Sonic the Hedgehog has truly left its mark on the video game industry. The series changed the platformer genre in some substantial ways, but the signature character also turned into Sega’s most popular commodity and blossomed into a franchise that essentially sold their platforms. The Sonic the Hedgehog games have had their ups and downs over the years, but they're still incredibly popular and have never stopped honing in on the best ways to engage with the fans.
Sonic himself has become one of the biggest mascots in the video game industry, but Sonic games have introduced a wealth of characters. Some of them connect with fans in a major way, while others have virtually disappeared and turned into odd footnotes in the franchise's legacy.
Updated January 19, 2023, by Ritwik Mitra: Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the most popular video game franchises of all time, even with many people feeling that the recent run of the series has been pretty hit-or-miss. Everyone's favorite hedgehog is a character that most Sonic fans are quite familiar with, with his friends and enemies all being pretty recognizable names as well. However, given the sheer number of entries in this series, it's only a given that certain characters who haven't really made an impact are also present in the series. Here are some characters in Sonic the Hedgehog that even the most hardcore fans struggle to remember.
17 Espio The Chameleon
The Chaotix Detective Agency is an organization in Sonic the Hedgehog that many people might not be familiar with. There are many colorful members in this agency, including Espio the Chameleon.
Given that he's a chameleon, it's obvious that Espio can turn invisible to avoid or confuse enemies. He can also stick to walls for long periods of time, letting him get through most platforming challenges with ease.
16 Maria Robotnik
Most people would expect that any character related to Robotnik himself would be quite memorable. However, it's clear that this isn't the case, especially since no one really remembers who Maria Robotnik even is!
She plays a major role in Sonic Adventure 2 and Shadow the Hedgehog. Maria is Eggman's cousin, although the latter doesn't really love this particular member of his family all that much, which fits in line with his villainous persona.
15 E-123 Omega
It's hard to imagine a creation of Doctor Eggman actually helping out the heroes for a change. However, given how poorly Dr. Robotnik treated everyone and everything around him, it was only a matter of time before even his own creations would turn against him.
Such is the case with E-123 Omega, who is one of the most powerful robots Eggman has ever created. However, after leaving him behind to die, E-123 Omega swore revenge against his creator and even teamed up with Shadow the Hedgehog to take their common enemy down once and for all!
14 E-102 Gamma
Speaking of robots created by Dr. Robotnik, another name that comes to mind is E-102 Gamma. Just like the other entries on this list, this character isn't really all that memorable due to its sporadic appearances, with the majority of screen time in the series obviously being taken by the main cast of heroes and villains.
Just like Omega, Gamma also got tired of Eggman's tyrannical reign after serving under him for the longest time. As a result, he left his creator and went rogue, promising to save the rest of his robot brethren from the cruelty of their creator. While he ultimately succeeded in reaching this goal, it came at the cost of his own life in an admirable and heroic sacrifice!
13 Cream The Rabbit And Cheese
Cream the Rabbit (and her trusty Chao pal, Cheese), has turned into a valuable ally of Amy Rose and a popular character in the Sonic X anime, but she was initially a much more niche supporting character. Cream’s origins chart back to the Game Boy Advance titles, Sonic Advance 2 and 3.
Cream’s kind nature made her popular enough to get a bigger spotlight in Sonic Heroes on Team Rose. This has helped Cream and her cute partner also become a recurring presence in multiplayer titles like the Sonic Riders games.
12 Sticks The Badger
Sticks the Badger is a rare exception since she’s an original character that’s come out of the Sonic Boom animated series and was able to transition into video games. Sticks is an energetic mix of enthusiasm and paranoia that makes her a fun wild card.
Sticks was initially just in the Sonic Boom video games, but she’s slowly worked her way into other ancillary titles, like the Sonic racing games Sonic Dash 2 and Sonic Runners. Sticks also shows up in the 2016 Mario & Sonic Olympic Games title, so maybe she’s destined for a larger role in the future.
11 Bean The Dynamite
The fighting genre has become so popular that it’s not unusual for popular series to attempt a transition into a fighter and see how it works. Sonic the Fighters is one of the strangest examples of this, especially since it was also an arcade title. Sonic the Fighters debuted a number of unusual characters, with Bean the Dynamite being a prime example.
This bird wields hazardous explosives and resembles a Flicky more than anything else. Despite some fun cameos in Sonic Generations and Sonic Mania, Bean hasn’t had many opportunities to shine.
10 Mighty The Armadillo
Another one of Sega’s more interesting Sonic experiments involves the arcade title SegaSonic the Hedgehog. The curious take on a platformer attempted to introduce two new sidekicks for Sonic that bear a strong resemblance to him. Mighty the Armadillo is a cute addition to the team, but he’s a character that’s never been given much of a chance.
Mighty does get some love in the underrated Sega 32X title, Knuckles Chaotix, and the more recent Sonic Mania, so hopefully the character is about to get another chance.
