On Sonic's Emotional Characterization
Sonic X Episode 39 - Sonic and Eggman solo conversation
So, I’ve finally gotten around to watching the original Japanese cut of Sonic X after being raised on the English dub, and I know I’m not the first to say that the original is superior to any other version. I was pretty certain I felt this way for a while into watching, but the above scene solidified this opinion.
This scene in its intended state is so important to the show as it, for the first clear and objective time thus far, reminds you that Sonic’s still a kid despite having the world on his shoulders.
It also showcases that Eggman is an extremely complex villain with boundaries and limits that he will never violate, but that’s not the point I want make right now.
Right now, I want to focus on Sonic’s feelings, because (and this is no secret) Sonic Team used this show to show that Sonic has them – we’re just almost never allowed to see them.
Sonic enjoys the genuine quality time the current adventure forces him to have with his long-time friends – time he normally wouldn’t take out daily because he’s not one to adorn such vulnerability. He’s the kind of person who takes what he gets without impeding his own lifestyle or going out of his way, which works for him because he knows he gets to see his friends again but having everyone live under the same roof and bond on a level never reached before has clearly affected him in a positive way. Once they return home, our core group will go back to their normal lives and that closeness won’t be so easily accessible – in a way, Sonic will be forced to face his emotions more directly and admit to himself just how much his friends mean to him (a thought that scares him because of the life they all live, and how high the stakes are).
The other half of this idea are Sonic’s new human friends, especially Chris, who Sonic knows he’ll never see again once their worlds divide. The Thorndyke and Co. hospitality is heartwarming and tender, which anyone would likely enjoy and appreciate, but also extremely practical as Chuck is intelligent and insightful, Ella and Tanaka are supportive and encouraging, and Chris is decisive and caring. Despite his recklessness and tendency to cause trouble, Chris saves Sonic’s life multiple times because he’s so quick and willing to act.
Allow me to also outline how immensely different Chris’s character is in the original cut. He’s less whiney, more level-headed, and experiences a lot more growth as a character and showcases a lot of internal moral turmoil – he’s no longer a plot device to give Sonic grief (his Japanese voice actor, alone, helps a lot). Chris’s big moments in the show (appealing to Shadow in the SA2 arc, breaking free from Eggman’s trap to take the Chaos Emeralds away from the Egg Fort II) actually feel natural and true to his character because he has a lot more of these moments on a smaller scale in the original cut (emotional dialogue is significantly changed or outright removed in the English dub). The bond between Chris and Sonic, here, is genuine and more realistic because of this improved characterization. The adoration and platonic love and care between these characters actually have ample time to develop because Chris’s natural dialogue gives his character and this dynamic more time to shine. I come to bat for Chris because Sonic’s justifiable connection to him is extremely important.
The reason that Eggman confronts Sonic on this front is that he recognizes the bond Sonic’s formed with Chris and his other friends, Sonic’s overall emotional immaturity, and the fact that preparing to take action now will save Sonic, his friends, and both dimensions a lot of grief in the long run. You can argue that this entire encounter is undone by the next episode, where Eggman’s moon repairs turn out to be a plot to trick everyone into adoring him, but I’d argue that Eggman could have bluffed his way through this conversation without commenting on the fact that they need to return home (hell, that’s what the English dub does, and it works well enough as an excuse). In fact, Eggman didn’t even need to have this conversation, period, but he does, and this is why.
I’m compelled to share these thoughts because I’ve seen a lot of contention lately around Sonic’s characterization - namely the fact that Sonic is intended to be an “emotionally awkward, shy, and reserved” character (in main-line canon or otherwise). I’ve seen this commentary mostly in the IDW-sphere, where Sonic (per SEGA direction) is the nicest he’s ever been – to a fault, by design – and where he’s displayed a “softer” relationship with Amy. These factors, I’ve seen argued, make IDW and Sonic X (regardless of the cut) inauthentic characterizations of Sonic. I, however, find this entirely unfair.
As confident and collected of a character as Sonic is, he has always been a character who feels so, so, so immensely. What recent English game scripts butcher and what a lot of people seem to miss outright is that Sonic is highly emotional but doesn’t have the emotional maturity to comfortably process or showcase his more negative (anger, sadness, fear) and complex (romantic love, admiration) emotions. He knows they’re there, but usually refuses to address them. We see signs of these feelings in games and external media, but – again, by design – Sonic suppresses those feelings to focus on what he loves - his speed, his freedom, world peace, and his friends.
Something else important to note is that Sonic’s emotional intelligence is unparalleled to anyone else’s in the series (besides, maybe, Amy, Rouge, or even Eggman). Sonic has proved consistently his ability to diagnose emotions in others and will address his own complex emotions to empathize only when it will directly benefit someone else. Sonic’s advice to Merlina at the end of Black Knight is a wonderful example of this; other examples include Sonic’s insight on Chaos’ emotions in the final story of SA1, IDW issue 1 where he recognizes Tails’ hesitance, Sonic’s willingness to support Chris through his meltdown near the end of Sonic X season two (where they run away for some time before Sonic returns home), and when Sonic hones in on Rouge, who is portrayed as being impacted the most by Shadow’s existence and character, at the end of SA2 to comfort her and give her Shadow’s ring.
In fact, SA2’s ending also showcases Sonic’s tendency to focus less on himself (especially in front of others) when Amy checks in on him while he’s reflecting on his own; his immediate response is to suppress.
Sonic is a fifteen-year-old with the responsibility of the world’s peace and his found family’s happiness on his shoulders. He bears that burden alone and it clearly affects him, but he’s not at a point in his life where he’s ready to confront his heart. He just knows that it’s big, that it’s in the right place, and that it’ll be there for him when he’s ready. Whether that’s Sonic’s healthiest option can be debated, and I’d argue that he should let the people he wants to be closer to him in (Amy is a strong example, but that’s another essay that’s been done to death – perhaps another time), but the fact that he’s an emotional and reserved character is not.
TL;DR - please watch Japanese Sonic X. It’s so much better. Also, Sonic is a softie, confirmed.
I wrote a sequel to this topic discussing where Sonic's emotional troubles come from if you're ready for another novella.
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