Exploring the Story of Sonic Frontiers

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The latest game in the Sonic series is wrapped up in mystery that's represented by a strange symbol revealed before we ever got the name of the game itself. ...but what if it DID reveal the name?
No, not ZAP.
Join me today while we explore the story, characters, themes, and future of Sonic Frontiers!
A massive thank you to ‪@ChannelPup‬ for editing this beast of a video, go check out his channel!
Also thank you to Stevie Cole for the incredible insight and stunning thumbnail art! Go check out her Twitter at / steviejoycole
If you wanna pitch in to the channel, thank you! I do have a Patreon which gets you access to the Discord, high quality downloads of art, early access to vids, other weird stuff.
/ gameapologist

[@jpcsdutra]

I think the symbol means Chaos. And in that sense, it's probably Life, too. The game heavy handedly implies that "The End" is "Order". To die is eternal peace, is returning to the status quo, it is quietude. Chaos is natural consequence of movement and life, and it completely embodies Sonic as a character, as a franchise, the little creatures and what they would become, and the antithesis of the final enemy.

[@GameApologist]

That's a really cool idea, I like that!

[@Eldoofus]

I'm still inclined to believe that's what the Phantom Ruby is all about as well, as the Chaos Emeralds show their power in response to the heart, while the Phantom Ruby seems to be rather related to the mind, bringing illusions to life and being easier to direct than Chaos, because unlike the Emeralds, the Ruby is Order. This would be why the final boss in Sonic Forces and the Hard Boiled Eggs in Mania, both as machines, could use the Phantom Ruby's full power, despite machines being usually shown as only capable of using the superficial power of the gems like the Chaos Emeralds or the Master Emerald. It just can't be a coincidence, we got a parallel to the Chaos Emeralds, which represent life in a way... so, why wouldn't the Phantom Ruby be an antithesis to that?

[@greysonmiller9407]

Really strong idea, reminds me of Destiny's story right now, but Destiny has more focus on the supernatural and science-ey aspect of entities. The frustration with wanting answers seems pervasive through both games!

[@rumble8865]

This aged pretty well

[@yungmuney5903]

Kinda contradicts Black knight's message but okay

[@ftrwrwbg]

I did love hearing Tails say “I’m wildly inconsistent” it gave me a good laugh and I was happy the writers had a chance to call Sega out.

[@turtlestump]

I know this comment is months old but damn that line actually had me rolling, probably my favorite moment in the game

[@cherrypopscile3385]

The best way I can describe Sonic Frontieres as is: A good start. It feels like Adventure 1. It feels like 100 great ideas, all under developed but all still there. If the next game expands on this, I think it will be phenomenal. I have hope.

[@tserofeert]

​@@PKGangsta18 I've helpfully compiled a list for you of all the people that care:

[@KSKY2012]

It's 100x better than forces and 06, so Sega's going in the right direction.

[@seematahir5970]

@@KSKY2012 How is mentioning 06 even remotely relevant

[@KSKY2012]

@@seematahir5970 Because Frontiers is better than 06. Origins would've been a better example I guess

[@hanezutchins2786]

​@Tserof Eert apparently 178 people care compared to your 3

[@WigglesMother]

And now the Final Horizon DLC actually has a conversation between Sonic and Sage about that symbol, and Sage theorizes it represents the Ancients' deity.

[@binkyboy448]

Here's how I think of Sage's flashback: rather than a failed display of mutually humanizing interaction, it shows that Sage sees Eggman as cold and distant, and how sad she feels that he seems to see her more as an invention than a family member, even while praising her. In her mind, she fears he would write her off as another failure if she didn't accomplish her duties, which would tie into why she follows his command to free him from Cyber Space, despite her keeping him there for protection in the first place.

[@corel7966]

ohh, that's a nice interpretation. when you lay it out like that maybe that's what they were trying to shoot for.

[@jonasd.2548]

Yea thats how I thought it was supposed to be seen.

[@fightingmedialounge519]

That outlook would probably work better without the music.

[@benraven9087]

That's what I got from it first time. Sure, it's a little sappy and mellow, but I thought it got the point across.

[@rickyrackey7930]

That’s actually really sad

[@vegetafan9922]

37:27 A lot of other people have theorized that the Eggman ships you find scattered around the islands were meant to contain these memos but -most likely- definitely because the game was rushed, Sonic Team didn't have enough time to make more islands to place enough ships to hold all the memos, they decided to toss them into the lake.

[@dr.ninjake]

Honestly, I kinda like the way Sonic’s written in the current projects. He feels like a hero who’s lived and learned, and while he’s less snarky and more responsible these days, it feels like a natural consequence of his experience, and he’s still got that inner child on deck when he’s in a situation that can afford him a little fun.

[@CommanderButter]

did somebody say "LIVE AND LEAAAAARN"

[@redkite1908]

@@CommanderButter ON THE EEEDGE OF TOMORROOOOOW!

[@tubaraofluente]

​@@redkite1908LIVE AND LEARN

[@JakeThehedgehog-m1x]

He still does roast his enemies though you know...that sassiness and getting through his enemy's skins and nerves like remember when he called Eggman ego-man 😂😂😂 lol yup cocky and arrogant as usual...same old sonic he just feels abit more mature you know which tbh I'm fine with it.

[@TheBuckweat33]

Same with Eggman imo. I think they’ve struck a good balance with him between his maniacal wickedness, childlike whimsy, and perverse sense of “righteousness.” Eggman is a genuine threat, not a clown like other “big bads,” yet he is incredibly nuanced with regard to his hatred of Sonic. The man hates that hedgehog, but *loves* sparring with him and would rather prove Sonic wrong through legitimate battle, than actually rule the world.

[@tatsudragneel4761]

The Japanese manual for Chaotix says the rings are technology used by the "ancient civilization" on Angel Island and implies the normal rings may naturally generated by the Emeralds, since the Chaos Rings you collect in that game were created by the Master Emerald touching the ground in 3&K. Which is what I choose to believe is still canon cause it makes a lot of sense: they're randomly all over the world (especially in areas the emeralds can be found), they can be used as an energy source, and Sonic needs them to stay Super, so even if you ignore Chaotix they still have some connection the chaos energy from the emeralds.

[@devanplays3509]

Sonic doesn't need rings to stay super, they are just a game mechanic

[@robertwyatt3912]

@@devanplays3509 He literally does. It’s in the final boss dialogue in SA2, dude.

[@Miwatt]

@@devanplays3509 what about the classic games where it takes rings away… or IN THE BOSS FIGHTS IN FRONTIERS!

