History CharacterPerceptionEvolution / SonicTheHedgehog

* Upon introduction in ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'', [[AliensAreBastards Black Doom]] was widely criticized for his [[FlatCharacter generic, clichéd villain personality]] and design which also [[NonStandardCharacterDesign clashed with the series]], and seen as [[{{Narm}} too over-the-top to take seriously]] and contributed [[FanDislikedExplanation unwelcome additions to the lore]]. In short, he was seen as the face of everything ridiculed with this games DarkerAndEdgier tone and how it wasn't a fit for the series. But after subsequent LighterAndSofter games became increasingly criticized for being basic and non-serious, fans were hyped for the darker ''VideoGame/SonicForces,'' and for its new villain Infinite [[ParodySue intentionally embracing clichés and being over-the-top with his edge]]. However, the story was seen as a disappointing, botched attempt at drama that failed to please fans of the both the darker ''and'' lighter approaches. Thus, Black Doom and his game became as a more successful integration of darker elements for actuallu taking themselves seriously, [[NarmCharm working in spite of the tonal clash]] or at least being [[SoBadItsGood entertainingly bad at worst]], unlike Infinite's deliberate self-parody. Such fans were excited for [[TheBusCameBack Doom's return]] in ''VideoGame/SonicXShadowGenerations''.

** Sonia and Manic, Sonic's long-lost siblings and fellow bandmates, didn't start off with a favorable reputation. Early viewers saw them as annoying recolors that failed to stand out from their star triplet, and the fact that Creator/JaleelWhite voiced them in addition to the Blue Blur[[note]]With [[CrossDressingVoices him voicing Sonia]] in his [[Series/FamilyMatters Steve Urkel]] voice receiving a lot of criticism in particular.[[/note]] was seen as lazy and uninspired. Over the years, fans began to warm up to the trio, due to Manic's LovableRogue personality, Sonia's TeamMom and SilkHidingSteel tendencies, and their respective character development as the series went on. Their dynamic with Sonic is also seen as the best part of the show, especially as more fans lamented the absence of official family members not named Vanilla the Rabbit, and Jaleel's voice work is actually praised for giving all three hedgehogs different performances. Nowadays, fans are far more open to the idea of Sonia and Manic appearing in the games' canon than they were when ''Underground'' first aired.

* Upon introduction in ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'', [[AliensAreBastards Black Doom]] was widely criticized for his [[FlatCharacter generic, clichéd villain personality]] and design which also [[NonStandardCharacterDesign clashed with the series]], and seen as [[{{Narm}} too over-the-top to take seriously]] and contributed [[FanDislikedExplanation unwelcome additions to the lore]]. In short, he was seen as the face of everything ridiculed with this games DarkerAndEdgier tone and how it wasn't a fit for the series. But after subsequent LighterAndSofter games became increasingly criticized for being basic and non-serious, fans were hype for the darker ''VideoGame/SonicForces'', whose villain, Infinite, [[ParodySue intentionally embraced clichés and was over-the-top]], only for the story and character to be seen as disappointing for not coming off as serious, such it displeased fans of the darker and lighter approaches. Thus, Black Doom became better received as a more successful integration of darker elements, as it took itself seriously, [[NarmCharm working in spite of the tonal clash]] or [[SoBadItsGood entertainingly bad at worst]], unlike Infinite's deliberate self-parody. Such fans were excited for [[TheBusCameBack Doom's return]] in ''VideoGame/SonicXShadowGenerations''.
* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'':

