Kotaku has teamed up with Paramount+ to bring you up to speed before you watch Knuckles, streaming now.
Everybody loves Sonic from Sonic the Hedgehog, there’s no question about it. But those who grew up SEGA kids know it’s way more fun to play as Knuckles The Echidna.
The red echidna first appeared in SEGA’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3 as one of Sonic’s enemies, working with evil scientist Dr. Eggman (this is also the plot of Sonic the Hedgehog 2). His duty was to protect the Master Emerald, and he was tricked into thinking that Sonic was there to steal it.
After Knuckles was defeated, he became one of Sonic’s friends. In Sonic & Knuckles, you could finally play as the staunch red echidna. Once I discovered this, Knuckles became a personal favourite.
Sure, Sonic has super-speed, but Knuckles can glide. Come on! If I had to choose between super-speed or a version of flying, being able to glide through levels would be my choice. Knuckles’ gliding ability comes from his dreadlocks spreading out in the air – a bit of a weird design choice – so you can avoid obstacles from above. The one downside to playing with Knuckles is that he can’t jump as high as Sonic, but he makes up for that with other abilities. He’s able to climb walls, he’s strong, and you can use his glide to attack and hit enemies.
Later in the Sonic universe, Knuckles became even more important. He’s the best character to play during the Sonic Adventure series, because he has different abilities than Sonic. He can swim, sense the energy of the Master Emerald, break shit and dig. In Sonic 3, Knuckles was able to smash into secret areas that Sonic and Tails couldn’t get to. Suddenly, your whole world opened up – with extra bonuses, shortcuts, and extra sections of level. If you didn’t play as Knuckles, you’d miss out on so much. I feel like you can explore the levels more with Knuckles, so if you’re all about enjoying the game rather than speeding through, he wins every time.
I’m also obsessed with the personality traits Knuckles was given. He’s an introvert who loves grapes, gets shy around females, and lets his emotions take over from time to time. Relatable! Still not convinced? Well, Knuckles can smash through boulders and solid ground. I rest my case.
Sonic vs Knuckles: Who would win?
When it comes down to who would win a battle between Sonic and Knuckles, it’s something Sonic fans still argue about to this day. I’m obviously Team Knuckles, with his ability to attack from below ground and quite literally hit Sonic out of his Super Sonic state. He’s much stronger than Sonic and can lift items that are much bigger and heavier. Sonic is given a bunch of bells and whistles to help him in the games, such as his fire, electric and water shields, but again, Knuckles can fly. And if you use the Super Emeralds to unlock Hyper Knuckles? Game over.
In the movie universe, we almost had our answer in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Knuckles entered as a badass Echidna looking for revenge on Sonic. Knuckles had the edge over Sonic the first time they fought, severely injuring Sonic with his first two punches. He’s also relatively fast in the movies, and if Knuckles wasn’t betrayed by Robotnik in the final showdown, he could have ended Sonic’s life. While Sonic has had a history of running away from his problems, Knuckles tackles them head-on. So, all signs point to Knuckles being the more powerful character.
Seeing as Knuckles and Sonic went on to become allies at the end of the film, it’s unlikely we’ll see any other fights between the two. Paramount+ has just dropped their six-episode series called Knuckles, so there’s bound to be some more clues about Knuckles’ life on earth in the show. It takes place in the gap between Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and 3, so if you’re invested in the story, it’s available to stream now.
Feature image: Paramount+
Leave a Reply