The Sonic the Hedgehog series is one of gaming's greats. Its airtight foundation is why it remains spectacular decades after its release. Although Sonic the Hedgehog didn't fair as well in three-dimensions, it has enough two-dimensional classics to keep fans engaged. What started as a minute detail in the game grew into so much more. We are, of course, referring to the Super Sonic transformation.

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Super Sonic is a fundamental part of the early games, yet only the most adept players have transformed. Later games made Super Sonic part of the story. With the release of the commercial success that is the Sonic the Hedgehog movie, these tidbits are now more relevant than ever. These are ten things everyone needs to know about Super Sonic.

Updated April 21st, 2022 by Russ Boswell: Super Sonic has become one of the most recognizable forms of the famous blue hedgehog over the years. The golden coloring of this Super form has been featured and explored in a multitude of games, comics, and other Sonic the Hedgehog media. There is actually quite a bit of lore wrapped up in Super Sonic, with the appearance even paving the way for certain games and being used as a tool to solve some of the biggest and most devastating events to reverberate through the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. To better showcase the Super Sonic form and some of the interesting tidbits surrounding it, the following list has been updated with more entries.

13 It's The Super Form Of Sonic The Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the most iconic characters in video games, despite so few people knowing about this enigmatic form. Super Sonic is Sonic the Hedgehog's most powerful transformation.

It turns him into the fastest character in the game, and it is only attainable under certain circumstances (more on that later). Whether it's classic Sonic the Hedgehog or the newer redesigned version, both are capable of reaching this form.

12 Golden-Yellow Quills

Sega had to do something to make this form stand out, which is why this golden-yellow form is fitting. His attacks also have a golden-yellow aura in games like Sonic Generations.

Super Sonic's appearance varies throughout the games, yet his golden-yellow quills are consistent. Despite sticking out like a sore thumb, few people know about this elusive form.

11 Requires Ring Energy To Exist

Sonic Heroes protagonists running to rings

Although Sonic can transform into this Super state by using the Chaos Emeralds, he actually needs to use Ring Energy to sustain the form for an extended period of time. That's because the Super Sonic state actually drains rings and uses them as a power source. Because of this, it is possible for Sonic to lose his Super state abilities if he doesn't have enough rings to sustain the transformation, making it vitally important that he doesn't exhaust the power by being too reckless.

It's said that the form uses an immense amount of energy to power, meaning Sonic has a hard time maintaining the transformation for long periods of time.

10 Isn't Without Its Weakness

Eggman in Sonic Unleashed

Although many of the abilities that Sonic gains during this Super transformation make him an incredibly powerful being, that doesn't mean the Super Sonic state isn't without its weakness. As stated previously, Ring Energy acts as the main catalyst for keeping Sonic in a constant Super state and a lack of the power source will cause him to transform back into the basic blue hedgehog players are most familiar with.

It's also possible for his energy to be "drained," which would essentially force him back into a base state. Dr. Robotnik actually used this tactic in Sonic Unleashed, when he was able to trap Super Sonic in the Chaos Energy Cannon and essentially drain the power from within him.

9 First Appeared In Sonic The Hedgehog 2

Did you know that Super Sonic appears in Sonic the Hedgehog 2? Collecting all of seven Chaos Emeralds is a daunting task that makes a game like Dark Souls look easy.

To get a glimpse of Super Sonic, unlocking Sonic's most powerful form is worth the painstaking effort. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is possibly the most iconic game on the Sega Genesis, yet few people know about this Easter egg.

8 Requires All The Chaos Emeralds

In some of the Sonic the Hedgehog games, fifty rings is a prerequisite for transforming into Super Sonic. In all cases, Sonic the Hedgehog harnesses the power of seven Chaos Emeralds (also referred to as Miracle Gems) to attain the form. Each Chaos Emerald is tied to the Master Emerald, a gem of immeasurable power.

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What started as an Easter egg became an essential part of Sonic the Hedgehog games. Super Sonic is now involved in the plot of most of the games since Sonic Adventure.

7 Can Be Activated With Cheat Codes

In an era where the difficulty of games was immeasurably high, Sonic the Hedgehog stood out as an outlier. It was easier than most, which could be why it was so fun. Reaching 100% completion in a game like Sonic the Hedgehog 3, however, is another story.

Thankfully, games like Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic Mania have cheat codes to make playthroughs easier. There are cheat codes for unlocking Super Sonic, or the Chaos Emeralds.

6 Increased Speed (If That's Even Possible)

In Sonic Colors for the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS, Sonic the Hedgehog pushed his speed to it's limits. Sonic managed to outrun a black hole for approximately thirty seconds. This means he is capable of breaking the sound barrier.

Super Sonic, on the other hand, is significantly faster than normal Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic can move faster than the speed of light, as stated in the Japanese version of Sonic Unleashed's training manual.

5 Invincibility

Progressing through Sonic the Hedgehog becomes a heck of a lot easier once you attain Super Sonic. Similar to obtaining the Power Sneakers And Invincibility power-ups, Super Sonic is a remarkable form.

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Super Sonic's invincibility is super useful during the game. You can attack Dr. Robotnik with impunity until he's defeated. The transformation has unique music; Super Sonic couldn't be more satisfying.

4 He Can Fly!

When we see Super Sonic in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it is unclear if he can fly. Gravity affects Super Sonic, yet we can say with certainty that Super Sonic can fly.

In Sonic Pocket Adventure, Super Sonic flies into outer space. This tells us that Super Sonic does not need to breathe while transformed, or he can hold his breath for long periods. We've also seen Super Sonic fly in outer space in games like Sonic Advance 2 and Sonic Unleashed.

3 Appears In Nearly Every Sonic Game

The Super Sonic form has appeared in nearly every Sonic the Hedgehog game since Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Super Sonic is a fundamental part of the series, yet unlocking the transformation has become progressively easier.

What we can take away is that Super Sonic is now a more significant part of the series than it used to be.

2 The Form Could Have Had A Bigger Role In Some Games

Sonic escaping whale

Although the Super Sonic form shows up in a wide array of the games in some capacity, it was originally planned to be playable in a handful of other Sonic titles. In the critically loathed Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), developers planned to feature a gem that would allow players to transform into Super Sonic. This was ultimately scrapped for the game's official release.

A much better-received title, Sonic Adventure, had planned to allow players to use Super Sonic in every single stage, but the idea was later scrapped and the full release version only features Super Sonic in key parts of the story and for boss fights.

1 Super Sonic Almost Appeared In the Live-Action Movie

The Sonic the Hedgehog movie proves that video game movies are still relevant. We've seen countless video game movie disasters, which is why this movie came as a surprise.

Did you know that Super Sonic was almost going to appear in the Sonic the Hedgehog movie? According to ScreenRant, "The Super Sonic transformation from the video games almost appeared in the Sonic the Hedgehog movie, according to the film's director."

NEXT: Sonic: 5 Characters We'd Love To See In A Movie Sequel (& 5 We Don't)