Sonic

Sonic the Hedgehog





Appearance

Sonic before the Chaos incident, from Sonic Origins.


Sonic is a slim anthropomorphic hedgehog with blue fur that covers most of his body, and peach skin that covers his arms, muzzle, insides of his ears and front torso. He has small, triangular ears on top of his head, six long quills on the back of his head, two spines protruding from his back behind his shoulders, and a short tail.

Back when he was younger, up until the Chaos incident, Sonic was shorter and stubbier, had a round head and an equally round torso, and black eyes. Since the Chaos incident, he has grown taller and thinner, and developed green eyes. Prior to the Neo Metal Sonic incident, he was also often shown to have peach-skinned eyelids, until they eventually were portrayed as blue as well.

For attire, Sonic wears red boots with a white strap, cuff and gold buckle each; and a pair of white gloves with sock-like cuffs on the hands.

Sonic the Hedgehog (ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ Sonikku za Hejjihoggu, born 23 June) is the titular main protagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog series and Sega's mascot. He is an anthropomorphic hedgehog born with the ability to run faster than the speed of sound, hence his name, and possesses lightning-fast reflexes to match his speed. As his species implies, Sonic can also roll up into a concussive ball, primarily to attack enemies.

Born on Christmas Island, Sonic abandoned his home at an early age to persue danger and adventures. Becoming a carefree adventurer, Sonic has spent most of his life traveling around the world and far beyond, usually in his beloved Tornado with his best friend, Tails, as his sidekick. He has since become the champion of peace after stepping into the battle against iniquity, having used his abilities to defend his world and those far beyond from the forces of evil, especially his arch-nemesis, Dr. Eggman, and his empire.

During his many adventures, Sonic has traveled from the ends of the world to the far reaches of space and time, facing countless trials that have tested him to the fullest, earning him many titles, allies, and the scorns of several foes. Well-known for his legendary attitude and somewhat short temper, yet strong sense of justice, compassion, and love for freedom and adventure, Sonic's countless victories over the villains he has faced and his extraordinary set of abilities both have given him somewhat of a celebrity status, having many fans who yearn for his cool lifestyle, being loved by everyone just as Eggman is despised by all, and remaining the idol of many children from all over the world. However, he does not care about that at all and continues to run freely to this day.

Appearances in other media

Sonic the Hedgehog Story Comic
Sonic the Hedgehog (promotional comic)
Sonic the Hedgehog (manga)
Stay Sonic
Archie Comics
Sonic the Comic
Virgin Books
Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series)
Sonic the Hedgehog Adventure Gamebook
Sonic Adventures
Troll Associates
Ladybird
Sonic the Animation
Sonic in Sydney
Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie
Sonic Underground
Dash & Spin Super Fast Sonic
Sonic X
Sonic World Adventure (manga)
Sonic: Night of the Werehog
Sonic and the Black Knight (manga)
Sonic Colors (manga)
Sonic Chronicles (manga)
Sonic Generations (manga)
Sonic Boom
Sonic Comic
Sonic Forces digital comic (mentioned)
IDW Publishing
Team Sonic Racing One-shot
Team Sonic Racing Overdrive
OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes
Chao In Space
Sonic the Hedgehog (film series)
Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps
Sonic Colors Comics
Sonic Prime


Sonic is said to be "like the wind," a drifter that is always on the move and is noted for being free-spirited and with an endless appetite for adventure, whose motto is "Run daily whenever in the mood". Described as a cool dude who goes wherever the flow takes him, Sonic values freedom above all else and strives to live his life according to his own rules and whims rather than the standards of those around him or for the sake of heroism and duty, never thinking twice about what other people say or think. As such, Sonic is not a "do-gooding" hero. Owning to his love of freedom, Sonic is also a very independent guy who is mostly interested in doing his own thing, being willing to live and die by his own rules.