** Much like his ''[=AoStH=]'' counterpart, this show's incarnation of Dr. Robotnik started out badly, but would undergo a mostly-positive flip in perception over time. For a long while, he was considered one of the most lacking versions of the character; frequently being written off as nothing more than a sillier and watered-down take on the much more revered (at the time) ''[=SatAM=]'' version. In recent years, however, his reputation with older fans has improved; with them having particular praise for Creator/GarryChalk's vocal performances, his amusing dynamics with [[BumblingHenchmanDuo Sleet and Dingo]], and despite his more frequent pratfalls, also being a genuinely intelligent and ever-present threat[[note]]With episodes such as "Tangled Webs", "Three Hedgehogs & A Baby" and "Sonia's Choice" showing him at his most clever.[[/note]] who ultimately would [[CutShort go on to technically]] ''[[CutShort win]]''. While he still isn't considered the best incarnation of the egg-shaped dictator, Chalk's Robotnik is held in notably higher regard than he once was; standing out more on his own merits against the nowadays more contentious ''[=SatAM=]'' version.
** Sonia and Manic, Sonic's long-lost siblings and fellow bandmates, didn't start off with a favorable reputation. Early viewers saw them as annoying recolors that failed to stand out from their star triplet, and the fact that Creator/JaleelWhite voiced them in addition to the Blue Blur was seen as lazy and uninspired. Over the years, fans began to warm up to the trio, due to Manic's LovableRogue personality, Sonia's TeamMom and SilkHidingSteel tendencies, and their respective character development as the series went on. Their dynamic with Sonic is also seen as the best part of the show, especially as more fans lamented the absence of official family members not named Vanilla the Rabbit, and Jaleel's voice work is actually praised for giving all three hedgehogs different performances. Nowadays, fans are far more open to the idea of Sonia and Manic appearing in the games' canon than they were when ''Underground'' first aired.

* ''WesternAnimation/SonicUnderground'': Much like his ''[=AoStH=]'' counterpart, this show's incarnation of Dr. Robotnik started out badly, but would undergo a mostly-positive flip in perception over time. For a long while, he was considered one of the most lacking versions of the character; frequently being written off as nothing more than a sillier and watered-down take on the much more revered (at the time) ''[=SatAM=]'' version. In recent years, however, his reputation with older fans has improved; with them having particular praise for Creator/GarryChalk's vocal performances, his amusing dynamics with [[BumblingHenchmanDuo Sleet and Dingo]], and despite his more frequent pratfalls, also being a genuinely intelligent and ever-present threat[[note]]With episodes such as "Tangled Webs", "Three Hedgehogs & A Baby" and "Sonia's Choice" showing him at his most clever.[[/note]] who ultimately would [[CutShort go on to technically]] ''[[CutShort win]]''. While he still isn't considered the best incarnation of the egg-shaped dictator, Chalk's Robotnik is held in notably higher regard than he once was; standing out more on his own merits against the nowadays more contentious ''[=SatAM=]'' version.

** When the game was first released, the Wisps were well received, thanks to their [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter cute designs]] and serving as the main gimmick of the game. As the decade continued however, many started to grow sick of them, thanks to their appearances in ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld'' and ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' being seen as inferior, them constantly appearing in other games and media, [[TheArtifact long after they were really relevant]] and seemingly [[ReplacementScrappy at the cost]] of the more universally beloved Chao[[note]]though the Chao were largely irrelevant by the time wisps came into play (and the last Chao garden was nearly a decade prior), and actually came ''back'' into relevance a year after ''Sonic Colors'', receiving new merchandise and side content, along with a big rerelease for ''Sonic Adventure 2'' and being featured prominently in ''Sonic Generations'' (while the Wisps were relegated to a single stage)[[/note]], and the general backlash around TheNewTens games and their LighterAndSofter storylines. While they aren't outright ''hated'', they've become much more divisive in the years since ''Colors'' release, with many viewing them as a symbol of the worst excesses of "the meta era".