[@devanplays3509]

@@robertwyatt3912 Which is part of the gameplay, you don't see rings flying around in cutscenes.

[@devanplays3509]

@@Miwatt Again it's just game mechanics to make the fights a little harder

[@WebstersYouTube]

When Sonic is frozen, covered in the cyberspace infection, and his friends gathered around to restore him, my immediate thought was, "Something got cut. This was too simple and easy for an entire game's worth of buildup." Then I saw the DLC announcement, new playable story segments featuring Amy, Tails and Knuckles? Yeah, I'm betting that fills in that gap, restoring the originally planned content of how the team brought Sonic back.

[@odd-eyesvon]

33:24 This entire bit was such a good take. I was also under the impression that Amy was simply moving on, but no, like you and your friend said, Amy's story was about finally finding herself and understanding that pursuing her purpose would come at the cost of her time with someone she loves. This is the most emotionally adult thing I've seen from her yet.

[@bakedbeans5494]

Bad writing.

[@lorenzoantonio3630]

@@bakedbeans5494I’m sorry what

[@Anatomicalmind]

I love that knuckles fake punched super sonic and sonic flinched. Such a nice small throw back

[@syweb2]

Dang, I didn't even notice.

[@slateoffate9812]

17:52 That part fascinates me. We know the Master Emerald is connected to the Chaos Emeralds, yet they were originally apart by who knows how many light years. There's no telling what this means about the wider universe!

[@slateoffate9812]

I also theorize the Black Arms are descendants of the Ancients who were still on-world when the End attacked. They probably survived by being on the poles of the world.

[@slateoffate9812]

OH, what if Asteroid Coaster is the remains of the Ancients' homeworld!?

[@lynxfresh5214]

​@@slateoffate9812 There's unused dialogue in Sonic Colours that implies Black Doom was a Wisp and in the Archie comics (post-retcon) it's all but confirmed Black Arms and Wisps are related thanks to Eclipse. Ofc Gaia knows if Sega is planning to use these concepts in the games going forward.

[@Replies.Delete.SometimesIDKy]

From what i recall, the master emerald was made to keep the chaos emeralds power in check. Which is interesting because that means the chaos emeralds actually oredate the master emerald. But idk frontiers change the emeralds lore a bit so who knows.

[@ninlaw9810]

i love LORE

[@slateoffate9812]

38:43 Oh, now that's an idea. A hypothetical DLC/fanfic called Sonic Frontiers: Eggman's Journey; an extension of the shooter mechanics from Eggman's perspective, trying to survive Cyberspace and occasionally crossing paths with each of Sonic's friends, reminiscing about the past. And since they don't recall seeing Eggman in there, it could be before Sonic frees them, with them being able to converse with Eggman, but not recognize him. Amy could hear his voice, but its muffled and distant. Knuckles' fever dream could be influenced by Eggman's words. And Tails' reflection could sometimes break character, reflecting Eggman's musings. And, of course, the Egg Memos would be unlockable, allowing us to see when exactly they were recorded.

[@OneEyedClampdown]

Essay

[@bladethehedgehog5322]

Frontiers is an official fanfic, so the hack writer might be stupid enough to do that.

[@slateoffate9812]

@@bladethehedgehog5322 Did I ask you to ruin the mood like that? You could've just commented it separately instead of this reply.

[@scrapyarddragon]

Honestly the changes in personality for the characters in frontiers doesn't feel like them being sanded down so much as everyone in-universe, growing up. And honestly, I appreciate that. You can have a story and it's characters mature with the audience.

[@BunnyTPerson]

This video made me enjoy the story way more, the story to me represents growth. All characters go through some kind of growth in the game: Amy learns to enjoy her life away from Sonic, without fearing how he is going to feel about it. Knuckles learns to let himself be free from the burden his ancestors put him in, not letting others define how he should live his life. Tails understand how he should learn more about himself and get out of his comfort zone, being his own hero instead of just emulating Sonic. Eggman learns to finally share compassion with someone else (I know that the thing with Belle is just a coincidence, but it technically is Canon so I couldn't not make the connection). And Sonic learns to finally, slow down and listen on what his friends have to say, and not only that, he reflects about his feelings towards others; To me his growth is represented by the moment in the end of the game, where Amy goes out for a hug, and instead of pushing her like in other games, he only wraps his arm around her and enjoys the affection time.

[@teamtank64]

And just like SEGA did with Shadow the next story will completely throw it out the window. as much as I love the character development, It will inevitably fold back in itself and will not be apart of the next game cannon. One can only hope that it won’t happen.

[@anonymouslucario285]

This had more negative stuff than positive, how did you like it more?

[@anonymouslucario285]

​@phillipmills4509 wow, you're pessimistic

[@christtonmash1385]

This is perhaps one of the most insightful discussions about the writing and story of Frontiers I've ever seen. For the first time in a long time, I feel really hopeful about the future of this franchise and the characters I love so much. Like you've said, not everything is perfect here, and there are certainly issues, but it feels like the heart of Sonic, for lack of a better term, is on full display in this game. A lot of the moments in this game made me tear up, if only because it felt like these characters were getting the treatment and respect that I believe they deserve after so long. I'm perfectly fine with Sonic diving into heavier topics and stories since I think those have the potential to be really profound and resonate with a lot of people, especially when it's done with characters you've grown up with. Long story short, I'm really excited to see what the future has in store for us, 'cause Sonic Team's got something good here and I've got a gut feeling it's gonna be great.

[@TheIDcard123]

I'm very glad you tackled into the discussion regarding Amy's portrayal in Sonic Frontiers. There's been discourse regarding how she was characterized and how vague her mission moving forward was. For a lot of people, Amy "moving on" from Sonic didn't feel like a characteristic of Amy. Re-contextualizing her feelings of going to help others while fearing Sonic may move on from her rather than sacrifice her feelings for him definitely helps make sense of the barebone narrative behind Amy was given. Glad you tackled that head on. My regards to Stevie Cole.

[@tlkfanrwbyfan8716]

I’m so happy that Amy’s compassion and general love was emphasized here. It makes me really hope that people see Amy is her own character and not just romantic partner/interest.

[@Turai12]

I do hope she ends up moving on completely from her crush. It's easily the worst part of her personality. That idw barely even acknowledges it has allowed her to become one of the best characters in the comic.

[@Morgil27]

Glad I'm not the only one who let out a loud laugh at Sage's sappy montage. It felt like a parody of those types of flashback montages, except it was actually supposed to be taken seriously.

