Did Tails evolved in recent years

[MetalSkulkBane]

Short version: I did not care for Tails when I was younger. I like him much more these days. But that makes me wonder:
Did I learn to appreciate him more, or did his character improve? (since, let's say, 2010)

 

Longer version:
Classic Tails, was, well, mute with limited characterization. How capable he was depended on how many spin-off games you knew about. I was not around there, so I don't know how the fandom saw him. But early Archie / Fleetway / Satam / AoStH were kinda in the agreement with how he was presented: some to look over. Either a small child or not very competent sidekick that 50% times needs saving.

3D era was more kind, with SA1 & SA2 stressing out how he's going to grow. Maybe those two games were enough for some people to become his fans. But later games did not follow, not exactly at least. He became unquestionably a fighter (till Unleashed), in the same league as Knuckles or Rouge. But character-wise he was (at least in my eyes) still a little kid. In Heroes he leaves little impression. In Battle he's shy and timid. In Shadow, 06 Rush 1-2, he's just there. And in Sonic X he didn't fight at all. With Chris taking his best-friend role, he just felt like a shy little nerd, that worshipped Sonic for saving him from bullies. He just so rarely shinned, did anything cool, or rarely took initiative. At least in the first 2 seasons, he seemed, well, bland compared to strong personalities like Rouge or Knuckles. Being a nice smart guy just isn't that interesting.

So I didn't really care about Tails for a long time. But then he became... aspiring. motivated. Less of a pushover. Sometimes failing, but always trying, demanding that people take him seriously. Actively moving away from Sonic's shadow and trying to cast his own. I consider this Tails most admirable attribute, but I think it only started recently-ishly with ... Colors. (I'm praising this game? Teenage me would be so mad).
Yes, Tails doesn't fight in this game, doesn't do much at all. Yes, Sonic pushes into the elevator at the end. And I still don't like the general humor. But I feel like this is where Sonic-Tails dynamic finally changes. Where it's no longer "gee, Sonic, you're so great, I worship you" or "wait for me, Sonic". Tails jokes about Sonic talking to trash. Demands for his contribution to be acknowledged. I know, small steps, but I could never see Heroes Tails doing that much.  Plus, I think this is the first game that really shows the friendship between the two, something that Sonic X sorely lacked.
Lost World tried to build upon this, but pushed too far. But Boom is often considered one of the best iterations of Tails. The same can be said about Flynn's writing in Archie/IDW/Frontiers (and guess what? While Ian wrote comics since 2006, his first big story about Tails kicking ass,Sonic Universe 17-20 was in the year 2010, the same as Colors).
(There are also Prime's Nine and Paramount Tails, but those feel like very different from "main" Tails).

In conclusion, while Lost World made him a bit of a jerk, and Forces regressed him for one scene into a coward, I feel like Tails became a much more interesting character in the last decade-ish. What are your thoughts? I don't mind if people disagree, I'm kinda praising Pontac, I don't like this at all.

[Wittymations]

Not really. I don't find Tails interesting at all this decade. Or last.

Personally I found Tails acting like a jealous girlfriend in Lost World more than anything. But everyone felt stupid there, though I did like Eggman punching ice lol.

Thing about "Mascot Franchises?" Characters can't *really* grow in any meaningful way, unless they're one-offs. Attempts to do so eventually revert back to a medium.

Shadow is a weird one, meant to be a one-off but people love their "dark version of the MC" trope and he got brought back.

But generally? Regular characters are stagnant. They're not allowed to evolve because doing so breaks the formula.