The (De?)-Evolution of Sonic's Character

[@chaomix]

Let me know which era had your favorite personality for the blue hedgehog! Also, huge thank you to Raycon for sponsoring this video! Go to buyraycon.com/chaomix for 15% off your order, plus free domestic or flat fee international shipping.

[@DiamondMiko]

Second

[@friedfrenchesisinyourwalls]

wait chaomix do you have a new art style instead of the adventure one now?

[@nintendokid7378]

Adventure and og classic sonic was peak

[@lukahmei2000]

1999-2009

[@Inactivechannel-r6]

Adventure-Heroes is my favorite but Frontiers has potential to be my favorite personality of him but I wanna see more of it

[@vladtepes1047]

I definitely love Sonic when he embodies the concept, "Just because you make jokes doesn't mean you can't be serious, and just because you're responsible doesn't mean you can't have fun."

[@UltimaShadowX]

It’s actually insane how well written Sonic was in Black Knight.

[@ZenithintheMaking]

Man that game was just so awesome in so many ways with the songs and Sonic cast variants. I would so be down for a sequel with Sonic coming back to their world 💯

[@rikibdgd4764]

he was well written if u count good writing as being good

[@DLxxx]

He was at his peak. His free spirited nature had evolved and matured throughout all of his adventures, and it all culminated in him being depicted as this super fun and thrill seeking hero, whose tempered by his own philosophy and the wisdom he's gained. So much of his dynamic with Merlina centered around him being this experienced hero who's past had prepared him for situations like hers. _"You can count on me! I mean, stuff like this happens to me all the time!"_ And to top it off, she was a great final antagonist for that era of the character too, because she had a worldview that fundamentally clashed with Sonic's in a meaningful way. Black Knight will always be an incredible denouement to the blue blur's development across the 2000's.

[@justalpha9138]

I love that game and each character's personalities. That game also made me ship SonAze before I knew what shipping was as a little kid, so there's that! Haha!

[@Sir_GrimReaper]

@@rikibdgd4764 ?????

[@shonenbois]

I feel the adventure games/Shonen era get Sonic’s character really well. Even outside the games stuff like the Idw comics get it right. Finally, Frontiers seems to have the right direction for Sonic’s character as well so I hope it’s more consistent in the future.

[@justinarzola4584]

I liked how he was in unleashed or 06 where he wants to help his friends and figure themselves out.

[@sonicstar917]

The IDW comics don't do him justice at all. He lets Eggman go after the crap with the Metal Virus. All because of the Mr. Tinker incident. He's also super-preachy. Especially with that first battle against Surge where he's standing on a rock with heavenly light shining down on him where he preaches his philosophy to Surge. That ain't Sonic.

[@jasonblack2477]

Black knight was peak

[@ZenithintheMaking]

​​@@sonicstar917 I think it was supposed to be a little bit of a fourth wall break so he could speak to us at the same time. When he was telling her that I was all like "oh yeah this is the Sonic I know"😂 but I guess him telling somebody else that "in story" is what people don't like

[@DLxxx]

Unleashed and Black Knight were Sonic at his best. It was the culmination of all his development, and gave us several important insights into what makes him such a compelling hero. It was some excellent stuff. IDW on the other hand, feels far more generic, preachy, and in some cases OOC. Like, the whole "no killing" nonsense did NOT used to be part of Sonic's character whatsoever. Yeah, he didn't kill literally everyone he fought, but that always came down to his personal judge of character. If he deemed someone worthy of death, he'd execute them without question (like he did with King Author, or the Zeti in Lost World).

[@DanielDdll]

I adored the way he way characterized in The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog. He felt so fun and mature and surprisingly inspiring! He kind of reminded me of Kamina in Gurren Lagann! Hope they can keep that feeling moving forward.

[@ZenithintheMaking]

I'll give you validation for making the statement. And for bringing up Kamina. You Are My people🎉

[@SMPandanic]

and that game was made BY THE SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM

[@jotanart]

I had never thought about the fact that he looks like kamina, but it is so true lmao

[@justalpha9138]

Frontiers Sonic was also fantastic

[@garupakyojin1361]

Glad someone mentioned the similarities between Kamina and Sonic. Heck I would go further and say the dynamic between Kamina and Simon is no different than Sonic and Tails. Simon even goes through the same character arc as Tails about believing yourself, only 10 times more manly and epic. You know what, fuck it, Gurren Lagann is the textbook example of what tone and direction Sonic stories should go for.

[@cakeghoul]

I just love how in Frontiers, Super Sonic is completely silent in battle. It really makes him feel like a powerhouse compared to regular Sonic. In general, Frontiers made me appreciate so many things about the Sonic series again. In the 2010s era, Super Sonic just felt like normal Sonic but could fly and was all glowy yellow, now he's on a whole new level of hype thanks to the better gameplay, the characterisation and the metalcore tracks. Side note: I've gotten so used to how Roger sounds in Frontiers I completely forgot how he sounded in the other games. That Lost World clip threw me for a loop.

[@BinglesP]

I like how he sounds in Frontiers. It fits the calm, quiet, almost-liminal feel of Frontiers.

[@cakeghoul]

@@BinglesP Oh I like how he sounds in Frontiers too, the voice direction was weird to me for most of the characters but it works wonders with Sonic and Eggman imo.

[@MrNeedleM0use]

I cant lie, the Shonen Sonic and Darker Sonic are my favorites. He was taken so much more seriously as an in game character and wasn't a joke (his games were according to a lot of people but he as a character was not). Especially Unleashed and Black Knight, they nail Sonic and Im so to see that this Sonic could be coming back with his interpretation in Frontiers!

[@sonicthehedgehog1606]

​@Kian he can be both

[@sonicthehedgehog1606]

@Kian 50/50 perhaps?

[@-KORAL_ZERO]

@kian7406 so we all agree unleashed intro/ black knight intro/ CD intro is peak sonic?

[@bowmaj8666]

From about 06 to Black Knight, I honestly thinking that Sonic was portrayed as kind of dull and boring.

[@bowmaj8666]

@Kian Yep! I still thought that he was dull in those. Just spouting motivational quotes to characters who barely even resemble Sonic characters who will never be seen, heard of or mentioned ever again.

[@TronicSSJ07]

Sonic is basically a Shonen Protagonist with a flat character arc. On the surface, he’s cocky, snarky, impatient, and a little rude, but they don’t affect who he really is, a determined, caring, adventure-loving hero who lives life to the fullest. I like to believe that Sonic is a child in the 90s, a teen in the 2000s, and an Adult in the current games. I hope we get a series covering every other character.

[@JeremyBelpoisX]

The 2000s had it all. SA1&2, Heroes, Unleashed, Storybook duology... and of course, SONIC X! This was my intro to Sonic and I will always defend all that I love about it. Even Chris. I like to think if we take the good of all eras, we can all get along and help keep this way past cool hero an icon for ages. Toot toot, Sonic Warriors.