[@binkyboy448]

I always thought of it as Sage feeling sad that Eggman seemed so distant to her, even while praising her. She was probably afraid that he saw her as just another invention, one he would give up on if she failed in her task, which is probably why she worked to free Eggman despite wanting to keep him there for his protection.

[@fightingmedialounge519]

I think most people not desperate for decent storytelling also laughed.

[@slateoffate9812]

51:03 I think the robots were created as security, guarding the islands to make sure no one trying to free the End got very far. Or, judging by the events of Ares Island(why were Towers attacking the Koco?), they were built for some internal conflict; a civil war or attempted coup? I also think that's when the Gizoid was created, using earthly materials instead of the alien metal most of the Ancients' infrastructure and robots are made of, to explain the design style difference. Either way, I think the robots were either created or repurposed to make sure no one freed the End.

[@sethisevilone02]

Definitely

[@InazumaRailgun]

reminds me of persona 3

[@devanplays3509]

@@InazumaRailgun A fellow person fan

[@chaosproject91]

I've been struggling to make sense of that issue of why the robots are there, and also why the Ancients had such a militaristic ground force in general (barricade walls, footsoldiers, and what look to be giant spike traps) considering that their only enemy was a big laser moon in the sky. Especially on Ares island, you can see places where ground battles must have happened, where forces were pushed back towards and made last stands and such. But The End couldn't have fought a battle like that. The best conclusion I could come up with is that the two questions might be meant to answer each other. If we assume that the non-Titan robots were some sort of security force made before anyone knew The End was coming back, I could see potential in the theory that The End somehow started taking control of this force from a distance (another Zelda comparison). This would alert the Ancients that The End was coming, while also necessitating that they fight a ground war against their own machines. That's my working theory, anyways.

[@sethisevilone02]

@@chaosproject91 the end could have manifeted ground forces kinda like dark Gaia did

[@inDN]

25 mins in, you voice your disapproval of Sonic's slightly more patient character, amongst other character traits. I personally loved seeing Sonic's more "grown up" attitude. His scenes amongst his friends gives us a real sense of history and personal growth. It's all the more wholesome if you have been following Sonic and his friends since the beginning. I got surprisingly emotional when Sonic was giving his pep talk to Tails in particular.

[@geoffreyrichards6079]

To be fair to the story’s presentation and references, I think Ian did his best with what little assets they had available. Stuff like having Tangle make a cameo and such likely couldn’t work since that would’ve required a lot more work from the developers, who were already working with a limited budget as it is. It’s easy to do the “show don’t tell” rule in a medium like comic books because it’s far easier to implement, whereas games require a lot more care and work. I mean, just look at how much they cost just to make a game look presentable these days.

[@fightingmedialounge519]

Nick pretty much already covered what you said in the video.

[@chi-wind8593]

Well, it least it is good to think that Belle the tinker has a little sister. I would like to see a story were Sage and Belle meet. Start a bond as close siblings that grows over time.

[@CaptainMonotone448]

Extra interest when you factor in that Belle was created by "Mr Tinkerer" instead of Dr Eggman

[@GamerTowerDX]

Dude Sega has the almost radioactive power of free advertisement in fanart form by just putting those two in the same room together. Twitter would nuke itself.

[@maas1208]

​@@GamerTowerDX At least Twitter won't be a problem anymore

[@wakeangel2001]

The emeralds coming from space reminded me of a tiny bit of Archie Sonic lore. In that comic all of the emeralds were green, at least at first, in issue 126 he was on that alien planet with the ant people and found red chaos emeralds there, and later still they revealed that 5 other worlds had their own chaos emeralds, each one a different color, and they were all drawn to mobius and amalgamated into THE 7 chaos eneralds

[@ruccsacc]

An hour-long retrospective on a sonic game, just what I needed after a long week (I know it's only tuesday)

[@thekey0123]

One thing they mentioned during the final boss that I thought was an interesting thing to work with is the fact that the end said she has snuffed out the "Chaos of creation" Many times before, and also it was mentioned outside the game that the ends moon form isn't the same thing that Sonic sees, or what Sage sees

[@noahgrubb5396]

Still wish we had a proper final boss instead of playing a vertical space shooter with a stock 3D moon render. Most final bosses in the mainline games have had such fun and strange designs.

[@peacockqueen]

I love how Sonic is this good friend who supports Tails, Knuckles and Amy to follow their dreams and I'm sure he's going to be happy to hear the adventures all of them have had once they are back, that's very wholesome

[@zigzagintrusion]

Dude, you nailed everything I felt when playing Frontiers. Everyone has been praising Eggman and Sage, but it felt a little forced to me! At least, Eggman calling Sage his daughter directly could’ve waited another game, in my opinion.

[@bladethehedgehog5322]

Or they could have let her sacrifice be permanent and the next game or two could be Sonic fighting Eggmans failed attempts to remake her. But no, Eggman had her backed up on a hard drive.

[@sparklelikeaqueen]

I do agree that we should have gotten more of Eggman throughout the entire game, but I feel a good way to add more of him is to add some optional dialogue between Sonic and Eggman (and Sage on occasion) on Ouranos Island. What might make these interactions extra interesting is adding some cut dialogue back in that took place on Chaos or Rhea Islands, revealing that Sonic is losing his memory from Cyber corruption. His fully corrupt form could be him without any of his adventurous spirit; him as a lost soul, a hollow shell. His friends would have to enter his corrupted mind and lend Sonic their memories, giving up their physical bodies for a time (this would be a cool spot for a mini-game with Amy, Tails and Knuckles in Sonic's mind). But these memories from Sonic's friends wouldn't be enough; Sonic has to interact with the guy that's known him the longest, Dr. Eggman himself, to fully regain all of his memories by the end. This could potentially give us more insight on the Doctor, and could (though very unlikely) give us a little more on Sonic's past, or perhaps tell us about adventures that we didn't see in any of the games. (Sorry if any of this doesn't make sense; it's late.)

[@Ky-Nas]

The symbol meaning "frontiers" theory goes hard. I feel like it's also supported by each of the side-characters discussing how they want to break off on their own for a little while to explore other paths in life, effectively finding their own frontiers.

[@MachExceler8]

Ahh, the long awaited hyped up sonic frontiers review is finally here, time to get the popcorn.

[@Chicken_Nugget1]

I'm still waiting for the long awaited Sonic Origins review.

[@thetimturnershow2883]

Such a beautiful explanation on Frontiers’ story. It’s amazing just how it tries to tie everything together from the past (for better or worse) but still acknowledging the notion that the series has to move forward. I, for one, am really looking forward to seeing and being there for Sonic’s new frontier.

