Sonic the Hedgehog Characterization Study #1 - Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog, the series’ main and titular character shouldn’t be too hard to figure out given that his personality was a big selling point that helped to boost him to popularity in the first place.
However, note that I said shouldn’t be, not isn’t.
See, his personality, despite being the factor that made die-hard fans out of millions of kids and teenagers back in the 90′s, was fairly vague.
We were only given tiny little leaflets of characterization to go on: He fought for his friends and he had an attitude.
Really, what are we supposed to do with that? I mean, since Sonic came around, all kinds of these “do-gooder attitude dudes” have popped up, and they’ve been pretty different.
You’ve got your Ash Ketchums: Naive, unaging youngsters bursting with confidence and always ready to lend a hand to anyone in need.
There are your Edward Elrics: Stubborn punks who think they know everything. They’re still good guys, but they cling to their ideals like glue and the only way to make them change is to beat some new ideas into them.
And there are your Jaks: Gruff, hardened guys who will (sometimes literally) stick to their guns and tend to use them on anyone who stands in their way. They can be jerks, but they still genuinely care about their ideals, it’s just not unusual for them to violently defend them.
The list goes on from here, but the question stands, where does Sonic fit in to all these different kinds of characterizations that share just one common denominator?
You could look to the source material, but even that gets a little hazy. Between all the games and the phases they’ve gone through, not to mention the shows and comics, Sonic has actually had so many different personalities that you could almost consider them different characters.
So let’s look at a few:
The Old Cartoons (Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog):
In Adventures, Sonic’s characterization can largely be summed up as… Bugs Bunny.
He’s a wise guy. He makes cracks at everybody else’s expense and never misses an opportunity to crossdress. He was never without a quip or a wacky antic, no matter how lame it might have been. Was it good? No. Was it interesting? GOD, no. But it was easy to define, and thus, easy to write for, which worked out for the creators of a cheaply made, week-by-week attempt to distract hyperactive kids.
The Old Cartoons (SatAM):
This version of the Sonic story featured a much darker plot about a group of rebel Freedom Fighters working to overthrow the tyrannical Dr. Robotnik’s reign of terror over the citizens of Mobius. This adaptation made use of a more consistent plot and a wider array of characters to work off of each other. With these features, they were able to work some interesting flaws into Sonic’s characterization. Sonic was a hyperactive adrenaline junkie who hated the idea of inactivity, and as such, was prone to rash actions that often landed himself and others in trouble. It was a very engaging take on the character and it worked especially well with the type of story and cast the show featured.
The OVA:
It’s impressive how different cultures can interpret different concepts or characters differently. The Sonic OVA (released in the US as Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie) is a perfect example. This two-episode attempt at a Sonic anime featured a Sonic who wasn’t necessarily more selfish than the American ones, but was lazy, arrogant, irritable, rude, and often waited to help save those in distress until they absolutely needed him to do so. Personally, I loved this take on Sonic’s personality because, while it’s different from any other, it’s still identifiably Sonic in some way. Perhaps this is the advantage of having a vague character base to work off of.
The Middle Games (Adventure-’06):
This is the Sonic that most people know, the one that the fanbase generally bases their interpretation of the character on. The games ranging from Sonic Adventure to the dreaded SONIC THE HEDGEHOG (2006) gave us a Sonic who was, above all else, heroic. Sure, he was a little snappy now and then, but for the most part, his “attitude” consisted largely of unwavering confidence. He was always ready to fight for truth and justice on his never-ending adventure to save those in need and have a radical time doing it. I think this (and well, the fact that Super Sonic exists) is one of the reasons that people seem to equate Sonic to DragonBall Z. Much like DBZ’s Son Goku in Westernized dubs, Sonic’s arguably less pleasant personality traits were swapped out for an extra helping of nobility and never-say-die optimism.
The Other Anime (Sonic X):
Sonic X, strangely, had a story based on the ones from Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2, yet featured a Sonic who was quite different. In this second attempt at a Sonic anime (this one getting three seasons), Sonic is… well… kind of a prick. Outside of his immediate circle of friends, Sonic is quick to taunt anyone who screws up in the most minor of ways, and often refuses to cooperate with anyone who can’t keep up with his never-stop lifestyle. This was likely to keep kids thinking Sonic was the “cool guy” while choosing to identify with the nausea-inducing, Mary-Sue shoehorn that is Chris Thorndyke. He’s not without the cheesy heroism, though. He often blurts out hammy one-liners when he shows up to ultimately save the day to remind you that he’s the hero here, not that fantasy-fulfilling cardboard cutout.
