Your own interpretation of the characters.

[Chaos Nightmare Moon]

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 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 digging 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 annoying 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.

Applejack and RainbowDash basically.

[Kuzu]

Applejack and RainbowDash basically.

.......My god...why? I will never get that image out of my head now.

[Chooch]

I honestly don't even understand that comparison.

I'm not a 'brony' nor do I care to be one.

[Kuzu]

I honestly don't even understand that comparison.

I'm not a 'brony' nor do I care to be one.

They're relationship is basically Sonic & Knuckles, with Dash being the cocky braggart and Applejack being the stubborn hard worker...together they've spawned numerous fics, they're also voiced by the same person, but that's for another topic.

But yeah, you pretty much just Knuckles nailed, and I love how you gave the verbal middle finger to all the Master Emerald hate.

[Chooch]

I guess that makes sense. I think there's a lot more to Sonic than just being a cocky braggart who likes to go fast tho'.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

But yeah, you pretty much just Knuckles nailed, and I love how you gave the verbal middle finger to all the Master Emerald hate.

I would normally say something about that, but given that he actually kept that stuff in mind for the most part as opposed to the usual things people say about it, and gave it more weight than they usually do, I'll let it slide.

That, and we've gotten into way too many debates about it. Everything else was enough for me to like it.

...but where the heck does the "hate" come from?

Edited October 25, 2011 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Kuzu]

I guess that makes sense. I think there's a lot more to Sonic than just being a cocky braggart who likes to go fast tho'.

I know, I was just listing off their similarities, in fact its because of those similarities that you see Sonic in a lot of Pony fics.

I would normally say something about that, but given that he actually kept that stuff in mind for the most part as opposed to the usual things people say about it, and gave it more weight than they usually do, I'll let it slide.

That, and we've gotten into way too many debates about it. Everything else was enough for me to like it.

...but where the heck does the "hate" come from?

Not so much hate, but contention at the mere mention of it is all.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Not so much hate, but contention at the mere mention of it is all.

Really, the main reason it's like that is for sheer collateral for other characters. We already know the double standards, I don't think we need to elaborate again.

Chooch says it himself how people shouldn't look so superficially at these kinds of things, and I would extend it beyond just the Master Emerald for Knuckles.

Edited October 25, 2011 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Kuzu]

Really, the main reason it's like that is for sheer collateral for other characters. We already know the double standards, I don't think we need to elaborate again.

Chooch says it himself how people shouldn't look so superficially at these kinds of things, and I would extend it beyond just the Master Emerald for Knuckles.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Exactly. Ya know we can just look at all of the characters appearing for no damn reason deeper than it really is.

Edited October 25, 2011 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Mr. Awesomest]

Blaze:

Just a little forewarning, I like to make assumptions on their past before going on into their personality, as it makes more sense and gives the character a reason to be like they are.

As shown in Sonic Rush, this princess said that her powers were a curse, and that's why she fights alone. So, apparently the public didn't like her fire powers. Not too many people would be too easy around a politician if they had the ability to roast you with their fingertips at any time. Since there is probably a big debate on whether or not the public should let her be with her fire power or get rid of her, she's easily scared of meeting new people. Scared that they'll be just like the hundreds of others that think she should get the witch treatment. She thought that she would once again be forsaken by the ones she wished to save.

Because of her rejection, she tries to go out and deal with everything herself; to try to prove to them that even though she may be a freak, she can use her powers for good, like a classic comic superhero, particularly Spiderman. But, also like Spiderman, no one she works for cares enough about them saving their hides time after time, and in fact over the ages, it's become the norm that she did so, so now they can complain when she messes up. Because of this, Blaze believes it's her duty to guard the Sol Emeralds, put Eggman Nega down, and protect her people time after time, and that is another reason why she wasn't quick to accept help from Cream, Sonic, and the cast. She's expected to be able to save her world all alone.

Along with being scared of people because they think they're a freak, she's also sure that there's a couple conspiracies against her, and as such, thinks that everyone she does not personally know could be out to get her. They could be out to kill her, or just to make her mad and start abusing her powers, to get more evidence against her and get more people wanting her off the throne.

