Your own interpretation of the characters.

[Kuzu]

We know the cast have more or less firmly established personalities and roles in this series despite how inconsistent their traits are portrayed, but everyone has their own vision on how character A should act or behave around other characters. This topic is to discuss on how you see some of the characters in this series based on what you know about them and what you'd like developed about them and how their interactions with other characters affect their own personality.

[Sparky]

Crossposting much?

[Kuzu]

Crossposting much?

Are you gonna contribute or not?

[Sparky]

Are you gonna contribute or not?

Sonic: I think of him as a Carefree, ladeback, Run like wind Hedgehog with a Heart of Gold. He never looks back and he keeps moving forward. He loves Moving at highspeeds and Chilli Dogs. He Enjoys freedom and doesnt like to be tied down by rules or responsibilities and just wants to be free like the wind. Sonic's will is also very strong. If you try to Brainwash him, Good luck! Even when Going under a Negative transformation, He'll still transfer all his anger to his opponent and stays heroic despite negative emotions. Sonic is the Chaos.

Shadow: Shadow is someone who always means Business. His only concern is to protect the planet and he's alwasy focused on his current objectives. Shadow is focused, Serious and very obediant. If you give him an order, He'll complete with the best of his ability, If the objective seems right to him. Thats the reason he's able to work for G.U.N. Shadow is skilled in controlling the Chaos Energy inide him and shaping it into many different attacks and skills. His power is restricted by his Inhibitor rings, So when he takes them off, His power increases, but at the cost of his stamina. So Shadow has to always keep his powers in check. Shadow is the Control. He also loves the Green Emerald.

copy and pasted from the SEGA Forums (from my post there).

Edited October 23, 2011 by tsz11

[Flyboy Fox]

I'm not entirely sure what you mean, Shadic, but I do love topics about characters and personalities... Could you give us an example or two to get us started?

[Kuzu]

I'm not entirely sure what you mean, Shadic, but I do love topics about characters and personalities... Could you give us an example or two to get us started?

Its really more of a "How do you see character A's personality" I thought I made that very clear, but perhaps an example will be good:

Knuckles: This is a guy who you don't want to mess with. His sole purpose to protect his home and the power that resides in it, and hes not going to let anybody threaten either of them, whether its one of Eggman's schemes or any outside force, Knuckles will commit to his job till the day he dies. He's short tempered, uncultured, and a bit of a jerk, but he means well and will always be there to help his friends even if it means abandoning his duty. Due to living alone most of his life naturally he prefers his solitude but will welcome the occasional company once in a while. Being the descendant of a warring tribe, Knuckles has fighting in his blood, if its anything that gets his fired up its a decent fight. He doesn't always see eye to eye with Sonic & Tails, but he knows he can count on them when the going gets rough, he has a natural dislike for Rouge & Eggman, probably because they're the biggest and most persistent threats to Angel Island and have a natural habit for taking advantage of his naivete.

[Vertekins]

I'll focus on Sonic. Because he's my favourite character. I base my interpretations upon what I consider to be consistent characterization i.e Chronicles will not be referenced. I also do not allow other incarnations of the character in other continuities to warp my interpretations of the game incarnation. However, I will give precedence to certain aspects of Colours' characterization even if that one didn't always rub me the right way.

My interpretation of Sonic is that he is occasionally introspective, showing hidden depths of consideration - See certain cutscenes in SatSR, namely the ones featuring World Rings as well as his curiosity regarding Shahra's connection to Erazor, where he admitted that he had been thinking of that subject during the course of the story. Oh he's prideful. Definately. But what caps this is a sense of great modesty as well - He knows where to draw the line on his boastfulness to the point that showing pride does not make him pigheaded and such and does not hesitate to dole out credit where credit is due (See Heroes and SatBK).

Also, he can be ruthless when it is required, the typical light-hearted mannerisms melting away when business needs to be done. I don't think he has a genuine mean bone in his body. He has never outright rejected Amy, has never really laid into Knuckles and most of his skirmishes with Eggman don't put across true malice unlike Chronicles. But then everyone was written in such a batshit insane way, so lets not give that dreck any more credit than it deserves.

I also interpret Sonic to have touches of deadpan snarkiness i.e The way he looked at Tails in SA when the Egg Carrier transformed and his retorts towards Caliburn as well as some lines towards Merlina that curiously never made it into the final boss battle.

