Sonic media characterizes Sonic as an impatient, snarky drifter and daredevil who despises injustice. He frequently battles Eggman, amad scientist who seeks to steal the mysticalChaos Emeralds and take over the world. Sonic can curl into a ball to attack enemies and use the Chaos Emeralds to becomeinvulnerable. He has appeared inover 100 video games, in addition to guest appearances in other Sega franchises and incrossover games such as Nintendo'sSuper Smash Bros. series.Jun'ichi Kanemaru voices Sonic in Japan, while his English voice has been provided byRyan Drummond,Jason Griffith, andRoger Craig Smith.
Sonic is one of the most famous video game characters in history and an establishedpop culture icon. He is widely considered one of the greatest video game characters and his popularity inspired a wave of imitators. His likeness has been featured in merchandise and Sega sponsorships. TheSonic series is one ofthe bestselling video game franchises and was one of the key reasons for Sega's success during the16-bit era in the 1990s. Sonic has been adapted incomics,animations, and films, includinga live-action film franchise distributed byParamount Pictures in which he is voiced byBen Schwartz.
History
The initial sketches of Sonic byNaoto Ohshima, under the moniker "Mr. Hedgehog"
While Sega was seeking a flagship series to compete with Nintendo'sMario series, several character designs were submitted by its research and development department. Many results came forth from their experiments with character design, including an armadillo, a dog, aTheodore Roosevelt look-alike in pajamas (who would later be the basis ofDoctor Eggman's design), and a rabbit (who would use its extendable ears to collect objects, an aspect later incorporated inRistar).[11][12]Naoto Ohshima took some of these internal designs with him on a trip to New York City and sought feedback by asking random passersby atCentral Park their opinions; of the designs, the spiky teal hedgehog, initially codenamed "Mr. Hedgehog" (Mr.ハリネズミ,Mr. Harinezumi),[13][c] led this informal poll, followed by Eggman and the dog character. Ohshima felt that people selected it because it "transcends race and gender and things like that".[14] On return to Japan, Ohshima pitched this to the department, and the hedgehog was ultimately selected as the newmascot.
The detailed design of Sonic was aimed to be something that could be easily drawn by children and be familiar, as well as exhibit a "cool" attitude, representative of the United States at the time.[14] Sonic's blue pigmentation was chosen to match Sega's cobalt blue logo, and his shoes evolved from a design inspired by bothSanta Claus[15] andMichael Jackson's boots with the addition of the color red, which was inspired by the contrast of those colors on Jackson's 1987 albumBad; his personality was based on then-Governor of Arkansas and later President of the United StatesBill Clinton's "Get it done" attitude.[11][16][17][18][19] To help sell the idea to Sega's higher-ups, Ohshima pitched the concept framed by a fictional fighter pilot that had earned the name "Hedgehog" due to his spiky hair, and had decorated his plane with images of Sonic. When this pilot retired, he married a children's book author, who wrote stories about the Sonic character, the first which became the plot for the firstSonic game; Ohshima stated that this influence can be seen in the logo of the game, which features Sonic in a pilot's wing emblem.[14]
The origins ofSonic can be traced farther back to a draft created byNaoto Ōshima in 1989, which years later turned into Sonic.Yuji Naka implemented the idea of a character running inside loops with an algorithm that allowed a sprite to move smoothly on a curve by determining its position with adot matrix. This concept was subsequently fleshed out by designerHirokazu Yasuhara.[20]
Sonic was created without the ability to swim because of a mistaken assumption by Yuji Naka that all hedgehogs could not do so.[21] A group of fifteen people started working on thefirstSonic the Hedgehog game, and renamed themselvesSonic Team. The game's soundtrack was composed byMasato Nakamura of the bandDreams Come True. Sega sponsored the group's "Wonder 3" tour, painting Sonic on the tour bus, distributing pamphlets advertising the game, and having footage of the game broadcast above stage prior to its release.[22] The original concepts gave Sonic fangs and put him in a band with a human girlfriend named Madonna. However, a team from Sega of America, led by Madeline Schroeder, who calls herself "Sonic's mother",[11] "softened" the character up for an American audience by removing those elements. This sparked a heated issue with Sonic Team. Naka later admitted that it was probably for the best.[11]
Sonic's appearance varies greatly depending on themedium and the style in which he is drawn. In the video games, Sonic's original design by Ohshima was short and round, with short quills, a round body, and no visible irises. Artwork featuring this design and drawn by Akira Watanabe was displayed on the package artwork forSonic the Hedgehog.[23] Sonic's proportions would change for the release ofSonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Mega Drive; Sonic's head to height ratio was changed from 1:2 to 1:2.5.[23] For the 1998 release ofSonic Adventure, Sonic was redesigned by Yuji Uekawa as a character with longer legs and a less spherical body, longer and more drooping quills, and green-colored irises. For the2006 game, Sonic was redesigned to make him look adult-like and taller to appeal to the next generation players.[24] This was also done because Sonic would interact with humans more often and his design was supposed to fit.[25] An alternative "Werehog" form was introduced inSonic Unleashed, placing more emphasis on Sonic's melee skills rather than speed. Although Tetsu Katano acknowledged the large negative fan response to the Werehog, he believes it could return in a future game.[26]
Bob Raffei, CEO ofSonic Boom developer Big Red Button, stated thatSonic Boom's Sonic is "very different... both in tone and art direction." That version has blue-furred arms, more quills, and wears a brown neckerchief around his neck and athletic sports tape on his wrists and shoes.[27]
Voice portrayal
Roger Craig Smith (pictured in 2025) has been the voice actor for the character in most English language media since 2010.