[@justinarzola4584]

It's funny how the storytelling went bad once they ditched the japanese writers and get two Americans who knew nothing about the series.

[@JeremyBelpoisX]

@Justin Arzola Ah, Pontac and Graff...if you didn't want to write Sonic, why did you apply for the job? So happy that Ian Flynn is doing this franchise justice. I haven't read the Archie or IDW books (dirt poor) but from what I've read about the man himself and his work, he has a deep passion and respect for Sonic and his world (HIS WORLD!)

[@justinarzola4584]

@@JeremyBelpoisX his Archie run was great, it referenced other sonic media, made scourge an interesting character and did away with all the bad melodrama of the penders era, Flynn saved both the comics and the games.

[@amesstarline5482]

​@@justinarzola4584 That makes it two Kens that don't care about Sonic who have written for Sonic- Pontac and Penders.

[@amesstarline5482]

​@@justinarzola4584 I wouldn't give all of the credit to Flynn for the success of Archie and eventual trust in IDW. He may've led a consistent era, but at the cost of IDW being afraid of committing to anything and feeling a little cramped, while Archie had faults with Worlds Unite and a mixed-pacing attempt at the Shattered World Crisis. I also wouldn't generalize all of pre-Flynn Archie as the fault of Penders- Most of early Archie was very newspaper-y, the Penders umbrella gave us Issue 150 (both the origin of Holo-Nicole and creepy Scourge/Anti-Sonic), many other backups, and Jon Gray appears to be one of the first to weave in game elements with Return to Angel Island. What helps Sonic as a brand work is cooperation, and there was more of that in later-Archie and IDW than earlier.

[@sonicthehedgehog1606]

I believe there should be a balance of goofy/ self-awareness to mature/seriousness. Some game having goof tone while othere having a mature tone, or some with both.

[@ZenithintheMaking]

It's not like we want him to not make us laugh from time to time. It's just that we don't want him to try so hard. It should come naturally with his natural edge😎

[@sonicthehedgehog1606]

@@ZenithintheMaking lik i said. Balance

[@SockyNoob]

Agreed

[@BinglesP]

@@ZenithintheMaking Yeah. That kind of code switching *is* a real thing, after all.

[@jamiegioca9448]

@@ZenithintheMaking Like when he said "You've turned into a BIG TIME villain, doctor!" in SA2. He sounded so zesty for no apparent reason, I love it

[@pencilvoid]

I like that in recent media they're allowing Sonic to show personality flaws and weaknesses. It's a great way to make him more relatable and empathetic and give him the capacity for more serious and sincere interactions while still allowing him to be a snarky jokester and a hero we can all look up to when needed. This is probably just me, but I'd like to see a future game go even more in-depth with character interactions. I wanna learn what makes these guys tick, why they get out of bed in the morning, what they're really afraid of. I think it'd add a lot to the series and its narrative.

[@bowserbreaker2515]

My 3 favorite Sonic's are: 3. SA2 for being just what he said, "A guy that loves adventure." 2. Black Knight for feeling like an expansion of that. 1. Archie for fully exploring every single part of his character with something new.

[@sezunemizuhana3870]

I will personally always love how Sonic's characterized in Archie, specifically written by Flynn. Black Knight Sonic is incredible, too.

[@rickyronny4019]

That’s prolly why Frontiers Sonic was so well written. Ian Flynn wrote it

[@DarkSage861]

The funny thing about Sonic and Tails weird feud in the Japanese version of Lost World, they try to make it to where Tails is mad at Sonic teaming with Eggman because he wants to hold on his own and be dependent and they even changed one scene where Sonic is actually mad at Tails with how he's acting. It must've been very hard for Sega of Japan to keep the characteristics of everyone consistent for a full decade when they had such strange writing

[@yggdrasilsaltar]

i think its strange how theres never really been a characterization of sonic that everyone has enjoyed, even in outside material like IDW (which for a while was known as the best version of sonic if my memories right) so i think topics like these are really interesting because it shows who sonic is and it varies from person to person

[@JeremyBelpoisX]

I don't know who said it, but trying to please everyone will end up pleasing no one. SEGA needs to steer clear of never-fans like Game Grumps and more towards true spirit fans like us.

[@DLxxx]

IDW Sonic has a lot of problems with his characterization (namely, he's much more generic, less nuanced, and more preachy), so hearing that bums me out a bit. They do try harder than the games at least though, so that's something.

[@RSA-zv9hd]

I agree with you on the return to form but also the balance of humor and wittiness. Sonic is the guy who can balance his heroic and sensitive side but also his humorous and cockiness as well. It was makes his character more iconic when he can be serious in a situation but also show his funny side and compassionate nature. I love how you describe how he is in frontiers because it’s how I feel about him in this game.

[@spin08]

My personal favorite personality of Sonic has to be the way he was in SA2. I dunno, somethin about the way he just has charisma and seriousness mixed into a little blue package is just cool. Pair that with Ryan and Jun'i'chi's voices in their respective languages and you have one of the best gaming personalities in the world. Sonic was also great in Black Knight with his added sense of maturity and empathy for the people he helped.

[@ZenithintheMaking]

It was super dope how he jumped off the helicopter, used the metal as a board, started spinning in the air like a helicopter upside down, and then he looked at the camera did a little smile while looking at us upside down and continued falling. OH MAN THAT WAS TOO COOL😎😭

[@spin08]

@@ZenithintheMaking Iconic af

[@agentomecha634]

While I don’t completely hate the 2010’s writing, it was still plagued with tons of issues such as mis-characterization of already pre-established characters, and just bad storytelling in general. I’m definitely glad that it seems we’re slowly returning to a type of storytelling and characterization the older games had.

[@bowmaj8666]

I still stand by that it's only like that because of all the nitpicky complaints from haters, detractors and overly critical critics, even when the writing was arguably at its best.

[@DLxxx]

I'm genuinely curious: what positive takeaways came from the writing in the 2010's? That sort of stance isn't super common, so it'd be interesting to get some perspective on that.

[@bowmaj8666]

@@DLxxx One thing that I always liked in Sonic Colours was Sonic and Tails' chemistry together. Sure, people always like to complain about the corny jokes, but the way that Sonic and Tails interact with each other feels genuine. They joke around, they playfully tease each other, like best friends do, and yet they're genuinely concerned for one another, like when Tails pushes Sonic out of the way of Eggman's mind control beam, and Sonic seems actually worried about him. "C'mon Tails! Snap out of it dude! You don't wanna do this! Tails, buddy! Are you alright?" I don't know, we just hadn't seen this level of interaction between these two since probably Sonic Heroes. Tails throughout the dark age felt like nothing more than an exposition dump! There's also Sonic's concern over the Wisps, which is reminiscent of Sonic rescuing the little animals in the older games; something that we didn't see much of after those. "That's pretty low! Even for a sleazeball like Eggman!" "Don't worry! We'll get 'em out!" "You know, I don't like what you're doing to my friends in there! It's messed up! So I'm gonna mess you up!" I can totally imagine Sonic saying stuff like that about the little animals in the older games. And I think that Roger Craig Smith pulls those lines off brilliantly. He's a decent voice actor, but people never give him credit where credit is due because of "Baldy Nose Hair!"

