http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/150px-Sonic.png
[[caption-width:150:Sonic's the name, speed's my game!]]
-->''"You'll pay for this, Sonic!!"''
-->--Dr. Eggman, ''Sonic Rush''

-->''"I hate that hedgehog!!!"''
-->--Dr. Robotnik, ''AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog''

-->''[[RuleOfThree "Not that irritating hedgehog again!"]]''
-->--Dr. Eggman, ''[[SonicTheHedgehog2006 Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)]]''

A fast hedgehog, a two-tailed fox, and an echidna who protects a bunch of GreenRocks (which are seldom green) go down to the local pub. A [[MadScientist floating fat man with a penchant for robots]] bursts in on their Happy Hour martinis to announce his schemes to TakeOverTheWorld with aforementioned "GreenRocks." The hedgehog, fox, and echidna put down their drinks, mutter something along the lines of "Aw, ''hell'' no!", and proceed to kick the floating fat man's ass from here to New Brunswick. Rinse and repeat, adding [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters Lots and Lots More Characters]].

That's SonicTheHedgehog in a nutshell--well, except for the pub part. Created in 1991 for the then-fledgling Sega Genesis (and not-so-fledgling Sega Master System) by a group of fifteen people tasked with creating a mascot to compete with [[SuperMario the face of video games]], Sonic quickly became the gaming company's mascot, and grew in strength with each sequel to put its creators into a healthy competitive spot with Nintendo and other, lesser gaming companies during the 16-bit ConsoleWars.

The games were positively brilliant, and eventually spun off into no less than four cartoon series, two comic series (barring {{doujinshi}}, see RuleThirtyFour), and even an {{anime}} movie. For a while, Sonic even overshadowed Nintendo's poster boy, [[SuperMarioBros Mario]], in the minds of some fans, due to the technical whizziness of its concept (helped by Sega dropping the meaningless term "Blast Processing" into its ads) and the proto-{{Badass}} nature of its main character. (This was the predecessor to the eventual [[RatedMForMoney family-friendly versus mature games]] debate, with a hedgehog with an attitude standing in for [[GrandTheftAuto killing beeyotches]].) And the concept was so simple: The aforementioned trio of Sonic (the hedgehog), Tails (the fox), and Knuckles (the echidna) try to thwart Dr. Robotnik's (the floating fat man) attempts at world domination using the Chaos Emeralds (the GreenRocks). Run fast, collect rings, bash robotic critters, and it's all good.

Sonic hit a bit of a dark age during the run of SEGA's Saturn console, which was a good deal less successful than its predecessor. The spinoff game, ''Sonic R'' was the only noteworthy Sonic game on the console, with a much better one, ''Sonic Extreme'', being announced but canceled. The series got revived in a 3-Dimensional incarnation on SEGA's next console, the Dreamcast. The two ''Sonic Adventure'' games are noted for epic production values and plotlines, but featured some questionable gameplay styles that left fans dumbstruck, and certainly suffered in comparison with Mario's return to form in the genre-defining Mario 64. SEGA attempted to address some concerns with ''Sonic Heroes'', a game that focused on gameplay styles fans wanted more of, but the plot was significantly worsened in that game, to say nothing of its cheesy dialogue and most of its replay value is a result of [[FakeLongevity artificially prolonging the amount of times levels need to be played.]]

From ''Sonic Adventure 2'' (itself controversial, but mostly agreed to be at least a good experiment to determine what did and didn't work) onwards, fans opinion toward this series has been extremely conflicted. Multiple camps exist defending one gameplay, character, or plotline decision while condemning multiple others. A very strong Hatedom and counter-movement appears to form with every new release due in no small part to SEGA attempting to appeal to older and newer fans despite limited production time.

While it is safe to say that the [[SoBadItsHorrible "quality"]] of [[FanNickname Sonic '06]] is agreed upon by the fans, [[BrokenBase very little else is]]. Recent titles such as ''SonicUnleashed'' and various handhelds endure a LoveItOrHateIt standing with such a massive group that even professional reviewers are not unaffected. In line with all the controversy, large varieties of theories exist to explain why the Sonic series is struggling--some believe that after being bought out by Sammy, SEGA is forced to release games before they can work on them, some say that SEGA is stretched too thin from trying to please the many fan demographics that have been pleased over the years, and some simply discount SEGA as being greedy and deliberately producing shovelware, which despite the hate, still sells well. The future is very uncertain for Sonic, but the series still retains a massive, [[UnpleasableFanbase if sometimes obnoxious]], fanbase. However, the demographic may be changing as the old fans become disinterested and a younger generation moves in. In this case, SEGA may improve, but perhaps Lincoln was right: You can't please all of the people all of the time.

The list of games and other franchises Sonic has appeared in includes, but isn't possibly limited to:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* ''Game/SonicTheHedgehog''
* ''SonicTheHedgehog2''
* ''SonicTheHedgehogCD''
* ''SonicTheHedgehog3''
* ''{{Sonic and Knuckles}}''
** ''Knuckles in Sonic 2''
** ''[=~Sonic 3 & Knuckles~=]''
* ''Knuckles Chaotix''
* ''Sonic 3D Blast''
* ''Sonic R''
* ''Sonic Shuffle''
* ''Sonic the Fighters'' (known as ''Sonic Championship'' in some regions)
* ''[[SonicTheHedgehogChaos Sonic Chaos]]'' (''Sonic & Tails'' in Japan)
* ''[[SonicTheHedgehogTripleTrouble Sonic Triple Trouble]]'' (''Sonic & Tails 2'' in Japan)
* ''Sonic Drift''
* ''Sonic Drift 2''
* ''Sonic Spinball''
* ''Sonic Labyrinth''
* ''Sega Sonic the Hedgehog'' (an arcade game)
* ''[[SonicAdventureSeries Sonic Adventure]]'' (remade as ''Sonic Adventure DX'')
* ''[[SonicAdventureSeries Sonic Adventure 2]]'' (remade as ''Sonic Adventure 2 Battle'')
* ''Sonic Battle''
* ''[[SonicAdvanceTrilogy Sonic Advance]]'' (remade as ''Sonic N'' for the N-Gage)
* ''SonicHeroes''
* ''[[SonicAdvanceTrilogy Sonic Advance 2]]''
* ''[[SonicAdvanceTrilogy Sonic Advance 3]]''
* ''[[SonicRushSeries Sonic Rush]]''
* ''ShadowTheHedgehog''
* ''{{Sonic the Hedgehog 2006}}''
* ''{{Sonic and the Secret Rings}}''
* ''Sonic Rivals''
* ''[[SonicRushSeries Sonic Rush Adventure]]''
* ''Sonic Rivals 2''
* ''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games''
* ''SuperSmashBros Brawl''
* ''SonicChronicles: The Dark Brotherhood''
* ''SonicUnleashed'' (''Sonic World Adventure'' in Japan)
* ''{{Sonic and the Black Knight}}''
* ''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games''
* ''[[http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/projectneedlemouse/news.html?sid=6216990&mode=previews "Project Needlemouse"]]''

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Television Shows ]]

* ''The AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'' - A comedic series, now mostly famous for often popping up in {{YouTube Poop}}s.
