Nov 23, 2025
*ahem*
Sega mandates can go sit on a hedgehog.
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*ahem*
Sega mandates can go sit on a hedgehog.
The more I get into this Sonic stuff (namely the Sonic comics), the more I realize how creatively and strategically impotent Sega has become. I mean, yeah, no shit, most corporations of that size are like this (something something shareholders), but it's so tiring getting into something new just to find more bureaucratic incompetence behind the scenes.
It doesn't ruin the franchise for me (god I hope it doesn't in the future), I think Sonic, like Doom, is an IP that belongs to its fans. Fan games like Dr. Robotnik's Ring Racers, ports like Sonic 3 A.I.R. and the various high-quality fan comics and stories are what really makes Sonic special in the modern day. All of this happens in spite of Sega's ineptitude.
On the Sega Mandates, (yes, I know every IP has stuff like this, shut up), I can understand not wanting yet another Ken Penders showing up, but, like most companies, they're so deluded by the concept of maintaining a brand image that they're willing to choose stagnation over learning from failure. I'd rather a failure be attributed to human error than a system of poorly thought out mandates where nothing works, because at least you can effectively do something about a person being a problem. Very few people working under mandates like this are willing to put their job in jeopardy just to speak up, they want to just be able to do their job with as little hassle as possible, and I don't blame them.
It's just... tiring.
Questioning The Existence Of The Sonic Mandates
So something I've started to dig into more recently has been the SEGA Mandates on the Sonic series, and something I've come to find is the overall original mandates don't seem to have a source. Which has gotten me to question, do they really even exist????
So for starters when I question the existence of the SEGA Mandates I am not saying Sonic Team doesn't have rules on what you can and can't do with the characters. But rather the collection of supposed mandates that have been floating around on the internet might not actually be real mandates. Now the claim is that these mandates were created around 2012 because of the Ken Penders case and that they have been ruining the Sonic franchise since then. But here's the thing...... Everyone says this but provides no source on where this list came from or if Pender Case is even actually involved. The earliest thing I could find online was a TV Tropes page on Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics) apparently from Nov 20, 2011 mentioning SEGA Mandates, but nothing on what they are.
I believe these collection of mandates that have floated around aren't actually mandates we have gotten officially, but rather rumors and hearsay that have floated around on the internet. With some being no-brainers while still being never officially stated to my knowledge. So, I'm going to go over each using Sonic Wiki Zone as my list, with some I can remember hearing floating around.
Only male hedgehogs can go super. I debunked this one in a previous post, and is a prime example of a supposed mandate without a real original source.
There is 2 worlds like in Sonic X. This one is based on a misinterpretation of something Iizuka had said as I showed in a previous post, and by extension never official confirmed as a mandate. This also seemed to have been fueled by GeneHF claiming this to be the case. But he was wrong about only male hedgehogs, and he is wrong on this as well.
There are no humans in Sonic's world. This primarily based on the last one which has already been debunked, but also some people have even claimed this one was a rule that humans just didn't exist at all in the Sonic world.
Mobius is not the name of Sonic's world and it can't be called that, nor the creatures from it be called mobians. This one is a no brainer, the world has never been know as Mobius in the games.
Classic Sonic is from another universe which the Classic games take place in and not the past. I think this one was an assumption there was a retcon and by extension mandate here based on the Sonic Forces blunder which was eventually fixed.
Mighty and Ray can only exist in the classic games/universe. This one is partially reliant on the previous one, and by extension assumes Mighty and Ray can't be used in the modern games with no evidence outside of we haven't seen them in the modern games yet. At least to my knowledge and it ignores they are confirmed to be out there somewhere.
The Hyper Forms and Super Emeralds don't exist. This one is similar to the first one as in with even GeneHF claiming it. And of course it has been proven to be false as well.
Sonic can't cry. No idea where it came from with some people claiming it's Sonic can't bawl which yeah no brainer. It overall doesn't make sense to have the paragon hero with a smile on his face to just cry without a reason let alone bawl. But again, it's such as short and simply claim it could mean literally anything and have cut context if a real mandate, which I don't think it is. Heck some have suggested this is just for the Archie comics but who really knows.
No romance/relationships. Overall vague and kinda contradicted by Knuxouge, if an actual mandate I think it's probably misinterpreted. As in while characters like Sonic and Amy can go on dates, Amy be in love with him, and Sonic be shy about it all. The series is going to go on and by extension someone like Amy is always going to chase after Sonic, and the adventures they all go on continue. With romance being reserved for fandom.
Money can't exist. This one seems to be something Ian Flynn might have had said. But overall this is just contradicted by all in-game currency in the games to this day, alongside everything about Team Chaotix.
No characters like the SATAM characters. While nothing official Sonic Team seems to not want to use the SATAM characters and by extension would make sense to them simply saying no to their usage by anyone who askes.
Male characters that aren't humans, can't wear pants. This one seems to just be a claim based on the lack of characters wearing pants and that one Sonic Boom joke. Outside of that games like the app games and Sonic Speed Sim contradict it.
Only one Metal Sonic is allowed, not multiple. If this one is a bit of a no brainer while being false. For the false part Metal Sonic 3.0 exists. But it also makes sense because throughout all the game the Metal Sonic we see is the same Metal Sonic, so it makes sense to not have a second one created by Eggman as it cheapens the original's existence.