** Geoffrey St. John was once one of the more popular characters of Ken Penders' run, thanks to his badass skills as a spy, his introduction in the ''Princess Sally'' mini-series which saw him play off Robotnik for Sally Acorn's benefit, his {{love triangle}} with Sally and Sonic, and him appearing in several of the comic's most notable stories, including [=EndGame=]. Conversely, his revisioning by Creator/IanFlynn, in which he was {{Retcon}}ed into being an apprentice of [[EvilSorcerer Naugus]], and saw him openly side with the Ixis wizard after his wife's apparent death, proved to be [[BrokenBase divisive at best]], with many seeing it as an attempt to fix something that wasn't broken. However, he faced significant backlash in the wake of the legal issues surrounding Penders, with many retrospective readers coming to find severe flaws with his character. This included his [[FlatCharacter relative lack of depth]] outside being a James Bond-like spy, the fact that he turned out to be more important to the ''Princess Sally'' mini-series than [[SpotlightStealingSquad Princess Sally herself]], him believing in Sonic's guilt during [=EndGame=] despite all evidence to the contrary, and, most infamously, his aforementioned relationship with Sally, despite later stories indicating [[{{Ephebophile}} he was 20 and she was 15]][[note]]This does not appear to have been Ken Penders' intention, but he has almost completely glossed it over when he secured the rights to him[[/note]]. This, in turn, caused a reappraisal of Flynn's take on Geoffrey, seen as him trying to breathe new life into an [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap otherwise unusable character]], helped by greater knowledge of his plans for the character had he been able to. These days, with Ken Penders continuing to flaunt his ownership of the character, almost all praise Geoffrey gets comes from [[MyRealDaddy how Ian Flynn wrote him]], with any discussion of how he was before either holding him up as an example of how bad Penders' characters could get, or just flat out [[OvershadowedByControversy overshadowed entirely]] by the extreme ValuesDissonance in his relationship with Sally.

* Sonic's supporting cast ''in general'' underwent this, even as certain characters remained popular. In the early days, Tails and Knuckles quickly became popular and iconic after their introduction for livening up the cast and providing slight shake-ups to the gameplay. Then came ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'', which had six playable characters, [[GameplayRoulette each with wildly different and gimmicky gameplay]], and all their stories had to be played to unlock the TrueFinalBoss. This style continued until ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'', and each time the playstyles besides Sonic's earned more and more criticism. This, combined with new characters like Shadow and Silver being [[BaseBreakingCharacter divisive]], led to many gaming outlets espousing that Sonic's supporting cast hurts the series and it should stick to him alone, which led to Sega's marketing for ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog4'' making this an explicit selling point. After that game's divisive reception fans looked back and felt the hatred for the supporting cast was overly harsh, and that it wasn't fair to blame awkward gameplay decisions on ''the characters''. This in turn led to wider appreciation for the supporting characters and their moments of good writing in the ''Adventure'' games, comics and cartoons. By the TheNewTens the colorful cast of characters was now viewed as one of the franchise's biggest selling points, and many heavily criticized ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' and ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' reducing most of them to supporting roles at best. When games in TheNewTwenties like ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'' (via post-launch updates) and ''VideoGame/SonicSuperstars'' reintroduce multiple playable characters with their own attributes, and games like ''VisualNovel/TheMurderOfSonicTheHedgehog'' explore the cast in more innovative ways, it was met with high acclaim.
* Out of the original ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure's'' six playable characters, easily the least popular of the bunch was Big the Cat. Not only did he have to contend with four series mainstays (and well-received fellow newcomer E-102 Gamma on top of them), but his SimpletonVoice and mandatory FishingMinigame grated on players so much that he became [[TheScrappy despised outright]]. In spite of the occasional further appearance, Big remained one of the most hated characters in the series, and he was DemotedToExtra in the years that followed. That all started to change in 2016, where he garnered [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap an ironic fandom that gradually turned unironic]], resulting in people re-examining his first appearance and taking note of the positive and likeable qualities he demonstrated even back then. Nowadays, you'll find more fans of Big thanks to being characterized as a GentleGiant and [[TheEveryman one of the more ordinary members of the cast]], his OddFriendship with Amy and Cream in ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'', and that same game making him [[BewareTheNiceOnes deceptively versatile]]. Compared to his debut game, his main series return in ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'' was met with more applause than scorn, though it's probably helped by his fishing minigame being optional this time as opposed to a required part of the game.