Because she has to deal with all of this throughout her average non-adventuring day, she's probably always angry, all the time, at varying degrees at any point of the day. However, since she is royalty, and a princess at that, showing that she is always angry all the time would be bad for her already terrible image, so she hides her emotions behind a mask of calmness. This causes her stoic personality: She's sick, she's tired, she's angry, but she doesn't want to show it. When she does, both her shoulder angel and devil go like this. And this trait of hers that eventually caused

which was the bane of the slow handed man's existence.

Perhaps I'm overstating her anger a little bit, as I'm making it sound like the moment they ran at each other, Blaze would have her hands around Sonic's possibly non-existent neck while screaming things that'd make Shadow cry and tell Gerald that she said a bunch of bad words. But you get the idea.

Again, sorry for making so many assumptions, but that's just how I unravel a character out in a decent way. You need to know the landscape before building a house.

Edited October 25, 2011 by Mr.Awesomest

[Kuzu]

I honestly would if less people stopped being so far up their ass on who the most important characters are or who deserves more characterization, spotlight, attention, and needs reasons to show up, and so on. The fact that people feel a need to be that way is part of what made me use it against them in the first place to show how unfair that is and see how they liked it.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Ehh favoritism, what'cha gonna do?

[Kuzu]

Blaze:

Just a little forewarning, I like to make assumptions on their past before going on into their personality, as it makes more sense and gives the character a reason to be like they are.

As shown in Sonic Rush, this princess said that her powers were a curse, and that's why she fights alone. So, apparently the public didn't like her fire powers. Not too many people would be too easy around a politician if they had the ability to roast you with their fingertips at any time. Since there is probably a big debate on whether or not the public should let her be with her fire power or get rid of her, she's easily scared of meeting new people. Scared that they'll be just like the hundreds of others that think she should get the witch treatment. She thought that she would once again be forsaken by the ones she wished to save.

Because of her rejection, she tries to go out and deal with everything herself; to try to prove to them that even though she may be a freak, she can use her powers for good, like a classic comic superhero, particularly Spiderman. But, also like Spiderman, no one she works for cares enough about them saving their hides time after time, and in fact over the ages, it's become the norm that she did so, so now they can complain when she messes up. Because of this, Blaze believes it's her duty to guard the Sol Emeralds, put Eggman Nega down, and protect her people time after time, and that is another reason why she wasn't quick to accept help from Cream, Sonic, and the cast. She's expected to be able to save her world all alone.

Along with being scared of people because they think they're a freak, she's also sure that there's a couple conspiracies against her, and as such, thinks that everyone she does not personally know could be out to get her. They could be out to kill her, or just to make her mad and start abusing her powers, to get more evidence against her and get more people wanting her off the throne.

Because she has to deal with all of this throughout her average non-adventuring day, she's probably always angry, all the time, at varying degrees at any point of the day. However, since she is royalty, and a princess at that, showing that she is always angry all the time would be bad for her already terrible image, so she hides her emotions behind a mask of calmness. This causes her stoic personality: She's sick, she's tired, she's angry, but she doesn't want to show it. When she does, both her shoulder angel and devil go like this. And this trait of hers that eventually caused

which was the bane of the slow handed man's existence.

Perhaps I'm overstating her anger a little bit, as I'm making it sound like the moment they ran at each other, Blaze would have her hands around Sonic's possibly non-existent neck while screaming things that'd make Shadow cry and tell Gerald that she said a bunch of bad words. But you get the idea.

Again, sorry for making so many assumptions, but that's just how I unravel a character out in a decent way. You need to know the landscape before building a house.

[NiGHTS]

That Blaze one was done so well, Bravo! Reminds me in the Archie Comics, Blaze flipped out in anger with any little thing Amy, Cream did even though they wanted to help. When Shadow double crossed Blaze...oh man did things burn for the worst, so I actually agree with the way you wrote this.

Edited October 29, 2011 by Sally Acorn

[Dr. Crusher]

No points for guessing who I feel like elaborating about. Sorry if this doesn't actually fit with the topic, but I can't think of where else to put this. I suddenly feel the need to explain what I think about the antagonist's views on both his goals and character relationships, shallow and cliched as they may sound. For extra fun, you can pretend the man himself is talking. In third-person. For some reason.