[@will_203grn3]

Very good point on 38:10 on how Eggman is glad that Tails is essentially happy under Sonic’s wing not tapping into his own scientific potential; hence Nine from Sonic Prime 😡🦊

[@loganwernicke7604]

I just need them to keep the lore consistent I'm happy with that

[@bladethehedgehog5322]

The can't stay consistent with the cyber space stages. I found 2 levels that Sonic was never apart of and one Classic Sonic level from Generations. So, if SEGA is to be believed, Classic Sonic is his own thing and Modern Sonic shouldn't remember that level. The other stages are Shadows stages from Adventure 2. Radical Highway and Sky Rail, two zones Sonic never sat foot in.

[@nithinshakthithiruppathi4028]

@@bladethehedgehog5322Classic Sonic thing has been debunked.

[@bladethehedgehog5322]

@@nithinshakthithiruppathi4028 When? Sonic Forces said he was from another dimension and he's getting another game, so it seems he's still a different character.

[@nithinshakthithiruppathi4028]

@@bladethehedgehog5322 No, in Tailstube (Not sure if it was TailsTube) it has been debunked. He is just younger Sonic. Sonic also remembers Sonic & Knuckles 3 in Frontiers.

[@bladethehedgehog5322]

@@nithinshakthithiruppathi4028 I'd take that with a grain of salt, if they say it in a game sure but they haven't. By your account they said it on a VTuber show that's info can and will most likely be shown to be false or just be retconned later.

[@mistersp3753]

I sure was excited when they announced Ian Flynn as the writer for Frontiers. At the very least, assuming Flynn was given the least bit of leeway, it would be the best story since Unleashed. Considering the recent output of Sonic games, that's a fairly low bar, but it's a good sign for the future of the franchise. I think, ultimately, what happens with the DLC will determine where the story ranks overall.

[@bladethehedgehog5322]

I personally have no confidence in Flynn. I thinks he's a garbage writer, from what I remember that is.

[@Fanatic_Foremem]

Amy said what the symbol meant the first time it showed up. And you almost touched on it. It's finality, completion, the end.

[@KudoTsurugi]

47:33 Regarding the moon fight, I could see why it could be disappointing. Apparently, and I can’t remember where I read this, The End shows up as something different for everyone in-universe? We see a moon, but apparently Sonic and Sage would see something different. Maybe the DLC could touch on that 🤔 As for the story as a whole, I loved it😄👍 While I wish we had some more aspects explored, the interactions between Sonic and friends were great and the islands themselves were fun to roam around in. Looking forward to doing it again when the DLC comes out👍

[@SilverHyozanryu]

Lord knows if they'd go this route but does this mean the Sol Emerald's of Blaze's dimension also of alien origin. And by extension does her universe also have it's own version of The End. Or is it like a multi universal being that makes it way from one universe to the next ? They could probably do a multiverse story if they wanted to (Yes I know prime is doing that and people are sick of multiverse stories but I think you could still do plenty with it).

[@rainpooper7088]

The Sol Emeralds were always kind of a mess. They were added because Blaze needed an explanation for her powers and a super form and that's literally it. They don't work well thematically as a counterpart to the Chaos Emeralds, we don't know how they relate to the existing lore like the Master Emerald, they don't seem to have an equivalent of Chaos Control and instead just kind of randomly teleport Blaze into a story whenever the plot demands and also they freaking picked a person as their guardian and gave her powers to protect them (which none of the other artifacts in this franchise ever did, even Knuckles inherited his position from the guilt of his ancestors and got zero freebies out of it) even though she's not even originally from the same dimension as them(Blaze already had her explicitly Sol Emerald-fueled fire powers in 06). Also Blaze is said to be the only one who can use their power in their first place, so what the hell is she even protecting them from, the machines of a guy from 200 years in the future of another dimension that the Sol Emeralds couldn't have possibly accounted for? The Chaos Emeralds being from space now is just another drop in the barrel of nonsense.

[@chronorebel_greatgryffon1312]

It's also important to note that the Ancients aren't the first case of alien involment in the lore. There's the Black Arms, of course, but also the Babylonians, first introduced in the Sonic Riders games and namedropped by Eggman in Frontiers. It's stated the Babylonians were once a civilization of technologically advanced interstellar wanderers who were stranded on Earth because their spaceship, the Babylon Garden, went through a malfunction while in orbit. Sounds awfully similar to what is stated in Frontiers about the Ancients: the Chaos Emeralds they had with them reacted to the Master Emerald, and they lost navigation of their ships.

[@deejayf69]

If they called the home planet of the Ancients Morbius it would all come together perfectly

[@alexmcneill6445]

