearence such as Boom's really weird spines or the entire design of the live-action movie Sonic. My favorite art for Sonic is the art seen in the Adventure era games because I think the way he looks and his posing is the best at not just making him look cool but also fitting his personality and the overall theme of the series. I also think that the comics, especially the IDW comics did a really good job with this, not just with Sonic, but with every character (Tyson Hesse is amazing :3)

What do you think are the essential elements of Sonic's design that should remain unaltered? What about the rest of his supporting cast, what do you think they should look like? Some characters like Dr. Robotnik go through really dramatic redesigns in different media, is that more acceptable than when it happens to Sonic himself?
(I kind-of already answered this in the first question, whoopsie :3) For the other characters, I think they should always look like how they look when they're introduced and not go through any major design changes, unless it's something like the Chaotix and I guess Amy where they basically make new characters out of old characters and give them updated designs. When it comes to Eggman/Robotnik, I'm fine with changes to his clothes like in Boom, but I REALLY don't like it when they change his proportions to make him look more like an actual human. I mean, just look at Sonic 06 Eggman (Shivers). I do think that it's more accepting for them to change the designs of the supporting cast, because Sonic himself is the face of the entire franchise, so it's more problematic when they change his design.

How old is Sonic? Should he be a certain age in all of his appearances? Does he age over time? Should his age be evident in his outward appearance?
As has been officially stated, I'd say Sonic is about 15 or 16, and he hasn't very much between the beginning to now. However, given the fact that six entire months passed during Forces, and at least two months passed in between then and IDW, Sonic most likely has gone up an age during that time period, probably to 16 or 17. Unlike Forces (or Heroes with the 3 day thing), we never get a good idea for how much time actually passes during or in between the games, so it's hard to tell.

What are the features of Sonic's personality that set him apart from other characters?
I think the biggest difference Sonic has from everyone else is how forgiving he is with his enemies. Even when characters like Eggman do evil stuff, Sonic is still willing to give them a chance while everyone else wants them to be punished or stopped for good. One really good example is with Metal Sonic, who repeatedly gets defeated by Sonic, but Sonic always gives him the opportunity to join his side if he wants to (to which Metal Sonic always storms out like an edgy tween). Similarly, Sonic also doesn't take most situations as serioursly as everyone else. While others view the introduction of new enemies at threats, Sonic sees it as a fun challenge. Sonic really only gets serious when someone's life in genuinely in danger, and he instead does what he can to help them.

What are the things he likes to do? Are chilidogs his favorite food? What's his favorite genre of music? Does he read books or watch tv? What kind of stuff would he like to read/watch? Does he have any hobbies?
Sonic's favorite thing to do in his free time is run around the world, testing out his speed in different environments and taking part in races. His favorite food is indeed Chili Dogs, and he enjoys making them himself and trying to perfect his recipe. He loves 90s and 2000s rock music and he often listens to it and plays his favorite songs on the guitar. He doesn't read or watch TV often, mainly due to him constantly being on the move, but when he does, he really likes watching cartoons and anime with a lot of fight scenes like DBZ.

Is Sonic a do-gooder hero or more morally ambiguous? Does he seek out threats to fight or only act in self-defense? If he lives in a SatAM like setting where he's involved in a political conflict, does he take a definitive stance on what the country he's fighting for should be like?
Sonic always tries to do what's right for both individuals and for the entire planet, and he'll take whatever measures necessary to make sure the planet is safe from threats. To do so, he often has to do things that others will question or even things that are illegal, but he knows that it's for the greater good to do so. He never seeks out threats to fight and only fights those that threaten him or his friends. He will however pick fights with his rivals, either for fun or when they get in his way. Sonic tends to avoid politics and instead ignores them overall, and only comes into contact with them when necessary like when he had to find the President in SA2. Also, rather than sticking to one country to defend or fight for, he defends the entire planet and holds every area to equal regards.

Does Sonic kill bad guys who aren't robots or space monsters? Does he spare enemies like Eggman or Metal Sonic out of kindness, or a desire to fight them again? How concerned is he about protecting bystanders in his battles?
Sonic wouldn't kill any of his enemies and would offer them a second chance to change their ways, and he does it out of kindness and a wanting to help them. He would look forward to fighting them again, but helping them first would be his priority. He's very often concerned about protecting bystanders, and will get them to safety if they get caught in the middle of a fight. He also has a tendency to put others above himself and prioritizes helping them instead of himself. For example, in Issue 15 of IDW, when Sonic gets the Metal Virus, the very first thing he did was make sure Amy was safe instead of helping himself, and I think this carries over to all other situations.