Young Ivo Robotnik was a smart individual. He wasn't a teacher's pet by any means, but he got his jobs done. As long as he was getting ahead in life, he was satisfied. So he may come off as an all-work-and-no-play chap to his peers, so what. All that mattered was that he was ready for what life brought him.

But... one day, or was it a week? Months, maybe? No one can be sure. But all of a sudden... he started to think differently. As he got older, from school to college and afterwards, he appeared to look more at everything around him. The people, the places, even life itself. And he came to the following conclusion.

He hated it.

Everything always seemed so... chaotic. School pupils were always being their rebellious selves, slackers were aplenty, but it was more than that. To Ivo, the world wasn't advancing properly. To him, the entire globe was nothing more than a place for idiots and morons to have their silly little fun. All the leaders and kings were incompetents according to him, trying and failing to execute their authority. With each passing day, Ivo's mind became more and more fixated with the mindset that the world would devolve even more into a laughing stock unless something was done about it.

But no one else... no. They wouldn't do it. They couldn't do it. Everyone else was far too lacking in the department of proper intelligence, and those that did have the qualifications simply lacked ambition instead. Even his grandfather, Professor Gerald, was spending too much time with... what was it called again? The Ultimate Lifeform? Bah, whatever. Point is, even a scientific genius as Gerald couldn't do anything about it. Especially now that he happens to be, of course, dead.

For Ivo, this was a serious matter. Someone needed to restore order. Someone needed to take all of those simpleton hooligans and teach them a lesson. Someone needed to do something about it. And if no one else was willing to do that, then fine. He will.

Of course, the parents... even they didn't understand. They said the same things over and over again. "You're mad!", "What's wrong with you?", "You're just too over-confident!", blah blah blah. But it's okay now. They don't have to understand anymore...

And why just the world? What about other worlds? Surely they have it rubbish too. And they'll have their own soldiers and armies - they could attack his own at some point or another - best to deal the damage before they even rally their troops. And after that... universes... galaxies... dimensions...

...No. No. Not yet. Keep it small for now. Work up slowly but surely. Yes. That's the best way to do it.

He decided to stay secluded, particularly on an island - any island, it didn't matter to him, away from all the people and those that were "below" his standards. This would be his first time at real robo-engineering. Over the years, he had grown miore and more attached to robotics. Sure, he loved everything relating to science anyway, but especially robotics. To him, they were the perfect specimen. They didn't disobey and whine endlessly about "the rules" being unfair. No, they did whatever they were told. They were loyal, powerful... a far cry from Robotnik's opinion on anything flesh or fur-covered. His designs were... curious, to say the least. Such designs as tall chickens and crabs and golden starfishes and turquoise drillbots and black balls surrounded by lighter, icy balls... and many many more. Perhaps he felt that this was his own way of "getting back to" his previously work-filled childhood? Giving his later addiction to theme parks, it might not be far off. Anyways, all that was needed left, was some sort of power source... say, was that a bird chirp he heard? And that legend he once read about those gems - the Chaos Emeralds if he remembered correctly... didn't they happen to conveniently be on this very island? South Island?

...

Perfect.

------

Robotnik was not one to under-prepare. He knew full well from the very beginning that his actions and forces would cause a stir, and that enemies would inevitably be made. He just didn't expect his nemesis to come in the form of a hedgehog. A blue hedgehog. That runs really fast. And has a heck of a mouth on him. And, ever so rarely, will blurt out a zinger that sounds not unlike the final battle cry of a Care Bears story. All these factors made the doctor repeatedly feel ashamed... but not enough to back down and throw away the key to his utopian ambitions. (Whether that key is a water god or a magical scepter depends on the time or place.)

Ever since that first day, that first Green Hill onslaught, that first swing of his famous wrecking ball, the only thing on the doctor's mind was blind seething hatred. While not one to throw insults at every possible opportunity, it was clear from the very beginning that those who went against him were immediately enemies. Instantly. It didn't matter what they were - animal or human, male or female, alien or otherwise - if they stuck it to the Eggman, they were on his hit list. And that was the end of that.

But surely, over the years, this would have softened, right? As with all eternal foes, there must be some link that forces the two of them two accept that one is not without the other?

Ha ha ha. Don't be silly.

