Line #26 CharacterPerceptionEvolution/SonicTheHedgehog


1	''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'', being a decades long franchise with a fanbase notorious for [[BrokenBase/SonicTheHedgehog disagreeing about everything]], is no stranger to this at all.
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3	[[WMG:Comics]]
4	* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'':
5	** Creator/KenPenders' take on Knuckles was once well received by the fanbase, seen as good enough to star in his own miniseries and ongoing. In fact, it was once believed that Knuckles was more interesting than Sonic himself at that point, as the former was stuck in [[AudienceAlienatingEra rather underwhelming stories]]. However, around the same time as the backlash against the Echidnas fans went back and found Knuckles to be sorely lacking as a protagonist, finding him [[FlatCharacter boring]], a SpotlightStealingSquad for Sonic, and having [[KudzuPlot needlessly convoluted stories surrounding him]], in particular, an [[TangledFamilyTree incredibly large extended family tree]]. Reports that Penders himself bragged about being responsible for the character's popularity in the games did little to help, nor did the ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdventure Adventure]]'' [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure2 games]] fleshing out the original version of Knuckles, which only made this version seem even more bland.
6	** 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 {{revision}}ing by Creator/IanFlynn, in which he was {{Retcon}}ned 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.
7	** The comic's version of the Echidnas were once relatively popular, seen as expanding one of the more interesting bits of backstory in the games into a unique culture and piece of worldbuilding. By TheNewTens, their popularity diminished, thanks to ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' offering their own take on the Echidnas, and the general backlash against Penders and his run on the comic. This led to a far more critical look at his creations, with many viewing his version of the Echidnas as uninspired, both in writing and in [[OnlySixFaces design]], and that the comic focused way too much on the lore surrounding them [[PlotTumor at the expense of everything else]]. As a result, they're now one of the least popular elements of Penders' run, to the point where many praised Ian Flynn for heavily downplaying and ultimately removing them.
8	** Locke, Knuckles' father, was at one point viewed as [[ParentsAsPeople an imperfect but well-intentioned father]] motivated by making sure his son was ready for whatever crisis came his way. His HeroicSacrifice in the "Enerjak Unleashed" StoryArc, as well as Ken Penders admitting to [[WriteWhoYouKnow basing him partially on his own father]], further cemented him as a tragic figure and a fairly popular character among fans. However, as greater knowledge of emotional abuse came about in later years, many fans found his actions towards Knuckles, ranging from [[HarmfulToMinors endangering his son's life]] over what most people would write off as just a nightmare, to flat out [[ParentalAbandonment abandoning him]] after making him believe that they were the last echidnas alive, to be much worse in hindsight, not helped by [[EasilyForgiven how easily Knuckles forgave him]]. He's now widely considered to be [[TheScrappy one of the worst characters Ken Penders ever created for the comic]], if not '''the worst'''.
9	** Drago Wolf was always a hated character, but the reasons for ''why'' have changed considerably. At his debut around the "[=EndGame=]" arc, Drago was viewed as one of the most [[HateSink despicable]] characters in the entire comic, thanks to [[TreacheryIsASpecialKindOfEvil selling out his comrades]] in the Freedom Fighters and the Wolf Pack, getting Princess Sally [[OnlyMostlyDead nearly killed]] and Sonic [[FrameUp framed for it]], using Hershey the Cat, his own girlfriend, as a pawn in his scheme and then [[DomesticAbuse hitting her when she starts to suspect him]], and generally being a greedy, arrogant {{Jerkass}}. As such, many enjoyed seeing him [[LaserGuidedKarma getting his comeuppance]] at the hands of [[TheDogBitesBack Hershey]]. By TheNewTens, a combination of fatigue from his continued appearances as a member of the Destructix, most of which gave him little to actually do[[note]]Ian Flynn did try to address this by making him one of the Grandmasters of the Dark Egg Legion in Soumerca, but this is seen as too little, too late in light of the [[CosmicRetcon Super Genesis Wave]][[/note]], and the more [[CondemnedByHistory negative reappraisal]] of "[=EndGame=]" as a whole, caused the fanbase's reception of him to shift to a ''[[TheScrappy poorly written]]'' villain. Many soon found his reveal as the traitor to be lacking in actual impact, as he's only introduced in the issue immediately prior to the story arc, [[ObviousJudas acts immediately suspicious when he shows up]], and is given little development or fleshing out. In addition, his means of taking out Sally -- namely, convincing Hershey to wear a lifelike Sonic suit that, unknown to her, has eyepieces that cause her to see Sally as Snively -- was also heavily criticized, being viewed as both [[ComplexityAddiction needlessly complicated]] and utterly ridiculous. To sum up, Drago went from being seen as a truly heinous villain who furthered the story to a mishandled nuisance who actively dragged it down.