* ''[[SatamSonicTheHedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM)]]'' - It seems the fans of this series never rest. Recently it has been announced that story-board artist Matthew Sullivan (''TheSimpsons'', ''TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'', and ''FamilyGuy'') is preparing a pitch to resurrect this 15-year-old show, which has a loyal cult following even to this day. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2tmCvYoMQA Also famous for this scene!]]
* ''SonicUnderground''
* ''SonicX''
* ''Sonic the Hedgehog: TheMovie''

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehog'' (Archie Comics)
* ''SonicTheComic'' (Fleetway)
* ''[[ComicBook/SonicX Sonic X]]''
* ''Sonic Universe''
* ''Dash & Spin: Hyper Speed Sonic'' (Coro Coro Comics)
* ''Sonic The Hedgehog Manga''
----
'''Tropes used in the video games:'''

* AbusivePrecursors: The ancient Echidnas [[spoiler: They attacked (unknowingly) Chaos, an innocent god, just to steal his Chaos Emeralds. They created an unstoppable robot in order to conquer the world. Both of which had to be sealed thus handing down the problem to us. In ''Sonic Chronicles'' one clan of Echidnas return and try to conquer our world again.]] Which pushes them past just being NeglectfulPrecursors.
* ActionGirl: Rouge, Amy & Blaze.
* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: Zone names in CD, Chaotix and 3D Blast.
* AffablyEvil: Dr. Eggman
* AirborneAircraftCarrier: Robotnik's favorite type of weapon, starting with Sky Base in the Game Gear ''Sonic'' and continuing with the Egg Carrier and its variations in the modern games.
* AllIsWellThatEndsWell: Sonic Adventure ends this way, Tails even quotes the trope name.
* AllThereInTheManual: Among Sonic's various, obscure, [[MultipleChoicePast contradicting origin stories]] is that he was born on [[UsefulNotesOnAustralia Christmas Island]], and that he gained his speed from an experiment with Dr Kintobor.
* AlwaysNight (The haunted house levels in some games)
* AmazingTechnicolorWildlife: Be honest; have ''you'' ever seen a blue hedgehog in the wild?
* AmbiguouslyHuman: Dr. Robotnik / Eggman
* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: Old American artwork of Robotnik depicted him as constantly scowling (and with black eyes), as opposed to the oddly-always-smiling Eggman of the Japanese artwork.
* AnimatedActors: ''Sonic Chronicles'' delivers the credits by having Sonic, Tails and Omega break the fourth wall to discuss the developers.
* ApologeticAttacker: Tikal
* ArtEvolution: [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/df/Sonic_1991.png Here's what Sonic used to look like.]]
* ArtisticAge
* AssPull: Sonic only survives [[ThrownOutTheAirlock being shot into space and blown up]] by [[RandomTeleportation instantly learning how to use Chaos Control.]] He never uses this ability outside of Sonic Adventure 2, and technically shouldn't even be able to do it because he is a normal living being and not a genetic experiment like Shadow.
** It's explicitly shown that Chaos Control is a skill, and anyone could do it with the right traits and sufficient power. Metal Sonic, Black Doom, and Silver all use Chaos Control later on in the series. Even Eggman pulls it off with a machine in ''Sonic Advance 3''
*** And Sonic does use it again, in ''SonicTheHedgehog2006''. It's up to you whether that [[CanonDiscontinuity counts]], though.
* [[AuthorExistenceFailure Actor Existence Failure]]: Deem Bristow, the original video game VA for Dr. Eggman ([[IHaveManyNames Or Robotnik]]), passed away in January 2005. It is commonly asserted that Mike Pollock, who voiced the character in ''Sonic X'' being chosen as his replacement led to the replacement of the entire cast. This claim is blatantly untrue, as Mike Pollock himself has stated several times, and the change was already underway before Bristow's passing.
* AustralianAccent: Marine the Raccoon from ''Sonic Rush Adventure''.
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Shadow, in a way; and Sonic in the 2006 ''Sonic'' game]]
* BadassMustache: Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik. Same for Eggman Nega and Professor Gerald.
* BadAssNormal: Amy post Sonic Adventure 2.
* BandLand: Stardust Speedway in ''Sonic CD'' as well as Music Plant in ''Sonic Advance 2''.
* BaseBreaker: Pretty much every character introduced in the past decade, with Shadow being ''the'' standout case.
** Except for Blaze. [[EnsembleDarkhorse Everyone loves Blaze!]]
* BecauseDestinySaysSo: Sonic explicitly in the games, and Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in the Archie comics, are mentioned through ancient prophecies to be destined for great, messianic things.
** In the game Sonic & Knuckles, in the "Hidden Palace" level, there are mosaics on the background wall that clearly depict Super Sonic fighting Robotnik's Final Boss Robot at the end of the game.