The link is certainly in Sonic's view - his fun loving gold heart will always command him to spare him, but Robotnik? Non-existent. He may have teamed up with him against demons and gods and aliens and traitors and... whatever else, and he may have made pleasant conversation, but to this very day, Ivo would be more than happy to dance upon the Blue Blur's grave. Or if he can't destroy him physically, he's determined to do it mentally. Sonic's "free" spirit and whatnot are something that an order-obsessed maniac like Eggman can, never appreciate. The only possible details that could interest him are only because they remind him of himself. What do you expect? This is the man who openly defaced ancient Egyptian monuments and plastered his own mug over them, it's hardly surprising.

And the same goes for the rest of the "cute" critters, even those that have worked with and/or for him in the past. The gullible echidna, the pyromaniac feline, the hammer-wielding fanatic, the telekinetic future-whiner, the jewel-focused bat, those pathetic crime solver-wanabees, the useless rabbit family - especially that damn Chao - those Babylon thieves, the other echidna that everyone else welcomed into their own clan with open arms in less than five minutes, that stupid cowboy hat-wearing weasel and his bird-and-bear thug-pals, that raccoon that once hit him with... water I believe (or was it plasma...?), even the aforementioned Ultimate Lifeform that his own grandfather created... and all the other rats Sonic's mysteriously attracted over the years. How he'd love to deconstruct the entire Echidna history to see Knuckles' reaction, or to chuckle at the irony of Shadow being bested by his non-Black Arm-father's grandson, or to show Sonic's withered and decayed body to Miss Rose for a "surprise". Oh yessss. He'd love that. Because that's all they're worth to him.

His other "brand" of enemies, namely the "I was having a grand old battle with Sonic until you came and spoiled it" variety. Admittedly half of them were his own fault - Chaos, Dark Gaia and even classic creation Metal Sonic being three of them. But will an egotist as Eggman ever admit out loud that he dropped the ball? Absolutely not. As for the other ones - the Black Arms, the Nocturnous Clan, the Ifrit, the Gizoids, Solaris, even his own crackpot counterpart-slash-descendant-slash-whatever-the-fuck-he-is Eggman Nega. Who was the top dick in Ivo's mind? Maybe Nega, given that he screwed him over three times and generally made him, the real Doctor Robotnik, look like a helpless fool. Or perhaps Solaris' half, Mephiles, who did what he and only he should have been able to do. It was hard to tell, but the fact of the matter is, Robotnik placed all the god monsters and rebelling armies in the same category as Sonic and his friends - that is, the category that doesn't deserve a place in his industrial kingdom aside from something to feed the robo-crocodiles. Or alternatively, the robo-sharks.

It's not hard to relate Ivo to that of the unfortunate kinds of sociopath, which is funny, giving that he considers himself a feminist and romanticist. Behind his kind words and playful nature... they're just things in the end. Things to use. Things to take, to analyze, and to unlock. Things to point at. Things to laugh at. And eventually, like old broken toys, things to get rid of. Oh, they might chuckle or shed a tear now and then, but these obvious signs of sentient life fell on deaf ears. He may be more callous and indifferent than a typical card carrying being, but in some twisted and subtle way, that makes him even worse. All of them were beyond salvaging or saving in his eyes.

...Except, possibly, one.

And funnily enough, it happened to be the one that his arch-nemesis knows best. His little brother figure, even.

It must have originated after the Station Square missile failure, and was only doubled with the A.R.K. incident... for Robotnik to see anything in a mobian body aside from "Fuel for Badnik" - or at best, "Interesting powers, must analyze and exploit later" - was the champion of all rarities. But when it came to Miles Prower, the doctor saw something even more - potential. The fox's vast amount of knowledge, science and machinery in particular, amazed him to no end. How was someone, a child at that, even remotely capable of knowing, understanding, and even indulging in such advanced tidbits as if they were counting the two times table?

But it wasn't just that - this wasn't just any typical case of "Hurrah, someone else is as intelligent as I!". He saw an inverted version of himself.

They both used machines. They both built machines. They both refuse to back down as much as Sonic himself does. But at the same time, there were polar opposites. The doctor was more often than not a very booming and bizarrely imposing figure, while Prower was always somewhat more gentle, at least compared to the rest of the Sonic-leading crew. Eggman's inventions were usually abstract or just crazy (Animal robots? Pirate robots? Chef robots?), Tails' were more traditional and mundane.The man threw his ego about damn near everywhere and thensome, whereas you'd only occasionally see the famous two tail logo on the results of the otherwise modest fox's ideas. It was, and still is, a curious set of details. They weren't pin-point specific, but to Robotnik, they were enough.