I've said it before, I'll say it again; Sonic games are NOT strangers to references. I can see how people might be bothered by it but... Even the games from the 2000s have referenced past events before. I tend to think about Heroes as it's the game that references past events so directly such as comparing the might of the Egg Fleet to that of the Egg Carrier in Adventure, Shadow's history in Adventure 2, Metal Sonic's entire existence obviously calling back to Sonic CD, Metal Sonic kidnapping Chocola and Froggy and copying them for their "Chaos data", it kinda goes on. And with these characters mentioning these things primarily in the middle of the stages, you'll certainly hear about these references. Again, I can understand how the references in Frontiers are "bloated" but I absolutely do not think it's as bad as people seem to make it out to be. ESPECIALLY the Tangle example since Tangle is one of the many references that are SCARCELY HEARD in the game (heck, I've played this game four times now and I've only heard Sonic talk about Tangle and Omega ONCE while everyone else heard Zavok and Rouge and the like). I like this game. It isn't perfect, but it has certainly caused a discussion among the community with the story, lore, character, etc. Positive and negative. (I'll admit that I did not care about the "zap" symbol. I barely acknowledged it. TvTU Maybe it'll mean something next time. Maybe.) ...Also, I'mma talk about Dark Gaia for a second, because Frontiers apparently "retcons" Unleashed's story when... It actually doesn't? The cycle of death and rebirth that Dark Gaia and Light Gaia cause has been a thing since the beginning of time. Dark Gaia would destroy while Light Gaia would reconstruct. The Chaos Emeralds were never said to be part of this cycle. In fact, this has been happening since, again, the beginning of time. And given that the Chaos Emeralds must be used on Gaia Temples, it's not even known if the Gaia Temples have ALWAYS been a thing. The Gaia Manuscripts were created after the previous "time of awakening" tens of thousands of years ago before Unleashed, meaning that the Gaia Temples could've been made around this time or so. This "time of awakening" was the most disastrous, apparently. The events of Unleashed happened because of Eggman's meddling and it's been clearly stated to be a premature event. (Also, can I just say this is NOT the first time Eggman broke apart the planet with the Emeralds? Sonic Advance 3's plot says hi~) Because the nature of the "time of awakening" wasn't explored in complete and total detail in Unleashed, the Chaos Emeralds being from space does NOT contradict with Unleashed's events. In addition, I'm fine with the Ancients' existence and the Chaos Emeralds being an extraterrestrial element. The Sonic series are no stranger to extraterrestrial life forms appearing on Earth and providing their tech/artifacts to the world. The Ancients, the Black Arms, the Babylonians, the Wisps, etc. (And that's not even including Chronicles (Gizoid) as well as Archie comics and Fleetway comics) The Ancients are just another list to the aforementioned alien colonizers but... In hindsight, I can also see how that's an issue since it's yet another alien race to provide tech to Earth/Mobius/Sonic's world. With all that said, I will say that I don't really care for "The End". It bragging about how all titans/gods Sonic's fought were finite and stuff didn't really do it for me. I enjoyed the fight itself (Ikaruga, let's go~), but I think The End being scarcely used throughout the game until, well, the end of the game is probably why I feel very little towards it. Say what you will about Unleashed, but Dark Gaia had a presence. It's influence was EVERYWHERE. We didn't know what Dark Gaia really looked like outside of the brief form it attempted to take at the beginning, but it spread it's influence throughout the planet and we could not escape it. (Speaking of which, the Emeralds were drained of their energies in Adventure AND Unleashed, leaving them to be colorless stones... Coincidence?) Despite The End's boasts, I wonder if it's aware of Solaris. Sonic is actually AWARE of the events of Sonic 06 to some capacity (according to the JP script to Team Sonic Racing, he makes a reference with Silver having no idea what he's talking about... Even before this, I always had this idea that Sonic was aware given the ending to Sonic 06 where he runs around during Soleanna's festival) and Solaris was a massive threat that could even potentially go toe-to-toe with The End. (Also, minor critique about this video. I liked it, but... You played the same song from that one cutscene (Knux worrying about losing that Angel Island-esque temple TvTU) frequently throughout the vid when you could've played aaaaany of the island songs =w=U It got a little annoying after awhile, I won't lie.)

[@FrostiOrca]

i think the fact that Eggman has 3 kids within Metal Sonic, Sage, and Belle is extremely hilarious.

[@miniwhiffy3465]

Orbot and cubot.

[@FrostiOrca]

@miniwhiffy3465 those are the forgotten middle children we don't talk about

[@Psepha]

So something I've been thinking about with the whole thing where the Chaos Emeralds coming from space confuses things with the Gaia Temples... what if this wasn't the story of where they came FROM, but the story of how they came HOME? The emeralds have such a crucial relationship to the Master Emerald, so I wonder if perhaps they originated on Sonic's world and the Gaia temples got set up etc etc and THEN they were found and taken away, or they were maybe sent away for... well who knows? And then the Master Emerald is the reason these holders of the emeralds found their way to Sonic's world. I wonder if there's another story to tell here.

[@Fanatic_Foremem]

Very much how I understood it, either that or that the emeralds and the master emerald came from somewhere older than the universe, and the ancients were just the ones who managed to unite them on one planet.

[@Michael-bb5dd]

Or the temples were made long after The End was sealed by the Ancients on Angel Island after Dark Gaia woke up.

[@BiolizardBoils]

I just figured Chip fought Dark Gaia without the Emeralds the first few times, then started using them after the Ancients died. I get the worry that them coming from space cancels Unleashed lore, but I think there's room for both!

[@monkeyman767]

8:28 my theory is that that symbol means "hope". We tend to only see it in the context of "good" situations, Sage's recovery, the emerald chambers, the central room for cyber space where they were teaching the younger Ancients about how they escaped the enemy. I could be wrong but it's what makes me most sense to me

[@mrcwillis6970]

Love Sonic Frontiers so much 💙

[@abbyelectric]

I suddenly feel embarrassed for crying at the Sage scene... Also, the new questions raised by the story definitely did leave me eager for more. I wonder if we'll get more answers in the DLC?

[@binkyboy448]

I think of it as Sage feeling sad that her interactions with Eggman weren't as close or heartwarming as she wanted them to be. It plays right after seeing how wonderful Sonic and Tails have it, while most of her time with Eggman was him barking orders and speaking more about Sonic and his other inventions than her. Even when praising her, it seemed to her like he saw her as another invention than family, when his voice logs show that's anything but the case. It's not sad because it's supposed to be heartwarming (and failing), it's sad because it's _not_ supposed to be heartwarming (and succeeding).

[@fightingmedialounge519]

@@binkyboy448 don't think that was the issue nick is getting at.

[@WGY_Games]

So, here's my interpretation of what the Ancients' Symbol represents: "The Balance of Life and Death." Which has been kind of a theme throughout many Sonic games in the past (I.E. Shadow, Maria, Sonic 06.) And even more so, the idea of living and dying for what cause. Lemme explain, with the Koco we see as Sonic helps them they perish and pass through the very symbol I am discussing. We are told several times that we are helping them pass on, when their mission is complete and their goals fulfilled, they pass on. To go further, let's look at Sonic's friends and even Sonic himself, the first thing I want to mention are the lyrics to I'm Here: "Leave the life you knew before, see, I know what I'm fighting for." This song establishes Sonic as the straight and narrow character he has been throughout many of his more serious toned stories. Through the adventure of the game, we watch as Sonic helps his friends through their struggles and doubts. With Amy, he helps her to see the power of Love, not just the one she has for him, but Love in general and how she wants to commit herself to sharing the love with the world, she decides to fight for Love. Then with Knuckles, we watch him lament over his ancestors' demise and how it has bound him to the Master Emerald, Sonic and the Koco help him to see that the Emerald is NOT what he is bound to and that he controls his life, Knuckles recommits his life to the idea of Freedom. And even more so with Tails, as he reflects on his recent trend of self-doubt and cowardice. His reflection in Cyberspace helps him to realize that he needs to be brave again and stop relying on Sonic after the events of Forces. He recommits his life to Bravery. All of these characters decide that they'd rather not waste their lives on the mundane they've aligned themselves with and would rather live and die as something new. This continues with Sage as not just Sonic, but Eggman as well, show her to recommit from Data and Statistics and turn to Family. This realization comes to a head when she dies, not just for Sonic but for Eggman, the Ancients, and even the whole world. The symbol is a reminder that Death comes for us all and we are best to strive for a new life and a new us than to stick to the mundane and wasteful.