10	* ''ComicBook/SonicTheComic'': For much of the 2000s, the general view of the comic's incarnation of Sonic was that he was an arrogant jerk and bully who belittled just about everyone around him, even his traditional best friend/surrogate brother Tails. However, as the fandom aged and those who grew up with the comic became better integrated, many fans started to warm up to him; arguing that for all his flaws, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold he did genuinely care for his friends]], was absolutely ''livid'' any time harm came to them, and took his role as Mobius' protector very seriously past his cocky attitude. The existence of ''Webcomic/SonicTheComicOnline'' also helped redeem ''[=StC=]'''s Sonic in the eyes of many, as it not only directly explored how his abrasive attitude caused tension with his teammates, but also showed it ''massively'' backfiring when Grimer engineered events to turn everyone against him.
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12	[[WMG:Video Games]]
13	* 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'' reintroduced multiple playable characters with their own attributes, and games like ''VisualNovel/TheMurderOfSonicTheHedgehog'' explored the cast in more innovative ways, it was met with high acclaim.
14	* 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.
15	* When he debuted in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'', Shadow the Hedgehog became an immediate fan-favorite thanks to his portrayal as a dark AntiHero with a tragic backstory and an interesting character arc, which was viewed as helping the franchise grow with its audience. However, his popularity declined thanks to subsequent games doubling down on his initial acclaim, bringing him back from the dead in ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'', giving him a spinoff title with ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' (which was criticized as [[DarkerAndEdgier overly edgy]] to the point of self-parody), and giving him a bigger role in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'' than Sonic himself. Fans started to see him as a CreatorsPet who embodied the biggest excesses of the post-Genesis ''Sonic'' games, and Sega responded in turn by [[DemotedToExtra heavily reducing his prominence]] in later games, not having a playable appearance until ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' in 2017. However, as fans grew increasingly critical of the LighterAndSofter entries for their flippant, self-referential tone, Shadow was reappraised as a symbol of when the franchise actually took itself and its characters seriously, even if not always successfully. Though he still gets some mockery for his {{badbutt}} edginess, it tends to be far more in good fun than based on actual disdain.
16	* Cream the Rabbit was originally considered an annoying saccharine KidAppealCharacter with an irritating high-pitched voice, especially [[AmericansHateTingle among non-Japanese fans.]] (Her JapanesePoliteness verbal tics being kept in the dub and coming across as jarring for her age didn't help matters) She was DemotedToExtra only a few years after her debut, with ''VideoGame/SonicRush'' being her last major story role for a while. As time went on, fans begun to look back fondly on her [[GameBreaker game-breaking power]] in most of her playable appearances, viewing her as a MemeticBadass. She was also appreciated for being a genuinely competent female character [[LittleMissBadass in spite of her age]], and fans lamented spinoff media treating her as JustAKid who shouldn't be fighting. When ''VideoGame/SonicDreamTeam'' not only made her playable [[TheBusCameBack for the first time in nearly a decade]], but also [[ADayInTheLimelight had her central to its story]], this was met with widespread praise.
17	* 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''.