Colours proved to me that Sonic is not above putting his closest friends' safety above his own ideology. Again, this proves that he has a level head on his shoulders. Also, he has some pretty incredible acuity and resourcefulness. I think it speaks volumes how he goes from seemingly accepting his fate in that explosive capsule in SA2 to formulating a final gambit to escape and was successful at it as well. Not to mention the way he turned a piece of a helicopter wing into a makeshift board.

I also interpret Sonic to be minimalist - He doesn't whore-out Shahra's and Erazor's capabilities for his own direct benefit and if that was his living room in that SatSR intro, it backs up his minimalism even more. Oh yeah, and he's also very forgiving too, doesn't really dwell in the past regarding heinous mistakes. He might reference Knuckles' gullibility but then Knux never learns from his mistakes

Going by Unleashed's unlockable videos and SatBK's intro, Sonic appears to put great gravity on eating. He was just as greedy as Chip in that meat bun vid and would not give up that tasty little morsel without a fight. He also seemed very eager on making his first priority once he was warped into Camelot catching his Chili Dogs and he clearly REALLY wanted to eat that second one because he mourned it XD.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I'm not entirely sure what you mean, Shadic, but I do love topics about characters and personalities... Could you give us an example or two to get us started?

Basically how do look at the characters based on their portrayal. I'd like to remind and encourage everyone to keep from using this as an opportunity to bash characters they don't like or bringing up Sonic Team's lack of handling them.

So if I were to start with Sonic it would be that he's essentially a pain in the ass for any villain he faces. There hasn't been a lot of recurring villains lately, so that technically includes Eggman at the moment. Sonic tends to be the kind of person who lives the life a lot of people wish they did. He can go to any part of the globe he wants, he's a world wide celebrity and hero, and he has the kind of selflessness many people would definitely benefit from. To him, there's nothing more than being free, so much that his freedom is something that he uses to help other people in need of serious help.

Then there's Tails. Obviously a boy genius. Tails has the kind of traits that you can put into so many areas it's unbelievable. Just his status as a mechanical genius is enough to have him venture into anything that has to do with machines. He doesn't know everything outside of his specialty, but anything to do with technology is going to be something he is likely called up on.

Shadow has the kind air of a soldier and a timebomb. Calm and analytical, but whenever something hits too close to home then he goes from calm to maniac in 3 seconds. He's kept an even tighter lid on that ever since he got over the thing that troubled him most, and now he seems to be more soldier-like than anything. In the past he was quite arrogant, and very egotistical; nowadays he's very low-key on his attitude, and kinda hard to piss off...but anyone smart would know not to piss him off.

Rouge is the kinda sultry character who tends to flirt a lot. She would be kinda like Shadow if Shadow were to be more open. She combines business with flair, and when I say that I mean she takes her job very seriously but goes about it as if it was as easy as taking candy away from a baby...until you put her up in more tighter places, say GUN's Security Hall, in which case she would have some trouble. She hasn't taken much of a frontlines approach, but given that she's suppose to be a spy, she's not necessarily suppose to. In fact, she's suppose to go more behind it if anything.

Eh...you can't really expect me to do every character in one post.

[Nitwit_Speed]

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG has a very firm set of morals. It's not so much impressive that he can always decide right from wrong as it is that he will always act on his moral code as fast as he can. He will always act has fast as he can anyhow, between his quick wits and his quicker still feet, although this has certainly led him to develope a nasty case of impacience. He's an unconditionally good friend to anyone who isn't shooting at him, too, despite his more snarky tendencies, all in the name of fun, of course. Did i mention he's extremely brave?

MILES "TAILS" PROWER may have an IQ comparable to that of an incredible supercomputer, but deep down inside, all he longs for is to be bolder and more independent. He is extremely greatful for his friendship with Sonic, who doubles as his hero (although Tails has gotten close enough to also get a taste of his negative traits). Wanting to be helpful any way he can, he'll set aside whatever he's doing at the moment to help you and will go to great lenghts to do so. He's still a young boy at heart, though, and sometimes a little time alone with his albeit huge, Chaos-powered, insanely complicated mechanical toys wouldn't hurt him. He also can't decide where to live. Or is that just Sonic Team. HMMM...

KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA had the most sheltered childhood you can have, and it certainly shows. He's gullible, for one, because he never had anyone around him to be decietful or sarcastic, let alone company. He also has an extremely short temper, which can probably also be tied back to having a rock as a father and knowing your entire race suffered genocide thousands of years ago. He's not lazy, though, for one, and he takes great pride in his work. It can be assumed that his only hobby is exploring and treasure-hunting throughout his home island. He has his priorities straight, abandoning his post when a threat larger than Sonic alone can handle (and perhaps using it as an excuse to leave the island on occasion. Hi Sonic Riders: ZG).

SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG probably isn't who he used to be. Being flung to a planet he has never visited and waking up 50 years later, mistaking his one mission in life nearly killing all of us in the process, dying, coming back to life, and suffering temporary amnesia changes a man. Shadow is a very strict, rigid person, who can be a bit easily influenced at times. His entire moral code is centered around a promise to his best friend right before she died- to make the world a better place. He overanylizes himself (not unlike some of us, like i am right now xP) and contemplating his excistance, and suffering as a result. Even with all his memories, he doesn't quite understand who he is. With all the crap in his head, he cam be rude and cold to those around him, and he snaps easily. Now a part of GUN, he's getting his act together and we very well might see the hog behind the confusion and rage soon.

[Solkia]

I'm not good at long paragraphs over a single subject, but:

Sonic: A Blue Hedgehog who's goal is to live life to the fullest, but never hesitates to help those in need. His speed is unmatched (until 2001), and he loves adventure.

[Kuzu]

Guess I'll do the blue dude now.

Sonic: A hedgehog with a zest for life. Sonic is like a force of nature, he comes in and makes a huge impact, before leaving just as quickly as he came. Sonic has no set goals, if anything Sonic's only goal is to live, and nothing more. Sonic is compassionate, caring, and pure if he makes a promise, you can bet he will make due on it. If its anything Sonic can't stand its seeing oppression, as Sonic will charge in head first and snuff out anything he considers evil; whether its right or wrong doesn't matter to him, just ensuring nobody has to suffer is all he cares about. But for as pure as he is Sonic is not without a few faults, he has a bit of a cocky streak, because of this attitude it often clouds his judgement and prevents Sonic from taking a potential threat seriously before its too late; he tends to neglect his friends in his constant search for freedom and a place to run; has little to no patience for slow things like planning or strategy and prefers to do things on the fly. His attitude has also put him at odds with a few people such as Knuckles and Shadow, but Sonic just considers them fun in his never ending need for excitement.

[Mr. Awesomest]

Sonic:

Sonic was fun for me to think about. Sonic is found in different areas all the time; First, in Sonic 1 and 2, we find him in tropical hilly areas. In CD, he went to Never Lake to see the Little Planet. In Adventure, he was at the beach in Station Square. In Heroes, he's running aimlessly in the middle of a canyon. From all these places he's journeyed to, he seems like the kind of guy you'd see with postcards from everywhere around the world plastered over his suit case so much he forgot what color it was. That, and the fact that he was born on the tiny hunk of dirt northwest of Australia known as Christmas Island, leads me to believe he wants to see it all.

He's shown us many times he is a strong believer in the saying "Give me Liberty or Give me Death", ESPECIALLY in Sonic and the Black Knight, where he decided the world would rather die in peace than live forever in agony. That, or he thought that he'd get out if the book's world ended, but that's a different story. Sonic is also a good thinker. He thinks on his feet (in tactics, social situations, snarky remarks, and possibly guesstimates on what something would take for it to carry him where he needs to go), and he's typically one of, if not the first to react out of the entire cast, both good signs that although he isn't book smart, he's got quite a brain on him.

Very recently, Sonic's found himself talking to things that cannot respond to him. Although he knows they can't talk back, it's probably just some way to make things fun for him, sharpen his wit, and if it has a recording feature, to piss Eggman off unbelievably. Hopefully, sooner or later, he'll pull a full on Freeman's Mind.

Bah, I'm tired.

EDIT: I'm gonna work on Sonic some more now, as I didn't finish yet.

Sonic, although he's a rolling stone, can't help but gain a few friends. Or perhaps a dozen. And his sense of respect is stronger than steel. Treat people how you want to be treated. If someone's down, help them up. If someone's kicking you down, beat them up. And this applies to the entire population of the planet. He doesn't use a weapon, because he doesn't want weapons used on him. And he finds it a good enough insult to everyone whose pointed a gun in his direction that he didn't even have a shirt on his back while he kicked their behind over a river and through the woods.