* BenevolentArchitecture: And ''how''.
* BerserkButton: Never harm (or worse kill) Shadow's friends. This triggers a genocidal RoaringRampageOfRevenge, which humanity learned in Sonic Adventure 2 (stopped by Amy), the Black Arms experienced the hard way in ''ShadowTheHedgehog'' (linked to the ''[=SA2=]'' example), and based on his reaction to the idea of Omega being damaged or destroyed, could have happened to the Marauders if Omega was destroyed.
* BittersweetEnding: In ''Sonic Adventure'', although Chaos is neutralized at last, [[spoiler:Station Square is completely destroyed and flooded; and it's unknown if anyone survived.]]
** [[spoiler:Let's not forget Shadow dying at the end of Adventure 2. [[{{OrIsIt}} Or did he...?]]]]
* BottomlessPit: Relatively rare in the early ''Sonic'' games, but increasingly common as the series has gone on.
* BreakingTheFourthWall: The end of ''Sonic Chronicles'' mercilessly beats the fourth wall into dust.
* BrokenBase: More like SHATTERED base.
* BrotherChuck: Nack/Fang, who hasn't been seen since ''Sonic The Fighters''.
* CallingYourAttacks: "Chaos Control!"
* CanonImmigrant: The Swatbots of SatAM fame have been introduced into Chronicals, although with a notable armor overhaul.
* CaptainErsatz / {{Expy}}: [[spoiler: The Nocturnos are very similar to the group of Echidnas, the Dark Legion, from the Archie Comics, and Shade is similar to Julie-Su, and their home dimension "The Twilight Cage" has a similar name to the Dark Legion's dimension "The Twilight Zone". Ix also looks similar to the SonicTheComic character Dr Zachary, and Archie's version Dr Finitivus. One theory as to why they didn't use the Dark Legion is because they couldn't get the rights to the characters, the other theory is that they just chose not to introduce them into the games.]] So either trope could apply.
* ChaoticGood: Sonic embodies this.
* ChaoticNeutral: Shadow
* ChaoticEvil: Metal Sonic
* CharacterDerailment: Many of the secondary and/or one-off characters, especially in the cartoons and comics, though Robotnik himself has fallen into this trope to some extent.
* CityOfCanals (Soleanna in ''2006'')
* ClassicCheatCode (Up, Down, Left, Right, A+Start)
* ClingyJealousGirl: Amy Rose, who borders on StalkerWithACrush. This is another instance of CharacterDerailment, as this aspect of Amy's personality has been [[{{Flanderization}} exaggerated]] over time.
* ColonyDrop: The ARK space station in ''Sonic Adventure 2''.
* CompilationRerelease: Practically all of the original games from the Genesis and Master System up to the Dreamcast were rereleased on later (non-Sega) consoles in some form or another.
* ContinuityCreep
* ContinuityNod: ''Sonic Chronicles'' contains references to past games, mainly ''Sonic Adventure'' and the mostly-forgotten ''Sonic Battle''.
** In ''Sonic Adventure 2'', Eggman finds a newspaper article that says a [[{{GreenRocks}} Chaos Emerald]] was given to "the boy who saved Station Square"--i.e., Tails received the Emerald as a reward for his heroics in ''Sonic Adventure''.
*** [[FridgeLogic (Ignoring that the city got destroyed anyway the very next day after said heroics)]]
** In ''Sonic Heroes'', ''Sonic Adventure'', ''Sonic Adventure 2'', and ''Sonic & Knuckles'' are referenced when characters compare the level where they are now to similar places they know.
** In ''Sonic Adventure'', Amy has a flashback of a scene which happened in ''Sonic CD'', when she's kidnapped by Metal Sonic. Later in the game, both Metal Sonic and Mecha Sonic from ''Sonic 3'' are seen in one of Eggman's bases.
* CoolShades / ScaryShinyGlasses: Robotnik's ever-present round specs.
* CoolShip: The Egg Carrier from ''Sonic Adventure'', as well as Robotnik's "Egg-O-Matic" hovership that he uses at every possible opportunity.
* CowboyBebopAtHisComputer: ''Nintendo Power'' writer Chris Hoffman simply refuses to believe the [[AllThereInTheManual established fact]] that Tails is ''not'' a mutant squirrel.
* CrosshairAware
* {{Crossover}}: With the Mario franchise, and a [[TheLegendOfZelda whole]] [[{{Pokemon}} bunch]] [[{{Metroid}} of]] [[{{F-Zero}} other]] [[MetalGear game]] [[SuperSmashBros franchises.]]
* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: Crush 40 has written a lot of memorable tunes for the ''Adventure''-era games, including ''Open Your Heart'', ''Live and Learn'', ''What I'm Made Of'', among others. (Not that Crush 40 is the only one; take Julien-K's ''Waking Up'' and ''This Machine'' for example.)
** Also, the 16-bit soundtracks in their entirety.
* DamselScrappy: Princess Elise from ''Sonic 2006''.
* DarkMagicalGirl: Shadow, the oddly male version of this trope.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Shadow the Hedgehog and his [[ShadowTheHedgehog self-titled spin-off game]]. Averted by the {{Bioware}}-developed RPG ''Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood''.
** Sonic Adventure 2 is widely considered to be the only well-done attempt at a darker and edgier Sonic plot.
* DeadLittleSister: Shadow the Hedgehog's memories of Maria Robotnik.
* DeaderThanDead: Sonic in ''Sonic '06''.
* DeathByOriginStory: Maria and Gerald Robotnik.
* DeathCourse: Even in the middle of nowhere, out in the ocean or in the middle of a forest, Sonic and the gang will inevitably cross paths with crates, spikes, drills, and other nasty hazards.
* DefrostingIceQueen: Rouge the Bat
* DetonationMoon: In ''Sonic Adventure 2''
* DidNotDoTheResearch: The climax and overall conclusion of ''Sonic Battle'' makes no sense without taking place sometime after ''Shadow The Hedgehog''. Problem is, ''Battle'' precedes ''Shadow'' by two years in release dates, and since Sonic Team doesn't seem too big on [[{{Prequel}} prequels]], Tomoyuki Hayashi, ''Battle's'' director, most likely just fell into the trope. it also doesn't help that the game contains throwbacks to ''Sonic Heroes'', a game that isn't going to exist until three weeks ''later'' in Japan.