Obviously, Robotnik doesn't plan to, and never will plan to, become deceased anytime soon. But if he did meet his demise, if he did meet his maker, if he did get a load of that... who could continue his work? Who could carry on the ideals of his Eggman Empire? Who'd be capable enough, smart enough, ambitious enough, to make him proud? Not Wave, her mechanic skills were only mildly amusing to him, and definitely not Nega, because frankly a chaos-swallowing dunce as he would mess everything up as quickly as Sonic can run. There only seemed to be one answer.

But he'll never take it, will he? Tails isn't exactly the Anakin Skywalker kind of person. At best he'd just look curiously at Eggman before raising his fighting fists once more. Oh well. Maybe next time. He'll just have to think about Tails and his intellect another time. For now, he has a new plan, a big plan, and he must do what he's been trying to do all throughout his life. Because behind all his robots, behind all his factories, bases and corporations, behind his gigantic machines of destruction, and behind his grandoise schemes of world and occasionally universe-spanning madness, it ultimately boils down to one spiteful and petty little objective:

Kill the hedgehog.

EDIT: How are Solaris and Mephiles remembered? Because aliens.

Edited November 1, 2011 by Dr. Crusher

[Mega]

Personally, I've always seen Vector as a pretty clever croc. He might be a tough guy and love making money, but in Sonic Heroes he was the one who worked out his client's real identity, which surprised even Espio and Charmy. I feel like his Heroes personality was the best interpretation of him in his 3D appearances, and... everything after just stomped all over it. They gave him a derpy sounding voice, focused on his love of food and money more than his deductive skills. 'specially Free Riders.

It's not the worst writing in the world, but I figure Vector isn't a bumbling idiot. He's just loud, goofy, and occasionally temperamental. I don't see him as truly greedy, either. If he was, then why would he work for free from time to time? Vector probably does want to live a more luxurious life, but he's also got to handle office bills, and it wouldn't surprise me if he shared a living space with Espio and Charmy, either. And since Charmy's just a kid, Vec's probably got his hands full unless Charmy's got a family. But this is the Sonic series. Families pretty much don't exist unless you're Robotnik or Cream.

He also strikes me as a character who loves junk food-- I'm talking pizza nights and lots of soda pop. Maybe a side of sports. I can just picture him using some of their income to buy a huge pizza on friday nights.

And now for something different... SatAM Sonic.

A lot of game fans and even SatAM fans act like this version of Sonic is just an egotistical idiot, if not a huge jerk. I... never understood this interpretation, but maybe that's because I've always loved the SatAM version of Sonic.

Does he have an ego? Yes. Is he cocky, corny, and quick to act? Absolutely. However, even in SatAM, he cares deeply for his friends. In Sonic Racer he was willing to stop the race in order to save Antoine, of all people, from certain doom. And when Bunnie saves him in Sonic and Sally, he doesn't act like he could've pulled himself out of a rough spot. On the contrary, he actually thanks her not once, but twice. Sonic's friends are mondo important, and there are times when he definitely cheers them on. Even Rotor, who doesn't have a lot of self esteem in the first season.

I think Sonic's real problem is that he doesn't always show his feelings. He's got a lot of pressure being the only Freedom Fighter with amazing speed, the one who has to save the day more often than not. He lost his uncle to the roboticizer at a very young age, and his friends lost their families too. The incident in Mobotropolis probably affected his lifestyle since then. Deep down, Sonic probably does worry occasionally. Heck, it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of his cockiness is a cover to make himself seem strong, like a hero who won't back down even when the odds are slim. There's a lot riding on his abilities, and the other FFs can't always keep up with him. Maybe he rushes into the action before he can feel any regrets. Sonic's Nightmare shows that he does have fears, and I doubt they went away completely after that episode.

This isn't to say his cockiness is all a ruse. I'm sure some of it's genuine, and fighting evil is a lot less stressful when you have fun with it. And he was cocky even as a child. However, I do think he uses it as a defense mechanism at least sometimes. Even then, he's not constantly goofy or arrogant. He's shown to be pretty serious from time to time, especially when it comes to Sally or Uncle Chuck.

