To an outsider, it may feel like the Sonic games already have a huge cast. But what if I told you there were dozens of others, some of which have never graced our screens before? Sonic the Hedgehog also boasts a huge comic book continuity, initially published by Archie, now IDW. This means there's a whole host of characters both new and old that fans want to see in the games.Now, an influential figure within Sega may have just given them a glimmer of home. During a Q&A with fans, Sonic Frontiers director Morio Kishimoto says that he is "very interested" in seeing the comic characters appear, suggesting that they could be included in future games. During the Q&A, one fan asked Kishimoto to comment on the appearance of the old comic book characters, the Freedom Fighters. They also mention more niche video game characters such as Mighty, Ray, and Honey. Kishimoto's response is pretty surprising, and offers a rare glimmer of good news for fans of these older stories. "Yes, I'm very interested in seeing those characters appear," he says, seemingly referring to all of the characters mentioned in the tweet.
Admittedly, it's more likely that we will see Mighty and the gang in future games, since they've already appeared in Sonic Mania Plus. Kishimoto is yet to clarify specifics regarding the Freedom Fighters. They haven't appeared in the games since brief cameos in Sonic Spinball, all the way back in 1993.
For those of you who have never picked up a Sonic comic before, the Freedom Fighters are a bunch of woodland creatures that revolt against Dr. Robotnik's tyranny. They're led by Princess Sally Acorn, with other higher-ups including Rotor the Walrus, Antoine D'Coolette, and Bunnie Rabbot.
Considering that they come from a different continuity than what we're used to in the games, it will be interesting to see how Sega fits them into the main timeline. Of course, it remains to be seen if they're included in the games at all, or if this is just the wish of one producer.