Sonic in his "Super Sonic" form. Art by Yuji Uekawa.
Sonic's first shown appearance in a video game was in the 1990 arcaderacing gameRad Mobile, as a decorative ornament hanging from a rearview mirror.[38] This was followed by an unlicensed appearance inThe Adventures of Quik & Silva as a villain. Sonic's first playable appearance was in theplatform gameSonic the Hedgehog for theSega Mega Drive/Genesis, which also introduced his nemesisDr. Robotnik. His two-tailed fox friendTails joined him in the game's 1992 sequel,Sonic the Hedgehog 2. When all the Chaos Emeralds have been collected, Sonic can transform into Super Sonic by collecting 50 rings. Super Sonic is nearly invincible, runs faster, and jumps farther, but loses one ring per second and reverts to normal when his rings are depleted.[39]Sonic CD, released in 1993, introduced Sonic's self-appointed girlfriendAmy Rose and recurring roboticdoppelgängerMetal Sonic as Sonic traveled through time to ensure a good future for the world.Sonic 3 and its direct sequelSonic & Knuckles, both released in 1994, saw Sonic and Tails battle Robotnik again, with the additional threat ofKnuckles, who is tricked by Robotnik into thinking Sonic is a threat.Sonic 4 (2010–2012) continues where the story ofSonic 3 left off, reducing Sonic to the only playable character and releasing inepisodic installments. The second episode sees the return of both Tails as Sonic's sidekick and Metal Sonic as a recurring enemy.
Sonic Adventure (1998) was Sonic Team's return to the character for a major game. It featured Sonic returning from vacation to find the city of Station Square under attack by a new foe namedChaos, under the control of Dr. Robotnik (now known asDr. Eggman). It was also the first Sonic game to feature a completevoice-over.Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) placed Sonic on-the-run from the military (G.U.N.) after being mistaken forShadow the Hedgehog.Sonic Heroes (2003) featured Sonic teaming up with Tails and Knuckles, along with other character teams like Team Rose andChaotix, against the newly rebuilt Metal Sonic, who had betrayed his master with intentions of world domination.Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) features Sonic in the city of water, "Soleanna", where he must rescue Princess Elise from Dr. Eggman while trying to avoid a new threat to his own life,Silver the Hedgehog. He is the only playable character inSonic Unleashed (2008), in which he unwillingly gains a new personality, "Sonic the Werehog", the result of Sonic being fused with Dark Gaia's power. He gains strength and flexibility in exchange for his speed, and new friends including a strange creature named Chip who helps him along the way. InSonic Colors (2010), Eggman tries to harness the energy of alien beings known as "Wisps" for a mind-control beam.Sonic Generations (2011) features two playable incarnations of Sonic: the younger "classic" Sonic, whose gameplay is presented in a style reminiscent of the Mega Drive/Genesis games, and present-day "modern" Sonic, who uses the gameplay style present inUnleashed andColors, going through stages from past games to save their friends.Sonic Generations features various theme songs including modern and retro versions that are able to be selected from throughout Sonic's twenty-year history.[40] In April 2013, Sega announced thatSonic Lost World would launch in October 2013 for theWii U andNintendo 3DS.[41]
The first three animated series featuring Sonic were created by the international companyDiC. The first of these series,Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, premiered in 1993, and depicts Sonic and his friend Tails opposing Doctor Ivo Robotnik and his robots on the planet Mobius. Another animated series premiering the same year, simply titledSonic the Hedgehog, depicts Sonic and a group of rebels aiming to defeat Robotnik in a futuristic version of Mobius. The third animated series,Sonic Underground, premiered in 1999, and features Sonic as the protagonist alongside his siblings Sonia and Manic.