[@jamiegioca9448]

​@@DLxxx My personal favorite: "NO COPYRIGHT LAW IN THE UNIVERSE IS GOING TO STOP ME!"

[@oatatus4102]

Bowmaj well spoken, 90% of sonic fans don't know what they want

[@BinglesP]

Sonic is genuinely such an awesome character when done right. They really made sure that even if he's the main character in a series full of detailed personalities, he doesn't get overlooked as the 'basic hero moving the story along'.

[@GoldenGrenadier]

Classic sonic always came off as a rageholic when I was a kid since his eyes always showed anger and impatience.

[@kaxcommentssomethingREAL]

his character sprites tell a lot on the early games in the series Sonic 1: Looks mad as hell Sonic 2: a little less mad looking but still wants to get things done Sonic 3: absolutely chill looking, not even mad, going along with everything that happens

[@ZenithintheMaking]

I think I kind of favor being gone with. In Sonic X anime and in the recent The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog they both make a point saying that he likes relax and lay low sometimes. He likes going fast but it's not like he hates slowing down and taking a nap when he has the time✨👍

[@mad_quack]

I always thought he was angry as a kid as well 🤣

[@ozzie_theotter]

​@@mad_quack I'd be angry too if my friends were imprisoned in metal caskets

[@DemonDethchase]

Despite the fact Sonic's character took a dive during the 2010s, one must give huge credit to the Japanese writers for doing their best to keep the blue hedgehog true to himself, despite the unstable foundation put out by Pontaff, which really does have me wonder why Sega Of America insist on ruining Sonic strictly for the West. Especially when you consider his current voice direction with him sounding normal in the social media shorts, then swapping for an older sounding voice for Frontiers (so as to create the illusion they're talking things seriously), then its back to the normal voice for the social media short. Meanwhile the Japanese voice acting for the character is consistent across the board. 12:37 by doing what exactly? All Tails did in Frontiers was complain about the past decade, even though there was that Shadow Self in Cyberspace he spoke of, that could have been used as the final hurdle for his redemption arc when trying to save Sonic's soul elevating both Tails and Sonic being cured of cyber corruption, if the fox cub were actually playable in the game. But because he's not they do nothing with either the Shadow Self or the fox cub, and the cyber corruption scene falls flat with it being something straight out of the Meta Era with how much of a non factor it proved be, with it being a blink and you miss it with its "lets all hold hands and use the Power of Friendship!" resolution. I suppose Knuckles came across abit more interesting in Frontiers, with him expressing an interest in finding out more about his tribe in the Japanese version. As apposed to the English version which it makes it seem like he's never been off the island to go on adventures at all and is running away from his duties to "live a little." But he really should have been playable and actually allowed to do things in the story, along with Tails and Amy.

[@Moleoflands]

The "I'm wildly inconsistent" was an admittance they have run his character wrong for too long

[@DemonDethchase]

@@Moleoflands If trying to fix Tails was so important shouldn't have actually been done in the main story instead of it being, "we acknowledge we've mishandled Tails so we'll fix him in the next mainline game after Frontiers, maybe." Actions speak louder than words. Also as I never actually said it, the cyber corruption is just a poor man's re-run of the Flame of Judgement from Secret Rings

[@RealHyperHedgehog]

Sonic’s character is what makes him unique. It’s part of the appeal of the franchise.

[@JustAnotherMike_]

Maekawa's Sonic is peak And while I have problems with how some characters are handled in Frontiers _(cough cough Amy and Tails)_ Sonic is handled great He was also really solid in early IDW during the Neo-Metal arc. Ian can write a very accurate "shonen" Sonic when he's pushed to Though as we've seen in Archie and current IDW, his personal take on Sonic is much more of a grandiose, lecturing, moralizing superhero type who tries to talk-no-jutsu his enemies into good guys And I really don't care for Ian's personal take on Sonic at all. I can't stand his "holier than thou" attitude and smug demeanor Luckily, Sonic Team will probably have Ian on a tight enough leash that it won't become an issue in the games *For any IDW superfans, I wanna say I like Ian's writing for the most part. I just have some issues with his characterization of Sonic and Amy in particular. He's still a solid writer (even if he has some other issues outside the scope of this discussion)*

[@DemonDethchase]

Compared to the Japanese version, which sees Amy wanting to better herself and becomes a charming lady, Ian Flynn turned Amy into Mr. Burns when high on painkillers! All I can think of for the English version is her travelling around going "I bring you love!" Even though she was already spreading the love where she went without needing to explicitly state it, like the audience doesn't have a brain to see what her actions mean. Also what's the deal with making Amy sound like an old woman in the English version, and almost a bit like a Karen when talking to Sage, insisting that Sonic would never endanger the world!?

[@lazure694]

Exactly my thoughts. Don't get me wrong, I really liked that Amy and Tails are finally getting another step-up in their characters and hopefully can get out of the status quo imposed by so many years before Frontiers, but the fact that Ian Flynn of all people has a prominent role in dictating WHAT this step-up is for these characters scare me a little. Like you said, he's not a bad writer at all, but his version of Sonic, Amy, Tails, hell, even Eggman, feels so much more different than what they were shaping to be in SA2 and Unleashed. Sonic's "holier than thou" attitude as you call it can be so irritating and I REALLY wouldn't want it to be an actual thing in the games, specially if we are introduced to new villains CREATED by Ian in some way.

[@DemonDethchase]

@@lazure694 with me saying about the Japanese and English versions of Frontiers being different, here's the scene of Knuckles talking about being the last of his kind, and I can't help but think it's a case of how the West was worse ENG Knuckles: Ages ago my people were wiped out by a cataclysm. I know the Koco faced something similar. It reminds me I'm the last Echidna. That I'm alone. Sonic: You may be the last but you're not alone. You've got us, Knucklehead. Knuckles: I'll admit. I do envy your lifestyle. Freedom to go where you want, when you want. Sonic: So do it! Get out there and live a little. Knuckles: Maybe I could... but first, I need to be back to normal. So hurry up, and get me back to normal! Sonic: Anything to get you away from me! JPN Knuckles: Long ago, my tribe was wiped out by a catastrophe... and these are the only people on this island... It reminds me that I am the last of the Echidna tribe... Sonic: I still remember the history of the Echidna tribe... They thrived on the Master Emerald, right? Knuckles: I know nothing of my relatives' origins... I just know that protecting the Master Emerald is all that matters... Sonic: It was a long time ago. No wonder you don't know, right? Knuckles: No. As heir to the Master Emerald, it is my duty to know their origins. It's worth risking my life for! Sonic: Sure! When you get your body back. With the English version, it makes it seem like Knuckles has never left Angel Island and gone off on adventures with Sonic all around the world and beyond it, thus making his desire to runaway from his duties and "live a little," seem very out of character and selfish, with him saying about how he "envies Sonic's lifestyle," and wants some of that for himself. While the Japanese version sees him showing more of a desire to find out his clan, plus even at the end, before they leave the Starfall Islands, he explicitly states, "and I'll do my duty as part of the Echidna clan!" With him wanting to do right by his ancestors, rather than run off to chase selfish desires.

