Who has been Sonic's best rival so far?

[Emmett L. Brown]

I actually kinda liked Metal Sonic's little character development in Heroes where he reveals that his drive to defeat Sonic has gotten so far out of control that he's started thinking he's the real Sonic. I'm sad that got dropped in favour of returning him to an obedient mute robot henchman for Eggman.

 

Come to think of it, didn't that characterisation get a comeback in Sonic Free Riders? I've only seen footage of the game online, but the cutscenes seemed to suggest so.

[Kuzu]

I'd really like for them to use Metal's lack of character as a basis for one. He doesn't exactly need a personality, but establishment as a character himself. Like how the reason he's so relentless, and unfettered is because he isn't programmed for anything else other than to kill Sonic, or some shit like that.

[Autosaver]

Blaze in Sonic Rush.

 

Especially with the boss battle with the best music ever.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I'd really like for them to use Metal's lack of character as a basis for one. He doesn't exactly need a personality, but establishment as a character himself. Like how the reason he's so relentless, and unfettered is because he isn't programmed for anything else other than to kill Sonic, or some shit like that.

Honestly, I'd almost take anything they'd give for Metal as an antagonist if they just fucking use him more. Almost.

[Kuzu]

Honestly, I'd almost take anything they'd give for Metal as an antagonist if they just fucking use him more. Almost.

 

To be fair, they are using him more, they're just still not giving him any sort of character establishment. He still just shows up, gets beaten and disappears.

[batson]

To be fair, they are using him more, they're just still not giving him any sort of character establishment. He still just shows up, gets beaten and disappears.

 

Yeah, but this type of appearances at least mean one thing; he gets to show up and be relevant in the actual gameplay of the games in which he appears in. To me, that's actually more worth than showing up in cutscenes but being completetly irrelevant to the gameplay, which seem to be a curse that most other side characters suffers from often.

 

Still, i'd definitely too want Metal Sonic to show more personallity.

[Semi-colon e]

I can see Metal Sonic becoming the equivalent of Ridley or Death, where he pretty much appears fairly often because he wants to kick Sonic's ass. Persistent bastard. One of my favourite things about Episode 2 is that he constantly came back, even though he lost every time. He was constantly coming back to provide another boss fight and try to give Sonic and Tails a hard time.

 

No Other M jokes, though, because someone's gonna make one.

[Laura]

I think Metal Sonic is unfortunate in that he has pretty much just turned into Robotnik's Slave Robot. Poor guy.

 

I also thought his role in Sonic Heroes was hilarious. He was the big villain but you only fight him as a Godzilla monster! Lol, what.

Edited January 4, 2013 by Ice Cream

[Kuzu]

Yeah, but this type of appearances at least mean one thing; he gets to show up and be relevant in the actual gameplay of the games in which he appears in. To me, that's actually more worth than showing up in cutscenes but being completetly irrelevant to the gameplay, which seem to be a curse that most other side characters suffers from often.

 

Still, i'd definitely too want Metal Sonic to show more personallity.

 

 

I don't mind that he appears in gameplay, but I want a reason to care about him outside of just beating him for the sake of a boss fight.

[Laura]

I don't mind that he appears in gameplay, but I want a reason to care about him outside of just beating him for the sake of a boss fight.

 

I think Sonic should extend his hand of friendship and become friends with Metal Sonic.

 

What about you?

[Spin Attaxx]

Hai, Bright Eyes.

 

I don't think Sonic would be friends to someone who's literally MADE to kill him.

[Laura]

Hai, Bright Eyes.

 

I don't think Sonic would be friends to someone who's literally MADE to kill him.

 

Who's Bright Eyes.

 

And, why do you not think so? I think they could go on picnics together. After all, I'm a big fan of Sonic 4 and noticed how they were able to have a secret bond.

[Spin Attaxx]

^ - Obvious troll is obvious.

Edited January 4, 2013 by Spin Attaxx

[Jack / Joker]

I think Sonic should extend his hand of friendship...

 

...and then Metal would rip his hand the fuck off. It would be pretty hilarious to see, actually.

 

But I digress, we're getting off-topic here and this ain't worths mah time, yo.

Edited January 4, 2013 by Optimus Prime

[Laura]

...and then Metal would rip his hand the fuck off. It would be pretty hilarious to see, actually.

 

As a fellow robot, I would expect you to understand!

[Emmett L. Brown]

I can see Metal Sonic becoming the equivalent of Ridley or Death, where he pretty much appears fairly often because he wants to kick Sonic's ass. Persistent bastard. One of my favourite things about Episode 2 is that he constantly came back, even though he lost every time. He was constantly coming back to provide another boss fight and try to give Sonic and Tails a hard time.