Does Sonic feel responsible for protecting his friends and/or the entire world? Is he primarily a thrill seeker who doesn't worry about the harm his enemies cause? Does he ever feel guilty about failing to stop disasters like the destruction of Station Square from happening?
Sonic feels it's his job to stop all of Eggman's plans and protect the planet from any threats. He does like thrills, but he avoids the thrills that could harm others or cause destruction. He is often worried that the battles he has will somehow hurt others, and he takes precautionary measures to make sure that it doesn't happen like making sure he fights in areas with no bystanders. Sonic also is more worried about the people getting hurt rather than the actual destruction of the area, so when Perfect Chaos destroyed Station Square, Sonic cared more about the people living there than the actual city itself.

How competitive is Sonic? Does he have a Goku-like obsession with seeking out new challenges or is he more relaxed about it? Does it bother him that there might be opponents out there that are stronger or faster than he is?
Sonic is very competative, but he lets the competition come to him instead of seeking it out. It does bother him that there are those that are faster than him, but he respects those who stand up to him and looks forward to competing against them.

Does Sonic care about the environment, small animals, and the like? Is he really close to nature? Does that play into his conflict with Robotnik?
Sonic cares about the environment a lot, but like I said earlier, he cares more about those living within said environment. However, he still tries to protect the environment the best he can. He really likes nature and can often be found running through forests and interacting with those that live within the nature. Sonic sees Robotnik/Eggman as a threat to the environment because he kidnaps the small animals and puts them into machines, and he also destroys land masses to build his own factories and cities. Although it hasn't concluded yet and it won't be concluded for a while, I'm interested to see how the Metal Virus in IDW plays into this theme of Sonic protecting the environment.

What are Sonic's personal ideals like? Does he always live up to them?
I don't think Sonic has very many core ideals. He just does whatever he knows or thinks is right based on the current situation. However, I do think he's very concerned about making sure no one dies or gets left behind, and he gets genuinely upset when someone dies or is injured. Whenever something like this happens, he blames himself for it, but he always keeps moving forward to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else. Also, even though he does fight and have battles with others like Eggman, he'll never push it so hard that they actually get severely injured or die, and he'll always let them walk away when they're done.

Does Sonic have psychological weaknesses? Is he hydrophobic? If so, how bad is his hydrophobia? Is he afraid of other things, like spiders or what have you?
Sonic isn't necessarily scared of water, he just REALLY doesn't like it. He doesn't like being wet, he doesn't like being submerged in water, and he especially doesn't like having to be underwater for long periods of time. Sonic really isn't scared of anything apart from losing his friends.

Does Sonic have character flaws? Is he hypocritical? Can he keep promises? Does he lie to his friends? Is he kind to people? Has he ever made some major mistakes? Does he have a "greatest failure"?
Like I said earlier about Sonic occasionally having to do bad or illegal things to do what's right, I think Sonic would occasionally lie to his friends if it was to make them feel better or to keep something from them that would hurt them. Also, even if he can't always keep his promises, he tries his best to make sure he does. Sonic does make mistakes, but he never makes really bad mistakes with great consiquences that are in his control (that I can can think of).

Does Sonic have a story arc? Do his adventures change him or does he stay the same in spite of everything that happens? What are the major turning points in his life story?
I think it was at the end of SA2 when Sonic really started to care more about the well-being of both his allies and his enemies, because that was the first time that someone that fought alongside him actually died. After that, Sonic began to forgive those for what they've done and was more open and accepting to those he just met.


Sonic's powers

How did Sonic get his super speed? How long has he had it? How much does he know about it? Is it an usual or unprecedented power to have in his setting?
When I was younger, I used to believe some of the older canon that Sonic's speed came from his shoes, but looking back at that now, that doesn't really make any sense. Now, I'd like to think that Sonic's speed is just an ability he was born with, and it became his most defining characteristic.