He's willing to help out anyone, even if he knows they'll try stabbing him in the back as soon as they get up. In fact, half the time he helps Eggman out, he does it so that they could fight again, keep giving him fun things to do. More great people to have memories with and more memories to tell to his grand kids. And more memories to reflect upon while saying "Woo, I led a charmed life." while reclining in a bed looking through a photo album.

About his respect being stronger than steel, he has a heart of gold. He lives by a code he hasn't fully figured out yet that is chiseled into his golden heart, but whatever happens, he must follow it. So far, he's made out: "Do everything worth doing, don't let anyone stop you, women will slow you down so put them low on the priority list, respect everyone, honor friends, and have all the fun you can from the world before doing whatever it is you want to do, you haven't got there yet. Time is carved in stone, but you have a chisel in your hands."

To me, that is the person Sonic is.

Edited October 24, 2011 by Mr.Awesomest

[Sparky]

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG has a very firm set of morals. It's not so much impressive that he can always decide right from wrong as it is that he will always act on his moral code as fast as he can. He will always act has fast as he can anyhow, between his quick wits and his quicker still feet, although this has certainly led him to develope a nasty case of impacience. He's an unconditionally good friend to anyone who isn't shooting at him, too, despite his more snarky tendencies, all in the name of fun, of course. Did i mention he's extremely brave?

MILES "TAILS" PROWER may have an IQ comparable to that of an incredible supercomputer, but deep down inside, all he longs for is to be bolder and more independent. He is extremely greatful for his friendship with Sonic, who doubles as his hero (although Tails has gotten close enough to also get a taste of his negative traits). Wanting to be helpful any way he can, he'll set aside whatever he's doing at the moment to help you and will go to great lenghts to do so. He's still a young boy at heart, though, and sometimes a little time alone with his albeit huge, Chaos-powered, insanely complicated mechanical toys wouldn't hurt him. He also can't decide where to live. Or is that just Sonic Team. HMMM...

KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA had the most sheltered childhood you can have, and it certainly shows. He's gullible, for one, because he never had anyone around him to be decietful or sarcastic, let alone company. He also has an extremely short temper, which can probably also be tied back to having a rock as a father and knowing your entire race suffered genocide thousands of years ago. He's not lazy, though, for one, and he takes great pride in his work. It can be assumed that his only hobby is exploring and treasure-hunting throughout his home island. He has his priorities straight, abandoning his post when a threat larger than Sonic alone can handle (and perhaps using it as an excuse to leave the island on occasion. Hi Sonic Riders: ZG).

SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG probably isn't who he used to be. Being flung to a planet he has never visited and waking up 50 years later, mistaking his one mission in life nearly killing all of us in the process, dying, coming back to life, and suffering temporary amnesia changes a man. Shadow is a very strict, rigid person, who can be a bit easily influenced at times. His entire moral code is centered around a promise to his best friend right before she died- to make the world a better place. He overanylizes himself (not unlike some of us, like i am right now xP) and contemplating his excistance, and suffering as a result. Even with all his memories, he doesn't quite understand who he is. With all the crap in his head, he cam be rude and cold to those around him, and he snaps easily. Now a part of GUN, he's getting his act together and we very well might see the hog behind the confusion and rage soon.

Or he just has many houses. One in Cocoa Island, Mystic Ruin, Emerald Town, Water Palace, Central City, etc.

[Kuzu]

Shadow:The self proclaimed Ultimate life form. Having fulfilling his purpose in destroying the Black arms, Shadow puts his abilities and skills to use by working for GUN. While Sonic fights for the freedom of everyone, Shadow fights mainly for himself and the few people he cares about and his own belief of what he feels is right. Hes ambitious and will achieve his goals(Whatever they may be) through any means necessary, even becoming a villain if that's what it takes. Shadow remains aloof, detached and calm even in the most heated of situations. Shadow seems to hold himself in high regard, preferring to work alone thinking anybody he partners with will slow him down; because of his arrogance and distant attitude, he can be extremely hard to get along with. Shadow does have a heart though despite his rough exterior as he misses his adopted family everyday and blames himself for the tragedy that befell them, and his memories of them are what keep him moving forward. Shadow can sympathize with the likes of Omega, being created as a weapon and discarded just as quickly, and hes worked with Rouge enough times to accept her as a good friend. Because of Shadow's disposition, he doesn't really get along with either Sonic or Eggman, so he falls right in the middle preferring to remain out of their conflict unless it concerns him, but he does hold a great deal of respect for both of them; Eggman for being his creator's grandson and living up to his namesake, unlike most of the other characters, Shadow refers to Eggman as his proper title of "Doctor". As far as Shadow is concerned Sonic is the only one whom he considers an equal in both skills and all aspects of life, and while he may not like Sonic's attitude, he respects him enough to help him out on the occasion of course if only to further his own goals.

