The Sonic series is known for being experimental: our speedy blue hedgehog has raced through the plains of Green Hill Zone, across a broken planet and even to the land of King Arthur. But a big part of all his adventures is the friends (or foes) he makes along the way, and there are a lot of them. Some are wacky and brilliant, and some are… not so much. With the ever-growing number of faces in the already massive Sonic family, many have been lost to the passage of time. Continue reading to discover some of the characters that have been totally forgotten.
10 10. Fang The Sniper
First appearing in Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble, Fang has a bit of an identity crisis going on. For starters, his name was originally Nack, but due to similar pronunciation in Japan, was later named Fang the Sniper. Not even his species is clear: he was first imagined as a jerboa, then deemed half jerboa and half wolf, and later a weasel (in North America and Europe).
Though Fang got a couple of extra appearances in Sonic the Fighters and Sonic Drift 2, in recent years he’s been pushed into the background, with only a meagre, occasional cameo to remember to good old days.
9 9. Ray The Flying Squirrel
Ray was designed for SegaSonic the Hedgehog. The creator wanted Sonic’s sidekicks to be somewhat unusual animals, like a hedgehog, so he settled on a flying squirrel and an armadillo. This was the only game Ray ever appeared in, apart from the DLC for Sonic Mania, though he sometimes appears on missing posters in the levels of Sonic Generations. It seems pretty sad that according to the poster he’s been missing since 1993: SegaSonic the Hedgehog’s release date. It’s as if the game is flat out saying he’s he’s been forgotten, “missing” from our memories. Poor guy.
8 8. Mighty The Armadillo
Mighty might be the slightly more memorable of the forgotten characters, introduced to SegaSonic the Hedgehog with Ray. After being imprisoned by Dr. Eggman, they befriended Sonic and set off on their adventures.
Mighty is apparently a pacifist, though he’s willing to fight when push comes to shove. Like Ray, he is available as a playable character in Sonic Mania Plus, but aside from that, he hasn’t had a game since Knuckles’ Chaotix. Bizarrely, they even misspelled his name as Mighty the “Armaddilo” on his cameo missing poster, so he didn’t get the respect he deserved.
7 7. Shade The Echidna
A newer entry to the forgotten faces, Shade was introduced in the Nintendo DS game Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. Not everyone loved this game, but it was pretty special as the series’ one and only RPG. Shade is an echidna, like Knuckles, and the leader of the Marauders, the main antagonists of the game. She eventually joins the team, and there’s some interesting dialogue between her and Knuckles about the echidnas, as they’re supposedly a lost race and all. But alas, that wasn’t enough to pull Shade into the permanent roster of characters, and we never saw her in a game since.
6 6. Tails Doll
This one’s pretty weird. The Tails Doll was made by Dr. Eggman as a last ditch effort to catch Sonic. We first saw him in Sonic R, an old racing game that was released on the Sega Saturn and PC. Some of the really interesting lore for Tails Doll comes from the internet; he became a huge figure in Sonic-themed creepypastas, with all kinds of stories saying he’s evil, possessed by the devil, or appears at certain hours of the night with murderous intentions. Aside from a couple of cameos he hasn’t featured in another game, living on only in weird internet stories.
5 5. Bean The Dynamite
Some might remember Bean as their favorite green duck, but he’s actually supposed to be a woodpecker. As for “Dynamite”, well, that probably has something to do with his weapon of choice: explosives. He can kick or throw bombs into opponents, in his debut appearance in Sonic the Fighters.
It’s difficult to glean much about his personality as his role was pretty small, but his erratic movements give the impression of him being hyperactive. Like others on this list, he has a couple of cameos – one in Shenmue of all places, as a plush toy – but most fans don’t even know his name.
4 4. Bark The Polar Bear
Bark appeared alongside Bean in Sonic the Fighters, with his strength being, well, strength. He can throw and even flatten opponents, while being a little slow. He’s also shy, with a heart as big as his stature. Strangely, Big the Cat is still a present character while Bark faded into the dust. Maybe he would have made it if he had a froggy friend, too?
He joins Bean on missing posters in Sonic Generations, and as a plush in Shenmue, but unfortunately his cameo doesn’t even get his name right; he’s listed as “Berk.” The poor guy can’t catch a break.
3 3. Heavy And Bomb
Render by SAB64
These two are a little obscure; their only game appearance is in their debut, Knuckles’ Chaotix. They are a duo of robots, originally invented by Dr. Eggman, but they turn on him to join Knuckles and his team. Heavy is a big, clunky fella who can withstand almost any attack, though he’s pretty slow. Meanwhile, Bomb can… detonate himself. Luckily his explosions don’t harm him, and he can carry on fighting quickly afterwards. While some of the characters on this list got cameos, these two seem to have been totally forgotten since their first appearance.
2 2. Marine The Raccoon
We first catch a glimpse of Marine in Sonic Rush Adventure, after she finds Sonic and Tails washed up on the beach. She’s full of energy and never stops talking, dreaming of being a captain of her very own boat when she grows up. Though traces of her existence can be found in costumes for the Mario & Sonic Olympics series, and mentions in a couple of other games, she hasn’t really been around since her debut. If you’d never played SRA, chances are you’ve never heard of her before.
1 1. Metal Knuckles
Render by SAB64
Metal Knuckles, while similar to Metal Sonic, has not had nearly the same success. He first appeared in Sonic R as an unlockable character, and he hasn’t been seen since. Maybe SEGA decided one metal counterpart was enough?
He was created by Dr. Eggman to overthrow Knuckles, and he has the power to glide just like the original Echidna. He also has great speed and acceleration power. Beyond that, we don’t know much about him. He was once a difficult unlockable, but that’s all that ever became of him.