Nothing from Sonic Chronicles. This one is a no brainer because of the lawsuit. While not stated as a mandate it's just obvious.
Knuckles must be dumb. Nothing here really exists and seems to be based on a few times Knuckles is depicted as goofy like in Lost World. Or well Sonic Boom which is not canon.
Shadow must be moody and edgy and show no emotions and have no friends.. This honestly seems to have no basis. Overall it seems to mostly base itself on his Sonic Boom depict given the games that what would have had Shadow after the time these alleged mandates would have been the boom games. Meanwhile other games he has been in shows he does show things such as emotions, and we know how he views Rouge and Omega.
No game characters cannot have relatives unless they were established in the game canon. Doubtful as an actual mandate but seems to be a thing for the comics, at least IDW. This is because of the specification of game characters, which would make sense. But overall just confusing.
Game characters cannot be killed-off. This is just a no brainer, and again seems like a rule for the comics is it's a real rule given it specifies game characters.
Shadow must be arrogant and stupid. This one is a more recent one that hasn't been floating around since the beginning of the claims of SEGA Mandates but is classified as one. This one isn't really a thing, see my previous post for why. If there was some kind of writing note on him it would have been Shadow is prideful as this is something established in the game and previous bios. But would have been misinterpreted as arrogance and hubris as people often conflate pride with hubris.
And yeah that's basically it. Written by Eris
SEGA Mandate Update:
Infinite is no longer dead
You are Sonic the Hedgehog, and you understand how the world works.
Your job is simple. Just beat up Eggman, or whatever other evil thing is trying to take over or destroy the world, save your friends, and go home to eat chili dogs and nap.
You have a best friend named Tails who is like a brother to you, a friend named Knuckles who guards the Master Emerald[KNUCKLES IS NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE ANGEL ISLAND WITHOUT A GOOD REASON], and a friend named Amy who[CHARACTERS MUST NEVER ENTER ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS. AMY SHOULD STILL BE IN LOVE WITH SONIC]... who uh...
Is your friend. Anyway.
You also have other friends, like the Chaotix- Charmy Bee, Vector the Alligator, Espio the Chameleon, and Mi[CHARACTERS FROM THE CLASSIC ERA CANNOT INTERACT WITH MODERN SONIC]
... and that's it!
There's also Team D[TEAM DARK DOES NOT EXIST. SHADOW DOES NOT EVEN CONSIDER THEM FRIENDS]
... There's also your! Other other friends! Like Rouge the Bat, Omega, and Sha[SHADOW MUST ALWAYS BE BROODING AND CRUEL, HE IS NOT ANYONE'S FRIEND AND DOES NOT CARE ABOUT OTHERS. HE AND SONIC ARE RIVALS]
... and... your rival, Shadow the Hedgehog.
There's also Blaze the Cat, who get this, is from another dimension! That's super cool! Well, when you met she tried to ki[SONIC CHARACTERS CANNOT DIE]- er, she beat you up, but that's okay because you're friends now! Same deal with Silver the Hedgehog, who came from the future. Man, you make friends like this pretty often!
Sometimes things are a little sca[SONIC CANNOT BE SEEN BEING TOO EMOTIONAL]
... Sometimes things are a bit ha[SONIC CANNOT BE SEEN BEING TOO EMOTIONAL]
... Sometimes. It. Is. Hectic! But that's okay because [THE HEROES WILL ALWAYS WIN IN THE END].
You know this. This is how the world works.
It's why you don't worry about the little things! Not how you got kidnapped and tortured by Eggman that one time, or how you always put yourself in harm's way to save everyone, or how your friends are all having their own adventures without you now! Yep! None of that bothers you!
... And even if it di[SONIC CANNOT BE SEEN BEING TOO EMOTIONAL]- which it doesn't! It doesn't! But in the hypothetical, not-at-all-true situation where someone might conceivably be stressed out by all that stuff, which you aren't, then your friends would stand by and support you through whatever hardshi[SONIC CANNOT BE SEEN BEING TOO EMOTIONAL]
... Your friends will always be by your side! Forever!
... Even if they aren't right now. Which is okay! It's all okay! They mean everything to you, but them going away doesn't hurt at all! It doesn't make you want t[SONIC CANNOT CRY]
... It do[SONIC CANNOT CRY]
... It[SONIC CANNOT CRY]
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help
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"Heya Sonic! How you doing!"
"Oh, you know me! Always way past cool!"
hey sorry your boyfriend has mandates now. yeah. the writers dont want to work with him anymore because of the limitations he has on his character now. no they dont allow him to make jokes. but uh there's some old comics you can read? no yeah he's weirdly characterized there too. no? okay. sorry
We really should stop talking of the mandates because we CAN'T be sure if they're passed to us without any misinterpretation or missing info
"But Ian Flynn said-" WELP, he also contradicted himself several times, we SHOULDN'T take his word as absolute, and I don't say that for hate or whatever, the dude is a human, works under several deadlines, and is really down in the franchise's hierarchy, he's very subjected to mistakes and forgetfulness AND is contractually prohibited of just telling some stuff
⠀
10 years of Sega.