In 1996, a two-partOVA,Sonic the Hedgehog, was released in Japan. For the American release, the two episodes combined and released asSonic the Hedgehog: The Movie byADV Films.[55] A new series,Sonic X, began airing in 2003. The 78-episodeanime series detailed Sonic's struggle to protect the Chaos Emeralds from Eggman and new villains. Featuring a cross-world and interstellar journey,Sonic X depicted Sonic and his human friend Chris Thorndyke in quests to save the world.Sonic: Night of the Werehog is a short film produced bySega's VE Animation Studio, released to coincide with the release ofSonic Unleashed. In the film, Sonic and Chip enter a haunted house, and must deal with two ghosts trying to scare them in attempt to win the heart of the girl ghost. Sonic also makes multiple cameo appearances in theDisney films,Wreck-It Ralph (2012) and its sequelRalph Breaks the Internet (2018).[56]
In February 2021,Sonic Prime was announced byNetflix with a 2022 release window,[62] though the series' development was initially revealed in a deleted tweet in December 2020.[63] The show is primarily for children ages six to eleven, as well as longtime fans of the franchise.[64] In October 2022, Netflix set its release for December.[65] In the series, after recklessly breaking the Paradox Prism which breaks the entire universe and creates several alternative dimensions and versions of his friends, Sonic desperately seeks to restore them and embarks on a mission to find the shards of the Prism and fix it.
Sonic's original film design, upon reveal in the first trailer, received such strong backlash that it was changed duringpost-production to resemble his video game design more.
On June 10, 2014, a film based on theSonic series was announced. Simply known asSonic the Hedgehog, it was produced byNeal Moritz on hisOriginal Film banner alongside Takeshi Ito and Mie Onishi, with Toby Ascher as executive producer. The film was written byPat Casey andJosh Miller and produced as a joint venture betweenParamount Pictures andMarza Animation Planet. The film is a live-action andCGI hybrid.[66] The movie was filmed in 2018, with a release date initially set for November 8, 2019. Upon the release of the film's first trailer in late April 2019, however, Sonic's appearance was heavily criticized, leading to the director,Jeff Fowler, to announce a redesign of him, pushing back the release date to February 14, 2020.[36] The second trailer for the film was released on November 12, 2019, featuring the redesign, which drew in a far more positive response from both fans and critics alike. In the first film, it centers on Sonic, born with supersonic speed powers and abilities, who befriends the sheriff named Tom Wachowski, to stop the villainous Dr. Robotnik who plots to have Sonic's speed powers for world domination.[67] Particular issues with his design included his teeth and legs. According to Paramount marketing president Marc Weinstock, the negative reaction to the original design resulted in a change to how video game adaptations are handled at the company.[68] A sequel,Sonic the Hedgehog 2, was released on April 8, 2022, and it centers on Sonic and Tails on a race to prevent Robotnik and Knuckles from getting the hands on the Master Emerald.[69]
The original design of Sonic from the first movie's initial trailer appears inChip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, voiced byTim Robinson. Named "Ugly Sonic", he is portrayed as a washed up actor looking to make a comeback after he was kicked off the film.[70]
Sonic briefly appears as a player's avatar in the 2018 filmReady Player One.[71]
Sonic's first comic appearance was in a promotional comic printed inDisney Adventures magazine (and also given away as a free pull-out with a copy ofMean Machines magazine), which established a backstory for the character involving the origin of his color and abilities and the transformation of kindly scientist Dr. Ovi Kintobor into the evil Dr. Ivo Robotnik. Numerous British publications, including "Sega handbook"Stay Sonic (1993), four novels published byVirgin Books (1993–1994) and the comic bookSonic the Comic (1993–2001), published byFleetway Publications/Egmont Publishing, used this premise as their basis.[72]
The American comics published byArchie Comics,Sonic the Hedgehog (1993–2017),Sonic X (2005–2008), andSonic Universe (2009–2017) are based on the settings established by earlier animated TV series, the ABC "SatAM" cartoon, theSonic Xanime, and an expansion to the series, respectively. The former series is currently the second longest-runninglicensed comic series in the history of American comic books, second only toMarvel'sConan series (first issue released in 1970).In France two comic books named "Sonic Adventures" were published by Sirène in 1994.Guinness World Records recognized Sonic comic as the longest-running comic based on a game.[73] Archie Comics also released a twelve part crossover withMega Man beginning in 2013.[73] The Archie comics were later succeeded by a newcomic series byIDW Publishing in 2018, which is currently ongoing.
