After nearly two months in theaters, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has already become the highest-grossing video-game film domestically and fifth worldwide. The film brings back Ben Schwartz in the titular role and Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik, while introducing Idris Elba and Colleen O’Shaughnessy as Knuckles the Echidna and Miles “Tails” Prower, respectively.
A third film was already announced – and teased with the mid-credits reveal of Shadow the Hedgehog – along with a spin-off series for Knuckles on Paramount+. As such, there are plenty of popular characters from the games who could cross over to the film franchise.
Amy Rose
One of Sonic’s most common allies in the games since her introduction in 1993 is Amy Rose. She is a pink hedgehog who develops a crush on Sonic, to the point of declaring herself as his girlfriend. Unlike her friends, she is not naturally strong and swift, so she is known to use a big hammer when fighting.
She is comionate and cheery, however, when threatened she sometimes has a bit of a short fuse. Due to her relationship with Sonic and his companions, Amy Rose is the safest bet for a new character in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
Metal Sonic
While it seems that Shadow the Hedgehog is set to be the main antagonist in the third film, it would not be surprising to see other classic enemies featured. This could therefore mean the arrival of Metal Sonic. As his name implies, he is an android modeled on Sonic, created by Dr. Robotnik to be his greatest rival.
Dr. Robotnik’s fate was left ambiguous at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – and while Jim Carrey has announced a hopefully-temporary retirement from acting – that would still allow for the creation of Metal Sonic. With him, other robotic counterparts could be introduced, like Metal Knuckles in the Knuckles spin-off series.
Blaze the Cat
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ends with Sonic coming to protect the Master Emerald with the help of Knuckles and Tails. Another character with a similar role in the games is Blaze the Cat, who is tasked with guarding the Sol Emeralds in her dimension. She is also the princess of her dimension and is characterized by her pyrokinesis.
Blaze is unique among Sonic and his friends for her somewhat harsh discipline, yet with Shadow likely seeking to take control of the Master Emerald in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Blaze would surely make for a capable and popular ally.
Rogue the Bat
Alternatively, Shadow might not be alone in seeking out the Master Emerald in the third film, as it could also introduce Rogue the Bat. She is a treasure hunter and jewel thief, thus bringing her attention to that giant green gem should she arrive on Earth.
Rogue, as her name implies, is not traditionally a hero, nor a villain, choosing to operate mostly in the gray area. However, she’s been known to work for the good guys when it will also benefit her, and that could definitely happen in a future film depending on who else is introduced.
Big the Cat
Not every Sonic character has been so well-received by fans. Big the Cat has been a staple ing character in the games and the many TV shows based on the Sonic franchise, yet his characterization as a bumbling fool has not endeared him to the audience in general.
Nevertheless, this film franchise is just the place for a positive rehabilitation of Big the Cat. The film could showcase him as far more than the butt of the joke, rather highlighting his kind-hearted nature and strength as one of Sonic’s strongest allies.
Team Chaotix
In the video games, there are several different teams like Team Sonic, Team Rose, Team Dark, and Team Chaotix. The former is made of Vector the Crocodile, Espio the Chameleon, and Charmy Bee – three goofy detectives-for-hire running the Chaotix Detective Agency.
Each has their own talents and distinct personalities, and where one appears the others follow – though only Vector has been a playable character in the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games video games. They differ from other Sonic characters, rarely engaging in the world-trotting adventures, so should they appear in the film franchise, it likely would be further down the line or in a spin-off series.
Jet the Hawk
The Sonic films partly differ from their video game source material, opting for more of a superhero-style story. However, future sequels could implement important aspects of the games, in particular the racing elements. As such, this could bring in Jet the Hawk, the arrogant and stubborn leader of the Babylon Rogues, a group of avian thieves.
Jet, along with Wave the Swallow and Storm the Albatross, would make for interesting rivals to Team Sonic in a film. However, they lack the grand scale that the films have been going for with Dr. Robotnik, so Jet would likely be relegated to secondary status.
Tikal the Echidna
Idris Elba is set to reprise as the voice for Knuckles the Echidna, slated for release on Paramount+ in 2023. Like in the games he is the last of his tribe, who were determined to retrieve the sacred Master Emerald. The series will likely explore their history, which could therefore allow for the introduction of Tikal the Echidna.
She is actually a member of Knuckles’ tribe from the distant past whose spirit is linked with the Master Emerald. In the games, shattering the gem releases her spirit, but since that was already shown in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, her backstory would likely be altered for the spin-off should she appear.
Fang the Sniper
Across over 50 different mainline and spin-off video games, many obscure Sonic characters have come and gone. One such character is Fang the Sniper, also called Nack the Weasel around the world. He first appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble and was a playable character for a time before being relegated to sporadic cameo appearances.
Like Rogue the Bat, Fang is a treasure hunter which brings him in search of the Chaos Emeralds, and as such, he could be incorporated in the film franchise to steal and sell the Master Diamond. However, his use of guns would likely need to be altered for any such appearance, but that’s easy enough.
Silver the Hedgehog
With Shadow the Hedgehog appearing at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the next of Sonic’s powerful rivals to in films is likely Silver the Hedgehog. He is from around two hundred years in the future and traveled back in time to kill Sonic, hoping to avert his world from being destroyed.
While his actions paint him as an initial antagonist, Silver’s intentions are pure and he is actually quite comionate. He is a powerful telekinetic and would make for an incredibly formidable enemy for Sonic in a future film.
