Many of the characters in the Sonic the Hedgehog first appear as adversaries of the titular blue blur. Within time, however, many of them become close allies of Sonic, including Shadow, Silver, and Blaze the Cat. One particular ally of Sonic is Knuckles the Echidna, who first appeared as a rival of Sonic in one of the original Sega Genesis titles.
Since his debut, Knuckles has been a recurring protagonist in the series. Occasionally, his alliance towards Sonic is tested by the likes of Dr. Robotnik, though by the end he's always come around to the likable speedster. These ten moments through the Sonic games, comics, and other media show Knuckles at his bravest and most heroic.
10 Knuckles Fights Sonic
Knuckles's first appearance is in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which released for the Sega Genesis in 1994. The game is a favorite of Sonic fans, both for introducing Knuckles and its music composed by pop star Michael Jackson (albeit his work was uncredited). Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is also the start of Sonic and Knuckles's on-and-off rivalry.
After being tricked by Dr. Robotnik into believing that Sonic wants to steal the Master Emerald, Knuckles attempts to fight Sonic at several points in the game. Facing off against the powerful blue hedgehog is no easy feat, but Knuckles doesn't hesitate. He also faces off against Metal Sonic, who proves to be more fearsome than even the original Sonic.
9 Knuckles Defends An Island
Knuckles' Chaotix was released in 1995 for the Sega 32X as Knuckles' first solo adventure. The game was intended to include Sonic and Tails, but the iconic duo were removed during development and replaced with a new set of characters. These characters included Mighty the Armadillo, Vector the Crocodile, Espio the Chameleon, and Charmy the Bee.
The game finds Knuckles and the Chaotix crew defending Angel Island from Dr. Robotnik and Metal Sonic. Although Sonic and Tails are nowhere in sight, Knuckles recruits his rag-tag group of anthropomorphic heroes and fights the bad guys anyway. He even fights a powered-up version of Metal Sonic called Metal Sonic Kai, showing off his strength.
8 Knuckles Guards The Master Emerald
Most of Knuckles's appearances in the Sonic franchise center around the Master Emerald. Sonic Adventure, one of the most beloved Sonic games, is the first to dive deep into the backstory of the Master Emerald and its connection to the Echidna race. This deep dive comes during Knuckles's campaign, after the being Chaos destroys the Emerald.
Knuckles's sections of the game find the red echidna digging for Emerald pieces, not wasting a moment. Along the way, Knuckles also learns about the history of the Echidna clan, and how they were wiped out by Chaos itself. By retrieving the Emerald pieces and saving the life of Tikal, an echidna trapped in the Emerald, Knuckles saves the world.
7 Knuckles Saves Rogue's Life
Sonic Adventure 2 finds Knuckles on a similar quest as its predecessor. However, this time, the Emerald is broken by Dr. Eggman himself while the echidna is distracted fighting Rouge the Bat. Between the Hero storyline and Villain storyline in Sonic Adventure 2, Knuckles and Rouge race to uncover pieces of the Emerald before the other, fighting along the way.
Unexpectedly, Knuckles's bravery surprises even him later in the game. While the two trade blows on the Space Colony ARK, Knuckles saves Rouge's life, causing her to reconsider stealing the Emerald pieces. Dejected, she hands them over to Knuckles, thankful for her life, while Knuckles apologizes for any hurt he may have caused her.
6 Knuckles Won't Be Left Behind
It takes a lot of courage and bravery to show the fullest extent of your powers. For Knuckles, that means proving he can hold his own next to Sonic, who is often one of the strongest characters in the franchise. However, eagle-eyed fans will notice that Knuckles's power comes quite in handy during the many adventures he finds himself on.
In Sonic Heroes, for instance, Knuckles proves that he's able to run at pretty much the exact same speed as Sonic. While this may undercut the uniqueness of Sonic's speed, it proves that as a team, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are no slackers. Knuckles will break the sound barrier if it means keeping up with his closest allies.
5 Knuckles Protects Forest Animals
Many side-scrolling Sonic the Hedgehog games find Sonic rescuing woodland creatures from the clutches of Dr. Robotnik. This concept sometimes even makes it to the 3D titles, such as Sonic Lost World. This Wii U title finds Knuckles taking a backseat as a non-playable character, though his role in the game's story is still very admirable.
The game's plot finds Sonic and Tails jetting off to rescue forest animals from the Dr. Eggman, who has enlisted the Deadly Six to antagonize the duo. Meanwhile, Knuckles and Amy Rose protect the already-rescued forest animals. Knuckles may not put his fighting skills to good use in this game, but he certainly still embodies positive morals.
4 Knuckles Leads A Resistance
Sonic Forces finds Knuckles returning to a leadership position, as it takes place during a time when Dr. Eggman succeeds at his goal of conquering the world. Sonic is believed to be dead, while Knuckles commands a Resistance made up of Sonic's old friends. Even without Sonic by their side, Knuckles refuses to surrender to Eggman's evil schemes.
At the same time, Knuckles is the one to introduce the Avatar character to this group of Resistance fighters. Learning that Sonic is alive and imprisoned by Eggman, it's up to Knuckles and the Avatar to rescue him and overthrow Eggman's regime. It takes a lot of confidence to put his faith in a stranger like Knuckles does in this game.
3 An Alternate Knuckles Serves A King
Sonic and the Black Knight is the second and final installment in the short-lived Sonic Storybook series. The game's story finds Sonic summoned to the world of Camelot by a wizard named Merlina. Along the way, Sonic encounters the legendary Knights of the Round Table, who are all doppelgängers of his friends from back home.
For instance, Sonic encounters Sir Gawain, who resembles Knuckles. After defeating him in combat, Gawain almost commits suicide out of shame. However, Sonic convinces him not to and instead recruits him to join the fight against the Black Knight. Even as the stubborn knight serving King Arthur, Knuckles is honorable and relentless in his courage.
2 Knuckles Fights An Echidna War
Often in the Sonic franchise, Knuckles is regarded as the last living echidna. However, Knuckles's backstory is delved into in an Archie Comics series titled Knuckles the Echidna which ran from 1997 to 1999 with over 30 issues. The series finds Knuckles as a member of the Brotherhood of Guardians, which comprises echidnas throughout history.
The rest of the echidna race operate in a separate faction from the Brotherhood known as the Dark Legion. Knuckles is thrust into a war between the two groups, despite his prior belief that he was the only remaining echidna. Eventually, Knuckles finds himself returning to Angel Island, continuing the sacred echidna duty of protecting the Master Emerald.
1 Knuckles Teams Up With Sonic And Tails
Knuckles finally makes his big screen debut in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, a 2022 film that serves as a sequel to 2020's Sonic the Hedgehog. Taking place in the modern-day world, the first film found Sonic (played by Ben Schwartz) in his first conflicts with Jim Carrey's Dr. Robotnik. In the sequel, Robotnik has enlisted the help of Knuckles, voiced by Idris Elba.
As one would expect, Knuckles doesn't remain Robotnik's ally for long. After being betrayed by the mad scientist, Knuckles teams up with Sonic and Tails to battle him and reclaim the Master Emerald. By the end, Knuckles reforms the Master Emerald using the Chaos Emeralds, deciding to protect it with the help of Sonic and Tails.
Sonic Frontiers releases in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.