Sonic has also been featured in two differentmanga. One series was simply calledSonic the Hedgehog, and featured a story about a normal hedgehog boy named Nicky who can change into Sonic.[74] The other series was a compilation of short stories and was separated into two volumes, the first being calledDash and Spin, and the other calledSuper Fast Sonic!!.
In 2025, Sonic was featured in the crossover miniseriesDC X Sonic the Hedgehog,[75] in which he and his friends team up with theJustice League to stopDarkseid from harnessing the Chaos Emeralds and using their power to conquer the multiverse. primarily pairs up withthe Flash, although they initially and typically debated on whose of them is the fastest.
Characteristics
According to various official materials from Sega, Sonic is described as a character who is "like the wind":[76] a drifter who lives as he wants,[77] and makes life a series of events and adventures.[78] Sonic hates oppression and staunchly defends freedom.[79] Although he is mostly quick-witted and easygoing,[77] he has a short temper[77] and is often impatient with slower things.[76] Sonic is a habitual daredevil hedgehog who is honest, loyal to friends, keeps his promises,[78] and dislikes tears.[80] He took the young Tails under his wing like a little brother,[81] and is uninterested in marital proposals fromAmy Rose.[82] In times of crisis, he focuses intensely on the challenge,[76] as if his personality had undergone an astonishing change.[78]
Sonic's greatest strength is his running speed, being known in the game's universe as the world's fastest hedgehog.[79] Many of his abilities are variations on the tendency for hedgehogs to roll into tight balls for protection with the addition of spinning his body. Since his introduction in 1991'sSonic the Hedgehog, Sonic's primary offensive maneuver is the basic "Spin Attack" (or "Sonic Spin Attack").[83] Later games in the series expanded on this basic attack and two of these enhancements have become mainstays of his: the Spin Dash which was introduced inSonic the Hedgehog 2 and involves Sonic spinning on the spot before blasting off at full speed,[84] and the Homing Attack, officially introduced inSonic Adventure, in which Sonic dashes toward a target in midair.[79] Sonic's only weakness is that he cannot swim, sinking like a rock if plunged to a deep body of water.[80] The reason for this is because Yuji Naka had a misunderstanding about hedgehogs not being able to swim.[85] The only exception is that he can swim in the Sonic the Hedgehog Adventure Gamebooks.[86] When the sevenChaos Emeralds are collected and used, Sonic transforms into "Super Sonic" (スーパーソニック), a faster, stronger and invulnerable version of himself that can fly.[87] In Super Sonic form, Sonic's irises turn red and his body becomes golden.
Reception and legacy
Graffiti artwork of Sonic the Hedgehog seen inPorto Alegre, Brazil in 2011
As Sega's mascot and one of the key reasons for the company's success during the16-bit era of video game consoles, Sonic is one of the most famous video game characters in the world. In 1993, Sonic became the first video game character to have a balloon inMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.[88][89] In 1996, Sonic was also the first video game character to be seen in aRose Parade. Sonic was one of the three game characters inducted on the inauguralWalk of Game class in 2005, along with former rivalsMario andLink (both fromNintendo).[90] One of a class ofgenes involved infruit fly embryonic development, calledhedgehog genes, has been named "sonic hedgehog" after him.[91]
On the other hand, Sonic's apparent romantic relationship with Princess Elise in the 2006 video game resulted in major criticism.[92][93] Sonic's characterization and relationship with Eggman inSonic Boom earned a positive response by Patrick Lee ofThe A.V. Club and Emily Ashby ofCommon Sense Media.[94]
Sonic has also been used as a symbol for Sega's various sponsorships. Between 1993 and 1997, Sega sponsored theJEF United Ichihara Chibafootball team, during which period Sonic appeared in the team's uniform.[95] During the1993 Formula One championship, Sega sponsored theWilliams Grand Prix team, which won the Constructors' Championship that year, as well as the team's lead driver,Alain Prost, winning the Drivers' Championship.[96] Sonic was featured in the cars, helmets, and their rivalsMcLaren used to paint a squashed hedgehog after winning races over Williams.[97] The1993 European Grand Prix featured a Sonic balloon and Sonic billboards. In 1992, according to Sega of America marketing director Al Nilsen, Sonic was found to be more recognizable thanMickey Mouse in the six-to eleven-year-old demographic, based on the character's respectiveQ Scores, although this claim could not be confirmed by Q Score developer Marketing Evaluations, Inc.[98][99]