18	* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'':
19	** When the game first came out, Silver the Hedgehog was quite hated by many players mostly due to how their first impression of him was them fighting against him in [[ThatOneBoss a really difficult boss fight]] that highlighted the game's lack of polish, in addition to them finding him to be full of {{wangst}} and making incredibly poor decisions; in particular, [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter how easily]] he trusted [[BigBad Mephiles]]'s lies about Sonic being the Iblis Trigger despite his [[ObviouslyEvil clearly shady nature]]. However, after his future appearances had him be RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap -- in addition to how many games that got released after ''06'' had fans feeling as if the Sonic Team were overcorrecting the mistakes made in ''06'' -- many tend to look back at Silver's role in his debut game more favorably, as they found him to have a very deep and interesting character arc that many games within TheNewTens tend to lack; given that Silver ''does'' call his own mission into question at several points, and his [[PoorCommunicationKills inability to communicate]] is seen as a compelling flaw. They have also praised Silver's friendship with Amy in the game, and also pointed to moments where [[TheWorldIsJustAwesome he expresses wonder at how the world used to be]] as indicators of his HiddenDepths.
20	** 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 unintentionally 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 to keep Iblis sealed, 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 ''at all'' by how her first kiss with Sonic happened [[{{Squick}} 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 Elise in a more positive light; citing her tragic backstory of losing both her mother and father at a young age, her character arc where she learns to move past her stoicism and open up as a person, Creator/LaceyChabert and Creator/MaayaSakamoto's heartfelt 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 [[spoiler:she hesitated to blow out Solaris' 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 of her has died down considerably. Indeed, when [[https://www.sonicstadium.org/uploads/monthly_2023_03/2023-scalendar-april.png.66d52a8517f70dbd8588562c6b021233.png Elise 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.
21	* ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'':
22	** While the Werehog had always been a BaseBreakingCharacter, fan reception (at least from its detractors) was especially vitriolic at the time of this game's release. For one, it debuted just two years after ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', leading to accusations of Sega [[TheyCopiedItSoItSucks stealing the idea]] of a [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolf alter-ego]] from that game. This was also when the Sonic franchise was still in its most infamous AudienceAlienatingEra after the release of ''Sonic 06'', when fans were averse to ''anything'' too experimental for the franchise. Over time, both of these sentiments have faded away, and some fans have warmed up to the Werehog; fan art is made to this day, and is [[FandomSpecificPlot even applied to characters other than Sonic]]. This is, however, mostly limited to the dedicated fandom, as casuals and outsiders still have their fair share of criticism for the Werehog.
23	** When the game was first released, Chip was viewed as, at best, as nothing memorable, and at worst an annoyance. However, as the game gradually became VindicatedByHistory, many fans warmed up to Chip, finding him adorable, funny, and having a surprising amount of HiddenDepths for what was superficially a comic relief character, in particular [[spoiler:TheReveal that he is actually Light Gaia, the GoodCounterpart of [[DestroyerDeity Dark Gaia]], which remains a well regarded plot twist.]]
24	* ''VideoGame/SonicColors'':
25	** 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". Their later appearances in the IDW comics, where they became associated with the much-loved Whisper, granted them more widespread acceptance as an oddball aspect of canon.
26	** 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. 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.
27	* ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'': When Classic Sonic was first revealed during the initially announcement trailer, many fans were ecstatic, viewing him as a perfect celebration of Sonic's history and the franchise's evolution over 20 years. By the release of ''VideoGame/SonicForces'', however, he had become an extremely BaseBreakingCharacter, with many finding him be lacking [[FlatCharacter in any real depth or personality]], getting too much promotion and marketing even after ''Generations'', and having long overstayed his welcome. Indeed, when it was announced that Classic Sonic would be appearing in ''Forces'', the result was more confusion than elation, especially since he was starring in ''VideoGame/SonicMania'' around the same time. Not helping was the English version of ''Forces'' implying he was retconned to being from another dimension rather than the past self and seemingly altering Sonic's history.[[note]]In Japanese versions, Tails uses the word, sekai, which in Japanese media (including the ''Sonic'' series itself) has been used in place of other points of time.[[/note]] After a string of ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'' not featuring him at all aside from a flashback, ''VideoGame/SonicSuperstars'' being released, the ''IDW Comics'' having his own stories where he talks, and sources such as ''WebAnimation/TailsTube'' confirming he is still the Sonic of the past, he started gaining a vindication. The current consensus is he works so long as he is in his own adventures and doesn't act as a crutch for Modern Sonic or the franchise in general.