He's also not a total idiot. Sonic doesn't use his head all the time, but he can be downright crafty sometimes. Using the lid of a trash can to deflect a SWATbot laser is one of my favorite examples. When he's out on missions, Sonic's good at improvising and using his speed to his advantage... as long as there isn't Mega Muck around. Plus, he's shown to have some decent skills with tracking and other important Freedom Fighter traits.

I wouldn't say SatAM Sonic is a genius, but he's not stupid. He's probably a lot smarter than he lets on, due to his impulsiveness and overall goofy persona. He probably doesn't like to stop and think, in part because it slows him down, but also because it opens up too many what-ifs. If he gets too caught up in thinking, how can he handle things with the style and speed that comes natural to him? Still, he can do it. When Lazaar took his speed, he pretty much had to rely on cleverness to make it out in one piece, and it succeeded. But really, I think Sonic's intelligence largely comes from street smarts, rather than Sally's book smarts.

So, what about those traits that people associate with the Sonic character as a whole? Oh, I think he's still got them. Even though SatAM Sonic likes kicking Robuttnik tail and saving the day, he's got a good heart under his rough exterior and isn't afraid of slowing down to help a friend in need. He also takes the dark and stressful situations he faces and turns them into a wild ride by throwing out snarky comments and showing off with his speed. And he totally strikes me as an adventurous spirit. Sure, he lives in Knothole, but I bet that he uses his speed to explore all the time when he's not on missions. Mobius is a pretty big world, and I doubt he'd want to miss out on the fun of cruising through the Great Unknown.

There are a lot of traits that are true of game Sonic in his SatAM characterization, they're just handled in a very different way. That's why I like to view the two Sonics as different, but similar characters. Maybe he's not always written flawlessly, but I feel like people focus too much on his flaws without looking at the positive traits of what I consider to be a fun protagonist.

Edited November 1, 2011 by Mega

[Your Vest Friend]

I knew it was around here somewhere.

Slight bumpity bump, but Generations has really given me incentive to look at the characterisation of Charmy, since he seems so strange.

To me, Charmy is basically Sonic if he could fly. Much like the Blue Blur, Charmy has a preference towards the speedy, and can fly fast enough to pull off moves that are speed-classed by their nature. He's also impatient, hyper and, while having some honed instincts, isn't exactly a brain box (he also seems to prefer games to focusing on things from a work perspective, again akin to Sonic). This would explain why he views Shadow as being cool in Shadow the Hedgehog, and why he tells Sonic that he's his hero in Generations.

However, obviously things aren't simply as fitting as that, and here's where things get a little...depressing, maybe. If we go back to Colours for Sonic, you may recall Sonic, after beating up one of the bosses, speaks to the remains as if it were a person, which certainly weirded Tails out. This bout of strangeness, is a one-off though, as Sonic runs off to do what he wants after meeting with Tails and getting some more low-down. Certainly if he'd been more restricted in his actions, he'd have more moments like that. Now imagine being tied to a profession 24/7, which requires waiting for the next bout of excitement, which sometimes take weeks to crop up again. What do you think would happen to Sonic's mental condition after a while? Now take nine years off Sonic. I'd say he might be shouting about being a free hog.

Eh, I'm bored.

Edited November 17, 2011 by VEDJ-F

[Chaos Nightmare Moon]

Shadow the Hedgehog

Shadow is like his name implies, a dark mirror void produced by the light. Simply put, Shadow is Sonic's alternate indentity and opposite self. He's a complimentary anti sonic that was created to contrast all of Sonic's traits and personality with the darkest quirks and attitude Sonic can't and will not do. He serves as a persona outside of Sonic's cheery disposition and offers a more realistic/edgy side to the world which is known by Sonic's perspective. Also he's the greatest Scientific creation while Sonic is natures greatest creation. Despite all that, he's and Sonic share the same common goal in protecting the earth and fighting for the greater good.

In Sonic Adventure 2, he had an ego. He seemed to enjoy toying with Sonic and being a bad guy, but deep down he had loyalty for Gerald and Maria. This is first seen when he saves Rouge, and wants to deny it. You wonder if he is a bad guy at heart or if he's like that to cover up his actions. Either way you can tell he was 'a natural' baddy.