[@LexStormA]

12:05 To be honest, I'm still on that discussion. Sonic Frontiers' story might have been better than Forces, but I still find it repeats many of the mistakes that game made. None of the stakes set out in this game really exists. The mystery behind Sage's character is answered almost immediately, and sums it up to her just being another Eggman robot. Which in turn takes away from the story when the central antagonist can be pointed to Eggman's meddling, as opposed to fighting some unknown force that would have added to the game's mystery. Titans are the big threat of the game but only attack Sonic when Eggman's loli says so, and then gives up after the first chase, basically waiting for Sonic to collect the emeralds and transform into an enraged, tiny yellow god and kill them. Sonic's cyber corruption has about as much weight in the story as Tails being turned into a cyborg in Lost World. The story wants us to feel for Sage's character but she spends the majority of the game being cryptic, and the bulk of her development is cramped into scenes where she casually talks with Eggman. And it culminates in a flashback scene that has more fans laughing than crying because of how unearned it is. The End is probably one of the blandest twist villains in history. The game goes out of it's way to develop Eggman as a character while also leaving him out of 98% of the story. Sonic's friends are still cheerleaders, just that this time they have an in universe reason for it. The "origin story" of the emeralds explains so little you might as well say they were just always there. In fact the story gives up and says that about the Master Emerald anyway. Much like Forces, the game likes to promise a lot of interesting things that could happen, but we never reach it. Titan battles are definitely the best Super Sonic fights now, but that has to do with the action scenes, not the story or characterizations. If Super Sonic casually bopped their weak points to generic orchestra, it wouldn't change the story in anyway. When it comes to characterization, Sonic's not like he was in the 2010s, sure, but he isn't anymore interesting either. Part of what made Sonic's character work is that he's a teenager. He has flaws and he gets in over his head a lot of times. His heroic nature is the thing that prevails DESPITE those two issues existing. In Frontiers, he's just a seasoned hero going through the motions. He doesn't make mistakes outside of trying a thing, figuring out it doesn't work, and crossing it off the list. When it comes to conflict, he just always has the answer When his friends are gone and a mysterious voice tells him what happened to them, and how to free them, there's no suspicion. There's no trust. It's just "it's a direction so I might as well", and he presses on with the mindset that, if the voice betrays him, he'll just stop them too. Then there's Sage, the one literally sending all the story's problems his way. He just automatically understands that she's not a bad person and decides to be unreasonably patient with helping her. In fact, he basically acts as the "therapist" for all his friends cause he always knows the answer. Speaking of his friends, Sonic's interaction with them was the best part of the story. But I still have a hard time calling it good. Because it's mostly about addressing past issues and giving them an "arc" to grow as characters. Again, more promises. Because it's not like Amy having more to do than being in love with Sonic, Knuckles traveling the world instead of guarding the emerald, and Tails standing up for himself are things they never done before. Instead of telling us that they'll be like that next time, why not just WRITE them like that this time? It's a similar issue with them referencing past games so much. Sonic's franchise has gone through major tone changes. You don't need to tie it altogether, just start fresh and people will understand. Anything good about them in the story hinges on their supposed "training arc" and how they'll act next story. So again, can't say anything about it. Ultimately, I feel like the tone and characterization Frontiers had has definitely changed from the 2010s, but it hasn't improved. It's still the same boring crap you stop paying attention to after the first time you experience it. It's a different direction, but it's just as safe as the last one.

[@simmieautomatic8353]

I feel this....

[@ProtoBrown]

Wow, it’s impressive how you can spew so much but also be so wrong in the process.

[@jamiegioca9448]

​@@ProtoBrown I kinda agree with that last part. Sega has yet to dip their toes deeper back into that writing style

[@SirSov3r3ign]

I agree with this so much.

[@Fall-oo6mt]

​@@jamiegioca9448still better than what we had

[@scientistservant]

His characterization from the Adventure games is my favourite. Shonen!Sonic is what I believe he’s all about: heroism, selflessness, and protecting Earth’s nature.

[@CollTwinlife2021]

chaomix and Johnny vector are the best sonic youtubers

[@Mr_HammerExe]

Don’t forget Nick the Game Apologist!

[@Sub_3690]

Since sonic adventure 2 is my favourite game of all time, sa2 sonic is probably my favourite because he is just peak sonic to me, but black knight sonic is close second

[@DarkBloodAssa]

Not a coincidence, as both games were written by Shiro Maekawa. Maekawa is just peak Sonic.

[@SilverSpireZ]

I'm fine with both serious Sonic and light-hearted Sonic. As long as the writing supports it, either one can work. There's a reason why so few people complain about Sonic's portrayal in Heroes compared to the 2010s, for instance... As of right now, I'm just happy that for the first time in over a decade, I'm happy with Sonic.

[@shupasopni]

The times where he talked about the super power of teamwork were few, but kinda lame tho.

[@Shmicah1235]

"What you see is what you get! Just a guy that lobes adventure!" -Sonic the Hedgehog This to me captures his character so well, especially in the setting in which it's spoken (a battle for the world.) Sonic is putting his life on the line, but despite knowing how scary and important it is, he stays positive and carefree anyway Sonic always represents courage and freedom to me, the importance of putting on a strong face for those you love, but also being humble enough to ask for help. I feel like that was lost somewhere along the way.

[@Shmicah1235]

Oh my God, *loves

[@SSBFan33-i3b]

Jason Griffith was the Sonic I grew up with and he really did a good job as Sonic especially in Sonic X, 06 (depending on how you feel), Secret Rings (even through it sucks), Unleashed, and Black Knight. Though I have to admit Ryan Drummond did a good job for the Adventure games.

[@furious_pie466]

Honestly sonics personality is one of the reasons why I never give critics the benefit of the doubt because they’re constantly mocked and made fun of ANYTHING Sonic team tried to do complaining The character is a cartoon so why should it be serious and that eventually led to EVERYTHING That made sonic and the series it’s self to just be gone all because the critics couldn’t be bothered to actually understand the series and actually learn how to play instead of jumping in bottomless pits every second I know IGN has recently made an apology but the one thing I have been asking myself ever since that happened is can they really be trusted

[@supersonicboy.941]

I’m not gonna lie, I really like Sonic’s personality from Sonic unleashed and Sonic and the black knight because it shows us that sonic really care someone and he also really care to his friends, like his best friend and a brother Tails, Knuckles, Amy, or his other friends. I really wish that Jason Griffith would voice Sonic again because he’s my favorite Sonic voice actor.