* Upon introduction in ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'', [[AliensAreBastards Black Doom]] was widely criticized for his [[FlatCharacter generic, clichéd villain personality]] and design which also [[NonStandardCharacterDesign clashed with the series]], and seen as [[{{Narm}} too over-the-top to take seriously]] and contributed [[FanDislikedExplanation unwelcome additions to the lore]]. In short, he was seen as the face of everything ridiculed with this games DarkerAndEdgier tone and how it wasn't a fit for the series. But after subsequent LighterAndSofter games became increasingly criticized for being basic and non-serious, fans were hype for the darker ''VideoGame/SonicForces'', whose villain, Infinite, [[ParodySue intentionally embraced clichés and was over-the-top]], only for the story and character to be seen as disappointing for not coming off as serious, such it displeased fans of the darker and lighter approaches. Thus, Black Doom became better received as a more successful integration of darker elements, as it took itself seriously, [[NarmCharm working in spite of the tonal clash]] or [[SoBadItsGood entertainingly bad at worst]], unlike Infinite's deliberate self-parody. Such fans were excited for [[TheBusCameBack Doom's return]] in ''[[VideoGame/SonicGenerations Sonic X Shadow Generations]]''.

* ''WesternAnimation/SonicUnderground'': Much like his ''[=AoStH=]'' counterpart, this show's incarnation of Dr. Robotnik started out badly, but would undergo a mostly-positive flip in perspective over time. For a long while, he was considered one of the most lacking versions of the character; frequently being written off as nothing more than a sillier and watered-down take on the much more revered (at the time) ''[=SatAM=]'' version. In recent years, however, his reputation with older fans has improved; with them having particular praise for Creator/GarryChalk's vocal performances, his amusing dynamics with [[BumblingHenchmanDuo Sleet and Dingo]], and despite his more frequent pratfalls, also being a genuinely intelligent and ever-present threat[[note]]With episodes such as "Tangled Webs", "Three Hedgehogs & A Baby" and "Sonia's Choice" showing him at his most clever.[[/note]] who ultimately would [[CutShort go on to technically]] ''[[CutShort win]]''. While he still isn't considered the best incarnation of the egg-shaped dictator, Chalk's Robotnik is held in notably higher regard than he once was; standing out more on his own merits against the nowadays more contentious ''[=SatAM=]'' version.

* ''WesternAnimation/SonicUnderground'': Much like his ''[=AoStH=]'' counterpart, this show's incarnation of Dr. Robotnik started out badly, but would undergo a mostly-positive flip in perspective over time. For a long while, he was considered one of the most lacking versions of the character; frequently being written off as nothing more than a sillier and watered-down take on the much more revered (at the time) ''[=SatAM=]'' version. In recent years, however, his reputation with older fans has improved; with them having particular praise for Creator/GarryChalk's vocal performances, his amusing dynamics with [[BumblingHenchmanDuo Sleet and Dingo]], and despite being more comedic, also being a genuinely intelligent and ever-present threat[[note]]With episodes such as "Tangled Webs", "Three Hedgehogs & A Baby" and "Sonia's Choice" showing him at his most clever.[[/note]] who ultimately would [[CutShort go on to technically]] ''[[CutShort win]]''. While he still isn't considered the best incarnation of the egg-shaped dictator, Chalk's Robotnik is held in notably higher regard than he once was; standing out more on his own merits against the nowadays more contentious ''[=SatAM=]'' version.

* ''WesternAnimation/SonicUnderground''
** Much like his ''[=AoStH=]'' counterpart, this show's incarnation of Dr. Robotnik started out badly, but would undergo a mostly-positive flip in perspective over time. For a long while, he was considered one of the most lacking versions of the character; frequently being written off as nothing more than a sillier and watered-down take on the much more revered (at the time) ''[=SatAM=]'' version. In recent years, however, his reputation with older fans has improved; with them having particular praise for Creator/GarryChalk's vocal performances, his amusing dynamics with [[BumblingHenchmanDuo Sleet and Dingo]], and despite being more comedic, also being a genuinely intelligent and ever-present threat[[note]]With episodes such as "Tangled Webs", "Three Hedgehogs & A Baby" and "Sonia's Choice" showing him at his most clever.[[/note]] who ultimately would [[CutShort go on to technically]] ''[[CutShort win]]''. While he still isn't considered the best incarnation of the egg-shaped dictator, Chalk's Robotnik is held in notably higher regard than he once was; standing out more on his own merits against the nowadays more contentious ''[=SatAM=]'' version.