In Sonic Heroes, even though he had amnesia, his personality seemed intact. He was protective and loyal, demonstrated in the beginning cutscene with Rouge, but also kinda cocky (again, still rivals with Sonic).

In his own game(My least favorite interpetation of the character) he rarely joked, didn't care for others and only for his goals. It was his memories that revived his loyalty, not his personality. You didn't get the sense that the character grew during the quest, nor that his personality traits shined through. It was PLOT DEVICE central. He had a distaste for humans in that game but I believe he deep down doesn't hate humans all that much,I don't think he dislikes humans, I mean he is nearly obsessed of the child Maria. He saw Maria in almost every humanchild he have met who looked like herAnd I think he is mad at the humans beacuse what they done too him, the world and his dear friend Maria.

I see a sad and angry person in this character. That feeling he has inside has made him cold as ice, but deep inside he is kind. I think he does care about others but he don't know how too show it and is afraid to be closed to someone beacuse he is afraid to be hurt like the time he lost his Maria... He can't trust anyone.

His relationship with Sonic is also very important to the character, deep down Shadow has a loathing and a respect for Sonic. Sonic is two sides to Shadow in a sense that on one side, Sonic is the complete opposite of everything he stands for and the other the main reason his existance is questioned, if he is the ultimate lifeform. Shadow I believe has something other rivals Knuckles and Metal Sonic don't, and thats being the greatest test of Sonic's ideals and skills compared to Shadow's. Their dynamic symbolizes life in general. One is full of freedom and openess, the other is filled with purpose and conviction which both are opposed to when they clash, but both just simply accept thier ways which shows how much that compares to life and how it usually is.

Shadow clashes with Sonic to prove he's a better existance, the ultimate concept of chaos control. Some people say Sonic is the Chaos, but is not simply disorderly to cause discord towards others. Sonic also has some form of order he obeys, he is a pacisfist who doesn't kill or end his enemies and he doesn't approve of full destruction to the area around him as he enjoys peace and harmony. So in a sense, Sonic is both Chaos and Order which is why he is able to do Chaos Control. He can handle the chaos as well as Shadow can.

So anyway without Shadow, the series would have not expanded this far ahead as a series.

Edited November 17, 2011 by Chaos Nightmare Moon

[Dr. Crusher]

So anyway without Shadow, the series would have not expanded this far ahead as a series.

[Kuzu]

So anyway without Shadow, the series would have not expanded this far ahead as a series.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

So anyway without Shadow, the series would have not expanded this far ahead as a series.

Try say that without being a fanboy.

[Nepenthe]

Ignoring the usual Shadow bullcrap, I'll say I've always had a fondness for the Babylon Rogues. Even in the few appearances they've had, I find them far more interesting than their fan-delegated status as nothing but a Triple Threat retread implies. Really, beyond their basic physical abilities, I find them quite different from not only Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, but the rest of the trios in the entire series.

Jet's been called many things by the fanbase, the two monikers vying for top spot probably being "tool" and "asshole." I consider that a good thing; it means his characterization is always accurate. Indeed, Jet is an asshole, and an entertaining one. Because of his prestigious lineage and athletic talents, he's egotistical to the point that his pride can overshadow his abilities, meaning he takes losing to heart more than other characters. This also leaves him easily embarrassed by the awkward actions of his teammates; thus, he's extremely bossy. He also has dreams of wealth, a natural extension of his hubris. After all, it'd only be inevitable that an athlete of his caliber should soon acquire enough money to have a veritable Scrooge McDuck vault. And of course, he's got the temper of Scrooge's nephew. What other character in the series has actually punted a desk?

Wave, on the other hand, is the proverbial woman behind the great man, picking up the slack from Jet's unbecoming laziness; she becomes his right arm when his inexperience, oversight, or ennui becomes problematic to the team's goals. It's also possible that this indirect level of authority over the younger, more immature boss gives her such an overwhelming superiority complex that it's the underlying justification for her rude attitude towards Tails. While her friends exchange trash talk to their respective rivals in terms of their competitive abilities, Wave tends to be a lot more venomous, dealing direct personal attacks towards the mere child who displays similar prowess for being a mechanic and thus threatens her status. Despite that, she still has the capacity to appreciate Tails' abilities. After all, he sure is smart.