[@bowmaj8666]

I disagree. In Unleashed his attitude towards his friends is pretty much this. "Hi Amy! Bye Amy!" "Oh Tails! Um... Long time no see.... Err... Can you go away now! I've got to go and save the world.... But you can't come.... Cos nobody in the real world likes you! Ok, you can fly the tornado and clack away on your iPad, but that's about it! I've got a new cutesy flying sidekick for this adventure!" As for his relationship with Chip, they just meet, slap a high five, and BAMM, instant BFF'S! I just didn't find Chip that interesting, and I personally felt that he was more annoying than Tails, which is ironic because it felt like Tails was sidelined in that game because of all the whiney fan boys complaining that "Sonic's stupid friends are annoying!"

[@TheKusa5]

Shonen Sonic will always remain my favorite, but I love every personality he's had before the 2010s, Classic Sonic (Specifically Toei Sonic in the intro and ending for Sonic CD) mix of cockiness, coolness, and confidence is great to me for example, I despise his personality so much between colors and forces.

[@paulusiilonga1398]

Honey wake up ! Chaomix uploaded a video.

[@Vegitodraws]

My favorite personality is one you didn't mention, Archie Sonic. Archie Sonic had such an ego it was self destructive in multiple ways, and they way it expressed itself in certain situations made him compelling to read. Like, sometimes his ego would be amusing, sometimes it manifests in him roasting the bad guy of the week, other times you wanted him to stfu. Then, when his ego is challenged by villains (typically resulting in failure) he snaps. But over the course of Archie comics, his ego drops more and more until he's more mature and humble. That's my favorite Sonic

[@Scream_Lord]

If we wanna talk about Sonic's personality being balanced between funny and serious and the settings to match that, I would point at SatAM and the better written issues or the Archie comics. In these settings we have a Sonic that was orphaned along with his childhood friends by Eggman/Robotnik when they were very young. But even tho the world is in dire straight and the future uncertainly bleak he still finds more than enough room to crack wise and joke like any other iteration of the character. But he also has genuine emotional moments, getting sad, angry, and even cries sometimes when appropriate such as when they failed to free his Uncle Chuck in SatAM or when Sally, his love interest, straight up got gunned down and died in the comics just before the Genesis wave inadvertently saved her. These series has a rollercoaster of development for the character and its a shame we don't get anything for them anymore

[@PoisonedOkami]

It honestly feels like Sonic has become more of a comedian than a rebellious badass over the recent years

[@mediamuncher69]

1991-2009 was Sonic, and the rest of his friends were peak characters right here and stories!

[@theanimatedone2313]

I think the Adventure, Dark, and Shonen era especially get Sonic. Black Knight having what I consider the best--no, the GREATEST Sonic characterization we ever had. Ultimately though, I don't blame the characters for this constant shifting...

[@chantingmammal]

I think it's definitely the Games from 1998-2009 and Sonic Frontiers where Sonic is at the best for me, and looking back, I feel like the Adventure Games/Shonen Era and Sonic Frontiers gets Sonic's character really well and the IDW comics too, and I'm fline with both serious Sonic and light-harted Sonic, As long as the writing supports it, either one can work, and like you said, I'm exicted to see what the next game brings for Sonic's personallity, but anyways, I believe that Sonic's personality should be a balance of Goofy/Self-Awareness to Seriousness, and as always, Great Video Chaomix! Stay Safe!

[@Redstonestudios707]

Moral of the story: Sonic needs to be serious in order to survive. Though an occasional joke won't hurt, I STRONGLY believe Sonic needs a more serious and dire/gritty/dark/action tone.

[@DemonDethchase]

Though it has to be done the right way, which doesn't involve making Sonic sound older than what he should be, because it comes across more like faux seriousness when you consider other voice actors like Ryan, Jason and Jun'ichi could all sell serious stories within their natural range. While I am not a fan of Roger, as I believe he's miscast as Sonic, but the older voice is no doubt down Sega of America's direction, to which I say, stop it! Because it comes across as trying way too hard, and more like overcorrecting from the Meta Era than something thats actually genuine and true. Especially when the Japanese cast still sounded the same in Frontiers.

[@dachel683]

meh, i like the goofiness.

[@dngr_4209]

But at the same time he’s a blue cartoony hedgehog

[@Redstonestudios707]

@Demon Dethchase Agreed!

[@DemonDethchase]

@@dngr_4209 and the Swat Kats are cartoony cats, and Disney's Robin Hood and Sherlock Hound are cartoony foxes, but that doesn't stop them from not making everything a joke and taking themselves seriously when the situation calls for it, with a bit of a joke being made after action was over to lighten the mood. So why can't Sonic as well?

[@KOTSOSMC2002]

In the Classic Era his characterization was all over the place. Fleetway Sonic, Archie Sonic, SatAM Sonic, OVA Sonic, Underground Sonic, they're all practically unrecognizable when compared to each other, there wasn't really a concrete way to portray the character aside from a little note saying "impatient with attitude". In 1998 up to 2005 Sonic was pretty much a character that didn't really evolve to a notable degree and just got thrown around different scenarios, he was a static character, with the supporting cast doing all the heavy lifting in terms of goals, longtime arcs and overall growth of character (prime example of this is Tails and Shadow in this time span), which is why characters such as Blaze, Knuckles, Shadow and Tails were infinitely more interesting, entertaining and fun to follow than Sonic himself. He was the main character but he wasn't the interesting one. 2006 up to 2009 is Sonic at his best as a character. Incredibly defined in his traits and attributes but also an evolving individual, with growth he should have received in previous entries retroactively but naturally reflecting on his portrayals at that time. Uncontrollable impatience, cringy one liners, kinda rude and annoying demeanor, those are character traits that fit his 1998-2005 portrayals but not his 2006-2009 portrayals (which is also one of the reasons why His World is an infinitely more fitting theme song for Sonic than It Doesn't Matter), his whole character felt much more mature and fitting, he got actually engaging in this time frame. 2010-2017 was a damn mess, easily the most messy Sonic's ever been in terms of characterization. IDW and Frontiers saved it afterwards, thank God, Sonic as a protagonist is intriguing again.

[@amesstarline5482]

As someone who read a lot of 2010s Archie, I'd have to give it some credit for at least giving some backing to the trust in Flynn and crew. Even if Flynn joined in around 2006.

[@MelonHoard]

Sonic's personality can be really inconsistent but I'm glad they're making it more like his IDW counterpart.

