Sonic's Continuity Is Falling Apart
So something that has become obvious in recent times is Sonic Team(Or SEGA) has been trying to use the idea of something being canon as a way of marketing their products. A lot of this is done without any thought that if making said piece of media canon would conflict the continuity or not. That they only to want to make everything under the sun canon without any regard for continuity.
This has actually begun to create a lot of continuity errors which are beginning to slowly build up, and a lot of it begins with the canonization of the IDW Comics. Note, before we go on please know this is not an attack on the IDW Comics. This is merely pointing out the major problems that are arising with the IDW Comics being retroactively added to the game canon.
So let's start with Sonic Lost World. Please use the small put together timeline of events below to follow along. So in Sonic Lost World we are introduced to the Deadly Six. In the next game aka Sonic Team Racing one Zavok shows back up, and is willingly working with Dr. Eggman.
Afterwards we get the Sonic Forces tie-in comics Rise Of Infinite and Stress Test, then of course Sonic Forces. After that we get IDW Sonic The Hedgehog Issues 1-32, followed up by the Bad Guys miniseries. Then we get Issues 33-44.
Now during those issues the Deadly Six are brought into the story, and their usage in the story seems to establish a few things. First off it heavily implies the Deadly Six have not been off the Lost Hex since Sonic Lost World, and alongside that it is implied the Zeti are unable to leave the Lost hex unless someone helps them get off. Aside from that it is also established the Deadly Six absolutely despise Eggman, and basically would never work for Eggman after what happened during Sonic Lost World.
Now the first major issue is Zavok has canonically been off the Lost Hex all the way back in Sonic Team Racing, and was working for Eggman with no problems and no conch shell. But let's keep going and keep the Zeti being sent back to the Lost Hex as a way solving the problem of them running amuck in mind.
Issues 45-48 happens with Imposter Syndrome happening during and right after these issues, leading up into Issues 49-62. Now during these issues is the Urban Warfare Arc in which has 2 important characters being part of it, aka Shadow and Blaze. Both Shadow in Blaze partake in this fight and see each other fighting off Eggman's forces. They also see each other's powers fully on display, with Blaze even reacting to Shadow's power. Now keep a pin in this.
After Issue 62 we get the earliest moment of downtime where can fit something in without one thing happening after another, because events happen rather rapidly with these comics. Around here is where Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 which is supposed to be canon, especially with it being Sticks' debut.
During this both Zavok and Zazz show up once again off the Lost Hex somehow again. Both are shown to be working for Eggman and Bowser willingly in this game as well, with no conch shell in sight. Note, will Zavok does get upset at Junior for telling him what to do, he still goes along with everything. Again conflicting with how they are written in the IDW Comics and showing them off the Lost Hex again somehow.
After this we get the events of TailsTube #3 (feat. Knuckles), Sonic Frontier Convergence, Sonic Frontiers Divergence, and of course Sonic Frontiers. All this has to take place in a spot where there is downtime and before Issue 68, as established in a previous post. Also, established in that post is TailsTube #13 - Pit Crew, the Crosstalks, and Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds all have to place here during the downtime but sometime after Sonic Frontiers.
Now this is where a lot of problems arise. First off both Zazz and Zavok make once again show up in this game off the Lost Hex showing very much undermining ever sending them there. But what is worse is in-game dialogue between Shadow and Blaze implying they haven't met before, and outright stating they have only heard of each's others powers and never seen them on display before. Only really hearing about each other's powers and reputation.
Shadow: "I've heard of you power. I expect to see it for myself today."...... Blaze: "I've heard similar of you. Let's keep this civil, and know I will meet undue aggression in equal measure."...... + Blaze: "Knowing you and your reputation, I expect I'm in for quite the fierce competition."...... Shadow: "That goes for both of us, from what I know about you. I look forward to seeing your skills on display."......
This directly goes against what we see in the IDW Comics, especially since Sonic Racing: Crossworlds has to take place after the Urban Warfare arc. No matter which way you slice it, this is a major continuity error. Also, unlike Sonic say recalling events differently from how they happened in the games like with Gemerl. Unlike those which could easily be retconned, this is a major event.
This as I see it, is the result of retroactively making the IDW Comics canon to the games, all because it would be useful in a marketing since to say they are canon. As established in the retcon post, the comics weren't even written to be canon in the first place, and it's why characters will at times act different or remember things differently from the games. Note, I do plan to go further in-depth on how the IDW Comics were originally written as non-canon in a future post. But then they were made canon and things such as characterization, and overall continuity is not adding up.
The same goes Sonic Prime because that is canon as well, and it really didn't need to be. It drastically conflicts with the canon of the games as I established in my previous posts about it, but it's still supposed to be canon. We are told not to worry about it's inconsistencies because it end up like Sonic 06. But then we get Sonic Prime DLC in Sonic Racing: Crossworlds!!!!
But even before that Sonic Speed Simulator was also declared canon as well!!!! With the best explanation being "they teleport in from another world via the world rings."....... This game includes not only the Sonic Prime characters meaning they still exist and are still around, but also the locations of New Yoke and No Place. All meaning that we do need to worry about the inconsistencies afterall!!!! Also, did the Sonic Roblox game really need to be canon? Side note, the Sonic Speed Sim answers to it being canon seem to imply Sonic Forces: Speed Battle might also be canon which creates a whole host of continuity issues as well.
All that to say is the Sonic continuity is falling apart and it's all because they keep trying to make everything canon. So what is the solution? First off!!!!! Decanonize Sonic Prime completely, there is too many inconsistencies. Next is Decanonize Sonic Speed Sim, that doesn't need to be canon. As well as decanonize Sonic Forces: Speed Battle if that in anyway is meant to be canon.
Finally decanonize or at least downgrade the IDW Comics down to at least soft canon. The reason I say this is because there is too many issues arising from these comics that was originally written as non-canon. But since we have had the likes of Starline, Tangle, and now Whisper be canonized alongside some references to the IDW Comic's events; it would be best to make them soft canon. By doing this, this would allow for similar events to have played out in the games, but they would have played out differently and more in line with canon. Written By Eris the Lorekeeper
