List of Sonic the Hedgehog video game characters

This is an alphabetical list of characters who have appeared in multiple games of Sega's video game franchise, Sonic the Hedgehog; further information on characters who have appeared in one game only may be found in that game's article.

Amy Rose
Amy Rose (エミー・ローズ), is a 12 year old girl. She appointed herself to be Sonic's girlfriend. Amy was not created by Sonic Team; instead, a prototype version of her appeared in the Sonic the Hedgehog manga published on September 23, 1992. Her first appearance in the games was in Sonic CD, introduced and kidnapped by Metal Sonic. Here, she had the nickname "Rosy the Rascal" and was named "Princess Sally" in the Western manuals, in order to tie in with the cartoon. After this appearance, she became known as Amy. Her first playable appearance was in Sonic Drift and Sonic Drift 2, as well as in Sonic R and Sonic the Fighters as Rosy the Rascal, and Sonic Adventure as Amy Rose. Amy's skills with her Piko Piko Hammer are second to none.

A Games Radar article called Amy's introduction "the only bitter taste" in Sonic CD, but added that "she's just a pink hedgehog here and not a whiny, annoying brat like in Sonic Adventure." In an IGN article "Smash It Up", Lucas M Thomas stated that "one of the coolest things about [Amy Rose's character] is her enormous, walloping hammer" that is often used for comedy in the series.

Babylon Rogues
The Babylon Rogues are a group of avian thieves. The known members of the group include Jet the Hawk, Wave the Swallow, and Storm the Albatross. Their only appearances to date are in Sonic Riders, its sequel, Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl in the form of trophies and stickers. Jet however did appear as a playable character in multiplayer in Sonic and the Black Knight as Sir Lamorak, and he has also appeared in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games as a rival in festival mode, they will also appear in Sonic Free Riders.

Jet the Hawk
Jet the Hawk (ジェット・ザ・ホーク) is a 14-year-old green hawk. Sources describe him as the leader of the Babylon Rogues, who is nicknamed the "Legendary Wind Master" due to his mastery of Extreme Gear. This mastery comes from his forefathers, and Jet is the best in the techniques. His skills make him a possible match to Sonic the Hedgehog, whom he considers a rival. Jet is aware of his duties as leader but must sometimes be helped by his team. Filled with extreme pride, the thing he likes most other than treasure is himself. He despises losing and those who are faster or more confident than him and fights using Bashyo Fans.

He appears in Sonic and the Black Knight as Sir Lamorak, but is not playable in adventure mode. This, along with his appearance as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, makes him the only member of the Babylon Rogues to appear outside the Riders games. Jet also makes an appearance in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games as a rival in festival mode.

Storm the Albatross
Storm the Albatross (ストーム・ザ・アルバトロス) is a 19-year-old hulking albatross. He is described as the muscle of the Babylon Rogues and Jet the Hawk's "right hand man." The strength of his loyalty to Jet is greater than any other and he hates rivals to the team. When he is angry, he becomes destructive; and the raw power of his physical strength makes up for his lower intelligence and lack of speed. With his quick temper, he may stutter when flustered, and he hates having to wait.

Wave the Swallow
Wave the Swallow (ウェーブ・ザ・スワロー) is an 18-year-old purple swallow. Official profiles say that like her father was for the previous generation of the Babylon Rogues, she is the current team's mechanic. Gifted in this craft, she has a superb mechanical knowledge of Extreme Gear, which surpasses both Miles "Tails" Prower and Dr. Eggman. Because of this knowledge, she is full of confidence. She hates thick-headed or stupid people and notices everything, but her advice tends to be understandable only to her. Although she looks on Jet the Hawk as an "unreliable younger brother" and can be stubborn, she follows his leadership.

Big the Cat
Big the Cat (ビッグ・ザ・キャット) is a large, 18-year-old, purple anthropomorphic cat with yellow eyes and long ears who first debuted in Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast. Big is laid-back and easygoing, which is reflected in his speech. Strong but gentle and a little slow, he lives a normally peaceful life in the jungle with his best friend "Froggy." He loves fishing, and he is never without his favorite rod and lure.

He has appeared in various games as one of the main playable characters, or by making cameos. He first appeared in Sonic Adventure, where he is after his best friend, Froggy, who swallows a Chaos Emerald, and Chaos' tail. With the help of Sonic he stops Chaos and saves Froggy, later helping Sonic defeat him permanently by giving him one of the Chaos Emeralds. Next, he appeared in Sonic Heroes helping Team Rose save Froggy and Chocola (Cheese's twin brother) who had been kidnapped by Metal Sonic, gain Chaos' data, and help stop Metal Madness. He appeared in Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood as one of the main characters in the story mode. He is found in Mystic Ruins and is the fifth character to join the team. Big is also vital for many areas in that game. His next appearance will be in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing as one of the playable characters. He rides a small green motorcycle and his All-Star move is to have his buddy Froggy grow huge. Then, Big grabs on to his tail and Froggy rams into Big's opponents.

He made cameo appearances in Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic and the Secret Rings, and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games as one of the referees. He has also appeared in the animated series Sonic X, where he made his debut on the Sonic Adventure story arc, and in the Sonic X comic. He has been voiced by the late Shun Yashiro and Takashi Nagasako in Japanese, and Jon St. John and Pete Zarustica in English.

Big was featured in a McDonald's promotion between December 3 and December 27, 2004. One of eight handheld dedicated consoles packaged with Happy Meals featured Big recreationally fishing.

Xbox World's preview of Sonic Heroes called Big the "gay best friend" of Amy and Cream. In a preview of Sonic and the Secret Rings, Nintendo Power praised the exclusion of Big from the game, referring to him as a "dim-witted, morbidly obese feline". However, Big later made his way into the game.