* DoesntLikeGuns: Sonic states that he "wouldn't be caught dead" wielding a gun in Shadow the Hedgehog, but he gives no objections if you make him grab a Super Scope or Ray Gun in Super Smash Brothers...
** Well, those aren't really guns. They're non-fatal lasers. There is a difference.
*** In AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog, Sonic is a terrible shot who literally can't hit the broad side of a barn. However, during the following Sonic Sez, the AnimatedActor of Sonic has no problem shooting a badnik (and a building) full of holes.
* DuelBoss: Shadow, the Zoah leader and [[spoiler:Super Ix]] in ''Chronicles''
* DummiedOut: Can be considered a TropeCodifier. ''Every'' game in the series has something major in it missing, and sometimes new games are borne from those scrapped elements.
* EagleLand: Arguably, this is the idea behind Sonic's character design. He is a mishmash of different western {{FunnyAnimal}}s (in fact, in one of his earliest character concepts, he was a [[BugsBunny grey rabbit with a bowtie]], and his body and head shape were reminiscent of FelixTheCat), he is the same color as the American flag (but recent information points that his trainers were made red and white to match [[Santa Claus]] colour scheme), and his 90s snarky, aloof attitude and penchant for XTREME hobbies were distinctly non-Japanese. (He also speaks in Engrish in the Japanese version.) He also has a tendency to [[WalkingTheEarth roam the lands]] randomly helping people, not unlike wild western heroes like {{Shane}}. All of this was intentional on Sega's part, since the Japanese branch knew that the Genesis (and to a lesser extent, the Master System) sold more in America than in their own country, and with Nintendo's Super Famicom looming on the horizon, they knew they would need some kind of hook to keep from being trounced internationally.
* EightPointEight: Fans flipped out at ''Unleashed's'' atrocious [[ReviewsAreTheGospel scores]] in the press (in some cases, worse than the universally-panned ''Sonic '06''), many of which blamed the Werehog for [[RuinedFOREVER ruining the game entirely]].
* EleventhHourSuperpower: The Super/Hyper/Darkspine/Whatever versions of the core Sonic Trio (and Shadow/Silver/Blaze).
* EnsembleDarkhorse: Originally Knuckles, then Fang/Nack, and then [[ShadowTheHedgehog Shadow]], but nowadays it appears to be Blaze the Cat, one of the few ''Sonic'' characters who evokes a generally ''positive'' response from the highly BrokenBase when she is speculated to appear in a new game.
** Thanks to YoutubePoop, Dr Robotnik could be considered one too.
* EvilCounterpart / EvilTwin: Shadow (Who also has [[EvilCounterpart Shadow Androids]]) and the Metal Sonics, Mecha Knuckles and Tails Doll.
* EvilLaugh: Robotnik's weird "Oh hohohohoho!"
* ExecutiveMeddling: The unfortunate cause of ''Sonic X-Treme's'' {{Vaporware}} status, as well as the replacement of all the game voice actors with their ''SonicX'' counterparts.
* ExpositionFairy: Started out as the FloatingAdviceReminder, then turned to the actual characters themselves noting your abilities, usually the NPC secondary characters.
* FanDumb / {{FanWank}}: Epic.
* FastballSpecial: Sonic seems to make a natural projectile. Very common in ''Sonic Chronicles'' and ''Sonic Heroes''.
* FetishFuelStationAttendant: Rouge.
* FiveManBand: The core Sonic Team (Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles) with Amy Rose and Cream; could also apply to the Chaotix, when Mighty and Knux are present.
** TheHero: Sonic
** TheLancer: Amy
** TheBigGuy: Knuckles
** TheSmartGuy: Tails
** TheChick: Cream
* FloatingAdviceReminder: Started in the ''Sonic Adventure'' games with Tikal and Omochao, then exploded from there.
* ForgottenPhlebotinum: Sonic developed time-freezing and teleportation powers in ''Sonic Adventure 2'', but you can count on one hand the times he's actually used these since.
* FridgeLogic: ''Sonic Adventure'' ends with the characters slapping themselves on the back over a job well done. Considering by the end of the game most of Station Square is a smoking ruin with thousands, if not millions, of people dead, and Eggman ''[[VillainExitStageLeft got away]]'', [[EsotericHappyEnding should they really be congratulating themselves]]?
* FungusHumongous: Mushroom Hill Zone.
* FurryFandom: Many furry artists started out as Sonic fans. Furaffinity even has a special Category on the site just for Sonic characters.
* GenkiGirl: Amy Rose
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Tiara Boobowski's name (she was set to appear in the cancelled [[VaporWare Sonic X-Treme]]; ironically she's not very busty).
* GoddamnedBats: Nearly every single enemy in the second half of ''Sonic Chronicles'' can act as this due to either ridiculous defenses, regenerating health, poisoning you every chance they get, leeching off your health, or any combination of the previously mentioned.
** The Raptor Hawks in the first half of the game probably count, too. Although there's only six of them at the most, they have 120HP, do ~50 damage per hit and can use "Evading" whenever they want. It's a ''good'' thing when they use their Special move, Feather Barrage, because it's easy to counter.
* GogglesDoNothing: Robotnik gained a pair of them in ''Sonic Adventure'' and never used them, maybe because he has the aforementioned ScaryShinyGlasses.
** He uses them in Adventure 2, just before Cosmic Wall, a level that can also be known as a 7-minute long Crowning Moment Of Awesome.
* GoodIsNotNice: GUN, especially in the backstory. They've been getting better sinc ''Shadow'' though.
* GratuitousEnglish: Once Sonic got a voice, though in all fairness, his 'tude pretty much [[JustifiedTrope justified it]].