Storm, however, is dumb. Namely, he's got some short-term memory loss and is terrible with words. He's also clumsy which, when combined with his strength, can make him a liability even when he's merely closing doors. Both of these facts render him as the gentle giant of the team, similar to Big in a way. He's passive in regards to the pack politics of his friends, merely following along with Jet and Wave's plans as he probably figures he doesn't know any better any way. Truly, Storm respects "The Boss" to unreasonable degrees, oblivious to Jet's flaws in his effort to measure up to such greatness and be the most reliable albatross that ever existed. Ultimately, it's all of this that leaves Storm an easy target for Wave's frustration and a reliable asset to literally anyone who can dominate him like the little puppy he is.

Overall, what you have is a team in relative disarray, probably only surpassed by Eggman, Orbot, and Cubot, which in turn makes them very interesting. As the World Grand Prix's taken off and become more popular, the strong competition coming out of the woodwork has left them more aware and sensitive to each other's kinks and flaws. And with two egos floating around a klutzy catalyst, the Rogues have a tendency to squabble all the time and act more like siblings, or even the Eds from Ed, Edd, n' Eddy, than the more level-headed teams outlined in Heroes. They're a really rough bunch, but it's that sibling quality to their friendship that makes them empathetic as well as great potential for comedy. Honestly, the Rogues are awesome.

[Sparky]

This is my interpretation of Tails.

Young Miles had been bullied even at a young age. Despite the fact he had defeated an entire army of Birds with his inventions only, He was mocked, bullied, and beaten up by many People on Westside Island. His only friends were the Flickeys. This has given Tails a somewhat, low self esteem. He doesn't Believe highly in himself and his abilities. But Sonic was the first person who didn't seem to want him dead. Sonic was the first person who befriended him and Believed in him. And after the Battle at Station Square, He now believes in himself alittle more. But He still has that modest personality and still believes he might never be as good as Sonic. But Deep down, Lies a Mighty Hero. Tails has lots of Hidden Strenght and Intellegence, but doesn't realize it. He might as well be able to take down Knuckles, Shadow, Silver and Metal combined, single handedly. But he's too modest to see it. One of his Attacks in Battle was "IQ 400", which is hgher than Eggman's 300. This implies that Tails is even smarter than Robotnik, who claims hes the "Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe".

[SuperStingray]

E-102 Gamma

Gamma says volumes about how Dr. Eggman's "robotization" works. It's generally assumed that he's enslaving the animals with this method, but E-102's encounter with Amy and the bird implies some very important things. Mainly, the animals have a mental connection to the robot's programming, if they aren't simply being used as the robot's CPU altogether. It would make a lot of sense, as a vertebrate's brain is very complex and can hold a lot of information and process it quickly. But the big question is, why would Gamma be so loyal to Eggman but completely 180 as soon as he saw the bird? Did he recognize the bird as his child and the overwhelming parental instinct shot whatever system kept his animal will at bay? Or perhaps he agency all along, and actually chooses to serve Eggman simply because he provided basic instinctual necessities like food and shelter (I presume the animal inside is "fed" somehow.) Gamma's callousness and confusion towards the concept of love* as Amy describes it isn't necessarily a robotic trait; charity and protection towards other species is most likely only understood by species with symbiotic relationships, something Flickies may not necessarily have by nature. For all we know, it could have been Amy's explanation that convinced him to help the other robots before himself. And the way Eggman controls his robot army seems to hit close to home for a being raised in a nondomestic environment anyway- he appears to lead in a very Darwinian manner if his punishment for failure to find the correct frog and contest between Gamma and Beta for status as a crewman say anything. So perhaps it is the case that Eggman's robots aren't prisons but large cybernetic enhancements that the animals simply accept, and the only reason Gamma chose otherwise is because he is one of the rare instances where Eggman's agenda conflicted with his core instinct. Perhaps this is also the reason for Omega's rebellion- it's not unlikely there's a creature that fuels him as well, and Eggman's decision to shut him down combat's his survival instinct and, like any animal, he would find purpose in retaliating against anything that threatens him. Whatever animal is inside him is most likely a predator, given his fight rather than flight response.

*UNDERSTAND UNDERSTAND

Edited November 19, 2011 by SuperStingray