[@TheZeroNeonix]

I don't think this is the last time we've seen The End. As they said, they are immortal. Sonic has fought them off, but they'll be back. Perhaps a piece of The End was imbeded in Sage before she disappeared to Cyber Space.

[@commonviewer2488]

I like the implication that each inhabited world has some sort of Chaos Emerald equivalent. Our Mobius had the Master Emerald, then the Chaos Emeralds arrived from another world. Leaves a window for us to go off world for emerald variants

[@Mazerwolf]

Been excited to see this, i never would have gotten back into Sonic without this channel introducing my into the IDW comics, and it’s due to that that i was willing to buy and enjoy Frontiers

[@miles_tails0511]

It’s Adrenaline Dubs for me that got me back into sonic since Sonic Heores. Best dub of IDW

[@Mazerwolf]

@@miles_tails0511 ooh man i love adrenaline dubs

[@awright555]

24:24 OH MY GOD I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE 😭😭😭 GIVE SONIC HIS SWAG BACK. BEEN MISSING FOR YEARS! 😂

[@Subreon]

This game is the establishing shot. Give Ian Flynn some time. He's got nearly 20 years of bullshit to unfuck. But I already know the next games he writes are gonna be PEAK

[@awright555]

@@Subreon Eh, maybe. Lack of swag is something missing in the comics imo also. But we’ll see

[@TheProfesorZ]

Technically weren't the emeralds in the Archie comics from outer space/ different zones? Been a while but that's what I remember.

[@dreadthemadsmith]

It finally feels like the Sonic Franchise is starting to work back in a good place as far as story/continuity/gameplay/themes and I am overjoyed to see what comes next. It might not be the best, but it's a good start toward building something.

[@tatsukinomiya]

I appreciate the animated background in this video great addition

[@Projay2300]

Sonic frontiers open world formula has so much potential in my opinion. Image being able to explore old areas from previous games in an open world format, like sonic maniacs version of green hills with exploring the loops and springs above the surface, and finding a way underground to explore green hills underground caverns. Or the death egg from sonic 3 in an open world format. Sonic has always, or most of the time, great level designs and/or themes, and frontiers open world format could bring so much more potential for those old level themes and ideas. Also, frontiers is my first brand new sonic experience.

[@CrystalArtest]

I liked how sincere all the characters were. Sonic’s interactions with all friends cemented how important they to him. Why we the fans should care about them. Amy, Knuckles and Tail feel like they could be protagonist in their own story/game in the future(or dlc). Sage and her relationship with Sonic and Eggman is interesting. She seem to respect both of them and I wonder if her loyalty will be tested i the future. Because she went from blindly following orders to asking questions and even clashing with Eggman. I think the biggest problem with this game is intent/ambition vs execution. This game had a lot of cool ideas but didn’t push hard enough on them or fail to stick the landing. The the first 3 boss fights as cool as hell but the lady 2 are disappoing/underwhelming.

[@FirestoneAnimation]

Also 18:56 If you listen to The Ends dialog throughout the final fight in Hard Mode: "My captors burned their souls to fuel their engines." Likely, the chaos Emeralds were the condense energy of the Ancients' souls. As for why the Chaos Emeralds were drawn to the Master Emerald, it's likely that Chaos Energy as a whole may be more wide spread than we realize. Also also, 21:08 if you're talking about the Gaia Temples, it was never confirmed the Emeralds originated from there. One highly probable possibility is the ancients at some point lost the energy in the Chaos Emeralds and didn't have the Master Emerald at hand, so they created the temples as power sources to bring energy back into the Emeralds. And maybe they encountered Dark and Light Gaia too And thinking about it, yeah it would be astoundingly amazing if The End was a sentient incarnation of the negative energy that resided in Perfect Chaos.

[@rickyrackey7930]

It would be so hype to see Super Tails go up against a villain Sonic himself can’t beat. It’s gonna SSJ2 Gohan levels of hype.

[@TheIDcard123]

I want to see a Super Sonic/Super Tails tag team fight against a final boss. The culmination of Tails becoming his own hero and standing side-by-side by his partner to show they're now equals.

[@JoeDude1901]

I’m glad I’m not the only one who wants to see an open world Angel Island. I really hope to see that in the future.

[@mrsurge4789]

I think one thing that makes the End a strong point of Frontiers is that it is literally the cause of the entire franchise. Had it not chased the Ancients to Earth, the Chaos Emeralds would not be on the planet I hope it comes back and it’s character is explored more. It’s so cool that after 3 decades of this franchise, we fight the entity that caused it to exist in the first place

[@officialwatershieldchannel3858]

Granted, aside from SA2, Eggman has never been focused on too much in the other games' story, so I'm not surprised that the eggster was stuck inside Cyberspace for most of the game.

[@RealTalkRicky]

5:42 YES!!!!! THANK YOU. there are people who straight up hate the guy and think hes ruining the franchise... but i feel like hes great at damage control if you ask me!

[@TronicSSJ07]

I’m glad that Ian Flynn agrees with me that the order of the classic games is Sonic 1, 2, 3 & Knuckles, and then CD. Nick, I think you do, too in that “Silver Sonic 2.0” video.

[@Fabz_1]

I’m so glad you’re doing this video, my first and second run of this game I didn’t know what was going on in the story

[@samueltrusik3251]

I actually watched this video in almost one go without losing focus. Good job, that is rare.

[@Sonicpox]

Seeing the story beats of this games make me want to see what happens with the next game. Especially with Amy, she has had such a huge resurgence last year and coming into 2023, if the thoughts of the next Sonic game being even bigger and better is true then I can't wait to see where they take these characters!

