As the continuation of one of the biggest video game film franchises of all time, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is primed to become one of the biggest successes of the year when it eventually releases in 2027. The upcoming sequel is set to build on Sonic the Hedgehog 3‘s post-credits scene, which teased the arrival of two iconic Sonic characters, Amy Rose and Metal Sonic. These additions are exciting in and of themselves, but they could also signal a way that the franchise is going to flip one of its major themes on its head.
While Metal Sonic is a very interesting character to introduce, and will undoubtedly make for a great antagonist in Sonic 4, Amy Rose is probably the more exciting addition out of the two new characters. She was one of the last few major Sonic video game heroes left to introduce. Now that she officially exists in the Sonic film franchise, her character in particular has the opportunity to transform one of the series’ main themes into something brand new, while still retaining what made the first three movies so good.
Sonic The Hedgehog Movies Have Always Been About Relationships
Friendly And Familial Relationships Have Always Been The Core Of These Movies
One of the central themes of the Sonic franchise has been the relationships people form with each other, and how those connections forge people into who they are, for good and for ill. The first movie focused on Sonic finding his first friends, learning how to rely on other people for strength and comfort, and overcoming his loneliness. Sonic 2 continued in a similar way, giving Sonic new friends in the form of Tails and eventually Knuckles, while he had to learn how to be a part of an actual family.
His relationship with Gerald built off his friendship with Maria, with Gerald simply using that relationship to get revenge on the people who wronged him, twisting Shadow’s grief over Maria into an anger that he found useful.
The relationship theme was put very front and center in Sonic 3, where the main difference between Sonic and Shadow was their relationships with others. Shadow was an alien who found his humanity through his bond with Maria before Sonic 3, and when that relationship was severed with Maria’s death, Shadow became a completely different person. His relationship with Gerald built off his friendship with Maria, with Gerald simply using that relationship to get revenge on the people who wronged him, twisting Shadow’s grief over Maria into an anger that he found useful.
Amy Rose Could Bring Romance To Sonic The Hedgehog 4
Romance Is A Mostly Unexplored Area For This Franchise
As relationships are such a central focus of the Sonic movies, it would make sense that the fourth movie would iterate on that idea by introducing a romantic relationship to the franchise. Not only would that feel like a natural evolution, it would remain true to the games, as a big part of most versions of Amy Rose is that she is head-over-heels in love with Sonic. Her video game introduction was in Sonic CD, which also introduced Metal Sonic, and she was in love with him there, so it would make sense to carry that forward into the movie.
While the Sonic games rarely feature romantic relationships of any kind, the comics have ventured into that territory a number of times, though Sonic and Amy were still never confirmed as a couple.
In some of the more recent Sonic games, that aspect of her personality has been toned down in favor of giving her more individuality, but her attraction to Sonic has remained a staple, especially when it comes to the general perception of the character. If the next movie does go down that road, it would be yet another layer to the movies’ relationship themes, as romance hasn’t been explored yet. Some of Sonic‘s human characters have had romantic subplots, but Amy Rose would likely bring that more to the forefront of the story.
Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Probably Won’t Lean Too Much Into Romance, Even If Amy Rose Loves Sonic
Action Will Still Definitely Take Center Stage
While Sonic the Hedgehog 4 could absolutely bring romance to the series, it will probably only exist as a side plot, separate from the central story. In the games, while Amy does love Sonic a lot of the time, that feeling is rarely reciprocated, and the romance is usually reserved for a very small subplot or for the sake of comedy. If romance does come into play, it won’t be the main driving force of the film, as the Sonic movies are primarily concerned with fun action, and romantic melodrama seems pretty far out of these movies’ wheelhouse.
Sonic 4 could also just go all-in and make Sonic and Amy a couple in the movie, though that seems unlikely given the characters’ video game history and the fact that Amy’s crush on Sonic seems to be taking a backseat in the games recently. It would be interesting to actually explore the idea of Amy’s unrequited feelings for Sonic, and how that could impact their friendship with each other and the rest of Team Sonic. Again, however, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 will likely focus more on fun action and character banter first, romance second.