Born to run and loving to cover as much ground as possible, Sonic enjoys nothing more than adventure and traveling around the world. This is because he believes life should be exciting. He in particular loves interacting with the many cultures present on the planet, and enjoys tasting the regional cuisines, specially chili dogs; because to this, he likes to call himself a connoisseur. Endowed with a strong passion for enjoying life, he is never in one place for long and always moves forward to look for his next challenge, viewing his life as a never-ending series of adventures. Because of his need for freedom, Sonic loathes the idea of being constrained; being cooped up or being forced to stay in one place tends to make him very uneasy and restless. By the time of the War to Take Back the Planet, however, Sonic appears to have somewhat overcome his stir-craziness, remaining calm and snarky even after being imprisoned aboard the Death Egg for six months. Nevertheless, he has stated that he enjoys a few indoor activities, such as reading, specially on rainy days. Some books he reads include the Arabian Nights and King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Needless to say though, his primary passion is speed, and as such, he likes anything fast. If there is anything Sonic does like to take slow however, it is a vacation.

Sonic's demeanor is normally easygoing, calm, and carefree, no matter the crisis. However, he is generally impatient as he likes to get things done quickly, hates boredom, cannot hold still, and can possess a short temper. Because of his impulsive nature and since he is not detail-oriented due to a short attention span, Sonic can be reckless and quick to act before thinking, throwing himself into trouble without a second thought and regards for others' warnings. Nevertheless, he is honest, fearless, and always keeps his promises.

Sonic's personality is a juxtaposition of kindness and ferocity. He is extremely benevolent, driven by his own strong sense of justice and fair play, being driven to fight injustice for the ideal of freedom rather than in the name of the law. He is similarly always looking for the truth. Due to this, Sonic is never the one to rest in the face of injustice or oppression, and he always protects and fights for the underdog. He similarly hates lies, unfairness, and evil in all its forms, exploding with anger when witnessing anything unjust[ and doing all he can to snuff it out, throwing his life on the line without hesitation. Adding to his selflessness, Sonic never asks for anything in return for his heroic deeds; to him, the smiles he brings to others is all the reward he needs. However, he usually sees his heroics as an opportunity to have fun, making him a thrill-seeker. To Sonic, saving the world is no big feat and just another thrilling episode in his life. When he finds himself in a pinch, he acts as though nothing can stop him. However, this keen and intense personality can make him seem reckless. In times of crisis, though, he is aggressive and focuses intensely on the task at hand as if his personality has undergone an astonishing change. At the same time, Sonic has a big and kind heart and is fully committed to helping out anyone in need at any time when they are in trouble, even if it means getting himself into trouble or being despised by others.




Sonic has a lot of self-confidence and courage, making him sassy, cocky, occasionally overconfident, and as quick-witted as he is fast-footed. Sonic's signature positive attitude is where his massive internal ego comes from; he thinks that he and his friends will always find a way out of any situation and that he can be unstoppable, and takes great pride in his absolutely unbeatable speed and strength. However, this attitude sometimes leads to him underestimating his enemies and the task at hand. Nevertheless, this ego is not to be confused with narcissism, as Sonic does not see himself as more important than others. No matter the threat or how dangerous it is, he always remains cool under pressure. He also fancies himself as a bit of a ladies man, but he almost never flirts with anyone and does not like to be chased by girls.

In Japanese versions of media, Sonic omits honorifics and speaks informally (if not rudely), using "ore" instead of "I" when addressing himself or others ("ore" is a boastful way to say "I" in Japanese). However, he will still occasionally use honorifics when addressing close friends or acquaintances. Possessing a narcissistic tongue and a notable attitude, Sonic often jokes around to light the mood and will also take any opportunity to taunt his opponents. Being so smug, he has developed a habit of talking to destroyed robots, even when he knows they cannot hear him, which he can be embarrassed about when caught in doing. Despite this, he can be a gentleman when he wants to and be modest with fancy titles. Additionally, while Sonic generally assumes he can deal with things on his own, he also realizes he has friends to back him up in situations too big for himself and believes strongly in teamwork and the bonds he has made, having noted that he would not have come as far as he has today without his friends and allies. In keeping with his smugness and confidence, he often engages in playful banter with his enemies; an example is during the War to Take Back the Planet, where he asked Infinite "optional" questions to glean into what the secret behind the latter's powers were, what his favorite color was and whether he liked long, romantic walks on the beach; and also "asked" a Zavok Phantom Copy if he would let Sonic join a party occurring on the Death Egg, referring to the commotion resulting from the Resistance's infiltration of the area. Sonic is likewise very competitive; while he takes no interest in challenges he knows he can win easily, he always welcomes a good competition that has him squaring off against others on even ground. Sonic likewise never holds back when pitted against others in a test of skills and abilities, and is not above trash-talking his opponents. Nevertheless, Sonic is not one to usually hold ill against others in case he loses in an competition to them; while he got angry that he lost his victory to Jet during the first EX World Grand Prix due to someone sabotaging his Extreme Gear and had to bear the blunt of Jet's trash talking, Sonic usually maintains a good sense of sportsmanship, even in defeat.