* GravityBarrier
* GreenAesop: This is what the series used to revolve around, with Sonic functioning as a nomadic NatureHero of sorts. Unlike most examples of the latter trope, he is quick to utilize technology to fulfill any tasks he needs to do, but he still seems to carry disdain for Eggman's wanton environmental destruction.
* GreenHillZone: TropeNamer, and sometimes used as a NostalgiaLevel.
* GuideDangIt: Act 2 of the Carnival Night Zone from ''Sonic 3'' still haunts people to this day.
* HalfDressedCartoonAnimal: Most of the male characters wear nothing but shoes and gloves.
* {{Hatedom}}: A large portion of the internet is dedicated to hating Sonic.
* HealingShiv: Shadow gets a healing gun in ''ShadowTheHedgehog''.
* HeKnowsAboutTimedHits: Tails constantly reminding you to save your game in ''Sonic Chronicles''.
** You can tell him to stop doing that, thankfully.
* HeroAntagonist: Knuckles ends up as this a lot.
** So does GUN, at least until after ShadowTheHedgehog.
* HiveMind: The Voxai from ''Chronicles''.
* HollywoodNerd: Tails
* {{Homage}}: The Chaos Emeralds, Super Sonic, and Angel Island are all throwbacks to [[DragonBall Dragon Ball]]. Knuckles, Shadow, Silver, and some elements from [[SonicX Sonic X]] are arguably cut from the same cloth. And I use the term "arguably" because the latter have not been explicitly stated, as opposed to the former.
* HopelessBossFight: The Gizoid Centurions and Prefect Charyb, the first time you face them.
* HostageForMcGuffin: Subverted in ''Sonic Adventure 2'', as not only was the exchanged {{MacGuffin}} fake, but the villain saw through the ploy and launched it and our hero into space.
* TheHub: Sonic Adventure, Sonic 2006, Sonic Advance 3, SonicUnleashed.
* IHaveManyNames: Apparently, whether it's "Eggman" or "Robotnik" [[InternetBackdraft still matters to some people]].
* InTheEndYouAreOnYourOwn
* InfinityPlusOneSword: Three in Chronicles. Put them in the party with Shadow (Who has a move that can instantly KO any enemy) or Tails (Who can give other characters another chance at movement for a while), and you've got "Team Win":
** Omega, who despite getting one move per turn, can hit up to three enemies with one normal attack, has one of the most damaging armor piercing attacks in the game, and overall strongest attack power, and is immune to the enemy move Counter due to his long range attack.
** Cream, who can tug the entire party out of a pit with enough PP restoring items.
** And a Unique Chao called Ferox, who lets bonded characters pull off POW moves automatically.
* InspectorJavert: Knuckles in ''Sonic 3''. The G.U.N. Commander in Shadow the Hedgehog. Silver in ''Sonic 06''.
* InternetBackdraft: The less said of ''Sonic 2006'', the better...
* InterspeciesRomance: The awkward (one-sided on Elise's part) romance between Sonic and Elise in ''Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)''.
* InvulnerableAttack
* IronWoobie: Shadow.
* ItsEasySoItSucks: The ''Sonic Advance'' games in comparison to the classic series (of course, YourMileageMayVary).
* ItSeemedLikeAGoodIdeaAtTheTime: Knuckles has some really odd, if not outright boneheaded, ways of protecting the Master Emerald from thieves.
** Sonic even says so in the third season of ''SonicX'' after he used Chaos Control to send the Chaos Emeralds away.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Knuckles.
* KaizoTrap: The Egg Viper in ''Sonic Adventure'' will crash through the floor after you beat it, and sent you falling to your doom if you're in the middle of the arena.
* KillerApp: The original Sonic games for the SegaGenesis, and arguably the ''Sonic Adventure'' games for the Dreamcast (at the time).
* KillSat: The ARK. Of course, when the "Kill Sat" part fails (And due to the machinations of Professor Gerald Robotnik), it's ColonyDrop time.
* TheLancer / TheRival: Shadow, Sally and sometimes Knuckles and Metal Sonic.
* LaughablyEvil: Robotnik/Eggman.
* LastOfHisKind: Knuckles [[spoiler: until ''Sonic Chronicles'']]
* LawfulGood: Knuckles represents the tension that can exist between lawful good and chaotic good characters. Shade becomes this in ''Chronicles''. GUN post ''ShadowTheHedgehog''
* LawfulNeutral: Shade starts as this before chapter 6 of ''Chronicles''. GUN until after ''ShadowTheHedgehog''.
* LawfulEvil: Eggman, Imperator Ix, and possibly Black Doom.
* LawyerFriendlyCameo: The Death Egg for the [[StarWars Death Star]].
* LetsYouAndHimFight: First came Sonic vs. Knuckles, then came Sonic vs. Shadow, then came Sonic vs. whoever Sega decided to pit him against, that game. Spilled over into the comics, as well, with some very painful results.
* LiveItem: the animals.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters
* LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading: ''Sonic 2006''.
* MacGuffinDeliveryService: Robotnik used this trick against Sonic and Tails for the Chaos Emeralds in ''Sonic Adventure''.
* MadScientist: Robotnik/Eggman, obviously.
* MagicPants: Sonic's gloves in Sonic Unleashed, the opening even shows them being ripped off.
* MalevolentMugshot: Robotnik/Eggman's face has showed up on everything from MechaMooks to spacecraft.
* MamaBear: Amy in Sonic Battle. Again in ''Sonic 2006'' when she ready to kick Silver's ass when he tried to finish Sonic off.
* MascotWithAttitude: Sonic The Hedgehog. TropeCodifier or TropeMaker.
* MeaningfulName: Practically everyone has one. Sonic is faster than sound, Knuckles has spikes on his fists, etc.
* MeanwhileInTheFuture: The 2006 game is horrible about this. Characters will shout "WE'VE GOT TO HURRY!" and run as fast as they can... to save somebody 200 years in the future. Uhhhh...
* MechaMooks: Eggman loves them.
* MegaNeko: Big the Cat is, well...a big cat.