[C.J]

Sonic The Hedgehog: A Noble and brave hero who loves freedom and is willing to help others who are in need of help, he is kind to his friends and he's always up for an adventure, he never gives in to evil or darkness inside his heart, he is strong, laidback, cocky at times and is always there for people during bad events and serious moments. He puts the world and the people first before him, he thinks fast and carefully before rushing into things, he is positive most of the time and doesn't act, behave or think negativily. He always tries to proves a point to stop villians/people who view things in a different and more negative way, he's always there to take a stand and go further on unlike others, he loves to run, eat Chilli Dogs and have fun. He is fearless (not afraid of anything aside from water lol), he knows the dangers and risks that he takes and could face in adventures but that doesn't stop him from doing what me must do, he never looks back, he keeps on running forward at highspeed, the possibilities are endless for him. He can portray his anger at enemies who cause destruction and hurting others, he can also show sadness when losing a friend or ally but he chooses not to express it.

Miles "Tails" Prower: A brainy and intelligent fox with a heart of gold, he shares an special and unbreakble bond with Sonic and owes a lot to him. He is loyal and kind to his friends, he spends his time working on neat gadgets and tinkering with machinery, he is always up for an adventure with Sonic and co, he knows he can't depend on Sonic all the time. He is smart and able to learn a lot quickly, he puts a lot of effort and hard work into his devices, machines and mechs. He has confidence but at times he doesn't express his feelings to others during hasty situations and puts it behind him (holds back) sometimes. He is always there for his friends and offers to help, He has the ability to fly with his twin-tails and to attack/fight enemies using them.

Edited October 24, 2011 by C.J

[Nepenthe]

It seems everyone's going after the big leaguers, so I'm going to focus on some unpopular side characters that interest me most and that others probably aren't going to bother with. Like Chip.

Chip is probably the most childish character in the series that I can personally tolerate. His cute features aren't overwhelming to the point where I get uncomfortably-saccharine feelings as I do with Cream, and his annoying behavior is smartly left as background fodder distant from the narrative whereas Charmy's hyperactivity is always front and center.

And for all of the age he has on him, Chip is indeed a little boy. He has an obviously insatiable sweet tooth and big appetite in general, as well as a wide-eyed curiosity about the way the world and the people within it work. He's constantly pestering and asking questions to Sonic, questions that possess no real answer such as "where do all the rings go?" He's also very sociable and caring, a lover of people. His basic greeting for strangers and picker-upper for the depressed is the offer of chocolate. A worn-out joke for many, but there's nonetheless something heartfelt about the offer of food to the persons you care about the most. It speaks of great generosity.

And finally, despite his powers and ability to shield Sonic from physical harm, Chip is arguably the most cowardly character in the entire series, which simultaneously makes him unique amidst all of the bravado present and prevents him from being the Scrappy Doo he's been unfairly delegated as. He actually knows his emotional and mental limits and will get the hell out of dodge, if not faint, despite any air boxing he does to save face beforehand.

[Kuzu]

I guess I should go for the guys at the bottom of the barrel.

Vector: The head honcho of the Chaotix. Vector is large, loud, and over the top, everything he does is larger than life. Hes somewhat goofy, and tries way too hard to act cool, and failing spectacularly, he can be very childish when it comes to his work, but his detective skills are the real deal, being able to make deductions and solve crimes that no one else seem to pick up on. Despite his gruff appearance, Vecs is actually pretty kind, willing to solve crimes and mysteries without pay(Much to Espio's chagrin) if hes feeling in the mood. He acts as something of a father figure for Charmy, mentoring him in the ways of being a detective. Vector can also be something of a tightwad when it comes to money, probably because him and his team are low on income. All in all, hes just a croc trying to make a living and support his teammates despite having the maturity of a 10 year old.

