Moment Subpages are Spoilers Off. You Have Been Warned.
Throughout all the laughs and wholesomeness, Sonic the Hedgehog is a surprisingly solemn tale about loneliness.
Film
- Sonic's situation at the start of the movie. He's currently living alone in a cave, and has been alone for possibly ten years after being forced to leave his home planet. Keeping in mind that Sonic is canonically fifteen — if the movie stays true to this? That means he has been living alone since he was FIVE YEARS OLD.
- In this interview
with Jeff Fowler, he pegs Sonic at being 13 or 14 years old in the movie. He was either three or four when this happened to him. - Longclaw's implied demise to the Echidna Tribe when Sonic leaves his home planet also pulls the heartstrings.
- Sonic isn't just alone. He's alone, but not only pretends to have conversations and activities by using his Super-Speed, but also pretends to have friends by spying on the residents of Green Hills — which somehow makes it even WORSE. He especially latches onto Tom and Maddie, comes up with an Affectionate Nickname for each of them, and even has a "Movie Night" with them, which consists of watching movies with them from outside their window without them knowing. He says that they're like a family... even though they haven't met yet.
- Ben Schwartz's delivery of the line below is heartbreaking — he is way too good at sounding like a kicked puppy. It doesn't help that this is right after a rather funny montage of Sonic's life on Earth so far, and Sonic was initially pretending to be a Freud-esque psychiatrist in a scene that's Played for Laughs, resulting in an enormous Mood Whiplash:Psychiatrist!Sonic: (talking in a German accent) You don't think your prolonged isolation is making you a bit crazy, perhaps?Sonic: Crazy?! Me? No way, doc! You got me all wrong!Psychiatrist!Sonic: And despite all these so called "friends" of yours, deep down... (starts speaking normally) you're still rather lonely? Perhaps, afraid you'll be alone... forever?(As Psychatrist Sonic says this last line, Sonic smiles at Tom, Maddie and Ozzy sitting in front of the TV through the window... then he looks down with an expression of sheer heartbreak and walks away into the night, his head bowed despairingly)
- There are other crossed-out planets on that map, which indicates Earth may have been the latest planet in his attempt not to be discovered.
- In this interview
- The scene in the baseball field. Earlier, Sonic had watched a game between two teams of children, who cheered each other on, high-fived each other and even carried the kid who scored the winning home run. He had to wait until everybody was gone and it was dark to take a look at the pitch himself. The scene when he plays different roles in the team using his speed is Played for Laughs in the trailer, but in the film proper, it's just plain depressing, effectively showing how lonely he truly is deep down. Especially with the music.Sonic: Okay, focus, Sonic. If you win this game, you'll be the most beloved kid in Green Hills.
- And then, he scores a home run, cheers for himself... and then the camera pans out to the dark, empty pitch, with the music slowly fading to pure silence. Sonic looks over at the stands to see them completely empty. These are two particularly sad visual reminders of the void in Sonic's life, and how truly alone he is — and this is also what pushes Sonic over the edge and makes him run around the baseball diamond repeatedly to relieve his pent-up anger: moving fast enough to dig a trench with his footsteps and accidentally cause the EMP that knocks out power across several States. Somebody give the poor kid a hug already!
- The moment that drives it home is when he holds his hand up for a high five that never comes, because despite being fast enough to act multiple roles he’s still completely alone on the pitch.
- The ensuing look on his face as he's running — at first he looks like he's holding back tears, then it turns into frustration and then straight-up rage at his entire situation, culminating in him leaping in the air and SCREAMING in anguish before BOOM. A blinding explosion of lightning bursts from his body that knocks out power across HUNDREDS of miles, including knocking out power on a satellite in orbit. And then there's his look of utter horror at causing this when he calms down.Sonic: (frozen in shock) I'm sure no one noticed that giant blue explosion... right?
- It gets worse: one fan pointed out that while Sonic is running, the fur on his muzzle is actually damp with tears. OUCH.
- And according to the audio commentary, this scene actually made Ben Schwartz cry when recording it.
- A small one, but one of the first things that Sonic packs to go to the Mushroom Planet after being discovered is a nightlight. Sonic being scared of the dark REALLY hammers home the fact that he's just a kid. Who has been alone for ten years.
- Not to mention when Sonic is about to use his ring to Mushroom Planet inside his cave, Robotnik's drones alongside the military are already outside, forcing him to use it somewhere else and leave most of his packed stuff behind anyway. Poor guy is unable to do anything about this as he could only stare sadly at his makeshift home before leaving.Sonic: Goodbye, cave...