Froggy
Froggy (カエルくん) is a frog, and the best friend and buddy of Big the Cat. He has been rescued by Big and friends when he has gone missing or undergone a strange transformation.

Blaze the Cat
Blaze the Cat (ブレイズ・ザ・キャット) is a cat who comes from royalty as a princess from an alternate dimension. She's 14 years old and appointed as defender of the Sol Emeralds; her role is similar to that of Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna combined. She is portrayed as calm and levelheaded, hiding her true feelings. She is sometimes "bogged down" by her own strict discipline and devotion to her position, making her appear withdrawn. Blaze can control fire, but wears a cape to conceal it as she was teased about her pyrokinetic abilities when she was young. Using the Sol Emeralds, she can transform into Burning Blaze. She is voiced by Nao Takamori in Japanese media and Bella Hudson in English-language media.

Blaze debuts in Sonic Rush as a playable character along with Sonic. She arrives in Sonic's dimension from another dimension along with the Sol Emeralds. While searching for the Emeralds, she befriends Sonic and Cream and helps them stop Dr. Eggman and Eggman Nega before returning to her dimension.

She returns in Sonic the Hedgehog as Silver the Hedgehog's friend during the future of Sonic's dimension. The two fight against Iblis and attempt to fix their ruined world by traveling back in time. Blaze eventually seals Iblis within her body and disappears into another dimension; however, this event is reverted in the end, as are all other events in the game. She acts as a main character in Sonic Rush Adventure, where Sonic and Tails are transported to her dimension and help her retrieve the "Jeweled Scepter". She is an unlockable character in the Sonic and the Secret Rings party mode and Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, and a playable character in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games and its sequel Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.

Blaze is playable in Sonic and the Black Knight, taking on the persona of Sir Percival of the Knights of the Round Table (even though she is female), and is equipped with a Rapier sword.

Chao
A Chao (チャオ) is an artificially intelligent, virtually generated life-form that is raised by the player in minigames. First appearing in, and made popular by, Sonic Adventure for the Dreamcast (both in the plot and in a Chao-raising aspect of the game), later in Sonic Adventure 2, and further enhanced in Sonic Adventure 2: Battle and Sonic Advance, Chao have recently come to be a small part of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.

Chao start life in an egg state. There are many different colors of eggs, reflecting the type of Chao that will hatch from them. As they grow up, they may be trained with different attributes, abilities, and personalities. By giving a Chao a "small animal" or a "chaos drive", it will acquire certain characteristics. Besides a physical change to the Chao, this will also modify the Chao's stats based on the type of animal or power drive given. A Chao gains an alignment depending on how it is raised, either good or bad. Forms of chao abuse are chaoball (Baseball using a chao instead of a baseball), hitting them, throwing them, or forcing them to mate unwillingly; abuse will definitely shorten said chao's lifespan. A chao may grow into a "hero", "dark", or "neutral" alignment, depending upon which characters treat it well, and which treat it poorly.

Every Chao lives in a Chao Garden. Each garden is unique, though they all have these things in common: areas for Chao to swim, trees that grow nuts and fruits to feed the Chao, and a VMU/GBA Transporter. Chao can compete with each other in competitions such as races and karate, with outcomes largely determined by a Chao's stats. They will eventually gain the ability to reproduce. They are genderless, and therefore can breed with any other adult Chao. Eventually the Chao will enter a cocoon and be reborn as a new egg, or it will die. This depends on whether the player has taken adequate care of it during its lifetime. Players can also evolve the Chao into a special Chaos Chao, which cannot mate, but will not die. The Chao also appear in Sonic Heroes, Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Riders, Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, and "Sonic Unleashed".

Chaos
Chaos (カオス) is a Chao mutated by the Chaos Emeralds that acts as a guardian for its species, protects the Master Emerald, and provides clear water around the altar of the Master Emerald. It is a water-like being that can easily manipulate its body, allowing it to stretch limbs or liquefy itself. Without any Chaos Emeralds, it is known as Chaos 0, but with each Emerald it absorbs, it transforms into a more powerful form named from the equivalent number of Emeralds, eventually becoming "Perfect Chaos" with all 7 Emeralds.

After the Echidna tribe attempts to steal the Chaos Emeralds, harming various Chao in the process, Chaos absorbs the negative energy of the Emeralds, becomes Perfect Chaos and causes chaos until being sealed inside the Master Emerald with Tikal. It is released thousands of years later in Sonic Adventure, so Dr. Eggman can use it to conquer the world. Chaos, still filled with negative energy, absorbs Chaos Emeralds given to it by Eggman, and after Eggman is defeated, Chaos absorbs the last emerald and becomes "Perfect Chaos". It is defeated by Sonic who has absorbed the positive power of the chaos emeralds, which purifies Chaos, and allows it to leave peacefully with the spirit of Tikal. It reappears in Sonic Adventure 2 as a bonus character and in Sonic Battle as a playable character.

Chaotix
The Chaotix are a group who debuted in the game Knuckles' Chaotix as the main characters, and they have since established their own detective agency. The Chaotix are presented as a somewhat dysfunctional group and are often used in stories to add a sense of comedy to otherwise serious situations. The characters have been called "charming" and before the "parade of new characters" they were a "hoot".

Charmy Bee
Charmy Bee (チャーミー・ビー) is a 6 year old bee in the games who is the "scatter-brained funny-kid" of the Chaotix. He is cheerful, curious, playful, careless, and greatly energetic, often talking about things no one else cares about. Charmy's fooling around makes the rest of the detective agency staff look professional, and he is generally seen as a "cute mascot." Despite an innocent, good-natured and light-hearted personality, he uses his stinging tail on rare occasions that he gets angry.