Espio: The Chaotix's stealth expert. Espio is soft spoken, disciplined, and dignified(most of the time), so being around two goofballs like Vector & Charmy makes his job a lot harder. Being a Ninja Espio is fast and stealthy, being able to infiltrate any facility before they know what hit him, hes the ideal guy when it comes to information recovery. Hes also Vector's best friend and tries his best to keep him grounded in the realms of reality when it comes to their work, hes also something of an older brother for Charmy looking out for his well being and making sure hes up to know good. Espio takes his ninjutsu very seriously, and will challenge anyone who questions his abilities. He can't stand evil, and will do everything in his power to vanquish it.

Charmy: Often considered the mascot of the crew. Charmy is a kid who's always looking for something to do, whether its going off to solve mysteries on his own, or annoy his two other teammates, but he does these things because he wants to prove that hes an asset to the team and not a hindrance. Being a 6 year old bumblebee, its only natural Charmy has the attention span of a potato being easily distracted and susceptible to manipulation. He also holds Shadow in high regard probably he thinks his attitude is cool, but also holds a hidden respect for his teammates as well and wants to follow their footsteps as great detectives one day, but hes got a long way to go.

[The Weeb with No Name]

Sonic does what he does only because being the hero also happens to be fun. Should his circumstances be different, he would be a villain for exactly the same reason.

[Gamenerd]

Sonic does what he does only because being the hero also happens to be fun. Should his circumstances be different, he would be a villain for exactly the same reason.

I never used to agree with this but it is definitely the picture that Sonic Colours went out of its way to paint, so we may see more of this side of Sonic with the new writers around. It really is something to think about - at some point in time, Sonic stopped seeing Eggman as a serious threat and started to see it as more of a fun day-to-day adventure than a battle with evil. Even Orbot and Cubot recognise Sonic and Eggman's rivalry as something childish rather than a battle for the fate of the worlds populace.

That said, Sonic does try to be a genuine hero when the villain is somebody other than Eggman stepping up to the plate to threaten the planet (or time/space/a book). But that raises another point; Sonic instantly acts on what he believes is right and for the greater good, but his morals are never explicitly explained. If Sonic one day decided, say, the government of a country was corrupt, who's to say he wouldn't try taking them down the way he does Eggman? Would he gladly give up his fame and become something of an anti-hero for the sake of following his heart? Not that I ever expect this to be fully explored in the games, but if Sonic is the chaos to Eggman's order, then it'd be nice to see him do stuff outside of his everyday character from time to time.

[Kuzu]

I never used to agree with this but it is definitely the picture that Sonic Colours went out of its way to paint, so we may see more of this side of Sonic with the new writers around. It really is something to think about - at some point in time, Sonic stopped seeing Eggman as a serious threat and started to see it as more of a fun day-to-day adventure than a battle with evil. Even Orbot and Cubot recognise Sonic and Eggman's rivalry as something childish rather than a battle for the fate of the worlds populace.

That said, Sonic does try to be a genuine hero when the villain is somebody other than Eggman stepping up to the plate to threaten the planet (or time/space/a book). But that raises another point; Sonic instantly acts on what he believes is right and for the greater good, but his morals are never explicitly explained. If Sonic one day decided, say, the government of a country was corrupt, who's to say he wouldn't try taking them down the way he does Eggman? Would he gladly give up his fame and become something of an anti-hero for the sake of following his heart? Not that I ever expect this to be fully explored in the games, but if Sonic is the chaos to Eggman's order, then it'd be nice to see him do stuff outside of his everyday character from time to time.

That was pretty much a plot point in Black Knight, Sonic really has no problem being painted as the villain if feels hes following his heart.

[Chaos Nightmare Moon]

Some off you guys got Shadow wrong, first off. He always should be painted as someone who finds power a absolute goal of his, but sticks to being content as a warrior that watches over the world. Shadow should be the wise samurai badass.

[midori]

So, I see Shadow as about the only mature character in the series. He's had his period of angst, but overally he isn't carefree nor naive, so he can be depended on when the world is in need. He's also selfless and is able to sacrifice his own well-being for others.

On the other hand Sonic seems to hardly take anything seriously and doesn't even fight at full power most of the time (considering how he beat Emerl in... less than 30 seconds??). That means no matter how powerful he is, he can easily be killed because of his sheer recklessness. However, if he wants to live his life to the fullest, it's clear that he should try to make everything more fun and challenging.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Some off you guys got Shadow wrong, first off.