* MemeticMutation: Pick a game, cartoon, comic or what have you.
* MercyInvincibility: As long as you had at least one ring or shield to your name, this'll kick in when you're hit... unless you're bouncing on spikes in the first version of the original game.
* {{Metroidvania}}: Spin-off Game Gear game ''Tails' Adventure''.
* MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: Robotnik, with his grandfather Gerald providing a FaceHeelTurn variant.
* MsFanservice: Rouge the Bat, who looks and sounds quite like a prostitute at times.
** Her alternate outfits from ''Adventure 2'' and the JigglePhysics of said game contribute to this trope.
* MultipleChoicePast: Eggman Nega. In ''Sonic Rush'' and ''Sonic Rush Adventure'', he's Eggman from a parallel universe. In ''Sonic Rivals'', he's Eggman's descendant from 200 years in the future. Blaze is also from either the future in ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' '06 or another dimension in ''Sonic Rush'' and ''Sonic Rush Adventure''.
* MultipleDemographicAppeal: The games, animated series and merchandising have all long been popular across many ages and both genders. This is probably at least in part due to the fact that many of the people who played the original games in the early nineties are now in their twenties and it's nostalgia setting in. Unfortunately, this means you get FanDumb from all directions.
* MultipleEndings: Dates all the way back to the first game, though it wasn't until ''Sonic & Knuckles'' that the difference was of any significance. ''{{Shadow the Hedgehog}}'' has 10 different endings, plus the final ending, and 326 total ways to complete the game.
* {{Narm}}- '''Everywhere.'''
* MythologyGag: Sonic's favorite food is chilidogs. This was created by [=DiC=] for the cartoons. ''Sonic Chronicles'' and ''SonicUnleashed'' are full of them. He's also seen eating two in the beginning of "Sonic and The Black Knight".
* NeutralEvil: Black Doom is either this or LawfulEvil.
* NeutralGood: Tails, Cream, Big (too stupid to be any other good alignment), and Amy, who's considerably more aggressive than most neutral good characters.
* NightmareFuel: The Drowning Music. For purposes of Illustration, watch [[http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=8TOkKttTkpo&feature=related here]].
* NoEnding: Combined with SequelHook. ''Sonic Chronicles'' ends with [[spoiler:Sonic and friends learning that Eggman has taken over the world. [[AnimatedActors And then they thank Bioware for being awesome.]]]]
* NoblewomansLaugh: Robotnik's Santa-esque chuckle.
* NostalgiaLevel: The extra 3D version of the original ''Sonic the Hedgehog's'' Green Hill Zone in ''Sonic Adventure 2''.
** There are also Nostalgia Bosses in Sonic Advance, in the form of Sonic 1 and 2's first bosses in the X-Zone.
*** Sunset Hill Zone from ''Sonic Advance 3'' certainly qualifies. It even has the music!
*** The final level in ''Sonic Chronicles'' can apply sorta. It has a remixed version of the Final Boss fight from Sonic 3.
** Sonic Battle has Green Hill Zone as an unlockable stage.
* NothingIsTheSameAnymore: [[SonicHeroes Sonic Heroes]] being the most likely catalyst of the [[UnpleasableFanbase Unpleasable Fanbase]]. The games post-''Sonic 2006'' have been so-so, but you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone willing to look at anything after ''Heroes'' objectively.
* ObviousBeta: ''Sonic 2006.''
** Technically, no ''Sonic'' game is shipped complete, as hackers are able to find tons of DummiedOut data in every title. In some cases, there's enough material left on the cutting room floor to make an ''entirely new game''. Also, Sega has a running habit of recycling unused concepts from earlier games into later ones. Case in point: Cream the rabbit, who is derived from the almost ''20-year-old'' original design concepts for Sonic himself.
* OffscreenVillainDarkMatter: No matter how much havoc Sonic wreaks on Robotnik's bases, he's always got enough badniks, {{eternal engine}}s and {{wave motion gun}}s for another world domination bid come next game. It reached a peak in ''Sonic Adventure'', where after Sonic and co. spend the entire game taking down the Egg Carrier, he shows up with ''another Egg Carrier'' to try and subdue Chaos.
* OneGameForThePriceOfTwo: ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'', although the sting is lessened by being able to connect with ''Sonic 2'' as well. Also the fact that playing all the way through ''[=S3&K=]'' is a very satisfying experience.
** Really? Because [[ThisTroper this Troper]] believes that the Special Stage Mode you got by hooking S up to Sonic 1 (or a level of said mode by hooking it up with any other Sega game) was fun enough to be a game in and of itself.
* OneHitPointWonder: Final Zone and Death Egg Zone in Sonic 1 and 2, respectively, have no rings whatsoever, effectively rendering Sonic a One Hit Point Wonder for the final confrontations.
* OurWerewolvesAreDifferent: Sonic the Werehog.
* PaletteSwap: Shadow, Silver (to an extent), and all of the various Mecha versions of the core Sonic trio.
** Sonic Heroes plays with this trope a bit in the Versus mode; by holding A and Y (or X and Triangle on the PS2 version), you could play as the "Metal" variation of your chosen team. The difference? A "metallic sheen" (that [[ThisTroper this Troper]] thinks is quite ugly) washed entirely over your character and angrier eyes with black sclera and red pupils. [[SoYeah That's. It.]]
* PantyShot: Amy and Cream. This may be FanDisservice, because Cream is only six years old.
* PeopleJars: Possible variation. In the original games, Dr. Robotnik trapped animals within robots which Sonic had to destroy to set free.
* PersonalityPowers: Sonic -- hyper and impatient, with superspeed; Knuckles -- stubborn and quick-tempered, super-strong, etc.
** Averted with Light Gaia [[spoiler:AKA Chip]] - he is playful and hungry, instead of mainly caring (the usual depiction of characters of elemental light).
* PhysicalGod: Chaos the God of Destruction, Illumina the Goddess of Dreams, the Master Emerald, and possibly Solaris and Emerl who are also refered to as Gods, [[NoSuchThingAsSpaceJesus even though they are both artificial.]]