Espio the Chameleon
Espio the Chameleonエスピオ・ザ・カメレオン (Esupio za Kamereon) is an anthropomorphic chameleon who is an expert ninja. He is also 16 years old. He is described as the "guardian of honor" of the Chaotix, also being the calmest. He has a "militaristic discipline" while also being quiet and laid back. Confident in his skills, opinionated and self-obsessed, he revels in training and self discipline. He is not concerned by danger, and often yearns to face it in order to use his ninja skills. With his extensive training in ninjutsu and an ability to turn himself invisible, he is able to move around unnoticed. However, a blunder like a sneeze could cause him to inadvertently become visible. Espio also made an appearance in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games as a referee.

GameZone staff writer Louis Bedigian claimed that "Espio must think he's part hedgehog because he can speed boost and become invisible".

Mighty the Armadillo
Mighty is a black and red armadillo who debuted in the arcade game SegaSonic the Hedgehog, and later appeared in the 32X game Knuckles' Chaotix. He is 16 years of age. The character is described as a traveler who loves nature and desires to see every place. Mighty hates weakness and violence. He prefers to be gentle but undergoes a drastic change and is capable when needed.

Vector the Crocodile
Vector the Crocodile (ベクター・ザ・クロコダイル) is a large, 20-year old strong crocodile. He is the "head honcho", and the brains, of the Chaotix Detective Agency. Divided between being "bossy" and "easy-going," his rough speech and outward appearance mask his clear reasoning and ability to resolve cases. For the right price he'll take on most jobs, unless they involve doing something immoral. Vector has a strong sense of justice and kindness, despite his argumentativeness. He often does unpaid work due to his charitable nature, leaving the agency constantly short on money. Vector hates having to work for the landlord, but he enjoys singing, and his trademark is a set of headphones. He is physically very strong and his powerful jaws are a formidable weapon. He has also been known to have a crush on Cream's mother Vanilla.

Vector was originally supposed to be in the sound test of the original Sonic the Hedgehog game, making him one of the oldest Sonic characters, alongside Sonic and Robotnik.

Cream the Rabbit
Cream the Rabbit (クリーム・ザ・ラビット) is a 6-year-old beige anthropomorphic rabbit constantly accompanied by her Chao, Cheese. Their names were based on "cream cheese." Cream is portrayed as being naive because of being brought up like a princess by her mother, Vanilla. She always politely minds her manners but sometimes acts childishly. Cream can achieve flight for short periods of time by flapping with her two large ears. Cream is voiced by Sayaka Aoki in all Japanese media, and Rebecca Handler (previously Sarah Wulfeck) in English media.

Cream's first prominent role was in Sonic Advance 2. She returns in Sonic Heroes as part of Team Rose along with Amy Rose and Big the Cat. She joins with them to search for Cheese's sibling, Chocola, and helps stop Metal Sonic. She is a playable character within Sonic Battle, where she befriends Emerl and teaches him about emotions. She is a playable character in Sonic Advance 3, and befriends the rebuilt Gemerl. She becomes friends with Blaze the Cat during Sonic Rush, teaching her about friendship. She is unlockable in Sonic Riders, Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, and the Sonic and the Secret Rings Party Mode. She is one of the secret unlockable characters in Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. Game Informer notes that in Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, "Cream is one of the most useful party members."

Cheese the Chao
Cheese (チーズ) is a blue neutral chao and the constant companion of Cream, following her wherever she goes. It distinguishes itself from other chao with a red bow-tie, and it often attacks for Cream by ramming into her adversaries. Cheese was created in order for Cream to keep her intended "sweet girl" personality and thus avoid directly attacking enemies. In Sonic X, Cheese is often referred to as a "she" by many of the characters in the English dubs, whilst in the games (notably Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood), it is often referred to as a "he". Cream sees Cheese as more of a friend than a pet.

Vanilla the Rabbit
Vanilla the Rabbit (ヴァニラ・ザ・ラビット) is a cream-colored rabbit, introduced with Cream the Rabbit as Cream's doting mother in Sonic Advance 2, and first named in Sonic X. She also made an appearance in Sonic Rush.

Doctor Eggman (Robotnik)
Doctor Ivo Robotnik (ロボトニック), mainly known by his alias, Doctor Eggman (ドクター・エッグマン), is the main antagonist of the series. Debuting in the first game of the series, Sonic the Hedgehog, he was shown attempting to collect the Chaos Emeralds and turn all of the animals inhabiting the land into robots. Eggman frequently appears as the boss of almost every level in most of the 2D games, in a different machine each time. Many characters named him Eggman due to his egg shaped body although his real name is Dr. Robotnik.

When Sega petitioned its research and development department to create a character who would replace Alex Kidd as its company mascot, a caricature of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was also among the proposed designs, but lost to Sonic the Hedgehog, and eventually became the basis for Dr. Eggman. He is a self-proclaimed or certifiable genius with an IQ of 300. His fondness for mechas has made him a renowned authority on robotics. Ultimately, Eggman's goal is to conquer the world and create his ultimate utopia, Eggmanland (alternatively known as the Eggman Empire and originally known as Robotnikland).

Eggman Nega
Eggman Nega (エッグマン・ネガ) was introduced in Sonic Rush as the arch-enemy of Blaze the Cat. Although his outward appearance resembles that of Doctor Eggman, his personality is different. He is heartless and calculating, in eerie contrast to his polite speech and manners. His name is a play on the word "negative".

EggRobo
EggRobo is an egg-shaped humanoid robot which resembles Doctor Eggman. They first appeared as enemies in the game Sonic & Knuckles. In Sonic's storyline in that game, they only appeared as standard badnik enemies in the Sky Sanctuary Zone, after being seen launched from the Death Egg.