28	* ''VideoGame/SonicForces'': Infinite was widely derided upon his introduction for being an [[DarkerAndEdgier overly edgy, brooding villain]] who rivaled ''Shadow'' in being the franchise's ultimate edge-lord and came across as a canon version of a [[{{Narm}} try-hard, "cool"]] OriginalCharacter made by young fans of the series. Not helping matters was [[AntiClimaxBoss how easily he was defeated]] in the final battle and his backstory being revealed to be [[{{Wangst}} laughably petty]], causing him to be deemed a MemeticLoser as a result. However, it's been increasingly theorized that he was actually meant to be a [[ParodySue parody of the same OCs]] that he was negatively compared to. With this theory in mind, more fans have started to view Infinite as a [[NarmCharm hilariously genius]] [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstruction]] of people who constantly hype themselves up as the best thing around. While he still receives criticism, most of it is related to him being [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter wasted potential]] rather than an inherently ridiculous character.
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30	[[WMG:Western Animation]]
31	* ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'':
32	** It's hard to believe nowadays, but this show's version of Dr. Eggman ([[DubNameChange known by his Sega of America name, Dr. Robotnik]]) was once viewed as a pathetic villain that only existed for Sonic to thwart every episode, and infinitely less [[EvilIsCool cool]] than ''[[WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM SatAM's]]'' darker version of the character. Once the show was commonly used for YouTubePoop and became VindicatedByHistory, he gradually became a FountainOfMemes due to his [[EvilIsHammy hamminess]] courtesy of the late Music/LongJohnBaldry (a solid chunk of [[Memes/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog the show's memes]] come from his deliveries alone), as well as being [[NotSoHarmlessVillain an effective villain]] when the writing calls for it; with [[OneWingedAngel Supreme High Robotnik]] being considered a prime example. It also helps that his first name "Ivo" is the mainline Eggman's real name, giving the character some grounds for influencing the official canon. In the current day, [=AoSTH=] Robotnik enjoys a reputation opposite the one he once had, being a great deal more popular (and quotable) than Julian.
33	** Scratch and Grounder, Robotnik's BumblingHenchmenDuo, were similarly seen as lame and initially perceived as annoying by the early fandom. The same [[VindicatedByHistory circumstances]] behind Ivo's rise to fame also apply to these two, as more fans found them to be genuinely funny due to their antics while catching Sonic, in addition to the scenes they share with [[BadBoss their boss]]. Their constant HoYay also helped their standing, due to a greater appreciation for LGBTQ+-coded characters in media. The last factor in their favor is them becoming a FountainOfExpies for characters with a similar dynamic; not just in the future cartoons[[note]][[WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM Cluck and Snively]], [[WesternAnimation/SonicUnderground Sleet and Dingo]], [[Anime/SonicX Decoe, Bocoe and Bokkun]], etc.[[/note]], but most notably in the main games' Orbot and Cubot. Needless to say, fans were stoked when these Nincombots -- along with [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg Coconuts]] -- appeared in the [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics Archie series]] after being absent for over a decade.
34	* ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'':
35	** The show's incarnation of Dr. Eggman/Robotnik, given the first name "Julian", was once considered to be ''the'' definitive version by many for years, thanks to Creator/{{Jim Cummings\|1952}}' performance, his dark and menacing presence, and the general SacredCow status of ''[=SatAM=]'' at the time. However, as the fanbase aged, and the games and other media largely embraced the Japanese interpretation of Eggman as a [[LaughablyEvil sillier character]] who was nevertheless [[NotSoHarmlessVillain still capable of being a genuine threat]], many began looking back at Cummings's Robotnik less fondly, finding him boring, one-dimensional, and trying way too hard to be scary, which only made it that much more noticeable when he underwent VillainDecay in the second season. While he isn't ''completely'' hated, considering him the definitive version of the character is nowhere near as common, with many who do largely seen as doing so mainly out of NostalgiaFilter.
