Warning: This article includes SPOILERS for Sonic the Hedgehog 3!
One genius theory about Amy Rose and Metal Sonic in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 changes their debut scene and sets up the introduction of one fan-favorite video game character in Sonic 4. Team Sonic and its enemies have continued to expand throughout the Sonic Cinematic Universe, with each movie introducing more characters from the video games, cartoons, and comics. With each new movie, fans, including myself, have hoped to see their favorite characters take to the big screen. The mid-credits scene for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 teased two iconic characters from the franchise for Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Amy Rose and Metal Sonic.
For those who are unfamiliar with the source material, Amy Rose is a spunky pink hedgehog who wields a Piko Piko Hammer and has a crush on Sonic. Meanwhile, the villain, Metal Sonic, is a robot that looks like the тιтular main character and imitates his speed and abilities, created by Doctor “Eggman” Robotnik in the video games. Metal Sonic and Amy Rose’s introductions in the Sonic movies are undoubtedly the best of any characters, showing them in action. Additionally, fans have come up with a brilliant theory about the scene that increases excitement for Sonic 4 and teases the introduction of another beloved character.
Amy Rose & Metal Sonic Could Be From The Future In The Sonic 3 Mid-Credits Scene
Theory: Amy Rose Came Back In Time To Help Sonic Fight Metal Sonic
In the Sonic 3 mid-credits scene, Metal Sonic and many replicas go after Sonic in the middle of New York State Park. Then, Amy Rose shows up in a cloak, throwing her Piko Piko Hammer in almost a boomerang fashion to destroy them. Sonic asks who she is, and Amy Rose lowers the hood, giving him a smirk. One of the most brilliant theories about the mid-credits scene in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is that Amy Rose and Metal Sonic are from the future instead of the present.
The Amy Rose and Metal Sonic future theory wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility with the Sonic movies, as the video games incorporate time travel in multiple games. Additionally, the theory paints the introduction scene in an entirely different light, showing that Sonic’s concept of the world is much smaller than the reality he’s living in. He might have grown up a lot since the first Sonic the Hedgehog, but he still has a lot to learn.
Metal Sonic Being A Time Traveler Has Already Been Teased
Metal Sonic’s Introduction In Sonic 3 Parallels The Terminator
The idea of Metal Sonic coming from the future isn’t too much of a stretch because it’s already been teased in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. When Metal Sonic appears in the mid-credits scene, there’s a flash of blue lightning, smoke surrounds him, and he has one knee down. This mirrors the entrance of the character T-800 when he comes back in time to kill Sarah Connor. This subtle reference to The Terminator in Sonic 3 could mean that Metal Sonic traveled through time to come after Sonic, just like his sci-fi counterpart.
Additionally, Tacit Sign Studio released the concept art for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which was reposted on Twitter, and then the account took it down quickly afterward. The most likely reason for them changing their minds is the fact that the images could spoil Sonic 4. One picture showed Metal Sonic standing next to Dr. Eggman, standing in a futuristic hellscape that resembles Robotropolis from the Sonic the Hedgehog comics or the bad future from Sonic CD. This doesn’t necessarily confirm that they’re going the time-travel route with Sonic the Hedgehog 4, as they might have scrapped the idea, but it’s certainly a possibility.
Amy Rose Coming From The Future Would Help Explain Her Sonic 3 Introduction
Amy Rose’s Skills & Hammer Design Hint At A Futuristic Origin
While she’s only shown for a moment, Amy Rose seems closer to the skill level and personality of later renditions of the character. She also somehow knows exactly where Sonic and all the Metal Sonics are, taking out the enemies with precision and little effort. If she’s from the present, this could be a concerning sign that they’re going with the rather bland and overpowered Amy Rose persona from Frontiers. That and Sonic X are my least favorite versions of the character. However, if she’s from the future, her strength could be a natural progression from one of the other characterizations.
Additionally, Amy Rose’s Piko Piko Hammer looks very different from the game version. There’s an almost techno-futuristic element to the design that could point to it coming from a different time. All these factors hint that Amy Rose could be from the future instead of the present. This would also explain why she wears a cloak during her introduction. The time-traveling character wearing a cloak is a trope that has remained consistent for decades.
Amy Rose’s Time Travel Theory Could Set Up Silver’s Appearance In Sonic 4
Silver The Hedgehog Is A Time-Traveling Character In The Sonic Franchise
If Amy Rose is from the future, Silver, a time-traveling and telekinetic hedgehog, could be the one helping her time travel. Silver has been shown in the games to be capable of taking people with him when traveling through time.
The Sonic fandom disagrees about whether Silver is a descendant of Sonic, Shadow, or neither. Unfortunately, there’s no concrete answer about Silver’s genealogy.
The Sonic Cinematic Universe has already secretly teased Silver as Maddie’s outfits always correspond to the new character. It has matched up in every film. She wears a white cami when Tom is in the hospital, which could tease silver. She also wears a white backwards baseball cap and a teal sweater in the Knuckles show, which are Silver’s colors.
What The Amy Rose & Metal Sonic Time Travel Theory Would Mean For The Franchise’s Future
Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Could Take Inspiration From The Game Sonic CD
So far, they’ve only introduced two new Sonic characters every movie. Sonic introduced the eponymous character and Eggman, Sonic 2 added Tails and Knuckles, and Sonic 3 put Shadow and Gerald Robotnik into play. Amy Rose almost had a bigger role in Sonic 3, but they eventually decided to keep her as a mid-credits character in Sonic 3 so as not to overwhelm audiences with new characters.
If Amy Rose and Metal Sonic are from the future, they’ll undoubtedly add Silver into the mix, which would break the trend of two characters at a time. This means Sonic 5, which will likely happen if Sonic 4 finds the same success as the past films, could introduce more than just two characters at once. The writers will have to be careful not to overwhelm the audience with too many major characters at once.
[T]he Amy Rose and Metal Sonic time travel theory hints that Sonic 4 could adapt Sonic CD, the 1993 game that features time traveling and the Time Stones.
Additionally, the tertiary character Amy Rose and the villain Metal Sonic being from the future could hint at Jim Carrey returning in the movie franchise. Dr. Robotnik surviving two times in a row would be moderately annoying. However, he could return as Eggman Nega, aka Dr. Nega, the interdimensional version of Dr. Eggman.
Finally, the Amy Rose and Metal Sonic time travel theory hints that Sonic 4 could adapt Sonic CD, the 1993 game that features time traveling and the Time Stones. It’s unclear how they would merge this game with the cinematic story, since these stones exist on Little Planet, and Amy Rose is a damsel in distress in Sonic CD. They might replace the Time Stones with the Chaos Emerald because they possess time travel abilities. Luckily, the Sonic movies have taken creative liberties with the source material satisfactorily, so there’s hope that Sonic the Hedgehog 4 will handle time travel well.