Sonic learns an important lesson in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which proves that Sonic 4 will be a much different movie. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 pits Sonic and Shadow against each other. Shadow is by far the most formidable opponent Sonic has faced yet. This becomes extra obvious when Shadow injures Tom, thinking he was actually Commander Walters. Once Tom gets injured, the story of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 becomes incredibly personal for Sonic. This leads to Sonic leaving Knuckles and Tails behind and attempting to take down Shadow on his own.

However, by the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic learns that hate and revenge are not good motivators. Instead of only relying on himself, Sonic realizes that he needs to work with Knuckles, Tails, and even Shadow during the climax of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Team Sonic end the movie on great terms with each other, and another potential ally, Amy Rose, is introduced in the post-credits scene of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Therefore, after the events of Sonic 3, it is clear that the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 4 needs to be a team-up movie.

Sonic Learned To Be A Leader In Sonic The Hedgehog 3

Sonic Now Has Several Loyal Allies To Lead

During Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s director’s commentary, director Jeff Fowler and voice actor Ben Schwartz talked about how the first Sonic film was about Sonic finding a family, whereas Sonic 2 was about him finding a team. They claimed that now that he has a team, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is about Sonic learning to be a leader. Several times throughout Sonic 3, it is evident that Sonic is not a good leader. He continuously leaves Tails and Knuckles behind and tries to save the day on his own.

However, Sonic going off on his own never works out for him. It would have been impossible to stop Gerald Robotnik at the end of Sonic 3 and come out of the situation alive without the help of Tails, Knuckles, and Shadow. Therefore, even though he was clouded by hate for much of the second half of Sonic 3, Sonic learns that he needs his allies at the end of the film. Going forward, Sonic can now be a good leader for Tails, Knuckles, and potential other allies, such as Amy Rose.

Tails & Knuckles Didn’t Get Enough Screen Time In Sonic 3

Tails & Knuckles Need More To Do In Sonic 4

Since Sonic keeps leaving them behind throughout the movie, Tails and Knuckles don’t get a lot of screen time in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. At some points during the movie, it feels like Tails and Knuckles are relegated to background characters. This is a result of the Sonic franchise having so many characters that it has to focus on. In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, most of the attention is on characters like Shadow, Ivo and Gerald Robotnik, and of course, Sonic. Because of this, Tails and Knuckles have less to do in the movie.

Therefore, both Tails and Knuckles need better storylines in Sonic the Hedgehog 4. In Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Tails proved he was a valuable ally, and Knuckles proved he was a formidable force. Even though they received smaller roles in Sonic 3, it is clear that they are still incredibly important characters. However, if they are once again reduced to very minor characters in Sonic the Hedgehog 4, then audiences will start to think that they don’t matter, which will not be a good thing.

Sonic 4 Needs To Be A Team-Up Movie

The Characters Need To Stay Together In Sonic 4

Now that Sonic has learned how to be a good leader, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 needs to be a team-up movie. Sonic 4 being a team-up movie will further emphasize that Sonic knows how to lead his team, and also ensure that characters like Tails and Knuckles have important roles throughout the entire movie. After Sonic continuously leaves Tails and Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, it would be disappointing if the three of them are also constantly apart from each other in the fourth film.

Now that Amy Rose has been introduced, she could also join their team in Sonic the Hedgehog 4. Together, the four of them, and potentially even Shadow, can take down Metal Sonic and any other villains. If Metal Sonic has allies of his own, then it will be even more satisfying to see Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose, and Shadow work together. Therefore, after Sonic the Hedgehog 3, it makes perfect sense for Sonic 4 to keep Sonic and his allies together as a team.