Espio the Chameleon

Espio the Chameleon (エスピオ・ザ・カメレオン) is a fictional character in Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog video game series and media franchise. He was created for the game Knuckles' Chaotix and his subtle color changing demonstrated the technical capabilities of the Sega 32X console. The character is a 16-year-old anthropomorphic purple chameleon with a cool but arrogant personality. He is one-third of the Chaotix team of private investigators.

Espio debuted as a player character in Knuckles' Chaotix, teaming up with Knuckles the Echidna and other characters to defeat Doctor Eggman. The character is also playable in Sonic the Fighters, Sonic Heroes, and Sonic Rivals 2, and makes non-playable appearances in other games. He is a recurring character in the comic book series Sonic the Comic and Sonic the Hedgehog, as well as the Sonic X anime. Espio has seen limited inclusion in Sonic merchandise. The character has received mixed critical response from sources such as Mega Zone and Sega Magazine.

Design and characteristics
Espio was created by Sonic Team for the video game Knuckles' Chaotix, as part of the newly introduced Chaotix team of private investigators. In the game, his color subtly changes while he moves to demonstrate the technical capabilities of the Sega 32X console. Espio was incorporated into Sonic Heroes as part of a move to reintroduce neglected characters, and because the development team considered him to have a unique, interesting personality. He was the designated "speed" character in Sonic Heroes while teammates Vector the Crocodile and Charmy Bee respectively represented "power" and "flight". Espio was added to Sonic Rivals 2 to help "round out our cast of characters", and because designer Takashi Iizuka appreciated the character's "stealthy agility".

Espio's design is that of a 16-year-old anthropomorphic purple chameleon who stands at 110 cm (3' 7.3") and 36 kg (79.4 lbs). He is cool-headed, not threatened by danger, and disciplined, but often arrogant and opinionated. The character strongly values freedom, and has a strong dislike for Doctor Eggman. Claustrophobia is his main weakness. Due to his training as a ninja and his ability to turn invisible at will, Espio is able to move unnoticed. His trademark move is the ability to run along ceilings and walls.

In the video games
Espio debuted in Knuckles' Chaotix as a player character alongside the rest of the Chaotix—a team which included Mighty the Armadillo in this game—as well as Knuckles the Echidna and two robots named Heavy and Bomb. The premise involves Doctor Eggman using energy from the Chaos Emerald that fuels the "Carnival Island" amusement park in order to power his own "Combi Confiner" machine. Knuckles, who patrols the island, finds that Eggman has captured the Chaotix. Once Espio is rescued, he joins with Knuckles to defeat Eggman. The character is also playable in the arcade fighting game Sonic the Fighters, later ported to the Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2 as part of Sonic Gems Collection. Four of his offensive moves use his tongue, a feature not demonstrated elsewhere in the series.

The Chaotix is one of four playable three-character teams in Sonic Heroes. The team receives a package in the mail which contains a walkie-talkie through which an unknown client requests the team's help, promising to "pay handsomely". Espio is suspicious, but Vector and Charmy focus on the opportunity to make money, to which Espio consents. As the quest progresses, Espio begins to suspect that the owner of the voice is a relative of Doctor Eggman, a sentiment which Vector deems feasible. When the client is revealed to be Eggman, the team is disappointed at their own incompetence. Eggman then reveals that he plans to conquer the world before paying them, which leads to Charmy beating him up. Missions in the game Shadow the Hedgehog, which takes place after Sonic Heroes, are either "Hero"- or "Dark"-type; the missions selected change the course of the story. In a Hero-type mission, Espio requests Shadow the Hedgehog's help in extracting data from Eggman's computer database. Shadow, the only player character in the game, can choose to accept or ignore Espio's request.

Espio is one of eight playable racers in the PlayStation Portable racing game Sonic Rivals 2. After noticing that Chao creatures have gone missing, Vector suspects Silver the Hedgehog of kidnapping them and tells Espio to investigate him. Silver suddenly appears to ask Espio about the missing Chao, which causes a startled Espio to trip over his wording. Silver then suspects Espio, but Espio tells him to leave. After interruptions from Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, and other characters, Espio meets Silver. Silver explains that he did kidnap the Chao, but only to keep them safe. The two then work together to look for the Chao, pursuing Knuckles and Rouge the Bat. Espio also appears in the sports spin-offs Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games as a referee, and also as a costume that the player's Mii can wear in the latter.

In related media
Espio was a recurring character in the Sonic the Comic comic book series published in the United Kingdom by Fleetway Editions. He is portrayed as a rival to Mighty, but was initially opposed to Knuckles, ambushing and fighting him until the Omni-Viewer ended the conflict. Espio makes rare use of his ability to turn invisible.

The character also regularly appears in the United States series Sonic the Hedgehog published by Archie Comics. He grew up as a member of the "Shinobi Clan" in the "Dragon Kingdom" region. Espio later departed to join the community in the "Rainbow Valley" region of "Floating Island". He met Vector, Charmy, and Mighty when Knuckles requested their help to defeat Metal Sonic. The group eventually became friends, forming the Chaotix team. In the Mobius: X Years Later canon of the same series, Espio works as Knuckles's secretary, and has two daughters named Salma and Juanita.

Espio was a minor recurring character in the Sonic X anime that ran from 2003 to 2006. He initially appears along with Vector and Charmy to look for Cream the Rabbit, confronting Miles "Tails" Prower and Amy Rose in the process. In a later episode, Vector accepts the offer of Vanilla the Rabbit, Cream's mother, to look for her, but Espio mentions that they don't have a spaceship.

Cultural impact
Espio has seen limited inclusion in officially released Sonic merchandise. In 1996, Espio's likeness in Sonic the Fighters was adapted into a plush toy. In March 2010, Joe Amaro of plastic toy manufacturer Jazwares announced to Sega and the online community that an Espio toy was in production.

Reception for Espio has generally been mixed. Mega Zone's review of Knuckles' Chaotix stated that the introduction of Espio, along with Charmy, provided variety in the cast and could "keep you amused for many a night." IGN's Travis Fahs opined that "the Chaotix crew was a hoot", highlighting "aerial maneuvers" such as Espio's trademark wall-running. A preview of Knuckles' Chaotix by Sega Magazine called him "[a]nother Sonic wannabe", a position later echoed by GameZone. Sega Magazine's second, more in-depth preview of Knuckles' Chaotix stated that "his speed and his strange ability to stick to any surface – and that includes running upside down" were his most interesting characteristics. The preview called him overall a "geezer." Xbox World's preview of Sonic Heroes opined that "Espio the Chameleon isn't completely rubbish, just mostly rubbish", citing poor visual appearance in both Knuckles' Chaotix and Sonic Heroes. Electronic Gaming Monthly staff writer Casey Loe stated that Espio's unique abilities place him as "the breakout star of the game."