36	** Princess Sally Acorn was, at the time of the show's release, easily one of the most popular characters created for the show, with many praising the character for her romance subplot with Sonic, being a competent female leader during a wave of feminism in the 90's, and her character arc being one of the centerpieces of the show's MythArc. By the end of the 2000's, she had become a BaseBreakingCharacter, thanks to her lack of appearances in modern media outside of the ''[=SatAM=]'' inspired [[ComicBook/SonictheHedgehogArchieComics comic book]], which itself featured several poorly received creative decisions involving her, and she gained a reputation for being too perfect, largely fueled by how the second season toned down her flaws. ShipToShipCombat and intra-fandom rivalry also played a part in this, as many Amy Rose[=/=]Sonamy fans were often harassed by die hard Sally fans, ''especially'' Sonsally shippers. However, by the end of the 10's, the hatred against her died considerably, with renewed nostalgia for [=SatAM=], a better received character arc in Archie, and the shipping wars dying down considerably. While not quite as popular as in the 90's, Sally is still one of the most popular characters to come out of [=SatAM=], and there is a significant push to see her become a CanonImmigrant to this day.
37	** NICOLE, while never hated by the fanbase, was generally ignored by the fanbase during [=SatAM=]'s initial run, being seen as nothing more then Sally's handheld computer. However, her character would receive an upsurge in popularity thank to two events. The first, was a highly praised storyline from Archie, in which NICOLE developed into a fully sapient individual in her own right, even adopting a Mobian Lynx holographic form. The second was the revelation that, had [=SatAM=] continued to a third season, it would have been revealed that NICOLE was actually a Mobian who had her mind forcibly uploaded into a satellite by Robotnik, and that she had reduced her mind to her present-day self out of fear of becoming corrupted by her newfound power. This led to many to reinterpret her as one of the most interesting characters in the series who [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter didn't get to realize her full potential]], and remains a firm fan favorite even now.
38	** Dulcy the Dragon was once ''[[TheScrappy the]]'' [[TheScrappy most hated character]] in the cartoon's run, mainly due to her showing up at the beginning of Season 2 [[RememberTheNewGuy without a proper introduction]], some viewers finding her MotorMouth and [[CaptainCrash crash-landing running gag]] to be annoying despite Creator/CreeSummer's best efforts, and [[EnsembleDarkhorse Bunnie Rabbot]] being DemotedToExtra in the same season. The fact that she was added because [[ExecutiveMeddling the executives wanted another female lead]] didn't help matters, which is why many were shocked that she was [[CreatorsFavorite one of Ben Hurst's favorites]]. Since then, the hate for her has died down somewhat, with Dulcy gaining a small fanbase of her own. Points in her favor include her being a [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragon]] -- a then-unseen character type in the ''Sonic'' universe -- her [[PlayingWithFire fire]] and [[AnIcePerson ice breaths]] giving her plenty of offensive potential (her raid on Robotnik's latest trap shows what happens when she [[LetsGetDangerous gets serious]], something that would have happened more often [[WhatCouldHaveBeen had the show not been abruptly cancelled]]), her CuteClumsyGirl antics not grating on new viewers as much as they did older ones, and her updated design in [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics the rebooted Archie run]] being instantly praised. The last factor in Dulcy's perception evolution was ''VideoGame/SonicSuperstars'', which heavily features dragons in its narrative including [[spoiler:new character Trip the Sungazer's SuperMode]], effectively making the species' existence canon to the games. As a result of everything thus far, Dulcy's initial hatedom seems to mostly be a thing of the distant past; with much of her criticism nowadays stemming not from her character, but from [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter how wasted she was as one]] in hindsight.
39	* ''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.

Context CharacterPerceptionEvolution / SonicTheHedgehog