- Not to mention when Sonic is about to use his ring to Mushroom Planet inside his cave, Robotnik's drones alongside the military are already outside, forcing him to use it somewhere else and leave most of his packed stuff behind anyway. Poor guy is unable to do anything about this as he could only stare sadly at his makeshift home before leaving.
- Despite the humor in Sonic ending up wet and cold and with a fish in his head from running into the Pacific Ocean, that scene clearly shows he is in need of both physical and emotional support from Tom to get his rings back.
- Sonic, after learning what a bucket list is, becomes sad when he realizes that there is so much he wanted to do that he hasn't done.Sonic: And now that I'm leaving Earth forever... I guess I missed my chance.
- At the motel, we have this line from Sonic. Notice when he says the last few parts of the line, you can see tears in his eyes. He really wants to have a peaceful life on Earth but he can't do so because of the same reason he left his homeworld.Sonic: I'm really gonna miss this place. I know that I have to leave Earth to be safe but what if Longclaw was wrong? Maybe I could have a life here...
- Sonic is genuinely hurt when Tom tells him that he would be leaving Green Hills for San Francisco. What makes this worse in context is that Sonic's being forced to abandon Green Hills (just as he was forced to abandon the other planets), while Tom's just leaving the place because he thinks his current life there is boring.Sonic: I was forced from my home! Your home is PERFECT, and you're leaving it! (lightning starts coursing through his body, his eyes glowing blue) Why would you DO that?!
- Tom's genuine panic when Sonic is caught in the sticky bomb explosion and knocked unconscious.
- When Sonic is unconscious on Rachel's kitchen table, Maddie's reaction to his beat-up, worn-out sneakers, and his even more ragged socks underneath, realizing how long the little guy has spent running his whole life while also in hiding.
- Sonic and Tom's goodbye before the former heads to the Mushroom Planet. Of course, he doesn't end up going there thanks to Robotnik and his bots showing up, but still.Sonic: Just one more thing. I'm sorry I was so hard on you. I know it's a tough decision for you to leave Green Hills. Walking away from something you care about... has to be painful.
Tom: You're not sure you really wanna go, huh?
Sonic: I don't wanna go. But I can't stay. As long as I'm here, I put everyone in danger. I can't do that. I just want you to know that these last two days... (smiles) have been the best two days of my life. - After an exhilarating chase scene, Sonic looks to have died after suffering the impact of Robotnik's blast. Tom looks devastated to see his new friend possibly dead, to the point where he gives a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown and a "The Reason You Suck" Speech to Robotnik, along with giving a "eulogy" to Sonic.Robotnik: He's just a silly little alien! He didn't belong here!Tom: (furiously, as he stands his ground) That "little alien" knew more about being human than you ever will! His name was Sonic, this was his home... and he was my friend.
- The 'was' is really what sells this. In the trailer, that line is delivered as 'he IS my friend' in response to Robotnik's question "Why would you risk your life for this silly little alien?" In the film, however, it's not a motivational speech. Tom isn't protecting Sonic. He thinks Sonic is dead. He has no reason to stand up to Robotnik at this point. Doubles as heartwarming — and then awesome, since THIS is what gives Sonic his Heroic Second Wind and lets the duo turn the tables entirely on Robotnik.
- While Robotnik might be a grade-A douche canoe with few, if any, redeeming qualities, you almost have to feel sorry for the guy when he's shown marooned on the Mushroom Planet, his formerly loose (at best) grip on sanity entirely lost. Then it's revealed that he carved a rock into the likeness of Agent Stone and is speaking to it as though it was actually Agent Stone himself. Earlier in the movie, Robotnik claims that he will not miss Agent Stone when the two part ways, but he clearly does miss the closest thing he may have ever had to a real friend (it's also worth pointing out his only positive moment in the film is (angrily) complimenting the way Stone makes lattes).
Cut Material
- In a deleted scene, Longclaw takes Sonic to Earth with her, and she spends the rest of her life raising him there. When Sonic is 13-14 years old, Longclaw starts to feel weak. Sonic would take care of her until she dies of old age. The feeling of losing the person who raised you adds a lot of Sonic's loneliness.Sonic: Longclaw took care of me when I was a baby, and when Longclaw couldn't take care of me, I took care of her... She was my only friend.