[@justalpha9138]

The early 2000's era really did showcase Sonic best in my opinion, and its for that reason why I had so much fun playing Frontiers.

[@thegeth4293]

My headcanon >Classic era: sonic is a kid with a special abilities starting out in his calling of being a hero >Adventure and dark age: sonic is a cocky teenage hero on the hunt for world saving adventures >Meta era: sonic is reluctant to grow up and desperately trying to regress into his youth >Frontiers and beyond: sonic has come to terms that he's an adult now and he has to develope discipline to do his duty as a hero

[@sonicthehedgehog1606]

After seeing the video. Now i blame the critics.

[@bowmaj8666]

Blame the people who have been bitching, whining and moaning about the most trivial things, like Sonic's eye colour, his voice and the fact that he has friends, and blame the people at Sega for thinking that these people deserve to be catered to.

[@DuckyVonSoto]

My favorite personality for Sonic was from sonic adventure to sonic x. I felt like that gave the most accurate portrayal of him from the classics while giving him a fresh new take as well. I like the sonic boom show, but it doesn't work with Sonic's character. But like you said, I'm excited to see what the next game brings.

[@CableSpark872]

I think my favorite version of Sonic is from Dreamcast to DS, specially Rush. Something that I don't like about IDW Sonic is how he feels more like a traditional american super hero, almost like it's his job to ensure everyone is ok at all times and that he and the rest are some kind of elite force always pendant of what Eggman is up to, never forgetting to tell the kids to eat their veggies after saving the day once more. Sonic was way more laid-back in those stories, not an anti-hero or something, he had a rock solid moral compass, but he wasn't a hero, he was just "a guy who loves adventure", and also had an aspect that has been long forgotten since, he was an introvert! Now, that didn't mean that he didn't want his friends around, or that he was shy or something, but he prefered to be on his own, enjoying nature and life in general, as that's what he represents. He was also very wise and emotionally intelligent, he knew how to help people in trouble, and not only with their tangible problems, but their emotional problems, because that's the way he is, it was in his nature to be a positive influence on people and the world itself, his contributions to Blaze's arc in Sonic Rush were genuinely heart touching, and also the endings of both story book games. There's some videos which go more in depth about this version of Sonic (which we could dub "OG/JP" Sonic, because this was the original interpretation of Sonic on the japanese game scripts, lore and Sonic X from until around Colors), those are: almost every single one of Pariah 695's story analysis, but specially a video that made me tear up called "What is it with Sonic?", and Fukurou-Hoseki's videos dissecting Sonic's personality, I really recommend to check them out!

[@AquaBlueTea]

A lot of people seem to not realize that Sonic is a Flat character. Although Frontiers is a good step in the right direction, the characterization of everyone in that game are still the same things we’ve been getting in the 2010s, it’s just better dialogue. This video does a great job at explaining the faults of Sonic Frontiers’ writing and characterization

[@Hugo-yz1vb]

The Mera Era will always be the embodimet of "you don't know what you have until you loose it"

[@Violetstar42]

My favorite era in terms of characterization is from 1998-2006, I liked seeing the Sonic characters in darker scenarios but then again I'm like that with Franchises in general.

[@thesmilingman7576]

4:58 ramming into his brain until he's concussed enough to be reasoned with

[@jamiegioca9448]

I interpret this as Sonic wearing Chaos off so he'll calm down and hear him out

[@tomaszhallay6653]

My favourite interpetation of Sonic outside of the games is probably the one in the 1996's "Journey to Eggmanland" and "Sonic Vs Metal Sonic". He's kind of like the middle ground between his laid back, mature and calm Japanese version, and a cocky, temperemental teen of the West, leaning a bit into the latter, but only a bit. The opening scene is a gereat example, Sonic is simoultanously a bit of a jerk who doesn't really take anything all that seriously, but also shows confidence in his friends, believing tails can help the Old Man on his own, before jumping into action the second Tails seems to be incapable of handling the situation on his own. He's shown to care for people he doesn't even like, since in the afermentioned scene, he save The Old Man without hesitation, and considers Hyper Metal Sonic's deed of saving him proof that the machine does have a heart. Overall, I love this Sonic, it helps that he's like a million times funnier in this 90 minute Direct-To-DVD anime pilot with his exaggerated animation and deadpan reactions than in the past *10 years* of games, holy shit Graff and Pontacc, what is wrong with you?

[@fonsales5373]

I honestly don't know what everyone has with the cutscenes in Frontiers. I know they're not great, but they still look better than Sonic Colors or Sonic Lost World. I found them more empty there than in Frontiers. In Frontiers, the cutscenes finally felt like something I wanted. The camera angle, the expressions, the emotions... Admittedly I say this as a Sonic fan, but even as an outsider I would have been happier about it if I had seen the Sonic Forces cutscenes before.

[@amesstarline5482]

I do kind of wish they were more comfortable with letting Sonic's brow-ridge move and for the hands to just be more expressive, but I say that as a Comics fan.

[@shadow.3xereactions518]

Honestly out of all discussions on Sonic character this is one of best ones I've seen. Honestly I like all stages of Sonic's character over the years as it shows not matter how he was portrayed he still left a impact on all generations tho I'm not a big fan on Sonic frontier direction with some characters I can say I'm excited what comes next.

[@benmalsky9834]

I'm SO glad he admitted that the 2010s portrayal DOES have it's fans. I started getting into Sonic right around that time.

[@johnnypollack3243]

Love the video and keep up the great work chaomix

[@thesmilingman7576]

9:48 he at least contributed in someway in Colors by trying to translate what Yacker says so they aren't completely lost

[@JomaXZ]

Aside from the stuff Ian Flynn has done, I find myself enjoying how Sonic is written in Unleashed and Black Knight the most. Those two got it juuuuuust right for me personality wise.

[@amesstarline5482]

No wonder Reboot wanted to adapt Unleashed, beyond the ideas of a shattered world.

[@dominiclowe3640]

Everything you said about boom sonic and boom in general was 100% spot on

[@AuraSparks]

Thanks Chaomix! Adventure 1 is probably my favorite Sonic

[@littenfire3563]

Nailed it Chaomix. The 2010s has always felt like an unofficial reboot to the series sadly

[@tweakPTCG]

Watching this video just made me hate Classic Sonic fans and critics back then. They literally ruined the series with their hate of the more serious storylines

[@myleswelnetz6700]

Sonic’s character is only getting better over time, but the same thing can’t be said for some of the other characters, such as Tails and Dr. Eggman.