How fast is Sonic? Should he be able to run faster than light? Can he see bullets moving in slow motion or dodge bolts of lightning?
It doesn't take much for Sonic to become faster than a plane, and although he has the ability to lap around the entire planet in a matter of minutes, he really has to physically push it to do so, and it would take up a lot of energy and willpower. Sonic could dodge bullets or lightning bolts, but I think that would also take a lot of focus and strength to actually pull off.

What should his core moves be (like Spin Dash, Homing Attack, Light Speed Attack)? How skilled is he at close quarters combat? Should his moves be mostly for fighting or exploration?
Sonic's abilities like the spin dash, homing attack, light dash, bouncing, and boosting are all things that he has normally, and they're mostly used for mobility but are also used in combat when necessary. Sonic is really good at close combat, and he's especially good at kicking due to his speed and constant running.

What other powers does he have? Is he physically strong? Durable? Can he create destructive shockwaves using his speed? Can he summon tornadoes? Does he have lots of additional techniques like Insta-Shield or Chaos Control?
Sonic isn't as physically strong as other characters like Knuckles, Mighty, or even Shadow, but he can still drill straight through solid rocks like in the opening to CD. He can summon tornadoes and shockwaves, but there isn't often situations is which he'd need to, so there a very situational thing. Like Shadow's Chaos Spear, Sonic has his Sonic Wind that he can use as an attack, although he doesn't use it often either. As for Chaos Control, I've always interpreted it as an ability that everyone can do as long as they have a Chaos Emerald or some form of Chaos Energy, and whether or not you can do it is based more off whether of not you know how, and Sonic learned how to do it after seeing Shadow use it.

What's the nature of Super Sonic? How much stronger is Super Sonic? What powers does being Super Sonic grant him?
I'd imagine that Super Sonic and Perfect Chaos are basically equal in terms of power due to the fact that both require all seven Chaos Emeralds so they should in-tern have the same amount of power, but Sonic is slightly stronger due to actually having more control in using it. Going Super gives him the powers of flight, super strength, and even greater speeds.

What about his less commonly used powers and transformations like time travel or Hyper Sonic, how many should he have? Does Sonic intentionally avoid using things like that? Should he be able to access powers like that easily?
Like Chaos Control, I think anyone can use time travel as long as they have a Chaos Emerald, although in Sonic 06, it was from using multiple Chaos Controls simulataneously, so Sonic can use it by having someone else like Shadow or Silver use Chaos Control at the same time as him. Hyper Sonic gives Sonic even more power than Super, but he has less control over what he does with that power, so he purposely avoids using it because he knows it can backfire horribly and only uses it in extreme emergencies.

Does he use weapons? Is he good with a sword? Even if he doesn't like guns, could he use them proficiently if he had to?
Sonic isn't as skilled with guns like Shadow, but he's more skilled with melee weapons and swords like in Sonic and the Black Knight (in which he has the magic of motion controls on his side :3)

What about Sonic's more mundane skills, does he have a lot of practical every-day knowledge? He was the original owner of the Tornado, is he as good a pilot as Tails? Does he like flying planes, racing cars, skating, Extreme Gear, etc? How good is he at all of those things?
Sonic has really good practical knowledge, but he isn't as technically intelligent as Tails or Eggman. Although Sonic is a decent pilot, he's often reckless while flying as seen in things like the IDW Annual 2019, so Tails is still the better pilot overall. He does like and is good at driving, but he doesn't like it as much as running due to it being slower. He likes stuff like skating and riding extreme gear more because he can utilize his actual speed a lot more, so he's also better at them.

Does Sonic have creative talents, like singing or playing guitar? Can he draw? Can he dance?
Sonic is really good at playing the guitar, and is a guitarist in a band with Team Chaotix. Although he doesn't draw that often, he does dance to his favorite music a lot.

How smart is Sonic? Is he good at planning on the fly? How's he always running circles around geniuses like Tails and Eggman? Is he low-key a master tactician?
Much like how he's quick on his feet, Sonic comes up with quick planning on the fly both while running through obstacles and while fighting. He's also better at finding flaws in Eggman's machines and hitting their weak points (although Eggman always makes them the most obvious places possible).

How powerful is Sonic overall? How does he measure up with the likes of Superman or Goku? Does he beat Eggman with relative ease like in Sonic X or is it a desperate struggle like in SatAM?
Sonic on his own probably couldn't beat Superman or Goku, but he'd have a much better chance as Super Sonic. As for how it easy it is for him to beat Eggman, it really depends on the situation. Sometimes his schemes are so stupid they're simple to beat, but sometimes they're more elaborate and offer more of a challenge for Sonic.

