Highlights

• Silver the Hedgehog: Silver stands out in the Sonic series with his unique telekinetic powers and ability to bring in magical and galactic elements to the story.
• Trip the Sungazer: Trip, a desert lizard, adds a fresh addition to the Sonic cast with her shy and adorable personality and her role in the battle against the dastardly duo.
• Cream and Cheese: Cream and her pet Chao, Cheese, bring a different breed of hero to the series with their innocent and protective nature, making them endearing and surprisingly powerful when provoked.

Over the decades, Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends have appeared in all kinds of media — from the classic video games published on Sega consoles, to TV series and live-action movies. We've seen the iconic blue hedgehog fighting many enemies of different sizes and shapes, while being aided by a host of other cartoony critters (or even humans.)

If you've explored most of the series' video games, you'll have met several interesting characters here and there. But which of these deserve a closer look? That's why we're here; we want to rank the Sonic characters of note, selecting only the very best. Hold onto your rings!

Updated on November 7 2023, by Bobby Mills: With the release of Sonic Frontiers and Superstars, the hedgehog's posse of technicolour friends continues to expand. Given that this is a franchise well-known for its bulging cast, it'd really be tough to give them all their due in a single article – but we've jazzed our list up with some fresh faces all the same.

17 Silver The Hedgehog

Psychokinetic defender of the future

First introduced in the infamous Sonic 2006, Silver ended up being a neat inclusion that other games were far better off for. This strange hedgehog is fun enough to play in most games due to his telekinetic powers that let him chuck objects around however the Havok physics allow, setting him apart from the melee-oriented characters that populate the series.

As a story vehicle, Silver is a really great way to implement dramatic plots. Being completely neutral, he's an organic way to bring in the more magical and galactic aspects of the Sonic universe.

16 Trip The Sungazer

Reptilian introvert of the Northstar Isles

Sonic Superstars carries the torch that was so ably passed on by 2017's Sonic Mania, delivering a robust side-scrolling experience that harkens back to the good old days while showing off some contemporary sheen. One of the new additions to the setup is Trip the Sungazer (a kind of desert lizard), a shy lass who's spent most of her days on the Northstar Isles wanting for company.

When Dr. Eggman and Fang the Hunter arrive and start barking orders, so desperate is poor Trip for friends that she gladly obliges and even offers to help the dastardly duo with their scheme. Eggman intends to resurrect the ancient Black Dragon, from which Trip is descended, in his latest gambit for world domination. Luckily, Trip sees the light and sides with Sonic and co. to seal the Dragon away for good. Trip's adorable and another fab addition to the Classic gang.

15 Cream And Cheese

The cutest dairy-themed duo ever conceived

For quite a while, Amy Rose was the only notable female character most people knew from the Sonic series, and while she’s certainly more than meets the eye, there’s always an opening for other wonderful ladies in the cast.

Cream and her ingeniously named Chao pet Cheese are prime examples of a much different breed of hero. Cream is more an innocent bystander than an active fighter, with a simpler motivation of protecting her pet, and it makes her especially endearing in any game she appears in. Don't underestimate her, though – mess with her mother or her friends, and she becomes a force to be reckoned with.

14 Bark The Polar Bear

Icy one-hit wonder

Bark, hailing from oft-forgotten arcade brawler Sonic the Fighters, has rarely re-appeared in other Sonic media. This polar bear may not have come from a headliner game, but being the only bear in Sonic history and with a unique wintery twist, Bark is much more memorable than his brief list of appearances would imply.

There’s also something to be said for having larger characters in the series, as the traditional body type of Sonic the Hedgehog characters tends to be quite small. Bark isn’t exactly an outstanding or unusual shape, but his silhouette is already way more distinctive than any other side character. You'd not struggle to pick him out of a crowd.

13 Tikal The Echidna

Ancient guiding spirit of the ruins

Even rarer in the series is Tikal, who most gamers know from the first Sonic Adventure game, and as a recurring character in the Sonic X show. She’s essentially an ancient guardian of the Chaos Emeralds from way before Knuckles took the job, and is one of the only other Echidnas in the entire series – barring Chief Pachacamac and the secondary heroes in the non-canon Sonic Chronicles.