They are rather more prominent in Knuckles' story, however, as one EggRobo in particular replaces Eggman as the end-of-zone boss in every level up until the Hidden Palace Zone, although a glitch in the game sometimes results in the player fighting Robotnik instead of EggRobo in Flying Battery Zone and Mushroom Hill Zone. This EggRobo also appears in cutscenes in the game. At the beginning of the game, while Knuckles is relaxing along with some of his animal friends, the EggRobo drops a bomb in their midst that scares his friends away. This EggRobo is destroyed by Mecha Sonic in the Sky Sanctuary Zone (the final level in Knuckles' storyline). The EggRobo restrains Knuckles, allowing Mecha Sonic to charge at him, but Knuckles breaks free and Mecha Sonic destroys the EggRobo instead.

Possessing the ability to hover, beign equipped with a firearm (an uncommon trait for a Badnik at the time) that usually had a homing or lock-on mechanism, and being some of the last Badniks to be powered by small animals, Eggrobos are very similar to the E-100 series robots that appeared in Sonic Adventure and beyond. In that sense, they could be considered earlier versions of the design: E-10 series.

An EggRobo later appears in Sonic R as an unlockable character, with abilities similar to Eggman. An EggRobo appears in Sonic Adventure 2 as a kart racing VMU Download with his own stage, and again in the Nintendo GameCube port Sonic Adventure 2: Battle as Rouge the Bat's unlockable sub kart, obtained by getting all the emblems of Rouge's missions. EggRobo also appears in Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood on the Metropolis map, along with a Sega Genesis.

E-100 Series
The E-100 Series is a group of robots created by Doctor Eggman, who uses them in his quest to conquer the world. They are more powerful than normal badniks, and are used by Eggman as a kind of elite trooper. The majority of the robots used captured animals as a power source. The E-Series have made a few sparse appearances in other Sonic media. Nearly all appearances reference the initial E-100s in Sonic Adventure. The E-100 line robots were the first of the E-Series to appear; six were introduced in Sonic Adventure with E-102 Gamma as a playable character, and two more were shown later on. They were gunner robots still in developmental stages who were given Greek letter names. Almost all were equipped with some sort of lock-on target ammunition, though its utility varied between models.

New models of E-series robots continued to be introduced in the video game series; Sonic Adventure 2 brought the debut of the E-1000, a mass-produced variant of E-102 Gamma that served as a normal Badnik-style enemies, Sonic Heroes had the more powerful E-2000 versions which were also in Sonic Rush, Sonic Heroes, and Sonic Battle had a series of fourteen E-121 Phi robots based on the design of the Gizoid Emerl who were powered by Chaos Emerald shards, and four versions (referred to by color) of the E-10000 series appears in Sonic Riders with two of them playable characters.

E-100 Alpha (ZERO)
Zero is the first E-100 series robot who is a large green robot that appeared in Sonic Adventure and is considered the prototype. He was created by Dr. Eggman and ordered to capture the Chaos Emerald from Amy Rose's Flicky friend, Birdie. He first appeared in Sonic Adventure and later returned in Sonic Advance 2. In Sonic Adventure, he is the main antagonist in Amy's story, where he repeatedly tries to capture Birdie. At one point of the game, he captures Amy and Birdie and brings them to the Egg Carrier. At the end of Amy's story, she destroys him. In Sonic Advance 2, Zero appears in special stages, trying to prevent Sonic from getting the seven Chaos Emeralds. He looks like a giant green garbage can.

E-102 Gamma
E-102 Gamma, or technically E-102γ, is one of the E-100 series robots created by Eggman. In Sonic Adventure, he is given the mission to collect Chaos Emeralds for Chaos after defeating his "Older brother", E-101 Beta. After witnessing the fate of Beta, Gamma slowly develops a conscience unique to the other E Series, releasing Amy Rose in remorse. After some convincing from his new friend, Gamma decides to turn against Eggman, to "rescue" the other E-Series robots by defeating them and releasing the small animals used to power them. He eventually battles and defeats an upgraded Beta, which leaves Gamma mortally wounded. They both end up destroyed, which releases two related Flickies that join with the other Flicky under the care of Amy Rose. He reappears as a playable character in Sonic Shuffle after being "revived with the power of dreams".

Later, Gamma was re-built and re-modeled into E-102 Chaos Gamma and appears as a playable character in Sonic Battle. He is powered by a shard of a Chaos Emerald, and battles Emerl several times in order to become stronger, but he eventually forms a bond with Emerl. E-102 Gamma is voiced by George Nakata in Japanese media, Steve Broadie in the English version of Sonic Adventure, Deem Bristow in the English version of Sonic Shuffle, Jon St. John in the English version of Sonic Battle, and Andrew Rannells in the English version of Sonic X.

IGN staff writer Levi Buchanan complained that "[t]he robot clanked along", a contributing factor to the relatively slow pace of Sonic Adventure.

E-123 Omega
E-123 Omega (オメガ), or technically E-123 Ω, is the last of Doctor Eggman's E-100 series robots, specifically designed to contain and control Shadow the Hedgehog. In his first appearance in Sonic Heroes, Eggman seals Omega within an abandoned base, along with Shadow, until Rouge the Bat releases Shadow from his stasis pod, accidentally reactivating Omega. Infuriated at being sealed, Omega decides to team up with the other two in order to obtain revenge on Eggman and prove that he is the most powerful robot of all, dismissing the others as "worthless consumer models".

He returns with the same goal in Shadow the Hedgehog, and teams up with Shadow in certain levels to destroy Eggman's robots. During Sonic the Hedgehog, he is playable after Rouge orders him to support Shadow many years in the future. He is also one of the secret unlockable characters in Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood found in Metropolis. Omega has appeared in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games as a rival in speed skating and intense short track(DS).

