Whats your favorite sonic character? :3
I love this question because I feel like no one else ever has this answer, but it’s E-102 Gamma by FAR.
Playing through the POV of one of Eggman’s robots and experiencing just how worthless he considers his failed creations to be is very eye-opening to the type of person Eggman is. The scene where Gamma walks into the wrong room by mistake only to see one of his brothers being dismantled and can only react with “That was the wrong room.” is one that comes to mind because despite being a robot, Gamma has free thoughts to a degree, he’s just uncertain how to process them at that time.
It’s after seeing Amy that Gamma truly starts to realize how bad his situation is. In a way, seeing Amy imprisoned seems to clue him in to the fact that he himself is imprisoned and needs to be freed. After letting Amy out and having her question why he would do that, Gamma simply says “It is not safe here.” he’s finally figured out that Eggman is not a good person, not a safe person and isn’t who he wants to work for any longer.
Gamma soon after decides to wipe Eggman’s status as his leader from his memory and upon learning he and his brethren are being powered by innocent creatures, Gamma decides to go rogue and destroy all of his counterparts, not just to free the animals inside them, but to free them as well. To be destroyed is the only way to prevent these robots from being abused by Eggman and Gamma is the only one who knows about the E-100 series of robots so he’s the only one that can set them free.
As Gamma’s story goes on you see a bit of the aftermath of Eggman’s tinkering and rebuilding of the E-100 robots, such as the end of Hot Shelter where one of them has been turned into a giant turret that’s only objective is to aim and shoot, no humanity, even the slight bit that Gamma has in sight.
Nearing the end of the story, Gamma lists the one remaining robot he has to destroy… and then says his own name. This is such a powerful moment for Gamma, considering he’s gone rogue, Eggman likely plans to abuse him as well, and I feel like this part of the realization is always overshadowed by the fact that the father of Amy’s bird is powering Gamma. Gamma is multifaceted in his intentions, he has more than one reason to do what he’s done.
After the final fight, Gamma wins, but finds himself fatally wounded. Shortly after, Gamma does something that few Sonic characters seem to do, in fact, something I don’t believe any playable character in the series has ever done before or since, he dies. Permanently.
Gamma died a hero, but no one lives to tell his tale, his side plot barely affecting the main plot in any substantial way, his heroism something that died alongside him, with no one to witness him.
What hurts the most is seeing the Gamma clones in Sonic Adventure 2, smaller versions of our beloved robot that only exist to shoot at Sonic, yet are frail enough to be destroyed by any one of Sonic’s attacks. A cruel reminder of how worthless Eggman considered his E-100 line of robots, and an even cruler homage to Eggman’s most kind-hearted creation… and my favourite Sonic character of all time.
Also design-wise he’s just like- really cool, but also ever-so-slightly stupid looking, which is something I really vibe with in Sonic characters.