Considering the series' abundance of Hedgehogs and fans' love for Knuckles, it’s kind of strange how little Tikal tends to show up. Perhaps her having been trampled in a decades-old tragedy and reduced to a sparkling spirit ball may have something to do with it. She’s a calm and respectful defender of these iconic crystals, and she can easily act as a polite and optimistic opposite to Knux.

12 Sage

Eggman's hyper-advanced AI

For a while, in the mid-2010s, the Sonic franchise suffered from a draught of new characters. Perhaps burned by a long string of criticism regarding the large cast, Sega was evidently reluctant to venture far beyond the comfort zone of the 'core four': Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. 2022's Sonic Frontiers at last broke the streak with Eggman's new lovable AI sidekick, Sage.

As part of his intended conquest of the Starfall Isles, Eggman uploads Sage to the Ancients' Cyberspace network, where she instantly develops a consciousness, identity, and humanoid form derived from the reams of knowledge contained therein. From there, she alternates between impeding Sonic and warning him of the island's dangers, and ultimately, in a tear-rending climax, is accepted by Eggman as a surrogate daughter. Pass the tissues.

11 Fang The Hunter

Many-aliased bandit

Fang is easily the most stereotypically 'badass' character in the entire franchise. Sporting a fancy fedora, this gunner has also appeared in very few places besides his debut in Sonic Triple Trouble, and with so many overly-serious characters like Shadow and Silver, it’s refreshing to see a villain who knows just how cool he is so cool that he's been through no less than five name changes since his inception.

We’ve seen him a bit more frequently recently, as he appeared in Sonic Mania as a possible mini-boss alongside fellow Sonic the Fighters characters Bark and Bean and as one of the main antagonists in Sonic Superstars.

10 Big The Cat

Fish-friendly feline

Although Big has a rather disconcerting appearance, it’s unquestionably unique. That thousand-yard stare won't soon be forgotten. He’s yet another example of a gentle soul who only acts aggressively in defense of his friends. And being a close friend of Amy Rose — who’s always chasing Sonic — he usually ends up in the larger scheme of things, which he would otherwise avoid. All he really wants to do is chill with his lifelong companion, Froggy.

Despite his alarming size and strength, he’s a secluded fisherman who prefers to move in the slow lane. It’s a little disappointing that he falls into the cliché of being both large and slow-witted, but he’s more analogous to Baymax from Big Hero 6. He’s basically a giant huggable cat, and what's not to love about that?

9 Amy Rose

Feisty, fierce Sonic devotee

Amy Rose was first introduced in the Sonic manga before putting in her inaugural appearance for Sonic CD; she’s one of the more notable female characters in the franchise. It's a shame that she often seems to be a character of two halves, depending on who's writing her. On the one hand, she carries that giant Piko Piko Hammer everywhere she goes and is plenty capable enough in her own right.

On the other hand, she’s constantly falling for Sonic, slathering herself all over him like syrup on pancakes. Not that there's anything wrong with a crush, especially in a tween girl, but it can be a tad overwrought at times. Either way, the combination of her cutesy design and the ironically oversized weapon is amusing nevertheless. Her peppy attitude could be infectious or annoying to some, but she is undeniably popular.

8 Shadow The Hedgehog

The Ultimate Life Form

This character has quite a convoluted backstory and is actually the outcome of a scientific program conducted by Gerald Robotnik — the grandfather of Dr. Eggman. Gerald was a more stereotypical scientist than the conniving evil of his descendant, whereby his good intentions led to unintended results.

Shadow isn’t just a colour swap of Sonic; he’s the anti-hero of the franchise that ultimately works as a lone wolf but ends up helping out Sonic now and then. He was an instant hit, garnering enough popularity that his character was even resurrected from apparent death (via tremendously flimsy justification). Aside from his compelling origin story, he does have that striking black-and-red color scheme, to boot.

7 Rouge The Bat

Treasure-hunting femme fatale

At a certain point, Sega definitely started to mine deep for other animals to anthropomorphize. Rouge tends to be more interesting than Amy, thanks in no small part to her 'will she, won't she' dual morality. As a spy with serious combat skills and a weakness for jewels, she’s a great deal like Catwoman.