Does Sonic have physical weaknesses, like not being able to swim? What are his limits?
Sonic can't swim, which is why he runs on the ground underwater. And like I said earlier, Sonic's physical abilities with his speed do have their limits, but can be improved when they're pushed to the test.


Sonic's relationships

Why is Sonic fighting Robotnik? How did they meet? How long have they been fighting each other? Do Sonic and Eggman have a concrete origin like in Fleetway? How serious is their rivalry? Do they respect each other to a degree? Does Sonic hate Eggman? Do they get tired of fighting each other? How should their final battle play out? What would Sonic do if he defeated Eggman once and for all?
Eggman just decided to take over the world one day, and Sonic came to stop his plans, and the rest was history. Eggman always comes up with new schemes, and Sonic's always there to stop them. Their rivalry isn't that serious, and even when they try to kill echother, the other comes through, so they know they can never actually kill the other. They do respect eachother, and Eggman's always impressed at how Sonic can foil his plans even when they seem perfect. Sonic doesn't hate Eggman, and although he is often annoyed by him repeatedly coming with new plots, he likes having fun beating him and throwing one-liners at him. I don't think they'll ever have a final battle, and they'll probably keep fighting until one of them dies of old age.

How did Sonic meet Tails? How close are they exactly? Why does Tails look up to Sonic? What do they have in common? Are there any conflicts between them?
Remember how earlier I said that I think Sonic was born with his speed? Well, I think part of the reason why he took a liking to Tails is because he was also born with a similar physical abnormality with his two tails. Although Tails didn't like his two tails because everyone picked on him, Sonic saw it as an opportunity like his speed, and he taught Tails how to use them to fly. Tails looks up to Sonic because of how he used his speed to save the world, and he wanted to do the same with both his tails and his technical know-how. Tails sees Sonic as an older brother while Sonic sees Tails as a younder brother, and they get along really well. Sonic's recklessness and constant world-saving does really worry Tails because he thinks something bad will happen, but Sonic always reassures him that he'll be fine. However, when Sonic actually does get hurt, it really upsets Tails. In Sonic Forces, when everyone thinks Sonic is dead, Tails is the one that was effected the most, to the point where he couldn't help everyone else. Even Amy, the one who's obsessed with Sonic, wasn't as phased by Sonic's supposed death, proving that Tails probably cares more about him than anyone else.

How did Sonic meet Amy? Why does she love him? How does Sonic himself feel about her? Could he ever return her feelings, or does he just dislike her? Does he view her in a similar way to Tails?
Sonic met Amy when he first came to Little Planet in Sonic CD, and Amy fell for him as soon as she set her eyes on him. She ended getting kidnapped by Metal Sonic, and Sonic saved her, which only made her love him more. Ever since, Amy's been following Sonic around because she thinks he's a hot bad boy, and she sees him as her knight in shining armor that will always come to save her. She also has a room full of pictures of him (in the form of Amy's Room from Sonic Battle), and she fantasises about him being in a serious relationship with her. Sonic gets really annoyed by Amy constantly following him around, but he does show signs of liking her back from time to time. Like how Sonic respects Tails for his flight and mechanic abilities, he also respeccts Amy for her ability to fight with her hammer and to command an army during a literal war.

Are Knuckles and Sonic still rivals? How close are they as friends? How'd they get along when they first met? Do they still fight each other sometimes? Can Knuckles ever fully trust Sonic? What's Sonic's attitude towards Knuckles' whole Guardian of the Master Emerald thing?
Since Knuckles is the lone guardian of the Master Emerald, he has a hard time trusting anyone but himself, so when he met Sonic, he saw him as nothing but a threat. However, after seeing Sonic stop Eggman multiple times, Knuckles started to see Sonic as an ally. However, he still doesn't fully trust him and will fight him if he thinks he can't trust him anymore. For example, even though they were allies prior to Sonic Adventure, Knuckles still accused Sonic of having a piece of the Master Emerald and didn't hesitate to beat him for it. For this reason, I don't think Knuckles will ever fully trust Sonic, or really anyone that he isn't really close to. He seems to trust other like Tails and Team Chaotix more than he does Sonic, because he's had more experience with Team Chaotix, and he probably doesn't see Tails as much of a threat and as more harmless than Sonic. Sonic respects Knuckles for his job as the guardian, but wishes he would have fun more often and leave Angel Island more. Knuckles and Sonic also do have pretty clashing personalities, so when they do work together, they fight a lot and have a lot of disagreements.