** Much like his ''[=AoStH=]'' counterpart, this show's incarnation of Dr. Robotnik started out badly, but would undergo a mostly-positive flip in perspective over time. For a long while, he was considered one of the most lacking versions of the character; frequently being written off as nothing more than a sillier and watered-down take on the much more revered (at the time) ''[=SatAM=]'' version. In recent years, however, his reputation with older fans has notably improved; with them having particular praise for Creator/GarryChalk's vocal performances, his amusing dynamics with [[BumblingHenchmanDuo Sleet and Dingo]], and despite being more comedic, also being a genuinely intelligent and ever-present threat[[note]]With episodes such as "Tangled Webs", "Three Hedgehogs & A Baby" and "Sonia's Choice" showing him at his most clever.[[/note]] who ultimately would [[CutShort go on to technically]] ''[[CutShort win]]''. While he still isn't considered the best incarnation of the egg-shaped dictator, Chalk's Robotnik is held in notably higher regard than he once was; standing out more on his own merits against the nowadays more contentious ''[=SatAM=]'' version.

** Out of all the characters introduced in the game, Princess Elise III was easily [[TheScrappy the least popular]], thanks to her realistic design clashing heavily with the [[RealisticSpeciesCartoonySpecies more cartoonish looking animals]] (with the fact that many players found her in-game character model [[UnintentionalUncannyValley really creepy-looking]] not helping matters), her [[DamselScrappy constantly having to be rescued by other characters]], her never crying once over the course of ten years, and, most infamously, her [[InterspeciesRomance romance subplot with Sonic]], which was seen as very [[StrangledByTheRedString forced]] and highlighted the aforementioned clash of character designs, not helped by how her first kiss with Sonic happened while he was dead. As such, many actively praised the ResetButtonEnding for erasing the romance, and hoped that she would never appear again. However, in the years that followed, many fans actually came around to viewing her in a more positive light, citing her tragic backstory of losing her mother and father at a young age, her character arc where she learns to open up, Creator/LaceyChabert and Creator/MaayaSakamoto's performances, and arguments that a lot of what made her hated had more to do with the art direction and the writing surrounding her than any faults of her own. Elise's breakdown in the last story where she hesitated to blow out the flame and said she didn't care what happened to the world was also used by her detractors to deride her as being selfish, but many people now view it as a powerful moment of weakness and understand that from Elise's perspective, she was about to lose the [[OnlyFriend only friend]] she ever had. While she still remains a divisive character, (and [=SonElise=] remains a fringe pairing at best) outright hatred has died down considerably. Indeed, when [[https://www.sonicstadium.org/uploads/monthly_2023_03/2023-scalendar-april.png.66d52a8517f70dbd8588562c6b021233.png she made a surprise cameo]] in Sonic Channel's April 2023 calendar story, it was widely praised for redesigning her to be more in line with humans from ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'' onwards; such a positive reception would have been ''unthinkable'' in the past.

** Sonic's snarky and more comedic characterization was once widely embraced by the fanbase, seen as perfectly fitting in with the game's DenserAndWackier tone and tone, hearkening back to how he was portrayed in English language media in TheNineties and generally giving him some of the funniest lines in the game, most famously "No copyright law in the universe is going to stop me!". However, over time, the games of the decade would return to this characterization, regardless of whether it fit the tone of the game. This is largely due to the growing prevalence of fans who grew up with the serious and melodramatic stories of the mid-late 2000's ''Sonic'' games (most notably ''06'' and ''Black Knight'') joining and receiving a bigger voice in the fandom, This would in turn lead to many fans going back to the original portrayals in ''Colors'' and ''Generations'' and viewing them with a more critical lens, with many feeling that it made him more immature than funny at best and an uncaring {{Jerkass}} at worst; with many singling out the "Baldy [=McNosehair=]" gag[[note]]a name coined by the Wisps that Sonic finds really hilarious[[/note]] as an example of bad humor. Greater knowledge of the Japanese scripts (which portrayed him closer to how he was in previous games) did little to help.