She has a flirty attitude, battles fiercely, and has ever-shifting allegiances. In that sense, she’s as much a clichéd character type as Espio, the Chameleon, and in fairness, she was probably one of the many new characters that began to frustrate fans. Her iconic status means she's not going anywhere anytime soon, though.

6 Espio

Chameleon ninja of the night

It’s a lot of fun that Espio is a chameleon, and the series has a lot of fun leaning into the implications of that. In Sonic Heroes, he can turn invisible and throw ninja stars. Heck, even his name is short for 'espionage.' But he’s most famous for being a founding member of the Chaotix Detective Agency, whose gumshoe functionality definitely adds a little flair to the franchise.

This team also covers two other fun Sonic characters, Vector the Crocodile and the imaginatively named Charmy the Bee. Espio has a reserved personality, and although he’s got all the stereotypical traits of a hard-boiled detective, it’s still a fun archetype that plays well off of his more jovial teammates.

5 Metal Sonic

Non-carbon copy

Ah yes; if Godzilla won’t go down, then the only natural solution is to create a Mechagodzilla. This is one of the few creations Eggman has personally created that is actually a genuine threat to Sonic and his friends. His abilities have been known to even beat Sonic’s, and yet he’s never managed to successfully eliminate him. Perhaps it’s a classic case of blind obsession.

Either way, Metal has a sleek design, and given that he is actually sentient, he easily counts as a 'character.' Considering the countless drones that Sonic blasts through on a regular basis, Eggman’s other evil concoctions can’t compare — just like Gerald, whose prize creation was Shadow.

4 Knuckles The Echidna

Gullible guardian of the Master Emerald

Perpetually serious and (funnily enough for an echidna) 'hogging' all the attitude, Knuckles actually started out as a villain — but his abilities made him a fan-favorite Sonic the Hedgehog character, and he ultimately learns that Eggman misled him. He’s inextricably ingrained with the lore of the franchise, being the last of his kind who were meant to protect the security of the Chaos Emeralds.

These Emeralds are one elaborate can of worms, so let’s just say that they’re akin to the Infinity Stones in their power and McGuffin-ness. Knuckles’ scrappy attitude, striking red hues, and famous strength easily won audiences over, so he’s ended up in plenty of sequels and merchandise.

3 Tails

Perpetual second banana

Every Mario needs a Luigi. Miles Prower, the famous flying fox, makes for a genuinely fun sidekick that isn’t just a colour swap for Sonic. He has his own backstory, having faced trouble with bullies in the past, but chooses to use his abnormal double-tails for something positive. His ability to fly, established in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, is particularly invaluable given that this is a platforming series.

Always treated as something of a little brother, Tails is an able mechanic, bringing more of an everyman vibe to the series. He’s a mild-mannered character with an adorable design, catering to younger audiences, and has even been featured on the big screen in the second Sonic movie.

2 Dr. Eggman

300-IQ evil mastermind

Otherwise known as Dr. Robotnik, before Japanese and English localisations synchronised in the early 2000s, Eggman is a stereotypical villain always in pursuit of world domination. However, it’s his methods that make him so interesting. Manufacturing weapons and destroying nature to transform local wildlife into robots is a distinctly human approach that perhaps reflects our real world a bit too keenly.

We’ve had a distinct imbalance with our environment in the real world, and we’ve definitely had missile-wielding warmongers. However, Eggman distinguishes himself further with a penchant for awakening ancient evils, like Chaos and Dark Gaia, all of which backfire spectacularly. One of the most iconic villains in gaming history, Eggman earns his spot comfortably.

1 Sonic The Hedgehog

Legendary blue blur

Well, this was obvious. Who else to take the top spot than the big blue cheese himself? With a charming, instantly recognisable design and a devil-may-care attitude, his need for speed really sets him apart from other platforming mascots. Gamers don’t always have the best attention span — we often want things delivered quickly, and here was a protagonist that allowed gamers of every skill level to become a speedrunner.

His world has a foundation that’s simple, ripe for expansion, and is filled with colorful art design that centres on irresistibly cute animals — so really, we’re all fans of Sonic at a fundamental conceptual level. Plus, Sonic’s moral compass always points true. His altruism is very endearing, and within the games alone, he’s mustered a surprising amount of personality. Just look at the finale speech of Sonic and the Black Knight.

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