Sonic the Hedgehog (character)
| Sonic the Hedgehog | |
|---|---|
| Sonic the Hedgehog character | |
Classic (left) and Modern (right) Sonic designs | |
| First appearance | Rad Mobile (1990)[a] |
| Created by |
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| Designed by |
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| Voiced by | Japanese English
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| In-universe information | |
| Species | Hedgehog |
Sonic the Hedgehog[b] is a character created by the Japanese game designers Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima. He is the titular protagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog media franchise created by the Japanese video game company Sega, and serves as the company's mascot. Sonic is an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who can run at supersonic speed. He races through levels, collecting rings and avoiding obstacles, as he seeks to defeat his archenemy, Doctor Eggman. He is accompanied by supporting characters, such as his best friend and sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower, romantic interest Amy Rose, and friendly rival Knuckles the Echidna.
Sonic made a cameo appearance in the arcade game Rad Mobile (1990) before starring in Sonic the Hedgehog, a platform game for the Sega Genesis, in 1991. Sega sought a mascot to compete with Nintendo's Mario, and Ohshima designed Sonic based on a prototype programmed by Naka. Sonic's design was influenced by a variety of sources, including Felix the Cat, Mickey Mouse, Michael Jackson, and Santa Claus; his pigmentation was chosen to match Sega's cobalt blue logo. Yuji Uekawa redesigned Sonic for Sonic Adventure (1998) to suit the franchise's transition to 3D computer graphics, with a more mature look designed to appeal to older players.
Sonic media characterizes Sonic as an impatient, snarky drifter and daredevil who despises injustice. He frequently battles Eggman, a mad scientist who seeks to steal the mystical Chaos Emeralds and take over the world. Sonic can curl into a ball to attack enemies and use the Chaos Emeralds to become invulnerable. He has appeared in over 100 video games, in addition to guest appearances in other Sega franchises and in crossover games such as Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. series. Jun'ichi Kanemaru voices Sonic in Japan, while his English voice has been provided by Ryan Drummond, Jason Griffith, and Roger Craig Smith.
Sonic is one of the most famous video game characters in history and an established pop culture icon. He is widely considered one of the greatest video game characters and his popularity inspired a wave of imitators. His likeness has been featured in merchandise and Sega sponsorships. The Sonic series is one of the bestselling video game franchises and was one of the key reasons for Sega's success during the 16-bit era in the 1990s. Sonic has been adapted in comics, animations, and films, including a live-action film franchise distributed by Paramount Pictures in which he is voiced by Ben Schwartz.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Sonic the Hedgehog Voices". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - ^ "Sonic The Hedgehog – Sonic In Sydney (1997, CD)". Discogs. 1997. Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
- ^ "Sonic Live in Sydney (Full & Complete CD - 1997 - Sega World Sydney)". YouTube. December 21, 2018. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
- ^ Orr, John (July 27, 2011). "Seen and heard: The wide-ranging career of Ryan Drummond". MercuryNews.com. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
- ^ "Zetman Blu-Ray". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 25, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ "English Video Game Actors Join Disney's Wreck-It Ralph Cast". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
sonicstadiumsmithwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
rogersonictwitterwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Kroll, Justin (August 8, 2018). "Ben Schwartz to Voice 'Sonic the Hedgehog' in Upcoming Movie (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- ^ Lada, Jenni (May 3, 2022). "Here's How Sonic the Hedgehog Looks in Netflix's Sonic Prime Show". siliconera. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022.