Omega has an array of extremely destructive weapons concealed in his arms, including machine guns, flamethrowers, missile launchers, and energy cannons. He can also retract his hands in order to attach a spinning Shadow and Rouge in their place, either using the two as melee weapons or firing them. Omega can use jet boosters built into his back to help accelerate and hover. He also has a range of sensors in order to detect and locate enemies. Omega is voiced by Taiten Kusunoki in all Japanese games, and was voiced by Jon St. John (Sonic Heroes), Andrew Rannells (Shadow the Hedgehog), and the late Maddie Blaustein (Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)), and Dan Green (Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games) in English games.

Other robots
Other members of the E-100 Series appear in Sonic Adventure and Sonic Battle. These include E-101 Beta, E-103 Delta, E-104 Epsilon, E-105 Zeta, and E-121 Phi. Beta was the "older brother" of E-102 Gamma, and sparred against him shortly after he first came online. Beta was defeated but was then upgraded by Dr. Eggman into E-101 Beta Mk. II, appearing as a cycloptic hovering robot. He was ultimately destroyed by Gamma, but not before shooting and mortally wounding Gamma, leading to his destruction. Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta were expelled from the Egg Carrier in Adventure, Gamma later destroying Delta and Epsilon in separate locations, before destroying Zeta in the Egg Carrier; Zeta having been rebuilt into a large immobile robot with inbuilt cannons. E-121 Phi was a clone of Emerl in Sonic Battle, appearing in an all-grey color to look different from Emerl. There were multiple copies of the character.

The E-Series often appeared in Sonic X, although various robots were used until the start of the second season where the actual E-100 Series made their animated debuts.

Fang the Sniper

 * For information on the version of Fang as seen in the American Sonic the Hedgehog comics, see Minor villains in Sonic the Hedgehog (comic series).
 * For his appearance in Sonic the Comic, see List of characters in Sonic the Comic.

Fang the Sniper (ファング・ザ・スナイパー), is a purple wolf-weasel hybrid that first appeared in the Game Gear video game Sonic Triple Trouble. His character is a treasure hunter in search of the Chaos Emeralds; however he doesn't know of their true power and merely wants to sell them for profit. He is a slick, sneaky, and mischievous character who will steal the Emeralds for an easier job. Fang tries hard to outwit others, but is held back by naivety and often fails. He is often seen with his air-bike, the Marvelous Queen.

The character was known as "Fang the Sniper" in the Japanese game, Sonic & Tails 2, but was named "Nack the Weasel" in the English version, Sonic Triple Trouble. "Nack" was used in the comic books he also appears in. Games released after Sonic Triple Trouble have called him "Fang", regardless of language.

Fang the Sniper has appeared in Sonic Triple Trouble, Sonic Drift 2, Tails Adventures, and Sonic the Fighters. In addition, he was set to appear in Sonic X-treme as a boss character, but did not due to its cancellation. He was also mentioned in a DVD-ROM Flash comic that came with Sonic and the Secret Rings or the power Sonic X.

Gizoids
Gizoids are robotic weapons revealed to be originally created in ancient times by the Nocturnus Clan of Echidnas in Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. Their most distinguishing trait is the ability to "Skill Copy," in which they can copy personality traits, knowledge, and fighting techniques. They form an obedience "Link" with those who have great power.

Sonic Battle introduced the first Gizoid to be featured in a game, Emerl. This Gizoid was discovered by Professor Gerald Robotnik, who attempted and failed to nullify its destructive programming. So to suppress it, he created for it a "soul" similar to Shadow the Hedgehog, based on his granddaughter, Maria Robotnik. In the course of the game, Doctor Eggman takes Emerl in the hopes of using it to rule the world, but tosses it aside when he finds no use for it. Sonic the Hedgehog finds it on a beach, names it Emerl, and he and his friends teach it how to fight. However, a glitch allowed for Gerald's programming to be overwritten and the out of control Emerl was destroyed.

Guardian Units of Nations
The Guardian Units of Nations, often abbreviated to GUN or G.U.N., is a worldwide military organisation that enforces the law and carries out special operations. The G.U.N. army consists of both human soldiers and a large variety of robots. The soldiers are armed with typical handheld firearms, while the robots have various appearances and purposes. They employ motorcycles, jeeps, large semi-trailer trucks, jets, helicopters, and bipedal walkers that can hover during battles. The G.U.N. Federation's headquarters is located in a mountain and it is considered the most secure shelter on Earth. The underground fortress is heavily guarded by three mother computers, armed security cameras, and an immeasurable number of G.U.N. troops and mechs. They also use "Prison Island" to hold various prisoners, such as Shadow and Sonic. It has security cameras and robots throughout the entire island, along with battleships guarding the coast making it virtually impossible to escape. G.U.N. also has several flying fortresses that are utilized during battles.

As seen in Sonic X and alluded to in the games, GUN appears to model its robotic forces after designs stolen from Dr. Eggman. Likewise, some of Eggman's designs show he may have done the same to them.

G.U.N. is led by the Commander. Described as having a "heart of stone," he has complete confidence and an iron will. The Commander grew up with his family on the Space Colony ARK, and was a good friend of Maria Robotnik. After his family and Maria are killed during the G.U.N. military's attack, he blames Shadow for their deaths, and uses the organization as an attempt to get revenge. Rouge the Bat and Shadow the Hedgehog also work for G.U.N. at times.