[@Shywhitefox]

Really love this vid. It was awesome and loved the detail. Might not agree with some things, and was certainly happy with the references and restructuring, but it was a great indept take and loved to hear how you approached it and your unique stance. I have a theory about the rings. Perhaps they are condensed, solidified clusters of Chaos Energy, or Chaos Radiation? It is odd we never see them in the IDW comics, but perhaps that is why massive rings can transport someone to the little pocket dimension like Special Stages that the Emeralds happy to reside. I mean, in the 2D games at least, you could go through the rings in any order and you would still bring you to near the location the Emerald resides, and for all we know they are thousands of miles long if explored blindly. It would also explain why they are used as 1 second long battery's by Super Sonic and the like, they are recharging the Chaos Energy powered form with more Chaos Energy. While I loved your takes on the mysterious symbol in Frontiers, I do not see it as any meaningful word, like Frontiers or Home, but I suppose it is close to the afterlife idea. Perhaps it is just where the collective knowledge of all the Ancients goes? The Coco are like echoes of them, or some part of them that splintered off from the main body (since they are literally the cores within the water bodies) so when their purpose if fulfilled they go to the massive, collective of Ancient knowledge, (Which I think is referenced in one of the cutscenes with the Antient children.) When we see it pop up in the end cutscene with Eggman, it means that he now has access to all the knowledge of the ancients, as for the symbol being on several locations, perhaps they meant for it as a marker? Leaving the symbol there so the object in question gets processed and added to the Ancients collective, vast knowledge. With the Master Emerald, I wonder if it is like...the centre of the universe, or the source of where all these powered gemstones come from (at least in this universe. Maybe Blaze's universe has it's own Master Emerald that is not even on her planet) I certainly do not want to see them add seven new gemstones everytime a new planet or alien species comes to play, but maybe something along the lines of the Master Emerald creating all the powered gems somewhere on the planet, them shoot them into space for planets that need them and restore balace? Maybe the likes of the Warp Topaz and Phantom Ruby were meant for other planets, but were discovered before they could reach their full potential and ready by Eggman and Starline. Looking forward to seeing what part 2 is like, as well as 3 if you do one if the DLC is significant. Take care and hope to see more of Mecha March!

[@lucasjaramillovargas9422]

I like to think that the symbol at the end of the teaser is the symbol of how the ancients wanted to represent their race

[@mistersp3753]

Oh, great. Now when some says 'alien babies' they have to specify between the Wisps and Chao.

[@vi6ddarkking]

Sonic Frontiers has Felt as THE Prototype game during the whole journey. Everything going in the right direction but not quite there yet. From the game play to the story and references every aspect seemed like a test for the next step for the francese. When the Sequel inevitably come out the expression "Sonic Frontiers Walked So This Game Could Run" Will be rather prevelent.

[@tserofeert]

it's funny, I didn't realize it last night but you uploaded this video practically the exact same time I was finishing the game lol great timing! love your videos! edit: alternative character interpretation for your issue with the edgeless hedgehog - maybe Sonic isn't more mature, but simply unable to maintain his usual demeanor while also hiding the pain of the cyber infection

[@erickrafaelfloreslara8501]

I think the Phantom Ruby can be tied in to the narrative very easily, we know that some ancients left to Angel Island, so perhaps the Phantom Ruby was ment to be a portable cyberspace thing. Like say for example the normal cyberspace would be like a desktop computer while the Phantom Ruby would be like a SmartPhone.

[@daisukevalentine]

I hope the dlc they promise expands the story and lore to even more they have a great ground work

[@kenn_k]

i've watched more _frontiers_ videos than i can count, but somehow yours still stands out. somehow missed the initial drop but this was well worth the wait ✨

[@pikagammerpluspizza7478]

58:44 is a a great ending joke that I feel like to many people are going to miss

[@plushie1019]

Just finished the game! It was sooo good! Now it's time to watch my boi, Nick!

[@FirestoneAnimation]

Honestly for the 3rd act on Rhea Island they should've had Sonics friends collect the Emeralds as a form of freeing him, which could've unlocked a hybrid Super form which would considered Cyber Super.

[@sonicrose8430]

am i the only one that couldn't help but laugh a bit when the Koco just unceremoniously go whump into the dirt/sand when they ''die/move on'' like idk it just looks kinda goofy

[@tracyndiyob162]

happy 1st anniversary sonic frontiers!!! :3(can't remember the line itself but do remember sally actually gets mentioned.) i took the symbol as chaos yet also unintentionally order with how the ancients are the origins of chaos himself and the series itself has a similar up and down with the boss monsters and the ties they've had to each other in some way like chaos/the black arms/biolizard/the gizoids to professor geralds studies of the echidnas(alongside dark gaia tying the humans & echidnas invisibly.) or the theory ian had of the time eater being mephiles after he got kicked out of the timeline in 06/my personal theory of it being the remains of eggman's nega wisp armor from colors getting affected by the black hole at the end. really loved the story especially looking back on the series like the callbacks(they weren't family guy or bubsy/gex levels at all compared to archie.) ,sonic and friends having a mature lookback of their history as i like how sonic(like he's more matured in a better way than idw with how boringly static his character was after generations.),tails(like they address his flaws showing his doubts with sonic being the big brother that's been with him since the beginning.),knuckles(that short especially bringing back the echidnas,tikal,his rivalry with sonic that's became a brother to the group and the mysteries of his race leaving him all alone that sonic past his playfulness will be there for him/especially referencing visually super sonic being wary of knuckles fist.) & amy(was the most straightforward but do like we got to see more of her maturity of sa1 in the main series showing it to sonic after sa2 wasting it/jason griffith being her worst version and everyone getting ready to somewhat have a timeskip.) were handled alongside actually giving eggman layers interacting with someone in a non threatening way(especially being a father to sage without going nowhere like belle/actually showing his thoughts of maria which sa2 never went into once that could give potential with shadow interacting with her.) and the koco(compared to being a pointless sidequest fodder like the korok or just to be cute like the chao outside cheese love they were the souls of the ancients that actually remind me of the heisei version of gamera's origins/dr. light uploading his spirit into the capsules in megaman x alongside the titans being the concept evangelion originally was of them being ancient technology left behind by the atlantean villain gargoyle in nadia: the secret of blue water.) as this is definitely like unleashed a foundation for a new direction that while i don't agree with some things(cd happens after 1 before 2 to me.) like showing more visual references to the older games with the cyberspace levels(that really were the worst part of the game to me.) or showing more of the echidnas with how the master emerald still doesn't fully have an origin with how it's from earth and the unexplored elements of their origin/sonic's energy . and while i love sage(still WAY more interesting than the dark age villains or the non eggman villains that are actually boring/shadow who's overexposed not knowing what to do with him after bringing him back outside heroes/06 or chip who was great for his relationship with sonic but had really just as sappy or cringe with very forced comedy moments alongside basically replacing tails in unleashed.) personally wish the end had a more physical goddess form as it would've been better if it had shown it's awakening wrecking the islands hinting at it's danger like calamity ganon(even if it's final form was a let down and botw could've done more with the champions it was a great way of showing the curse that brought him back to life/getting to fight his physical form in totk.).