* PinballZone: Almost every game in the series has at least one pinball-themed level, whether a regular level or a BonusStage. ''Sonic Spinball'' is a whole game based entirely around this concept. Despite the "zone", the TropeNamer is not from this series.
* PinkGirlBlueBoy: Amy and Sonic, obviously.
* PlatformGame
* PlotCoupon: The ubiquitous [[MineralMacGuffin Chaos Emeralds]] (and their daddy, the Master Emerald).
* PolygonCeiling
* PopStarComposer: Masoto Nakamura (from the J-pop band Dreams Come True) composed the music for ''Sonic 1'' and ''Sonic 2''. Famously, MichaelJackson was supposed to compose for ''Sonic 3.'' What happened then? [[UrbanLegendOfZelda Nobody quite knows, but everybody has an opinion.]]
* PortingDisaster: ''Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis'' for GBA.
* PowerTrio: Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles.
* PrepareToDie: One of Eggman's phrases in ''Sonic Battle''.
* ThePsychoRangers: The robots in Sonic R, Team Dark in Sonic Adventure 2, The Babylon Rouges in Sonic Riders.
* PunnyName: Miles "Tails" Prower, and Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik (and his legion of egg-themed machines)
* PuzzleBoss: Hardly used, but they ''do'' exist.
* RandomPowerRanking (In ''Sonic Adventure 2 Battle'')
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Super Sonic and Shadow.
* RetCon: It's not Rosy the Rascal, it's Amy Rose.
** [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehog The Archie comics]] actually referenced this one when they started pulling out alternate universe versions...
** Oh yeah, and Eggman was just a nickname that stuck, his real name is Ivo Robotnik.
* RingOutBoss (The Sandopolis miniboss from ''Sonic & Knuckles'')
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Shadow's reaction to Maria's death. Attempt on humanity prevented by Amy. Results in the genocide of the entire Black Arms race as Black Doom can be considered indirectly responsible for her death.
* RoboticPsychopath: Omega, lampshaded in the Bioware chronicles, where his simialritys to HK-47 are noted.
* RuinedForever: Many Sonic fans bitched and moaned about the 4Kids voice actors voicing the characters for the games starting with ''Shadow the Hedgehog''.
* {{Sampling}}: The Japanese/European version of ''Sonic CD'' has lots of it.
* SanDimasTime: The level timers in Sonic CD, where you regularly travel hundreds of years through time mid-level on a regular basis.
* SandIsWater: Bottomless pools of... sand?
* SceneryPorn: Ever since ''Sonic Adventure'', the series has indulged in this from time to time, especially in ''SonicUnleashed''.
* TheScrappy: Take your pick; every medium has one. The main ones from the games are Big, Silver, and ExpositionFairy Omochao.
** RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: Big in ''Sonic Chronicles''. Done by taking his stupidity and making it ''funny'' stupidity rather than plain ol' retarded stupidity.
*** Given how every character in the series except for Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles has gotten criticism from the BrokenBase, you could say that ''Chronicles'' rescued EVERYONE from the Scrappy Heap, to the point that it has been suggested by some fans that all games henceforth should be made by BioWare rather than Sonic Team.
**** Actually, some REALLY whiny fans have complained about Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles being annoying. Why? Because the new games make them look bad, thus perpetuating the worthless argument, "It's not SAT AM so it sucks."
** TierInducedScrappy: There definitely seems to be a variation of this going on. Big was the playable character for ''Adventure''[='s=] ScrappyMechanic of fishing, while Silver's one starring role was in the SoBadItsHorrible ''Sonic '06''. There were other reasons fans turned against them - Big was a RalphWiggum and Silver was a ReplacementScrappy viewed as stealing a role from other worthy characters - but the quality of their games can't have helped. Compare fan-fave Blaze, who debuted in the acclaimed ''Sonic Rush''.
* ScrappyLevel: Carnival Night Zone, specifically for the [[FanNickname Red Barrel of Doom]], and the [[UnderTheSea Labyrinth Zone]] from the first game.
* ScyllaAndCharybdis: The names of two of the space sectors in ''Sonic Chronicles'', as well as the names of the BigBad's two {{Dragon}}s.
* SealedEvilInACan: It started with Chaos in ''Sonic Adventure'' and exploded from there.
* ShoutOut: ''SonicX'' is chock full of these, not only to the previous Sonic cartoons, but Eggman's various mecha manage to include Thunderbird 2, Great Mazinger, and the USS Enterprise.
** Also see the examples of LawyerFriendlyCameo, which have been present since ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2''.
** ''Sonic Chronicles'' includes Swat Bots, based on the {{Mooks}} from the [=SatAM=] show. Sonic also mentions chili dogs, another SatAM reference. It also has the resident KillerRobot [[KnightsOfTheOldRepublic refer to the organic characters as "Meatbags".]] (not surprising given [[{{Bioware}} the developer]])
** No mention of [[DragonballZ Super]] [[strike:[[DragonballZ Saiyan]]]] Sonic? In some games, his ''eye'' color actually changes to facilitate this.
** G.U.N is thought by some to be a reference to [[MarvelUniverse S.H.I.E.L.D.]]
* SigilSpam: Some post-SonicAdventure games (including the SonicAdvanceTrilogy) show Eggman's property having a stylized depiction of his face on them (its design is inconsistent from game to game). The same goes for G.U.N.
* ShownTheirWork: Metal Sonic's technical specifications on Sonic Channel abide to all the guidelines for robotics.
* SlaveMooks: The little robots with animals in them are this trope.
* SmallAnnoyingCreature: Chip from Sonic Unleashed.
* SoBadItsGood: Unfortunately, quite a few things by this point, but at least it's not [[{{DarthWiki/ptitlew9bltta3dv6n}} worse...well, at least not ''all'' of it is worse.]] Among the usual candidates named for this are multiple song lyrics, most strikingly ''We Can'', ''My Sweet Passion'', and the in-level Knuckles raps from ''Sonic Adventure 2'', the campy dialogue during levels and, to a lesser extent, in some cutscenes, and almost everything about ''{{Shadow the Hedgehog}}''.