Nintendo Power listed Sonic as their sixth favorite hero, stating that while he was originally Mario's nemesis, he seems at home on Nintendo platforms. They added that he has remained as one of gaming's greatest icons.[100] In 2004, the character won a Golden Joystick Award for "The Sun Ultimate Gaming Hero".[101] The character's popularity declined in the mid-1990s, and Sonic failed to place inElectronic Gaming Monthly's Coolest Mascot of 1996 in either the editors' or readers' picks, being beaten out by not only competitors Mario andCrash Bandicoot, but Sega's ownNights; however, in a 2008 poll of 500 people, Sonic was voted the most popular video game character in the UK with a 24% vote while his old rival Mario came second with 21% of the vote.[102][103][104] Later that year, Sonic was ranked as the most iconic video game character in anMSN rankings list.[105] In 2011,Empire ranked him as the 14th greatest video game character.[106] And he was voted 10th out of the top 50 video game characters of all time inGuinness World Records 2011 Gamers' Edition.[107] Sonic ranked ninth onGameDaily's Top 10 Smash Bros characters list.[108] GameDaily also listed his "next-generation stumble" in their list of video game characters' worst moments, using his relationship with a human female as one of the worst parts of it.[109] In 2024, a poll conducted byBAFTA with around 4,000 respondents named Sonic the Hedgehog as the fourth most iconic video-game character of all time, only behindLara Croft,Mario andAgent 47.[110]
Ken Balough, Sega's former associate brand manager, said that Sonic's appeal endured because the character is "a gaming legend, first and foremost" who originated "from a series of games that defined a generation in gaming history, and his iconic personality was the epitome of speed in the early '90s, pushing the limits of what gamers knew and expected from high-speed action and platforming games."[111]
A Japanese team developing the Radio & Plasma Wave Investigation (RPWI) instrumentation for theJupiter Icy Moons Explorer spacecraft, launched byESA andAirbus in 2022, was able to gain Sega's approval to use Sonic as the mascot for the device.[112] Specifically, Sonic appears on the logo of the RPWI in his classic design, the rendition being a redraw of how Sonic appears on the Japanese andPAL box art forSonic the Hedgehog.[113]
AnInternet meme called "Sanic" has been used based on a poorly drawn Sonic; typically, the meme uses one of Sonic's catchphrases but with poor grammar. Sega's official Sonic Twitter account has made numerous references to it,[114] and it appeared in officialdownloadable content forSonic Forces on in-game shirts.[115] The meme also appears as a drawing in thetheatrical film.[116]
Notes
^Sonic's appearance inRad Mobile predated the release ofSonic the Hedgehog (1991) by eight months.
^"Mr. Hedgehog" is commonly, but inaccurately, translated literally as "Mr. Needlemouse".
References
^abcdefghijk"Sonic the Hedgehog Voices".Behind The Voice Actors.Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. RetrievedJanuary 30, 2021. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
^"Regarding the red shoes, Naoto Ohshima, who was the character designer felt that red was a necessary color from a game standpoint. While thinking about the design, he referenced images of Santa Claus."Takashi Iizuka -Sonic the Hedgehog (2020 film) - The Blue Blur: Origins of Sonic (Blu-Ray extra)
^Sheffield, Brandon (December 4, 2009)."Out of the Blue: Naoto Ohshima Speaks".Gamasutra.UBM plc. Archived fromthe original on July 16, 2015. RetrievedFebruary 15, 2012.The original Nights was chiefly made with the Japanese and European audiences in mind -- Sonic, meanwhile, was squarely aimed at the U.S. market....[Sonic is] a character that I think is suited to America -- or, at least, the image I had of America at the time. ... Well, he's blue because that's Sega's more-or-less official company color. His shoes were inspired by the cover to Michael Jackson'sBad, which contrasted heavily between white and red -- that Santa Claus-type color. I also thought that red went well for a character who can run really fast, when his legs are spinning.
^Allan Sugarbaker (September 24, 2001)."Interviews: James Wallis".OgreCave.com.Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. RetrievedJanuary 22, 2012.I teamed up with Carl Sargent and Marc Gascoigne to produce four more Sonic books, novels this time, for Virgin Publishing, under the pseudonym of 'Martin Adams'.
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