Are Shadow and Sonic still rivals? Why are they rivals? Do they interact much outside of world saving? How friendly are they? Could they still become enemies if they were at cross purposes again? What's their feelings towards each other?
After Sonic saw Shadow die at the end of SA2, Sonic felt a lot more respect and understanding towards Shadow when he came back, and was willing to help him in piecing together the truth about his past. Also, he has a lot of faith in Shadow and trusts him to be able to save the world on his own in games like Shadow the Hedgehog (the game) because he knows he already has before. Shadow still doesn't remember all of what happened between him and Sonic during SA2, but he still is pretty skeptical about whether or not he should trust Sonic, so he doesn't feel the same way about Sonic as Sonic feels towards him. Shadow also feels that as the Ultimate Lifeform, it's only natural that he should be better than Sonic and everyone else, and so he tries to prove that. Because of this, their rivalry is fueled less by Sonic and more by Shadow. They don't interact at all outside of saving the world, mainly because Shadow is busy doing work for GUN. I think they stopped being enemies towards eachother because they know that the other has good intentions and they're on the same side even if they don't agree on some things.

How close is Sonic to the other guys like Rouge, Cream, or the Chaotix? Do they know him that well?
Sonic knows for a fact that Rouge always has ulterior motives, but he still knows she's a trustworthy ally. He's good friends with Cream because he always has to protect her, and Vanilla trusts Sonic to take care of her daughter. Out of all of Sonic's allies, I'd say he probably knew Team Chaotix the longest, mainly due to Vector technically being one of the first characters ever created, and Mighty and Ray pre-dating even Tails existance. Like Knuckles, he's been around them enough to know that they can be trusted with a lot of situations.

What's his relationship with the other enemies he's encountered, like Metal Sonic?
Sonic likes Metal Sonic because he always offers him a decent challenge, but that feeling is very one-sided. Metal Sonic HATES Sonic because he considers himself to be the true Sonic, and Sonic probably feels really bad for Metal Sonic because he keeps beating him which is why he always offers him to be his ally. Metal Sonic goes through a lot to try and beat Sonic, even going against Eggman and copying abilities as Neo Metal Sonic, but in the end, he never actually succeeds, making his hatred worse.

Also... You might know everything I'm going to do, but that's not going to help you, because I know everything YOU'RE GOING TO DO! STRANGE ISN'T IT?


Does Sonic have parents? Other family members? Uncle Chuck? Siblings?
I don't think Sonic even knows about his family and would want to keep them out of his world-saving life, but a little part of me wants to believe that Uncle Chuck and Sonia and Manic are out there somewhere... :3

Did Sonic have any friends before he met Tails, Amy, and Knuckles? Did he start a band in his younger days?
Sonic was the lead guitarist of a band with Team Chaotix. They had an album, and it was a smash hit!

How sociable is Sonic? Does he spend a lot of time with his friends or keep to himself? What's he do when he's not fighting Eggman? How do his friends get in touch with him when he's on his own?
Sonic for the most part spends his time alone and only meets up with his friends when trouble shows up. The only one of his friends he tends to hang out with is Tails, and he has a communicator to talk to Tails whenever he needs to.

Does Sonic care about romance? Is he a lady's man? Which of his love interests throughout various media is he most compatible with? Is Sonic capable of having a permanent relationship or eventually marrying? Do you think he should?
Sonic probably sees romance as a bit of a hinderance to his freedom and ability to save the world, but he'd still be in a relationship. Out of all the girls he's interacted with, he'd probably be the most likely to get with Amy because she's the only one he's shown even slight attraction towards, and she likes him.

Is Sonic a leader or a follower in the Freedom Fighters/Resistance? What's his role as a member of a team?
Sonic works on his own, but will work alongside the resistance when he needs to. When he does, he always lets someone like Amy or Knuckles take over and rolls with whatever their plan is.