Knuckles the Echidna
Knuckles the Echidna (ナックルズ・ザ・エキドゥナ) is both Sonic's friend and rival. He is also 16 years old. First introduced in the Genesis game Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Knuckles lives on Angel Island, which hovers in the sky due to the power of the Master Emerald. As the last surviving member of the Echidna people who once inhabited the island, his duty is to guard the Emerald. If Sonic exemplifies the wind, then Knuckles is the mountain: stern and anchored to his duty.

During conception of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the development team wanted to create a new rival for Sonic. The final design of Knuckles was the result of dozens of possible designs inspired by numerous different animals. A character with many different abilities and skills, he is physically one of the strongest characters of the Sonic series. His strength and mastery of martial arts, specialising in punches, enables him to perform feats such as shattering boulders with his fists, whilst he can trap air under his dreadlocks in order to glide for short distances.

Maria Robotnik
Maria Robotnik (マリア・ロボトニック) is a character that appears in flashbacks for Shadow the Hedgehog, the video games Sonic Adventure 2 and Shadow the Hedgehog, and the anime Sonic X. She is the granddaughter of Professor Gerald Robotnik, and is the cousin of Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik. Maria suffers from the illness known as "NIDS" (Neuro-Immuno Deficiency Syndrome), which was incurable at the time. Gerald takes on Project Shadow in order to save her. Soon after Shadow is created, the two bond deeply, though it is short-lived as G.U.N. soon raids the ARK, fatally shooting Maria. Before she dies, she encases Shadow in an escape pod and asks him to bring hope to humanity and give humans a chance to be happy. This experience scars Shadow for life, but ultimately his determination to keep his promise to Maria leads him to become friends with Sonic and save the Earth multiple times.

She is voiced by Yuri Shiratori in Japanese, and in English by Shelly Fox in Sonic Adventure 2, and Bella Hudson in Sonic X and Shadow the Hedgehog.

Metal Sonic
Metal Sonic (メタル・ソニック) is an evil robotic version of Sonic created by Dr. Eggman. He first appears in Sonic the Hedgehog CD, with orders to go back in time and change the past so that Dr. Robotnik can rule the future. Sonic must race him in Stardust Speedway to free Amy Rose. He returns in Knuckles' Chaotix, where he attempts to obtain the Chaos Rings, but he is stopped by the Chaotix. He appears as a boss in Sonic Triple Trouble and Sonic the Fighters. He is playable in Sonic Drift 2 and Sonic R, and a bonus character in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut and Sonic Adventure 2: Battle. He acts as the main antagonist of Sonic Heroes, where he transforms himself into "Neo Metal Sonic". His appearance changes vastly and he uses an ability to transform into other beings in order to manipulate the main characters, copying data from Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails, the Ultimate Lifeform data from Shadow and the Chaos data from Chocola Chao and Froggy. He betrays Eggman, and uses the collected data to transform into a large mechanical dragon called "Metal Overlord", the reason for his actions were so he could complete his goal to destroy Sonic and to create a robotic empire. After being defeated, he contemplates not being able to defeat Sonic, returns to his original form, and he is taken away by Omega and Shadow. Eggman reobtains him and reprograms him to be obedient. He returns as an enemy and unlockable character in Sonic Rivals, and appears as a playable character in Sonic Rivals 2, acting under Eggman's orders. Some variations of Metal Sonic also appear in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (AKA Silver Sonic) and Sonic and Knuckles (AKA Mecha Sonic) as enemies in the final levels. Leaked footage of the ending of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 shows a teaser at Episode 2 in which Metal Sonic appears, followed by a "To Be Continued" screen.

Metal Sonic is able to match or surpass the speed of Sonic. He also has several of Sonic's abilities, along with being able to copy the abilities of others, such as Knuckles' strength and Shadow's Chaos Control, and capabilities unique to himself, such as a laser cannon built into his abdomen and a force field device. He usually only communicates with a series of electronic noises, though he is able to speak in his Neo form. The form also grants him the ability to transform into the large "Metal Overlord" after collecting enough data, which grants him various projectiles and the endurance to match Super Sonic. In Knuckles Chaotix, the power of the Chaos Rings allowed him to assume an enormous red form with detached limbs, which could be projected to attack the player. In Sonic Rivals 2 Eggman Nega creates a black and yellow copy of Metal Sonic called Metal Sonic 3.0. Metal Sonic plays a primary role in Sonic The Movie, by the name of "Hyper Metal Sonic" (sometimes is just simply called "Metal" by Sonic and his friends), acting as a major antagonist, built by Dr. Robotnik to destroy Sonic. Sonic and Metal Sonic share a mental bond, capable of feeling the same thing as each other, both physically and emotionally. Metal Sonic ultimately perishes in the conclusion of the movie, melting in a lava pool, deciding "there is only one Sonic". Metal Sonic is voiced by Junichi Kanemaru in the Japanese version of Sonic Heroes and Ryan Drummond in the English version.

GameDaily placed Metal Sonic 13th on their "Top 25 Video Game Robots" list, describing him as Dr. Eggman's "greatest creation" and praising the strength of his abilities. In contrast, a review of Sonic CD for PC by GameSpot's Tal Blevins referred to him as "a Sonic cyborg twin just to piss you off."

He is a playable character in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. In the Adventure Tour (exclusively on Nintendo DS), Metal Sonic is one of Bowser and Eggman's henchmen and is paired with Bowser's son, Bowser Jr. Downloadable content for Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing features Metal Sonic as a playable character.