The Modern Games (Unleashed-Lost World):
This is the version of Sonic we’re currently working with, and I’d say it’s a pretty likeable one. It seems to have a lot of bits from the other incarnations. He’s impatient and quick to act, he genuinely cares about his friends and those in need, but he always has some form of mockery in store for his opponents. He’s a flashy show-off who’s never without a quip or a one-liner. A couple things have been explored with this variation on the Sonic character that I really love. One is his awareness of his flaws. He often needs his friends to stop him from acting rash or to think through a situation for him. In Sonic Lost World, his hasty actions put Tails in grave danger, a consequence that visibly weighs on him until they are reunited near the end of the game. He’s best when he can think quickly, but when he can’t turn quick results, he loses his cool. The other thing I love about the modern Sonic is that he’s a fucking dork. He’s an avid fan of awful puns, and despite his high levels of cool, his showy nature can get to be corny if it goes unchecked. This Sonic’s got lots of layers, and while he’s still cool, he way overestimates just how cool he is.
The Current Cartoon (Sonic Boom):
Sonic Boom features the most mundane version of Sonic yet. He’s lazy, sarcastic, and has high levels of nope. This is probably largely due to not having many real threats to deal with. He’s got a lot of time to chill, so he’s a pretty chill dude. That, and it really helps the adventure-of-the-week style of the show. He’s not without his zanier qualities, namely his supreme self-confidence, which is greater than that of all the other Sonics put together. He likes his friends a lot, and is quick to act in the face of their peril, but he’d prefer to relax with them, napping, snacking on Meh Burgers, or winning at volleyball. Or maybe he’d rather roast marshmallows with Eggman, he’s not picky.
The Comic (The Archie Ones):
I saved this version of Sonic for last, as it’s been around almost as long as the core franchise and it’s gone through plenty of phases itself. It started off a lot like Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, then went into a style similar to SatAM before getting dark and weird. Like, Spawn dark and weird. Then it settled on a style that, while it had plenty of action and adventure, also had a lot of softer moments, and a fair amount of comedy, though those things never became the series’ focus. Currently, it’s got a Sonic very close to the Modern games. He cares a lot, but he’s pretty cocky and is quick to act without thinking. He’s not quite as big a nerd in the comics, but he has some added depth in the fact that when he starts to lose control of a situation, he nearly melts down. He’s a bit more organized as well. He’s got a government organization that he works for and a home base that he can always return to. Personally, I think this conflicts with Sonic’s free-as-the-wind nature and could get to be a problem under certain circumstances.
What I think:
Personally, I’m against the flow on this one. Most people are for the heroic Middle style, while I’m a big fan of the Modern style, though I think it could use some elements from Sonic X and the comics. I’d like to see a Sonic, who’s arrogant and impatient while also caring and optimistic. I love the idea of Sonic being a dork and freaking out when he can’t find a quick solution to his problems as well as his showy style and his undying confidence. A few things I’d like to see explored more: One is his fear of water. It’s established in most versions of the story, but outside of Sonic X, it doesn’t get brought up a lot. I like the idea of Sonic avoiding water as much as he can and being visually uncomfortable or even alarmed when he needs to be near or in it. Another thing I’d like to see mentioned more is only brought up in one game: Sonic and the Black Knight.
When Sonic encounters Sir Lancelot, represented by Shadow, the knight questions whether or not he will leave his sword behind and run away. Sonic nearly jumps at this chance, but is stopped by his talking sword Caliburn. I like this idea that Sonic has no qualms with running away from a fight if he’s the only one in danger. I mean, running is what Sonic does best, right? I don’t think Sonic necessarily has to be brave, he just needs to be willing to help those in distress.
Sonic’s gone through a lot of interesting variations and phases over the years, and they’ve all had at least one similar character trait that has bred a number of virtually different characters using the same base. To me personally, the perfect Sonic needs to be layered, but understandable. He should genuinely care about his friends and about helping people, but should come off as kind of a dick due to his smug, sarcastic personality and his tendency to show off and act hastily. I love the idea of emphasizing the cornier side of his flashy style and of him only fighting when he needs to, quick to run from a conflict when he can be sure nothing bad will come of it. I’d like more exploration of his hydrophobia and his compulsive need to think and act quickly, and the anxiety he experiences when he can’t. Above all, however, Sonic needs to be a free spirit, always rushing toward his next adventure with an eagerness as quick as his pace. and most versions of the series, at the very least, manage to pull this off.
“What you see is what you get, just a guy who loves adventure! I’m Sonic the Hedgehog!” - Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Adventure 2
Thanks for reading!
NOTE: I edited the conclusion paragraph of this because I thought I was being way too vague instead of actually get to the point, so I rewrote it, saying specifically what I wanted to see and what I’d like to see more of.
(top picture by Fuzon-S on DeviantArt)
(SatAM gif from notanothersonicblog on Tumblr)
(Night of the Werehog gif from starlightsonic on Tumblr)
