Speedy (or Battle Kukku XVI) is genuinely one of the best foils you could have for Tails and I think it really is a shame we didn’t get more of him past the one game he appeared in & his appearances in Archie.
Like firstly, is just the fact that it gives Tails a rival, which I think would be good for his character! Him having more conflicts outside of solely helping Sonic would be a way to show him becoming a more independent character. He’s treated as support most of the time, which he works great as, but he deserves to be in the spotlight from time to time too.
And in terms of having a foil for Tails, Speedy is perfect. Let me break it down:
For those unfamiliar, Speedy is a boss character from Tails’ Adventure on the Game Gear. He is part of the Battle Kukku Empire, a powerful invading force of birds that Tails works against throughout the game. Speedy appears multiple times as a boss, being the heir to the throne of the game’s final boss. As he can fly, he’s able to match Tails’ aerial ability.
A big way they parallel each other is their circumstances of birth. Tails was mocked for his two tails when he was young, but ended up turning them into something he uses for himself, something he’s proud of. Speedy, on the other hand, is born into a position of power, had what he wanted handed to him for basically his whole life. He feels entitled, and resents those who challenge his hierarchical view of the world.
An interesting bit is that Speedy seems to use performance enhancing gear/armor (partially due to the vagueness of his original design- it was unclear how he flew along with it being unsure if he was wearing a diaper or whatever.) Whether this is because he needs it to be capable of flight or if its just to enhance his abilities is unclear, but the former is a great angle to take with it as it feeds into the contrast between them.
Due to his birthright he would feel owed the abilities Tails has naturally, Tails existing represents a wrinkle in his ideology, and that is such a juicy setup for conflict.
Speedy resenting Tails for his unique traits is a really interesting dynamic to me, since while Tails is supposedly ostracized for his extra tail, its never really mentioned or talked about outside his backstory. I’m not saying other characters should constantly be rude to Tails for being the way he is, but having a reminder of the upbringing Tails comes from and the kind of world he stands against is a great & somewhat unexplored angle of his character. Tails stands for anyone being capable of being anything, while Speedy stands for people’s places in the world being decided the moment they are born.
And another part is how, in Archie, Tails proves him wrong! And he admits that! He’d make for a really interesting reoccurring character because his perspective would shift due to him gaining respect through Tails via their rivalry.
He’s absolutely one of the biggest example of “what could’ve been” with early Sonic characters that have been phased out. Its a bit of a shame he doesn’t get as much love as other classic characters that haven’t reappeared since.