Miles "Tails" Prower
Miles Prower (マイルス・パウアー), better known by his nickname Tails (テイルス), is a young two-tailed fox who is Sonic's best friend and sidekick. His name is a pun on "miles per hour", a reference to the famed speed of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is 8 years old. He is able to use his two tails to propel himself into the air like a helicopter for a limited time. Yasushi Yamaguchi, originally the main artist and zone designer for Sega's Sonic Team, designed Tails for an internal competition for a sidekick to Sonic. His first appearance was in Sonic 2 for the Game Gear, where he was kidnapped by Robotnik for a "hefty" ransom, and was first made playable in the Genesis version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Tails has appeared in almost every Sonic game since his first appearance. Tails, like Eggman, also has a very high IQ. He created the Tornado 2 which can transform into 2 different planes and a walker. Tails is a great mechanic and has even created a fake chaos emerald.

Tails has also starred in games without Sonic. His first solo game was Tails' Skypatrol, a puzzle-like game for the Game Gear released exclusively in Japan. This was followed by Tails Adventures later the same year, a platformer with role-playing game elements. Frequently portrayed as a sweet-natured and humble fox, Tails used to be picked on because of his twin tails, before he met Sonic.

Omochao
Omochao (オモチャオ) is a robotic Chao with a propeller on its head. Omochao was introduced in Sonic Adventure as part of the Chao Races, and it later appeared in Sonic Adventure 2, where he serves as an in-game manual to teach players how to play the game. Since then, he has appeared in a multitude of Sonic games, such as a guide in the training level and instructions for what everything does in Sonic Heroes, or as a type of gun in Shadow the Hedgehog, a referee in Sonic Riders, a collectable card, and referee in Sonic Rivals 2, a referee in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, giving hints in Sonic Advance 3, and as supporting character in multiplayer of Sonic and the Secret Rings. "Omochao" is a pun on "omocha" (玩具) and "chao". He also gives you mail in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. He is also a collectible MAG in Phantasy Star Online, named Robochao.

President
The President is the head of state of the United Federation, a fictional nation similar to the United States. He resides in Central City, in a building very similar to the White House. He first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2, when Sonic and Tails catch up to his limousine in order to use his computer to pinpoint the location of Dr. Eggman, as the doctor had contacted the President seconds earlier. He is then briefly mentioned by Rouge the Bat during Sonic Heroes; if Team Dark stays still for some time, she will say "I haven't seen the President lately." He reappears in Shadow the Hedgehog, where he holds an admiration for Sonic and Shadow for previously saving the world, and appears in several cutscenes trying to deal with the alien invasion of the Black Arms. His presence in the Shadow the Hedgehog game is much more emphasized than in earlier appearances, as he is a major representative to the player on G.U.N. (Guardian Unit of Nations)'s actions. Shadow attempts to assassinate the President in one story of the game. In the ending, the President concludes that Professor Gerald Robotnik was actually a hero to the world and should be praised.

He is seen with a female secretary who appears in Sonic Adventure 2 and heard speaking in Shadow the Hedgehog. She appears as an information voiceover in the menu for Sonic Adventure 2 as an unlocked special feature.

Professor Gerald Robotnik
Professor Gerald Robotnik (プロフェッサー・ジェラルド・ロボトニック) is the grandfather of Maria Robotnik and Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik. Space Colony ARK, the Biolizard, Artificial Chaos, and various other projects. Fifty years before the main series, he attempts to create the "Ultimate Life Form" under the funding of the United Federation, hoping that it can help cure Maria's illness. He fails various times until meeting with the alien, Black Doom, and using his DNA to help his force. He learns of Black Doom's true plan (to destroy the planet), and prepares the ARK to act against Black Doom when the time comes. Gerald soon found the Gizoid, and took it to the Space Colony ARK for research. He managed to create a Link with the Gizoid, and figured out that it could learn how to do anything, and that it got stronger when absorbing Chaos Emeralds. He then started Project: Gizoid and equipped the robot with a "heart", a free-willed emotions-based AI. Unfortunately, the project was never finished as Gerald had to hand over the Gizoid. However, the Gizoid soon absorbed a large amount of weaponry, and devastated a large section of the ARK. After the accident, the government decided Gerald's experiments were dangerous to humanity, and sent the G.U.N. Agency to shut them down, killing Maria in the process. This caused Gerald to lose his grip on reality, and create plans to crash the ARK into the planet. He is then captured by the government and executed. His intentions to protect the Earth from Black Doom are revealed and he is respected as a hero. He is voiced by Chikao Ōtsuka in Japanese, Marc Biagi in the English version of Sonic Adventure 2, and Mike Pollock in Sonic X and Shadow the Hedgehog.

Rouge the Bat
Rouge the Bat (ルージュ・ザ・バット) is a white, female bat who made her first appearance in Sonic Adventure 2 in 2001, and who has been featured in several games since. She is depicted as a professional treasure hunter devoted to the pursuit of jewels, calling herself the "World's Greatest Thief". She has a tendency to ignore abstract morality or manners for potential profit; her "feminine charm" makes her appear careless, but she is actually scheming and manipulative. Additionally, she serves as a part time spy for the government's G.U.N. Federation. She fights using kicks, especially her signature "Screw Kick," and she can fly using her wings.

Shadow the Hedgehog
Shadow the Hedgehog (シャドウ・ザ・ヘッジホッグ) is an artificially created life form in the design of a male, anthropomorphic hedgehog, similar to Sonic. His trademark hover skates propel him at extreme speeds that rival those of Sonic.

According to official profiles, Shadow was created 50 years ago by Prof. Gerald Robotnik as the Ultimate Life Form, which is ageless and immortal. Sharp witted and seemingly always on the edge, Shadow is described as the dark incarnation of Sonic the Hedgehog. Once he has set himself to a goal, he will do whatever it takes to accomplish it, regardless of any danger. After the trauma of the death of his only friend, Maria Robotnik, Shadow strives to fulfill his purpose and keep the promise he made to her, despite his general loathing of mankind. Although his relationship with Sonic seems to have developed from antagonistic to friendly rivalry, animosity from not understanding their different mindsets continues.