[@patrykjaskowski4226]

I find it interesting that the Master Emerald, capable of controlling the Chaos Emeralds is in fact native to 'Earth' and was part of the reason why the aliens even got onto the planet in the first place, it keeps this specific planet more special with the presence of such a powerful gem, but yeah I feel making the cyber space stages just the memory data of the characters that cyberspace repurposed into comprehensible terrain to be traversed a bit of a cop-out.

[@manixyz]

31:32 love that little editors note there... so true, thank you ChannelPup!

[@zeidxd6311]

damn , channelpup is Game Apologist's editor ?

[@wakeangel2001]

2 basic computer facts, 1: a "move" command is basically a copy command followed by a delete command, and 2: after being deleted a program still exists in a system until something overwrites it. This is relevant because it explains how Sage can be saved. When she moved herself from the island's systems into the last titan her data would still exist in those systems and Eggman found a way to recover her.

[@bladethehedgehog5322]

They could have had her death be final and the next games bad guy be a failed duplicate of her. The really didn't need to bring her back, it made her sacrifice a cop-out.

[@KraziShadowbear]

What frustrates me the most about this franchise (and I highly doubt it'll ever go away as SEGA, as a company are too prideful of themselves to allow it) is that they won't allow any story be told, established, canonized, and expanded on creatively. It's like a race car stopping and starting. It'll probably hit the finish line eventually, or it might even run through the wrong one! Ian Flynn could've (story-wise) written one of the BEST Sonic games ever, but because SEGA is still so controlling and "mandate-obsessed" (just look at aspects of the IDW Comics for more of their influence interrupting Ian Flynn's work again) that it felt "toned down" overall... However, after watching this video, I think he did the best with what he could with what they wanted him to do and what he was allowed to do. The philosophy in this is AMAZING when you think about it. Sonic the Hedgehog always has been that "always changing, essence of chaos" that you can never expect, with what the next Sonic game will be like or what he'll be like, or what his world and friends will be like from each new piece of media related to him. Death comes for us all, eventually. But Sonic keeps going, despite all the close calls and literal encounters with Death he's faced, eventually it'll catch up to him, and he still keeps going instead of giving up on life. It feels like SEGA is pretty much telling us secretly to prepare ourselves for whatever comes next after this game and its DLC. They're going another crazy direction once more, but with more focus, resolve, and resources than ever. Really glad you got to explore and dive into the story as a tried and true Sonic fan! Thank you Nick, once again. Can't wait to see your review of Frontiers as a game! :D Also can't wait what your thoughts on the DLC will be when it comes and is good or not. :)

[@sonicsprime2815]

The thumbnail looks great 👍

[@Steviation]

The egg memos are a really interesting insight into Eggman's development with Sage. Sage's flashback cutscenes near the end of the game hold a lot more meaning when you've listened through all the memos, so I wonder how well it would be received if those specific cutscenes were instead a hidden bonus for collecting them all. Maybe it's even what unlocks the post-credits teaser? That would require making the memos a natural part of open zone exploration instead of fishing to be worthwhile, but could make a great incentive for further exploration.

[@lasercraft32]

I know people don't like fake out deaths, and yeah I can see how they wouldn't be impressed with Sage somehow being alright after sacrificing herself... but personally I think that's fine. Sage has so much potential as a recurring Sonic character, and especially as a positive influence for Eggman moving forward. And I have _no issue_ with her surviving, because she's a sentient AI. Of course she can backup her memories to cyberspace, and it makes sense too because that's exactly what the Ancients did earlier in the story! Also, on a side note... isn't it interesting how "Sage" is just "Sega" but with the letters rearranged? I dunno if that's intentional or a coincidence, but its really neat! XD

[@lasercraft32]

I'm still holding on to hope that the final free update patch (the one that's supposed to add playable Amy, Tails, and Knuckles) will fix some of the missing parts of the story, such as them magically fixing Sonic at the end, and stuff like that.

[@toheee1234]

i like to think that the 'randomly' placed obstacles are placed by eggman to let some of his less-able robots get around

[@Howardpower679]

30:48 COME-ON NICK did you forget that the knuckles clan were echidna warriors???? We know forces sucked but knuckles is a soldier at heart and blood

[@sunky-rf9ut]

Funny thing,in the first teaser,the cyloop was hinted at all along!

[@FittedWhisper96]

41:21 how could you!?!😂😂😂

[@magicalpencil]

Give it a few years, and Tails will be going through peoples rubbish and making lady foxes scream at 3am. Sonic will have to have an awkward talk with him after Amy moves away

[@satelliteprime]

I legit choked on nothing when I saw this in my feed. Comics are awesome but, *man* I've missed your gaming deep dives.

[@VongolaXZax]

It's genuinely the best game I've seen, since SA2 and Unleashed story wise, and gameplay the most fun to experience in a long time. This is definitely something I always wanted in a Sonic game since forever.

[@MichelleJune]

The symbol looks like the Greek letters for omega and possibly Alpha Omega- the end Alpha- the beginning

[@zigzagintrusion]

22:55 THANK YOU!!! I’ve been saying that they didn’t really need to explain the map or even pinball lol They’re game mechanics and didn’t need a story

[@Brucifer2]

Finally got Frontiers so i can finally watch this video.

[@ShadowXeldron]

My headcanon regarding the Emeralds is that they're fallen stars, but my attempt to make sense of the changes to their lore immediate after beating the game was, ahem... So you know how Unleashed implies that the Sonic planet (which I like to call Mobius because a Möbius strip is a twisty loop, that and the fact that the name sounds cool) is in a neverending cycle of rebirth and destruction? Well, what if The End destroying the planet unleashed Dark Gaia to finish off anyone who didn't escape, while Light Gaia kickstarted its new formation. A few billion years later, the Ancients took a wrong turn at Uranus and ended up back where they started. It's a really stupid "theory" that barely works and as such I didn't take it seriously when I initially came up with it, but it's so dumb that I love it. I mean, it could be worse - my current headcanon regarding the Ancients' original planet is that what's left of it became an asteroid belt that eventually got turned into the Asteroid Coaster.

[@PlainSaber]

39:25 im glad i wasnt the only one who was dying when that flashback started with that goofy song playing. i dont think a single person found that scene emotional at all

[@shelleytaylor1896]

I think the end is representing order just like the beginning of the series showing how order is sometimes bad and chaos is sometimes good

[@danielgarciaescudero2862]

When Classic Sonic made a surprise cameo and said "Forget it Tails, it's Chinatown", I had to run to my room to deal with the excitement.