Throughout the Sonic the Hedgehog games, Tails has been very inconsistent. In some titles, he is an active hero that helps Sonic out in many ways, but there are also times when he seems much weaker and doesn't do all that much, simply cheering for his friends from the sidelines. A lot of Sonic the Hedgehog fans have been disappointed by how the series handles Tails as a character, but this was addressed in the latest game in the franchise, Sonic Frontiers.
In the beginning of Sonic Frontiers, Tails, Sonic, and Amy are in their plane searching for Chaos Emeralds, but separate when Amy and Tails get trapped in Cyber Space. Sonic travels across the Starfall Islands to rescue the two of them, as well as Knuckles, with each of his comrades being located on a different island. Tails can be found on the third island of the game, Chaos. When Tails and Sonic cross paths, Tails addresses the issue that fans have had with him for years in one of the best cutscenes in the entire game.
Sonic Frontiers Addresses Tails' Inconsistency
As Sonic is helping Tails on Chaos Island, Tails asks Sonic if he is a burden. Confused, Sonic replies by asking him why he would think that and mentions some of the times that Tails has been a hero to him. Tails had saved Sonic multiple times, such as when he broke the hedgehog out of Prison Island in Sonic Adventure 2, as well as from a trap that the Deadly Six put him in during Sonic: Lost World. He also defeated Eggman and saved Station Square in Sonic Adventure, which Sonic reminds him of.
At first, hearing all of this doesn't make Tails feel much better, even going so far as to define himself as inconsistent. This results in Sonic explaining to him what his biggest strengths as a hero are: he's both incredibly intelligent and able to fly at great speeds. Hearing this makes Tails feel a lot better and determined to improve, and the two continue their journey.
What Fans May Be Able To Expect From Tails in the Future
Besides being a great moment for Tails, this cutscene also proves that the developers aren't afraid to admit when they have made a mistake. Seeing as how many players felt that Sonic Team had forgotten about the hero that Tails was in older games, this has assured a lot of them that he can be redeemed. Many fans were thrilled to see this cutscene and hope to see Tails become an even greater hero in future games than he had been in the Sonic Adventure titles and Sonic: Lost World. After all, this moment in Sonic Frontiers may be a message from the developers that they have been listening to fans' concerns and will work on making Tails the type of character that gamers have longed for him to be.
Sonic Team revealed upcoming DLC for Sonic Frontiers a few weeks ago that includes making Tails, Amy, and Knuckles playable characters in a brand-new story. Depending on the plot of this new story, Tails may have an important role that can give fans even more faith that the developers are going to empower the two-tailed fox. Whether it's by allowing players to control him more or giving him moments where he saves Sonic and assists him in defeating antagonists in future installments, it seems that Tails will have a greater role in the franchise soon.
Sonic Frontiers is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.