** The show ''The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog'', in its time considered a [[AdaptationDecay failure at adapting the series]], now has become [[MemeticMutation legendary for its campiness.]]
* SoBadItsHorrible: ''Sonic 2006'' is generally considered to be such.
** Sonic Genesis. Dear god, ''[[PortingDisaster Sonic Genesis]]''. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37XjyXKt_V8 It goes downhill after the title music.]]
* SomebodyElsesProblem: If there's something going on, there's a good chance Shadow doesn't do jack about it unless he has a reason.
* SpacePirates: In one of the ''Sonic Chronicles'' sidequests, accompanied by a ''huge'' LampshadeHanging.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: [[GratuitousEnglish Sonic the Fighters]] gives us, "REVENGE OF DR. ROBO-TONIC". Even the English translation of Sonic Mega Collection spells his name as "Robotonik". No wonder they decided to keep his name "Eggman"...
* SpikesOfDoom
* SpinAttack: Sonic's trademark maneuver. Comes in normal and [[ChargedAttack Spin-Dash]] flavors (in certain games).
* TheSpiny: A fair number of badniks qualify, although since the standard attack method is to hit an enemy while curled into a ball rather than necessarily to hit it from above, some of these are covered in spikes or other harmful stuff on all sides, rather than just the top, and must be defeated by waiting for them to revert to a vulnerable state or using invincibility. Others, though, look more like the Spinies of other games and can be dispatched by rolling into them. Oddly enough, an enemy with this exact name is not an example of this.
* SprintShoes: Most games in the series have these, generally called Speed Shoes[=/=]Super Sneakers[=/=]Power Sneakers depending on the game.
* StageNames: Jason Griffith, the voice of Sonic (well, [[TheOtherDarrin the current one anyway]]) has used "J. Griff" and "Adam Caroleson".
* StrangeBedfellows: ''Sonic Adventure 2's'' memorable Cannon's Core level.
* SuperDrowningSkills: Since his first appearance in 1991, Sonic has never been able to swim. His allies, Tails and Knuckles, can. Sonic sinks like a rock in water and relies on air bubbles to survive underwater. The drowning music has been Nightmare Fuel for many.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: E-123 Omega in ''Sonic Heroes'' as a replacement for E-102 Gamma [[spoiler:who "dies" at the end of his storyline]] in ''Sonic Adventure''.
* [[TheManBehindTheMan The Woman Behind the Man]]: [[spoiler: Merlina]] in Sonic and the Black Knight.
* TheOtherDarrin: Possibly one of the most debated and [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks poorly recieved]] examples. The new voice actor got better over time, but there's still rage to this day, [[SarcasmMode amazingly]] [[FanDumb enough]].
* ThePowerOfFriendship: ''Sonic Rush''
* ToServeMan: [[spoiler: The final ending to Shadow the Hedgehog.]]
* TomatoInTheMirror: Subverted in ''Shadow The Hedgehog''. Eggman convinces Shadow that he is an android, and he even accepts it in the two [[MultipleEndings neutral endings]]. However, in the Last Story, this is proven false by Eggman himself. About 7 to 8 minutes into the FinalBoss fight with [[OneWingedAngel Devil Doom]], the doctor, afraid he'll soon die, admits to Shadow that he lied to him. He was found by one of Eggman's robots [[ContinuityNod after his fall from the Ark]] and tells him that he suffered amnesia and really ''was'' the same Ultimate Lifeform created by his grandfather, Gerald Robotnik, 50 years ago.
* ToyTime: Toy Kingdom in ''Sonic Advance 3''.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Sonic's official favorite food is chili dogs, confirmed in ''Sonic Unleashed'' and shown in the beginning of Sonic and the Black Knight.
* TransformationTrauma: When Sonic transforms into the Werehog, this always looks painful.
* UncannyValley: The 2006 game, with the Anthropomorphic characters compared to semi-realistic humans. Averted in ''Sonic Unleashed''.
* UnderwaterRuins: One level in almost every game is set amidst underwater ruins.
* UnlockableContent: ''Sonic Adventure DX'' in particular had a feature where collecting all the emblems would allow you to play every Sonic GameGear game ever.
* UnpleasableFanbase: "Too many characters, how about a Sonic solo game? (right afterwards) What do you mean you can only play as Sonic in this game!?"
* UnwillingRoboticisation: Eggman's MO.
* {{Vaporware}}: ''Sonic X-Treme''
* VerbalTic: Like Yoda the Kron speak. At the end of their sentences their verbs they put.
* VideoGameFlight: Tails' tails come in handy. Err, tail-y.
* VideoGameLives
* VideoGameSettings: The series has always shamelessly used every standard platform level style.
* VillainDecay: Eggman, though he seems to have gotten better as of ''Unleashed'' and ''Chronicles''.
* WarmUpBoss: The boss from Emerald Hill Zone in ''Sonic 2'' is the poster-boy for this.
* WaveMotionGun: The ARK's Eclipse Cannon in ''Sonic Adventure 2'' and ''ShadowTheHedgehog'', the Chaos Energy Cannon in ''SonicUnleashed'', the Death Egg in ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles.''
* WheelOFeet: Pretty much all characters, though Shadow is a subversion with his "air skates", and Tails with his... tails.
* WhiteGloves: Again, pretty much all the characters, even with some of the humans.
* WhoWantsToLiveForever: Not Sonic as the end of Sonic and the Black Knight shows.
* XanatosSucker: Knuckles the Echidna, Silver, and possibly Shadow.
** Sonic in most cases when his friends are in trouble, he falls for Robotnik's tricks everytime. Averted in SA2 where he had a plan [[OutGambitted that failed]].
* {{Yandere}}: Amy is borderline this in [[SonicHeroes Heroes]]. At other times she's mostly a StalkerWithACrush.
* YearInsideHourOutside: the Twilight Cage in ''Sonic Chronicles''
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