How does the average citizen in Sonic's world feel about Sonic? How well known are his exploits? Does he do interviews? Does he have a fan club?
Like in most superhero universes, there are a lot of people that are fans of his and there's a lot of merchandise made of him. There's also pretty big coverage of most of his feats, but the public never get the information about the core details of what happened during those events apart from the obvious "Sonic saved the world". He hates interviews, but he has been featured in commercials (my favorite of which being that McDonald's commercial he was in, you know the one)! As for whether or not he has a fan club, go read the IDW Annual 2019, it has the answer.


Sonic's world

Mobius or Earth?
In the current stuff, neither. In everything else, I like the idea of Mobius more, but I can see it taking place on Earth working as long as the Mobius elements (you know, both Humans and Non-Humans living and coexisting in society) are in place.

Grass huts or futuristic cities?
A little bit of everything.

Do the talking animal characters have animal like behaviors or is it purely a cosmetic detail?
For the most part, they have more humanoid movements and behaviors, but they each have some quirks depending on what species they are. For example, cats like Blaze and Big move around their tails depending on their mood, and they also probably purr when they're happy.

Do talking animals and humans coexist? How do they get along?
Humans are just another animal, and they coexist with everything else. Every species is held to the same regard, and none overpopulate over the rest.

How does Sonic's world differ from our world in terms of history, culture, technology, and ecology?
It's basically the same, and like I said earlier, there's a little bit of everything.

Aesthetically, what should Sonic's world look like? How closely should it approximate actual game play? Are there rings and floating platforms everywhere?
The stages that Sonic runs around in just so happen to be the places where people drop their loose change :3

Where was Sonic born? Does he live anywhere, or at least have a place he hangs out more than anywhere else?
Sonic was born somewhere, I don't know where. He does have a tendency to hang out at cities like Station Square, though.

Where did the Chaos Emeralds come from? Why do they exist? What's their relationship to the Special Zone?
They have something to do with the ancient Echidna races as well as the Master Emerald and Chaos, but they don't have a concrete explanation apart from that.

What's the deal with the Floating Island? What's the history behind the Echidnas? The Master Emerald?
Wait, didn't I just say something about the Echidnas? Like, in the previous question?

I'd imagine that like the ancient civilizations here on Earth, we'll never know the actual answer.


What's up with the Little Planet? Do people live there? How much does the general public on Sonic's world know about it?
Most people on Sonic's world know about Little Planet, and it's mostly inhabited by machines such as Eggman's robots and Metal Sonic.

What's the truth behind the Space Colony ARK? How did Project Shadow play out? Is Sonic the real Ultimate Life Form?
Basically, everything in SA2 and Shadow happened.

What's the story behind GUN? Are they completely corrupt or are they somewhat good? How powerful are they?
They're good, they just didn't trust Shadow at first because they blamed Shadow for the invasion of the Black Arms. As soon as they were on the same page, they gladly let Shadow join them. They're pretty powerful, as they work with the president of the United Federation.

What's the Eggman Empire like? Should Robotnik rule most of the world or be confined to a few remote hideouts? How's he get the resources for his world domination schemes?
Eggman has a mix of both small hideouts and warehouses as well as giant factories and cities such as Eggmanland, and his resources are usually obtained either by his robots or by mercenaries he's hired like Team Hooligan or Rough and Tumble.

What are some of the other major locations on Sonic's world? What country do the characters live in? Where do Sonic and his friends see each other most often?
They mostly hang around the area where cities like Station Square, Westopolis, and Capital City are located.

What's the future of Sonic's world supposed to be like? What's Silver's deal?
Silver's future is weird because whenever one threat is eliminated, another one arises, so it's basically destined to be a really bad future. Silver is probably some sort of descendant of an already living Hedgehog like Sonic, Shadow, or Amy, but who or how is unknown. In fact, because of how he keeps changing the past, I'm surprised he hasn't been written out of existence somehow.

What's going on with other dimensions like Blaze's world or the storybook worlds? What's the cosmology of the Sonic universe look like? What role do guys like Illumina, Solaris, or Argus play in the grand scheme of things?
Blaze's dimension is just an alternate form of Sonic's dimension while the storybook dimensions are pocket dimensions that take place in certain objects. How they exist, I don't know.

How serious or lighthearted is the setting in general? How compatible are the fairly dark Adventure era type stories with the cartoonishness of AoStH or Sonic Boom?
I like the more lighthearted tone with the occasional dark or serious events. There's so much variety in Sonic that I think they all go together overall.
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