However, Shadow shares a lot in common with Sonic. Although Sonic's speed is described as "second to none," Shadow can skate at speeds fast enough to rival the speeds of Sonic's running. He can also perform spin attacks common to Sonic, which are a variation on the tendency for hedgehogs to roll into tight balls for protection. Additionally, with the power of a Chaos Emerald, Shadow can warp time and space with Chaos Control. Shadow is also able to use a variety of other Chaos powers, such as "Chaos Spear" and "Chaos Blast".

By harnessing the power of the seven Chaos Emeralds, Shadow is able to use super transformation to transform into Super Shadow. He is bestowed with the new abilities of flight and near invulnerability, like Super Sonic, and his normal abilities of speed and his Chaos powers are greatly enhanced.

Shadow's biggest fear is that he might be a weapon of mass destruction.

Silver the Hedgehog
Silver the Hedgehog (シルバー・ザ・ヘッジホッグ) is a silver-furred 14-year-old anthropomorphic hedgehog from 200 years in the future of the main timeline. He is voiced by Pete Capella in the English version and Daisuke Ono in the Japanese version. He first appeared in the 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog. His individual episode revolves around him traveling back in time with Blaze the Cat to find and kill Sonic the Hedgehog, known to them as the "Iblis Trigger", who they believe is the cause of their world being destroyed in the future due to an unknown hedgehog named Mephiles. Over the course of the game, Silver learns the truth about the "Iblis Trigger", and how his world can be saved from destruction. His friend Blaze seals Iblis in another dimension taking her with it at the end of Silver's Story. After the defeat of Solaris, the time-god born from the merge of Iblis and Mephiles the Dark, time was reset as if Solaris never existed. Due to this, Iblis and Mephiles were never born and Silver's future was never thrown into chaos. He is one of the main characters in Sonic Rivals and Sonic Rivals 2. He is unlockable in Sonic and the Secret Rings and Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity. He is also briefly seen in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, going around the loop in the background of Sonic's Green Hill Zone stage, as well as Tails and Knuckles, in addition to a trophy and he also has appeared as a sticker. He also appeared in the multiplayer mode in Sonic and the Black Knight as Sir Galahad. He also makes an appearance in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.

Silver's primary ability is psychokinesis which is also known as telekinesis. He is able to levitate objects (including himself) and use them as projectiles, and fly. He can also fire shock waves that temporarily paralyze his enemies. He is able to use many standard abilities similar to those of Sonic and Shadow and he can utilize Chaos Control in order to warp through time and space. He is able to transform into "Super Silver" by using the power of the Chaos Emeralds. His eyes turn red, his fur becomes a white gold color, and he becomes able to use a special "Shield of Light" to draw in and throw any object within a large circular field.

Silver was conceptualized from utilizing a new realistic physics engine in Sonic the Hedgehog, and, while given similar game play elements to Sonic and Shadow, provides vastly different game play with his unique abilities. The design team developed over fifty different concepts for the character, including using Shadow's "scarf like hair" with more volume, which led to Silver originally being a mink. They felt that a mink wouldn't blend in with the rest of the characters, so they decided to make Silver a hedgehog instead. Orange was originally decided for his fur, but they soon decided on white-gray. While developing the character models and textures, they focused on using the hardware to develop the textures rather than just use white-gray, which lead to Silver's color and name.

Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog (ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ), trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is 15 years old and the protagonist of the series. Developed as a replacement for their existing Alex Kidd mascot, as well as Sega's response to Super Mario, his first appearance was in the first game of the Sonic series, Sonic the Hedgehog, for the Mega Drive, also known as the Genesis in North America. Known as the world's fastest hedgehog, Sonic's greatest strength is his running speed, which is equal to the speed of sound. Using the power of the 7 chaos emeralds, he can become Super Sonic, at which point his running speed exceeds the speed of sound and even light. Many of his abilities are variations on the tendency for hedgehogs to roll into tight balls for protection with the addition of spinning his body.

Tikal the Echidna
Tikal (ティカル) is the daughter of Chief Pachamac from the same tribe that Knuckles the Echidna descends, the Knuckles Clan. She first appears in Sonic Adventure and returns in Sonic Adventure 2 as a bonus character. Thousands of years before the main events of the series, she opposes her father's power-hungry ways of invading other countries. She eventually comes into contact with Chaos and a group of Chao at the shrine of the Master Emerald, who accept her due to her friendliness to them. She tries to change her father's mind about raiding the shrine for the emeralds, but he refuses to listen. After Pachamac raids the shrine, angering Chaos, Tikal recites a poem taught to her by her grandmother and figures out how to use the Master Emerald's power. She then seals herself and Chaos into the emerald. Several thousand years later, Doctor Eggman shatters the Master Emeralds and awakens the angry Chaos and Tikal's spirit. Tikal helps the main characters defeat Chaos, and then leaves with Chaos. At the end of the game they are shown playing with Chao at the ancient shrine Tikal's Japanese voice-overs are done by Kaori Asoh. Elara Distler did her English voice in Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2, and Bella Hudson voiced her in the English language version of Sonic X.

Reception
A 1UP.com feature about "How Sega Can Save Sonic the Hedgehog," Jeremy Parish wrote that the series must either ditch the "tagalongs" or make them non-playable background characters. IGN listed the entire cast of the series, sans Sonic and Eggman, second on their top 10 list of video game characters who should die; with IGN editor Colin Moriarty stated that since the introduction of Tails, Knuckles, and others, the franchise became increasingly "iffy." Moriarty added that Sega should drop all the extra characters and reinvent the series.