[@alejjtheninja5803]

I have a sort of thought process when it comes to Sonic's character and age across his history, which I like to separate by VA, since characterisation is pretty consistent across each of their careers. Ryan's Sonic is the youngest, at about 13-15. He's headstrong and rushes quickly into danger, and relishes a challenging adventure. He cares for and trusts his friends, but his young-boy coolness makes him feel just a little more important at times. He's not some cocky caricature though, he recognises and treats serious moments with respect, and he believes in a good ending for everyone. Except Eggman. Jason's Sonic builds off of Ryan's, he's older now, 17-18, and he has more knowledge and experiences under his belt. He sees the value of life, and chooses to be a hero simply because he wants people to have the chance to live life. (Heh.) He's been alongside his friends for longer and recognises their value even more, but he's still young, happy and chill, just like before. He's naturally cool now, no effort on his part to stand out. My personal favourite iteration of the 'hog, since this is where his golden heart shines the brightest. Roger's Sonic, like Chaomix said, is a rebooted Sonic, pulling from the cocky and goofy elements of Ryan's Sonic. This guy is about 19-20, a young adult who gets by in life having fun doing what he loves, cracking jokes and hanging with his friends, just casually. He still has that sense of justice and heroism, but every adventure is just another fun day at work to him. Now, Roger's Sonic in Frontiers is sort of a soft reset of his character, indeed a course correct. He's matured much more now, a solid 21 years of age, with 6 years of experience under his belt since Heroes (which is where we last learned everyone's ages I believe). He takes more from previous Sonics, but he also matures from Roger's typical Sonic, evident by his interactions with his friends. Arguing with Amy and supporting her desire to spread joy, chiding and mocking Knuckles, but affirming that he'll always be there for him, and reassuring Tails when he starts to doubt himself, acting like his older bro for real (one of my favourite parts of the game). This Sonic is a new Sonic that takes into account every Sonic adventure (hah) to date, and cooks up something new for us. The tone is muted in this game, but there's a depth that feels good to see. Damn that was long, my bad, but that's my headcanon regarding Sonic over the years. Hope you... liked it I guess.

[@rayyanfarooqi2167]

While I dont hate much of Sonic in the 2010s I really do appreciate going back to that 2000s approach seriously I loved how Sonic acted in Frontiers

[@benmalsky9834]

Sonic's 2010s characterization I think was them attempting to make him more of a Spider-Man type hero, the way Spider-Man likes to make quips at his enemies.

[@thedarknessboy720]

Dude your really amazing sonic KZbinr you idea's is fantastic ❤

[@natoriousthehopeful2786]

Honestly, Frontiers was a breath of fresh air for me: it was nice for Ian Flynn to reset the characters to how they SHOULD be, and I hope they properly build on that. But on the topic of Sonic himself: I would be okay if they continued having him be the static good guy he is, but I would not mind if they allowed him to mature and terms of character development if only a little bit

[@amesstarline5482]

Resetting things to fix characterizing? Now that's something he's done even before the literal reboots- I feel writers along the line of Flynn understand, although with some practice to test it out, that Sonic is about connection and bonding. (For context, this technically started with Anti-Sonic being reinvented as Scourge, Sally's hair-trim both for her and representing Bunnie's long-forgotten hair stylist traits, etc etc.)

[@natoriousthehopeful2786]

@@amesstarline5482 Agreed 💯

[@SonicAdventures321]

Love ya chaomix

[@DPlex]

Sonic in the late 2000s, specifically Unleashed and Black Knight, felt like a seasoned version of his iteration in the Classic and Adventure era. Black Knight to this day has my favorite Sonic, bar none

[@willrichard6921]

Incredible video, as always. If only Sonic wasn't invincible in Frontiers. Hopefully we can keep seeing improvement, maybe see some vulnerability in the next game!

[@Mikey-b1p]

i am SO glad we can actually call it "2010's era" and not "modern era"

[@breakerbeams]

not related to the video in specific, but i wanted to say that your thumbnails are always great and recognizeable! i love the art and aesthetic of them 🌐♥️

[@xender_the_slayer]

Great video ! That one made me subscibed to this channel. Such a good video that I planned to write my longest comment on KZbin ever. (Be prepared) Now, for being honest, I agree everything, except for the Sonic Lost World and Sonic Boom era where, yes, Sonic was clearly less serious than previous games, but with a good, even better humor for me. The fact that serious side of the franchise was less shown seems to be a problem is really weird to me. But I think it would maybe too violent for some kids to play a game like SA2 or Sonic 06. All the issues and problems raised are perhaps-ếtre judged too hard to take by SEGA & the Sonic Team. Also, I think these changes in Sonic's character developpement are due to the differents regions of the world and their differents sense of humor. Like in Lost World, I love the Sonic of this game. He's pretty fun, but I played to this game in french, with french voice actor. And it's same as the french casting since Sonic X to Sonic Frontiers. Another reason is the fact that its fun factor is more to the fore is a good accompaniment throughout the game. What's more, the argument between Tails and Sonic makes sense to me. After all these times, having an argument with your best friend is totally normal. But yeah, the worst Sonic writing are for me in Colours and Forces where in Colours, everything feels too child friendly (and sounds really cringe in french sometimes), and in Forces, it's litteraly the same as Sonic Lost World, but this time it doesn't work at all because Forces is clearly more dramatic in is story compared to Lost World. Hope you read this and keep going on your well made videos !

[@ZetaEntity101]

I really joy designed videos keep doing a good work man

[@cyansoup001]

"It's evolving... Just backwards"

[@benmalsky9834]

I was perfectly contempt with Sonic's 2010s personality mainly because I was familiar with Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog before I got really into Sonic. Returning to the more "Saturday Morning cartoon" vibe was an okay direction in my opinion.

[@MrMariosonicman]

I'll still say his personality for Colours was fine for that game. after all. its sonic stopping eggman at a "theme park" with his best friend tails. how can you avoid poking fun at the situation when you cannot take your enemy seriously? the games after tho I do agree, he had that personality for way to long.

[@SamuraiEchidna]

Besides the Boom universe, which practically did some character assassination for our Sonic cast, I never really saw Sonic's personality changes over the years as too much of a change. Mainline SEGA Sonic (modern or classic) seems to stay pretty faithful to the Sonic we know, at least in my opinion. Sure, in some of the more recent games he has been more jokey/witty and the other characters haven't been written as well as they could have. I hate that the supporting characters got the shaft a little bit, but for Sonic himself, it just felt like a momentary focus on traits that were always there. As long as some nuance is there, and as long as Sega does a pretty good job of remembering the history of these characters, we're good. The story and characters really seem to suffer when SEGA forgets what these characters can do and how far they've come. The Adventure Era was a great blueprint (lol, wordplay) to follow for these characters, however there were definitely some strange dialogue moments that didn't translate well into English. Somewhere between Sonic '06 and Unleashed, we got better writing, as if the scripts were written in English first rather than Japanese first. The trade off was that we may have lost a little bit of that nuance (not enough to commit character assassination), but the dialogue and many other things felt a bit more natural. If there's anyone to blame for the slight shifting in personality, it's SEGA for not being more protective of how Sonic and the cast are portrayed. Chasing trends is not a good long-term strategy. I know the people at SEGA only see the blue-blur as "the cool guy". As long as he acts cool or does cool things, anything that make audiences think he is cool, then it's on brand. Perhaps on some level, they do think of Sonic as just a mascot who shouldn't go too far out of his mascot/cool shounen protag role. I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to make sure Sonic stays consistent or writing a lore bible for future writers and developers to follow, just means you're putting more effort into quality control. But like I said, I'm a simple fan. As long as there is some nuance there, and as long as SEGA stops downgrading the supporting characters, we're good. And please let things like Sonic Boom just be a passing fad. Also real quick, I never understood why some "fans" think that Sonic should just be cartoony and simple. I always like the games that build up to big world-ending threats or the games with the darker, more challenging stories and tones. Japan is an expert at making cute characters that go on larger-than-life adventures that you never expected, and I think it's awesome! I feel like if Sonic was nothing but lighthearted and silly, like what you'd expect out of a traditional western cartoon character, it might not garner the popularity/fandom necessary to keep the franchise alive this long. I could be wrong though; that's just my opinion.