Edited October 24, 2011 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Chooch]

Knuckles the Echidna is the personification of loyalty. No, not Tails. Knuckles.

He doesn't entirely understand how or why he was given the burden of being the Master Emerald's protector, but despite that he feels obligated to do the job regardless. He understands the value of the Master Emerald and the Chaos Emeralds better than anyone else as well at the full extent of their power. For that reason he protects them. It gives his life true meaning and purpose. A reason to live.

You could say that Knuckles lives for other people. Sacrificing himself so that the Master Emerald will never fall into the wrong hands; preventing what happened to his ancestors all those years ago from ever happening again. He sacrifices himself in the same way when it comes to those he cares about as well.

He's proud of his ancestry and being a descendant of Echidna warriors; the Knuckles clan. That's where his name comes from, of course. In living up to that name, one of his primary hobbies is practicing his fighting skills (See: His trademark idle animation originally from Sonic 3) and working out (See: His idle animation in Sonic Advance 3). Another one of his hobbies that has since garnered more recognition is his fondness for exploration and treasure hunting. I believe this stems from his isolation in all the years he's been alive and lack of knowledge of his ancestry and origins.

Long before Knuckles' encounter with Sonic, I think Knuckles spent several hours each day exploring every corner of Angel Island using his immense strength, endurance, and excavation skills to find clues to his past. It makes sense considering how much it's implied throughout Sonic 3 and Sonic and Knuckles that he knows the entire island like the back of his hand. It didn't matter how fast Sonic was, Knuckles was always one step ahead of him and ready to throw a wrench in his plans. Snickering at his feeble attempts to make his way across the island. I think he finds great fun in mischief and setting traps too.

His time on Angel Island protecting the Emerald has left him entirely unfamiliar with all sorts of social interaction. Thus giving him the reputation of being a gullible 'knucklehead' who is easily tricked and persuaded into doing the wrong thing. When he does find out he's been duped (and he always does), whoever they may be, they will learn to regret their decision. Knuckles is not one to take being embarrassed lightly and it's safe to say that he never will.

In keeping with my statement that 'Knuckles is the personification of loyalty,' I'll move away from the Master and Chaos Emeralds and move on to, well.. his friends. Sonic and Knuckles hardly ever seem to be on the same wavelength and constantly seem to irritate each other. At the end of the day, however, they respect each other and their abilities. They are complete opposites in essentially every way. They have completely different outlooks on the world and completely different ideals. The phrase 'opposites attract' is rather fitting here, I suppose.

Knuckles loyalty knows no bounds. If his help may be needed then he'll be there to protect his friends. That's what he's best at. Protecting. He is a guardian after all. Despite all their differences, it's particularly easy to assume that when the going gets tough, Sonic will be able to count on Knuckles to back him up whenever he needs help. And, well.. I think he enjoys being around to clobber on ol' Egghead.

It's funny, considering Knuckles' appearances in games that don't involve the Master Emerald are the subject of many debates. I really think if people were to quit looking at things so superficially and dig a bit deeper they wouldn't be so concerned with Knuckles taking time away from the Master Emerald do go adventuring with Sonic and Tails (and whoever else may be around).

Time and time again, the only reoccurring threat to the Master Emerald has been Dr. Ivo Robotnik himself. No one else. If Eggman's plans are thwarted, leaving him running with his metaphorical tail between his legs, the primary threat to the Master Emerald is always temporarily put at bay. Plus it's an excuse to mosey on off of the island, bust up a few robots, and hang out with the only real friends he has. Is that such a bad thing? I don't particularly think so.

I think people like Sonic and Eggman are things that Knuckles has wanted all along. It's a temporary cure to his isolation and loneliness. Yes, I said it. I think Knuckles is a lonely little bastard. He'll never admit it because he's too embarrassed to, but I genuinely think he is. When the Death Egg crashed on Angel Island, Knuckles life completely changed.

He may have to put up with an annoyingly cocky hedgehog, a overly clingy two-tailed fox, and giant mustached freak that oddly looks like food, but his life sure has hell has gotten a lot more interesting. Needless to say he's loving it.

Edited October 25, 2011 by Chooch

[Xenos]

How fitting that I had the Knuckles banner up there at the moment. Good read.