After Sonic the Hedgehog 3, it’s clear that someone unexpected is actually the most important character in the franchise. The story of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 primarily focuses on Sonic, Shadow, Ivo Robotnik, and Gerald Robotnik. In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles team up to prevent Shadow, Ivo, Gerald, and Agent Stone from ending all of humanity. Even though Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are all recruited by the Guardian Unit of Nations together in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the latter two are largely sidelined in the movie.

In fact, several characters get less screen time because there are so many characters in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. As the franchise has evolved, more characters have been added. In addition to Tails and Knuckles, Tom and Maddie also have much smaller roles in the film. Tom and Maddie are parental figures to Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, but since they are human characters, there is less for them to do in the most recent movie. However, even though he actually has a smaller role in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Tom is perhaps the most important character in the Sonic franchise.

Tom Changed Sonic’s Life By Adopting Him

Tom Raises Sonic As A Son

The first Sonic movie establishes that the тιтular Blue Blur actually grew up on a distant planet. When Sonic and his guardian, Longclaw, are attacked by an echidna tribe, Longclaw uses a golden ring to teleport Sonic to Earth. On Earth, Sonic spends many years all alone, hiding himself from humanity. However, he idolizes Tom, the sheriff of the town in which Sonic is hiding. In the first film, Sonic and Tom eventually meet and form a father-son relationship.

All the events of the three Sonic movies make it easy to forget that Sonic was once completely alone and stranded on a mysterious planet. By the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic has a loving family and many friends. However, in the first film, Tom was the first person to truly accept him. Therefore, Tom completely changed Sonic’s life by essentially adopting him and raising him as his own. Sonic and Tom reflect on his past in Sonic 3, which emphasizes how important their relationship actually is.

Tom & Sonic’s Dynamic Could Have Been Much Different

Sonic Could Have Been Captured By The Authorities

In the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie, Sonic is initially scared to meet Tom, since he doesn’t know how he’ll react to seeing a strange alien living on Earth. Rightfully so, Tom is initially shocked by Sonic’s existence. However, he is very accepting of Sonic and does not judge him for being different or put him in any kind of danger. Ultimately, Tom wants what is best for Sonic, and eventually grows to love him as a son.

However, Tom could have potentially reacted a lot differently to Sonic. Tom could have cast Sonic away for being different. Even worse, Tom also could have informed the authorities about Sonic, which would have led to the blue hedgehog potentially getting captured. If this happened, Sonic could have had a similar origin as Shadow. Therefore, if Tom did not protect and look after Sonic in the first film, he could have been experimented on and possibly even locked away.

Sonic Could Have Become A More Villainous Character Like Shadow Without Tom

Sonic 3 Shows A Darker Side Of Sonic

Unlike Sonic, Shadow didn’t have the luxury of finding a safe place to hide when coming to Earth. Shadow crash-landed on an asteroid and was immediately discovered by GUN. Even though he initially found some happiness in the GUN base through his friendship with Maria, she was eventually taken away from him, and he was placed inside a test tube. Shadow’s tragic origin in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is why he’s so angry throughout the film, and why he desperately wants revenge against GUN.

Even though Sonic has always been a very loveable character who is full of positivity and jokes, things could have potentially turned out much differently for him. If he hadn’t been invited into Tom’s home and raised properly, Sonic could have turned out a lot like Shadow. Instead of protecting humanity, a different version of Sonic could be trying to destroy humanity. Therefore, Tom’s lasting effect on Sonic proves that he is the most important character in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and the series’ other movies.