Early on, Sonic showed no interest in competing in races, and never used vehicles like motorbikes or cars, finding it redundant as he could go faster than either of them. However, as of Dodon Pa's Grand Prix, he admitted that he had a lot of fun while driving the Speed Star for the first time, and raced using cars to give his friends a chance at winning and to have some fun himself. In his own words, he uses racecars "'cuz it's cool".

I'll never look back. I've got no regrets. 'Cause time doesn't wait for me. I choose to go my own way.

In keeping with his footloose lifestyle, Sonic never dwells on the past or allows his painful experiences to weigh him down. Instead, he lives in the present and always looks forward to his next adventure, holding no regrets for what has transpired. It is only in the moments of greatest loss that his macho and carefree appearance falls away, like in the apparent deaths of his closest friends or loved ones. Similarly, Sonic always does what he thinks is right and never second-guesses what he does, remaining steadfast to the end. Together, these qualities give Sonic an incredibly strong character and will; no matter the situation, he never doubts himself or gives up, never once submitting to the darkness in his heart.



While he enjoys his independence, Sonic is also extremely loyal to his friends and will risk his life for them without any due consideration. While he can leave them hanging, act rude towards them, or endanger them due to his fast-paced nature, Sonic never intends to make his friends - specially girls - unhappy and values them above all else, treating each of them as the most important person in his life. He will likewise always accept help from his friends and show great trust in them. Irreverent to authority, Sonic places everyone one on the same level as him and does not show interest in treating anyone differently because of a supposed superiority. Because of this, he can come across as rude to figures of authority by speaking to them informally, which often lands him in trouble.

Regardless of the many foes he has faced, Sonic rarely considers them true enemies and instead tends to admire them for how powerful some of them are and how much fun they can provide him. Likewise, he is shown to have a remarkable capacity to forgive; the most notable example of this is when he forgave Silver and worked with him after the latter had tried to kill him twice.

As his outward demeanor implies, Sonic is not book smart, but he is very street smart. Despite this, Sonic has proven himself to be much more insightful than he usually lets on, being capable of seeing through deception or noticing things that others would have overlooked. Notably, he has been able to figure out the schemes of even the intelligent and manipulative Rouge. He can likewise give valuable and comforting advices that drastically change the outlook of others, such as in the case of Elise, Merlina, and Blaze. This insight, combined with a charismatic personality, allows Sonic to get along with virtually anyone he meets, even if they were his enemies at one point. However, while Sonic is able to change those around him for the better, he himself has not really changed over the course of his adventures; he sticks firmly to his beliefs and does not let anything but himself define him.

Sonic loves beauty and nature and stands as a protector of both aspects. As seen during the Wisp incident, he appreciates scenic views, and was incensed to find out that Eggman was destroying Planet Wisp's beautiful and lush environment. During the Solaris incident, Sonic was also shown to have a fondness for locations that are filled with flowers, trees, and other kinds of plants. Ironically, despite his inability to swim, Sonic also loves the ocean.


Sonic as a disc jockey, from Sonic Adventure.

Said to be "fuzzy" about music, Sonic has been shown to enjoy cool music, but seems to have a special interest in rock music. Furthermore, it was displayed during the Sol Emerald incident that Sonic also enjoys breakdancing, which is reflected in his Trick Actions. His battle moves seen during the Emerl incident are also based on break dancing as mentioned in the attack descriptions. He also breakdances numerous times, usually when he is victorious.

Sonic tends to get irritated when his enemies often misidentify his species, namely by calling him a rat, making him correct them and state his actual species is a hedgehog. This was best demonstrated with his encounters with Erazor Djinn during the World Ring incident, and to a lesser extent with his encounter with Infinite at the Mystic Jungle.