The Sonic the Hedgehog films have introduced a wide variety of characters from the games by now, with each of them falling in a different position on the hierarchy of power. The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise survives off of the strength of its memorable and powerful characters, with a wide variety of skills and abilities that make them all unique.
By the third film, the cast of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has exploded in size, adding nearly every iconic talking alien animal the games are known for. Future films are sure to add more characters, but as it stands, it’s interesting to examine how the different characters from Sonic the Hedgehog stack up against one another in terms of raw strength.
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Amy Rose
Is More Of A Lover Than A Fighter
Amy has barely snuck into the Sonic cinematic universe thanks to her brief appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog 3‘s post-credits scene. Here, she’s shown smashing a small horde of Metal Sonic robots to bits with her mighty Piko Piko hammer, which she can seemingly throw and recall as if it were Thor’s Mjölnir.
As impressive as this is, if the games are anything to go by, Amy will be among the weaker side of the Sonic series’ cast. While she certainly has superhuman physicality and the eerie ability to sense and track other living beings across large distances, Amy’s role in the story is more of a love interest rather than a fighter. Perhaps future films will change that.
7
Dr. Gerald Robotnik
A Genius, But Eccentric Villain
On nearly every level, Dr. Gerald Robotnik is by far the most powerful human in the Sonic franchise. With creations just as ᴅᴇᴀᴅly, if not more so, than his long-lost grandson, Gerald is a force to be reckoned with, as one of his inventions nearly destroys the entire planet.
However, he has a mᴀssive weakness in the form of his immense ego and hatred for humanity, which Ivo ultimately uses to get the better of him in their final duel. Gerald is no ordinary man, to be sure, but even his world-destroying ambitions pale in comparison to other characters.
6
Eggman
Sonic’s Classic Bumbling Villain
One of the best Jim Carrey performances ever, Dr. Ivo Robotnik, a.k.a. “Eggman”, is a wonderful villain to watch. Just like his grandfather, Eggman is capable of wielding some mᴀssively impressive sci-fi creations, operating at a whole other level compared to the rest of humanity.
In Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Ivo even harnesses the power of the Chaos Emeralds to ascend to a state of near-godhood. However, his delusional mind often gets in his own way, and Sonic exploits his endless frustrations by literally running circles around him. In the movies, Eggman is more comic relief than threat.
5
Tails
The Brains Of The Operation
If there’s one mind on the planet that can rival Eggman in engineering genius, it’s Miles “Tails” Prower, a friendly flying fox who is the youngest member of Sonic’s crew. Tails’ powers revolve around his twin tails, which allow him to fly through the air at speeds comparable to Sonic’s low-effort running speed by twirling them like a helicopter rotor.
Tails can also deliver some powerful blows with his tails, but his real strength comes from the gadgets he’s able to create and the intelligent plans he’s able to hatch. This means that Tails is somewhat reliant on prep time and things going right to succeed, making him a valuable but perhaps weaker member of Team Sonic.
4
Knuckles
Strong Enough To Give Sonic Pause
Knuckles’ first appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was enough to shift the whole paradigm of power in the franchise. An echidna warrior trained from birth in the arts of combat to protect the Chaos Emeralds, Knuckles’ trademark fists make for a devastating weapon against any foe, able to smash through forcefields, mech suits, and even entire buildings.
Knuckles also has a handful of other grab-bag powers, including climbing, gliding, burrowing through the ground, and the infamous Flames of Disaster. However, his overconfidence, lack of critical thinking skills, and stunning short-sightedness reign in what otherwise might be one of the universe’s most powerful characters.
3
Metal Sonic
Still A Bit Of A Mystery
Another character introduced by the post-credits scene in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is Metal Sonic, Sonic’s cybernetic doppelgänger. In the games, Metal Sonic is the creation of Eggman and one of his most advanced robots ever, though this may not be the case for the films considering Eggman is currently considered to be ᴅᴇᴀᴅ.
Though Sonic and Amy easily take down a horde of Metal Sonics, the Metal Sonic is still yet to be seen. This android is exceedingly powerful, able to copy the powers of any biological organism it scans, but it has a tendency to burn itself out trying to imitate Sonic’s immense power.
2
Shadow The Hedgehog
Can Overpower Sonic In Some Circumstances
Considered to be the ultimate life form, Shadow’s existence in the Sonic movies is still a huge mystery, crash-landing on Earth with no memory of his past. Shadow’s physical baseline has the potential to rival Sonic’s carrying an overwhelming energy signature that can power a device capable of destroying the entire planet.
It says a lot that Shadow needs heavy bracelets to contain his power, only removing them when absolutely necessary. Between his rocket boots, ability to teleport, and Super Shadow form, Shadow the Hedgehog is the only being who has come extremely close to matching Sonic in terms of raw power output.
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Sonic The Hedgehog
The Protagonist For A Reason
At the end of the day, as the protagonist of the franchise, Sonic the Hedgehog will always be the most powerful character in his own movies. The fastest creature alive, Sonic’s power allows him to run at unfathomably high speeds, perceiving the world as if time has stopped completely when he goes all-out.
Even when he is outpaced by other characters, Sonic has the ultimate trump card in the form of Super Sonic, which is capable of even surpᴀssing Super Shadow, even if it was a close fight. Sonic the Hedgehog has still yet to meet his match in his own series, proving his worth as the тιтular hero of the franchise.