9 Bark The Polar Bear
There are plenty of supporting characters that show up in Sonic games that feel derivative of one another and non-essential. However, Bark the Polar Bear is someone who is actually unique, and a bear alongside Sonic could lead to some fun ideas.
Unfortunately, Bark just gets to be the quintessential heavy fighter in Sonic the Fighters and then turns into an Easter Egg for the die-hard Sonic fans. The fact that Bark appears briefly in Sonic Mania, but merely as an illusion, is pretty indicative of the treatment that the obscure character has received over the years.
8 Cosmo
Debuting in 2003, Sonic X is an anime based on Sega's franchise, although one that mostly does its own thing. Lasting for three seasons, the show generally focuses on iconic characters from the license, but it does include a number of original creations. Cosmo is one of the more memorable examples of a Sonic character who is found only in the anime.
Cosmo hails from an alien race that was wiped out by the Metarex, leaving her to join Sonic's team to combat these forces. Quiet, insecure, but sympathetic, Cosmo is a solid part of the anime and could be a decent fit for the games.
7 Shade The Echidna
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood was the franchise's attempt to jump into turn-based RPGs. Despite being developed by BioWare, the Nintendo DS exclusive garnered a mixed reception and is not looked upon too fondly in retrospect. Shade the Echidna is a new character introduced in the RPG, initially as an antagonist/boss. Once Shade is betrayed by her partner in crime, she joins Sonic's team to help fight Ix.
Powerful, resourceful, and admirable despite flashes of naivety, Shade is one of the more interesting figures to appear in The Dark Brotherhood. Due to similarities to Julie-Su from the Archie Sonic the Hedgehog comics, Shade was part of a lawsuit against Sega; consequently, she will probably never feature in another game.
6 Pseudo-Sonic
Debuting in Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog #9, Pseudo-Sonic was created by Dr. Ivo Robotnik to take on the Blue Blur. He is inspired by a character from a 1993 episode of the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, although the comic version has more personality than the one from the cartoon.
Pseudo-Sonic is an early comic example of a robotic version of Sega's iconic mascot. While the villain doesn't last particularly long in his debut issue and firmly exists in the shadow of Metal Sonic, Pseudo-Sonic is still an intriguing part of the franchise's history.
5 Charmy Bee
Charmy Bee is pure positivity, and even though he works alongside more aggressive characters like Vector the Crocodile and Espio the Chameleon, he helps balance the group out. Charmy’s initial appearance is alongside Knuckles in Knuckles Chaotix, but he actually shows up in the Sonic manga before then.
Charmy remains a niche character, but he’s gained enough of a following that he’s made minor appearances in Sonic Heroes, Shadow the Hedgehog, and some of the Olympic Games titles. He’s even been able to cameo in the Super Smash Bros. series, which is a rare honor for supporting Sonic ilk.
4 Jet The Hawk
Sonic the Hedgehog has experienced some radical shifts over the years and it’s surprising just how many different racing games have been developed. The Sonic Riders series put the famous hedgehog on futuristic hoverboards and tries to match the frenetic speed of the platformers.
Sonic Riders introduces a new trio of villains known as the Babylon Rogues. Jet the Hawk leads the pack, but Wave the Swallow and Storm the Albatross are featured just as much. The Sonic Riders games were popular enough to get a handful of sequels and the Babylon Rogues even show up in the Sonic comics.
3 Fang The Sniper (Nack The Weasel)
Sega had high hopes for its handheld Game Gear console, but its failure to beat the Game Boy led to the company deserting the handheld market. Sega still developed a number of interesting Sonic the Hedgehog titles that were exclusive to the Game Gear.
Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble is one of the standouts from the handheld and it introduces a new villain to the series, Fang the Sniper (originally Nack the Weasel). Fang never became Sonic’s main nemesis, but he still showed up in other niche titles like Sonic the Fighters and Sonic Drift 2.
2 Ray The Flying Squirrel
Ray the Flying Squirrel is another Sonic character who made his debut in SegaSonic the Hedgehog, which means he’s largely been ignored. SegaSonic the Hedgehog was supposed to be ported to the Sega 32X and included in the Sonic Gems Collection, but neither came to pass, which means most audiences never got to experience this plucky character.
Ray seems less essential than Mighty because he’s basically a Tails knockoff that looks more like Sonic. Beyond the fact that Sonic Mania throws a bone at Ray, along with Mighty, he’s basically been ignored by Sega.
1 Honey The Cat
Many of the Sonic the Hedgehog characters that are looked at here are very forgettable, but Honey the Cat is by far the most obscure addition. Sonic the Fighters is already a niche arcade fighter that involves the Sonic franchise, but Honey the Cat is a character that was cut from the game at the last minute and was only known about by dataminers and the modding scene.
When Sonic the Fighters was re-released in 2012, they included Honey the Cat and she was finally officially playable, but beyond this one appearance, she’s absent from the Sonic video game series.
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