I like that idea. I could totally see Metal Sonic as a Ridley or Death. It's good to have a boss that fights Sonic on even terms. Silver Sonic and Mecha Sonic were excellent inclusions at the end of their respective games before the traditional Eggman-in-a-giant-robot-suit-shaped-like-himself final boss.

[Emerald-shine]

Best rival? I'm gonna say either spikes or bottomless pits because they have killed Sonic more than any other villain!

Going by that logic, I would say Tails is his best rival, I cant begin to count how many times hes screwed me over in the classics!

[SnipSnap]

If you're talking about outside of the franchise, it's Mario. If not, then Metal Sonic.

Edited September 27, 2013 by speedyblue334

[VGamer]

A tie between Metal Sonic and Jet for me. I think Jet's childish "I can't lose!" attitude kinda makes him the perfect rival for Sonic, and seems to have pissed Sonic off several times (mainly the first game). Metal Sonic too since it's shown in Free Riders that he has a bit of a childish like behaviour as well, since he took up Sonic's offer for a rematch but this time it was... racing with hoverboards... Regardless, it just shows that he doesn't want to necessary kill Sonic, but rather just beat him at something and prove that he's superior.

Shadow was only a good-enough rival in SA2, but after that his fights with Sonic were really just stupid. They had no reason to fight in Gens, or Heroes for that matter, they just did because the devs had to put in that one last character/team fight.

[Mick Mundy]

As another has stated, Metal Sonic competes with Sonic by BEING Sonic. Loathsome copy, etc. etc. blah blah. He tests all aspects of him. Knuckles was just trying to protect what he thought was in danger of Sonic, not necessarily trying to be a rival.

Then there's Jet. That dick. Race etc. etc.

(Edit)

Woah. Topic has risen from the dead. Didn't even realize it and contributed as such. @_@

Edited September 20, 2013 by Tentenswift

[Chaos Incarnate]

 

I'm not really sure if he counts as much of a rival nowadays, but from around the time he was introduced to Sonic Adventure, Knuckles is the best rival Sonic has ever had IMO. Metal Sonic is close for me, but I can't really think of anything interesting done with him story-wise, and he hasn't been relevant to the main series since Sonic Heroes.

 

What I like about Knuckles is that while he can be a major dick in  his first appearance by hindering your progress, there's a justifiable reason for it: Eggman told him Sonic's trying to steal the M.E, so naturally Knuckles has a reason to butt heads with Sonic at first. They eventually set aside their differences to stop their shared enemy when Knuckles discovers the truth, and they become allies at the end of the game.

 

What Knuckles lacks in speed(debatable depending on the game), he makes up for it with raw strength, making him evenly matched with Sonic. All Jet's got is his air board, and Shadow is too overpowered over Sonic with his chaos abilities, so I consider a fight between Knuckles and Sonic fair.

 

What I like about this rivalry is that although they've become great friends over the years, Sonic and Knuckles still aren't afraid to square off in a friendly battle. Knuckles is easily the most likeable rival for me, and I hope to see more of their friendly rivalry in Sonic: Lost World.

[Jet Prower]

I know most people are going to say Metal Sonic and I agree to a point, but he seems to more often be a forced rival than a natural Rival. While Knuckles could be counted as one, they don't seem to meet what he and Shadow have. They are both rather similiar to each other, both fast and while they may wat to defeat each other, and maybe sometimes go a bit further than that, it seems more natural than the one with Metal Sonic. I've just always found and thought a rivalry between Sonic and Shadow would be better suited for the both of them and fit alot better as well. If they could write it a bit better, you can easily have those two competing, sparing, and doing other rivalry things alot more than they do at the moment. They just honestly seem more like natural rivals to me than the one with Metal.

[Kuzu]

Yea. I know a lot of people say Shadow doesn't have much merit as a rival anymore, but if you look at the track record he has a much more impressive showing than Sonic's other labelled rivals. My only real problem with it is that it really isn't developed as much as it could be, using the most generic and flimsiest of reasons for the two to fight and it just makes the conflict feel far less genuine. Sonic Adventure 2 was the only game to really give the two legit reasons to go at each other, afterwards it was just bleeeeh. The reason I say it could be developed better instead of dropped entirely is because even after Shadow turned face, he and Sonic aren't exactly friends or particularly close and still have very different methods in handling a threat, something interesting can come from this but nooooo.

 

 

That said, I'd rather they focus on Metal because the dude seriously needs an actual character, and for it to be established as well.

[Jix Hedgehog]

X

Edited August 14, 2015 by Jix Hedgehog

[Shikushi]

Metal Sonic, Knuckles and Sonic Adventure 2's Shadow... somewhat.