View source for Chao

{{Infobox Default
|title=Chao
|image=[[File:Chao of Three.png|200px|alt=Chao]]
|caption=Three Chao as seen on Sonic Channel
|RelatedPage1=[https://chao-island.com/info-center/about-chao About Chao]
|RelatedPage2=[https://chao-island.com/info-center/chao-history Chao History]
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|RelatedWiki1=[[Chao World]]
|RelatedWiki2=[[Chao Garden]]
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}}

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[[Category:Characters]]

'''Chao''' (jap. チャオ - Chao) are small creatures from Sonic the Hedgehog franchise created as a form of artificial-life. Within the game, they are living, prehistoric creatures known to live by clear water in special protected enemy-free sanctuaries called [[Chao Garden|Chao Gardens]].


== Appearance ==
[[File:Normal_eating.gif|thumb|none|250px|A Chao eating a nut that has fallen from a tree.]]
Chao are little creatures with a big drop-like shaped head and big oval eyes, a small round body with wings, and small limbs and tail. Chao also have an floating spherical [[Emote Ball|ball]] above its head which it uses to show its emotions and mood.

Usually, Chao are a light-blue colour with pink wings, yellow highlights and a yellow emote ball, but as the [[Sonic Adventure]] series progressed, Chao were able to be seen in many other [[colours]] and textures.

== In-game ==
Chao made their first appearance in Sonic Adventure in 1999 (December 23, 1998 for Japan) as a launch game for the [[Sega Dreamcast]]. Chao (pronounced "chow") were given a canonical history within the existing Sonic universe. Chao were seen to have existed since an ancient time, protected by a creature named [[Chaos]]; who was also the original guardian of the [[Master Emerald]]. Chaos is also a mutated Chao itself. The story of Chao is that they, and [[Chaos]], were found by a young echidna named [[Tikal]] at the Master Emerald Altar around 3000 years before events of Sonic Adventure. Ever since then, Chao began to appear around the world in Chao Gardens in harmony with the rest of humanity.

Chao do not possess the ability to decide their own course of evolution, and it is influenced by the players treatment, care and interaction with the Chao and what items the player gives to it.

[[File:Sa1-chao-firstapp.png|thumb|none|200px|The first Chao were found in Sonic Adventure for the Dreamcast.]]

==Franchise Appearances==
{{Main article|Major Appearances}}
{{Main article|Minor Appearances}}

Below is an outline of various major appearances of Chao across various media.

===Sonic Adventure===
{{Main article|Chao World}}
Sonic Adventure 1 on Dreamcast was Chao's first appearance as previously stated. The game's Chao garden is not so popular despite being the first iteration, with a lack of the [[Alignment]] mechanic and generally very vague on how raising chao actually works. The [[Black market]] is also only accessible online. Raising Chao is required to earn all emblems.

===Sonic Adventure 2===
{{Main article|Chao World}}
Sonic Adventure 2 brings back Chao as a minigame. Although they have no relevance to the main story, the Chao Garden system was revamped. The main location of Chao is called the [[Chao World]], and is accessed through collecting a [[Chao_Container#Chao_Key|Chao Key]] in an Action stage and finishing the level, unlocking [[Chao World]] in the level select for that character specifically. Raising Chao is required to earn all 180 emblems.

The Gamecube version of the gardens is the most popular version, with Sonic Adventure 2 Battle's [[Races]] and [[Chao Karate|Karate]] and the Chao [[Kindergarten]] offering many features. This is also the version used in the PC ports of SA1 and SA2.

The third mission in every action stage (except the 2 kart stages) is to find the Lost Chao within the stage. This is usually accomplished by using a power-up called the Mystic Melody, which must be found first in various action stages.

===Tiny Chao Garden===
{{Main article|Tiny Chao Garden}}

The Tiny Chao Garden was a handheld garden found in various Sonic Advanced games. Players could raise Chao here using rings earned within the game, and could transfer Chao between the Gamecubes ports of the Adventure games.

===Sonic Channel===
{{Main article|Sonic Channel}}
Chao have their own page on [[Sonic Channel]], which is written in Japanese.<ref>[http://sonic.sega.jp/SonicChannel/character/chao.html Sonic Channel: Chao]</ref> Full text: 

  古（いにしえ）のナックルズ族の族長の娘。
  心優しく、誰にでも分け隔て無く接することから、異物として恐れられたカオスとも唯一意思を通じ合った。
  他の国を侵し覇権を得てゆく父・パチャカマに対しては批判的であり、常に対立していた。
  パチャカマの侵攻によりカオスが暴走した際、自らを封印としマスターエメラルドにカオスを封じることとなる。『ソニックアドベンチャー』で、様々な状況でソニックらを導く紅い光球こそ、彼女の魂が現代に現れた姿で ある。復活したカオスに悲劇を繰り返させないために。

Translation:

  Not possessing the ability to decide its own course of evolution, fragile, fleeting, consequently a pure and lovable life-form. Typically they live by clear water. They adapt to survive in various environments by being able to capture features of other life-forms that they touch. Watching their exceedingly cute behavior is relaxing.

===Sonic Chronicles: Codex===
Chao have an entry in the [[Sonic_Chronicles:_The_Dark_Brotherhood|Sonic Chronicles]] Codex, under ''Chao''.

  Chao are small creatures indigenous to Sonic's world. Their origins are
  mysterious, but anyone who knows where to look and what to look for can find a
  Chao.
  
  The most famous Chao is Cheese, Cream the Rabbit's best friend. As Cream and
  Cheese show, people in Sonic's world can bond with Chao to gain special powers
  or boost their abilities.
  
  There are a lot of different kinds of Chao in the world, each giving different
  powers when bonded. All Chao, however, begin as eggs and must be hatched in a
  Chao Garden. Chao love to meet other Chao, and interaction with others tends 
  to make them more powerful and even cause them to mate, creating new Chao
  eggs.

<gallery caption="Sonic Chronicles Codex" widths="180px" heights="120px" >
File:ChroniclesChao1.png|Page 1
File:ChroniclesChao2.png|Page 2
</gallery>

==Voice files==
Below are a few popular voice files often heard in the Chao garden.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Description
! Sound
|-
| Crawling 
| [[file:chao_crawl.wav]]
|-
| Singing
| [[file:classroom-song1.wav]]
|-
| Sleeping
| [[File:Chao snore.wav]]
|-
| Crying
| [[File:Chao crying.wav]]
|-
| Bowing
| [[File:Chao hiii.wav]]
|-
|}

==Trivia==
*The Chao are an evolution of the 'A-Life' system that Sonic Team originally created in the Sega Saturn Game "NiGHTS into Dreams…" using small creatures called '[[Nightopians]]'. The Nightopians would change their behaviour depending on their treatment.
*[[Cheese]] is a mainline Chao character often found with [[Cream the Rabbit]]. 

==Artwork==

<gallery caption="Official Artwork" widths="180px" heights="120px" >
File:Chao of Three.png|Sonic Channel
File:Sa1-chao-scene1.png|Sonic Adventure. Tikal meets Chao for the first time.
File:Sonicx-chao.png|Sonic X image from the Little Lost Chao episode.
File:Runners-chao-witch.png|Sonic Runners Witch Chao
</gallery>

<gallery caption="Selected Fan Artwork" widths="180px" heights="120px" >
File:Chao_Island_Logo_250px.png|Captioned
File:Chao_Island_Logo_250px.png|Captioned
File:Chao_Island_Logo_250px.png|Captioned
File:Chao_Island_Logo_250px.png|Captioned
File:Chao_Island_Logo_250px.png|Captioned
</gallery>