[@ArkShhark]

NEW CHAOMIX VIDEO!!🎉

[@Hugo-yz1vb]

Chaomix: Raycon is on a mission My Sonic fan ass: Don't stop, we're on a mission!

[@krispr1me]

God, I'll always miss how composed Roger's Sonic and Shadow were.

[@___8241]

Sonic is a character whose very presence should immediately capture your attention with glee. I think the multiple character story approach sa2 had fulfilled that wonderfully as the spotlight wasn't always on sonic. Whenever he showed up, it mattered and you knew something exciting was about to happen. The meta era made me feel nothing but eye rolls whenever he'd even open his mouth. That just wasn't sonic. Prime sonic makes me feel the same way.

[@gregtom3272]

i think there might be an other reason as to why sega changed sonic's character in 2010s , there some rumors that suggest that a law suit from a certain sonic comic writer that did start from 1992 to 2017 resulted in sega ended up making the company bringing mandates to have oversight regarding any sonic content relared and make sure to approve what is allowed to be added even from narrative and story telling , and while i'm sure that you probably know what comic writer i'm talking about , you can imagine how i felt when i realize who he is and that he had been there from 1992 to 2006 , and i was like WHAT , ARE YOU KIDDING ME , i mean aside from the fact that sonic's team vision was far too different from western side of things , and it's kind of a bummer that it was not well executed at all in 90s besides what ever sonic team could do in game content and art books they made , sega of japan BARELY know about any thing going on regarding sonic in the 90s in the west from comics and TV shows , aside from probably 1997 when they were angry that people become much more interested in western stuff rather than their stuff , depite that changing some what at the time they heard that , but if you tell me that a writer who had absolutely nothing TO DO with this IP besides comics he made from 1994 when he joined who ever who were working on it , up to 2006 when he quit from it , that this writer was a reason DID MADE THEM do what they did of restrictions and bringing mandates , despit those comics from 90s being just an other side of the franchise that has barely an relevance out side their fan base , than this is baffling man , like why would those law suits made them do that when they even didn't know about those comics' existences until probably 1997 and still nothing bothered them about it for years , i don't know , some times , sega of japan actions are just hilarious , and i'm sure that if they did not over react from those law suits , none of this dramatic change of direction would happen

[@sonicthehedgehog1606]

I believe because. Sega is trying to make sonic appeal to the young generation

[@WesleyDaUrbanhog]

After Roger took over as Sonic, there's was definitely a personality change. I don't blame Roger for it, but I didn't like the fact that he ended up being an slightly egotistical and overconfident Sonic while the others Sonic VAs were more of a balanced side. Frontiers was definitely a step forward and hopefully it stays that way.

[@zeroxenoverse9251]

Blame the writers for that.

[@stephen8099]

Once again awsome video! Sonic adventures and sa2 my favorite games. Lots of great memories. 😊

[@kirbyh644]

The headcannon i made for myself is that they all take place at different ages, with sonic 06/frontiers being the oldest and more mature

[@whattimedx]

But some people still says that "BuT SoNIC IS OnLY AbOuT A Hedgehog ThAt RuNs FaST WiTH IS FRiend TaILs" Sonic Always been inspired From shonens since the beginning .

[@ZenithintheMaking]

Sonic is literally the anime protagonist 😎

[@zerpente3]

My favorite personality of Sonic's is definitely Adventure/Adventure 2. His personality in Sonic Frontiers makes me optimistic for the future games!

[@ChaosAngelZero]

Who woulda thunk the Happy Tree Friends writers would be an ill fit for the Sonic the Hedgehog series...

[@comedicidiot]

I've always seen Sonic's character evolution like this: In the classic through Sonic Adventure 2, he's the cool teenager with an attitude we all know him to be, but then he starts maturing and chilling out. This is seen in Sonic '06, a sort of mid point between his SA2 and Sonic Unleashed counterparts. Sonic Unleashed has Sonic at a very mature and chill mindset. This mindset carries over to Sonic Frontiers, which is why I like Sonic's characterization in Frontiers so much. I always ignore Sonic Heroes and all of the Meta Era games because they mess with this evolution and kinda suck.

[@rickyronny4019]

Honestly I appreciate Sonic Frontiers for trying to fix the many mistakes of the 2010’s. It’s a big improvement and what the franchise needs moving forward

[@darkychao]

I wonder how much we can thank Aaron Webber for the uhh... un-derailment in direction for the series. he is the director of strategy for SEGA now and he was hired to that position around the time that the stuff started getting fixed.

[@benmalsky9834]

Personally, I am a fan of Sonic as a collective whole, so ALL eras of Sonic I really like, even the more controversial portrayals, I see some charm in.

[@ExistingKirb]

I once heard someone compare 2010s Sonic writing to a Saturday morning cartoon and that comment has stuck with me for years now due to how hilariously accurate it is.

[@benmalsky9834]

It's not so egregious because of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog from the 90s.

[@valmid5069]

*I think if they tend to make Sonic as a lovable and genuine moral person, as they did in the greatly well done family friendly movies, he would be more appealing*

[@Sonal73]

A good example of this is in Smash Bros, as time went on he started losing more and more of his personality. If you compare his model from Ultimate with Brawl's, it's a significant downgrade.

[@jamiegioca9448]

Unrelated, but I can't help but notice that people think SSBB Sonic is so damn expressive (and don't get me wrong, he does have a bit more.. life compared to SSB4 Sonic and onwards), when in reality, he's barely any better than SSBU Sonic

[@espurrseyes42]

​@@jamiegioca9448 He's at least not smiling 24/7 with that dumbass side mouth grin. And his voice lines are better.

[@SockyNoob]

I think there's room for both personalities. Sonic should be able to be serious while still being witty, much like in his older games.

[@SonicTheHedgehog12695]

Cool video! Good job!