Summary
Sonic the Hedgehogis one of the largest multimedia franchises today, and with the recent movie adaptations, is enjoying a fair degree of success.Sonic the Hedgehog 3was very highly anticipated, especially with the movie debut of one of the series’ most popular characters, Shadow the Hedgehog. Fans were excited to see him, as well as the plot of one of the most belovedSonicgames,Sonic Adventure 2, adapted for the big screen.
However, with such a large roster of characters over the years, there are many other familiar facesin the franchisethat, even if fans hope to see some of them on the big screen, seem unlikely to get adapted. Also, certain other, even infamous, characters don’t really stand a chance of making it into a future Sonic movie project due to being tied to a single game or still remaining unpopular with the fanbase today.
Any Sonic fan will have heard of how infamous Princess Elise has become. Debuting inSonic ‘06she is the princess of Soleanna, kidnapped frequently in the gameby none other than Dr. Eggman. Sonic has to save her multiple times and in the end, she is the one to resurrect him with a kiss when Mephiles kill him. This romance is one of the least popular things seen in a Sonic game to date. Therefore, there is a very slim chance, even if a movie borrowed from the infamousSonic ‘06, that this plot would be included.
Also, in Paramount’s continuity Knuckles has been shown to wield the “Flames of Disaster”, something Elise possessed in the game, so the fact that the Flames have been borrowed from Elise and utilized elsewhere makes her even more redundant. If Elise was included, it could always be as a background joke or Easter Egg, or by amending her character significantly.
E-102 Gamma appeared inSonic Adventureas one of Eggman’s line of advanced battle robots. Yet he became a fan-favorite character, since he abandoned Eggman’s control over him and went on his own quest to end the doctor’s control over the rest of his “brothers”. He even sacrifices himself to rescue the Flicky trapped inside him.
Seeing as the plot of the movieSonic the Hedgehog 3borrowed heavily fromSonic Adventure 2, it seems unlikely Paramount would draw on the firstSonic Adventuregame now. Elements fromSonic Adventurehave already been referenced via Easter Eggs in the preceding movies, anyway. If any robot is more likely to see an appearance, it would be Metal Sonic or even E-123 Omega, given his ties to Shadow the Hedgehog. Seeing as Gamma met his demise in-game, there would be no need to bring him back.
Sticks debuted in theSonic Boomcontinuity, which followsa different version of Sonic and his friendsas well as a completely new setting. However, Sticks was mentioned inSonic Frontiers, which makes her a part of the main series. However, given the general unpopularity of theSonic Boomspin-off series, it seems unlikely this character would be given any time on screen, even if she is one of Amy’s best friends.
Sticks did feature inMario and Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, which was around the time of her debut, but notably not in the more recentTokyo 2020title. Due to the lack of canon appearances, it is unlikely she will appear any time soon, seeing as it’d take time to introduce her properly to the main series, though on the whole, it seems Sega mostly wants to forget about this character.
TheSonic Rushseries on the Nintendo DS featured some unique new characters, and in the second title,Sonic Rush Adventure, players were introduced to Marine the Raccoon, a young and boisterous character who helps Sonic, Tails and Blaze on their quest. It’s unlikely this character would appear in a Sonic movie, seeing as she has only since been referenced in theMario and Sonic at the Olympic Gamesseries.
Also, seeing as her debut title takes place in the Sol dimension, it seems too difficult to include the premise of a whole other dimension in the movies, given that the films take place on Earth with Sonic’s new human family. The factthat Metal Sonic and Amy are set to debut on-screen means Paramount is prioritizingthe introduction ofmore mainline charactersfrom the more well-known games rather than these DS titles. There’s too much more well-known material, lore, and characters from more popular games to work through first.
Blaze isone of the strongest female charactersin the series, but despite her apparent popularity, it doesn’t seem likely she will be included in future Sonic movie projects. As with Marine, a lot of Blaze’s lore revolves around theSonic Rushgames set in an alternate dimension, which aren’t likely to be prioritized ahead of the more mainline and iconic titles.
Even if a futureSonicfilm focused around the story ofSonic ‘06, which Blaze features in, she isn’t the most central character to the plot. Additionally, a lot of fans have difficultyharmonizing her appearance in this game with the fact she debuted in a whole other continuity. Considering the fact that Rouge was missing fromSonic 3, which borrows heavily from her debut titleSonic Adventure 2, it could be that Blaze suffers the same fate.
6Tikal
A Character From The Ancient Past
Despite not being a playable character inSonic Adventure, Tikal was central to its plot. She appears in flashbacks of the ancient past, wherein she tried to protect the Chao from her father and his warmongering clan. In the present day, she appears to Sonic as a red ball of light.
Tikal could’ve been referenced in either one of theSonicmovies or theKnucklesTV show, but now it seems unlikely she will feature at all. Like with Gamma, the films have moved on fromSonic Adventure. Also, as seen in the films, the Master Emerald’s lore is tied up with new Owl characters at war with the Echidnas, implying Tikal’s role has been filled by this. The fact she existed in the ancient past would make her appearance difficult, too.
Sonic Unleashedfeatured a unique globetrotting adventure, resulting from Eggman having shattered the entire planet. Sonic meets and befriends a character named Chip, and over the course of the game,the two become really close friends.
However, it seems unlikely forSonic Unleashedto be prioritized above the other games which immediately followSonic Adventure 2. Also, the films would be more likely to focus on the main Sonic characters and their human family, so Chip and Sonic’s bond would feel out of place and unnecessary. Out of all the characters who could be introduced along with their backstories, it’s unlikely Chip would take precedence over more iconic and mainstay ones.
Sonic Forcesfeatured a villain many fans believe was highly underused. With his ability to manipulate his surroundings via the Phantom Ruby, Infinite is a character with a lot of potential, more than the game allowed him.
However, with the game still relatively new compared to more iconic and belovedSonicgames, Infinite is highly unlikely to debut in aSonicmovie, or even if he was, it’d take a very long time. The Master Emerald was more or less replaced by the Phantom Ruby, but seeing as the Emerald has already appeared on-screen, it’d feel bland and pointless to replace one magical gem with another less well-known one.Sonic Forceswasn’t the most popular game, either, so it isn’t as cherished as ones likeSonic Adventure 2andSonic Heroes.
