Knuckles'... necklace... thing

[Indigo Rush]

Has anyone ever given any thought as to what that white marking is? Is it a necklace? A patch of fur? The Nike logo?

It didn't really bother me much until I came across this image...

See it? He has that exact same marking on his upper back. Is that just a weird perspective or is there something more to it? Since Knuckles' dreadlocks are always covering most of his back, we hardly ever see it.

So, it's time to speculate! What do you guys think it is?

Edited September 17, 2009 by Guybrush Threepwood

[Flyboy Fox]

I'm pretty sure that's just a shine on his back or it is actually his front.

The mark on his chest is his guardian mark. A birth marking. Part of him. At least, I think that's official. It's not a necklace, anyway. It's part of his natural colouring. It was actually inspired by the Nike logo if I recall correctly...

[Indigo Rush]

I don't think it's a shine... it's too defined to be a reflection. It probably is a marking, but I didn't know that there was one on his back (if there is) I'm trying to figure out why that would be his front, still.

[redmenace]

As Flyboy said, it's part of Knuckles, not a necklace (though in STC it's presented as so). I've heard it was designed after the Nike logo, the birthmark or the symbol of being a guardian as said before, but I never found a source for it. Sonic has that round tanned belly, while Shadow has a patch of white fur (and Silver as well). It's unknown what Amy has oficially. They seem to vary with each character, so I'd say it's some kind of "fur" patch like the opthers have.

Edited September 17, 2009 by redmenace

[Blue Blood]

You sir have simply noticed the little known fact that in the Riders CG Intro, Knuckles' body is poorly put together. Some parts are facing forwards, and others are backwards. That is all.

[Diogenes]

In the games I think it's just a marking, no real meaning to it. The Riders thing I'm willing to bet was a mistake, as I haven't seen anything anywhere else where he's got another crescent on his back.

I think Fleetway treated it like a necklace, tho'...

[Blue Blood]

Proof to back up my claim:

In fact if you look at the picture that you posted, Indigo, you'll notice that Knuckles is lacking the crest on his front there too! (Because it was mistakenly put on his back, for one reason or another)

[Arioch]

I'm pretty sure that's just a shine on his back or it is actually his front.

The mark on his chest is his guardian mark. A birth marking. Part of him. At least, I think that's official. It's not a necklace, anyway. It's part of his natural colouring. It was actually inspired by the Nike logo if I recall correctly...

I'm going to side with this and say it's a heritage marking. All the Echidna's in SA had these markings, including Tikal. So the only conclusion I can see is that it's a heritage marking.

[Chooch]

I've always looked at it as a heritage/birth mark of some sort. Never a necklace.

[Indigo Rush]

Alright, I'll say that I agree with the heritage marking, or an echidna trait.

I'll also go with the fact that Sonic Riders CG models were essentially crap.

[Blue Blood]

I'll also go with the fact that Sonic Riders CG models were essentially crap.

Fix'd!

I think it's probably just of the being an echidna, or at least belonging to the Knuckles' tribe. BTW, do we ever see if Tikal has this marking or not? IIRC, she's covered by her clothes and necklace.

Edited September 17, 2009 by Blue Blood

[Blazey Firekitty]

Yeah, the "necklace" thing is only in the Fleetway Sonic the Comic canon. I suppose it makes sense there, seeing as Knux is meant to be a time traveler from the past in that continuity, so it connects him to Tikal a bit more, in a way.

[Adamis]

Proof to back up my claim:

In fact if you look at the picture that you posted, Indigo, you'll notice that Knuckles is lacking the crest on his front there too! (Because it was mistakenly put on his back, for one reason or another)

His mark is on the left.

[MobileChicaneX]

Don't the dark chaos from SA2 also have this mark?

[Badnik Mechanic]

I made a topic like this when Sonic Riders 2 trailer was first released, I was convinced that Knuckles' white thing had been removed, it wasn't noticable in the trailer... and then a there was this screenshot which followed too.

[Arioch]

BTW, do we ever see if Tikal has this marking or not? IIRC, she's covered by her clothes and necklace.

Shhh, they don't need to know the answer. =P Some random member told me she had them symbol, so I automatically assumed she had it. She is part of the echidna clan, and in the comic Julie-su has the symbol... so ya.

[Badnik Zero]

It's a good point that the SA Echidnas have them though. All the Knuckles clan NPCs had some kind of white marking on their bodies, almost like tribal tattoos or maybe war paint, considering the story. I always guessed they had them drawn in at a certain age, and that Knuckles' mark is a special one that means guardianship.

Edited September 17, 2009 by Ezra the Badnik

[BlazingTales]

As stated above, these guys:

have them, so I bet it's either paint or a genetic trait. But judging on the fact that both

have white markings (Nester also has some, and IX appears to have designs on his... clothing [what the heck is it supposed to be?]), I'll say it's paint. That, or all echidnas have albino mutations!

[redmenace]

Wait a minute, those white markings on Tikal's hair aren't bandages or something? Like those on her feet? Yes I know it's weird, but that's what I always thought they were.

[BlazingTales]

Wait a minute, those white markings on Tikal's hair aren't bandages or something? Like those on her feet? Yes I know it's weird, but that's what I always thought they were.

In this image:

you'll notice that the bandages on her feat have more texture and folds in them, while the markings in her hair are flat.

[Blue Blood]

His mark is on the left.

Too far left. It's not flat on his back- it's slightly under his shoulder. The same is true for the image at the top of this topic.

[Adamis]

His body is turned so he can make a better punch. Try doing that move and check your movements

And I thought we already discussed that point last year.

[Blue Blood]

It's turned far to far. Poor texturing.

[CtW]

It's turned far to far. Poor texturing.

And even if it's not turned too far and it's just an awkward animation, poor texturing can explain the mark on his back. Looks to me like the developers just got lazy and applied the bit of the texture made for the front to both sides of the Knuckles model since his hair covers his marking most of the time anyway despite the fact that from the quality it appears the texture would only require solid red with the rest of the work done by normal or bump maps (probably the latter) and gloss maps.

Edited September 18, 2009 by Cipher

[Blacklightning]

All I can say is, that white thing freaked me the fuck out in SA2 whenever Knux started walking towards the camera. It always looked like some kind of disembodied jawline swinging back and forth whenever he started taking steps. D=