Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Sonic the Hedgehog 3!

characters in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, with the announcement that he would be getting his own spinoff series being incredibly exciting news for fans. However, the Knuckles series didn't quite live up to the dreams of many viewers, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has proven how truly unimportant the show was.

Knuckles the Echidna was first introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and while it was known that Idris Elba's brawler would return in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, he had one project in between the two films: Knuckles. The Knuckles spinoff show teamed the titular echidna up with police officer Wade Whipple, with the story following Knuckles as he trained Wade to face his estranged father in a bowling competition. For a character as epic as Knuckles, this story was a bit of a letdown, and it barely had any effect on the story of Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Mostly Ignored Knuckles' Spinoff Show

There Are References, But Not Too Much Impact

One of the saddest parts of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is that it mostly ignored Knuckles' spinoff show, making the Knuckles series feel a bit pointless. The adventure that Knuckles and Wade Whipple went on together had no impact on the story of the third film, with Team Sonic's rivalry with Shadow and the Robotniks not being influenced by the previous Sonic the Hedgehog project at all. Wade Whipple barely even has a presence in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, despite him being one of the main characters of the Knuckles spinoff show.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 does have some minor references to the show, although viewers who haven't seen Knuckles won't even realize that they missed anything. At one point, Knuckles' gloves catch on fire, with this being a reference to his Flames of Disaster power. It is also revealed that Knuckles has entrusted Wade Whipple to guard the Master Emerald, and while that stems from their bond in the show, it's a gag that apparently happened offscreen between Knuckles and Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Besides these two moments, the Knuckles show has no presence in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Proves Knuckles' Spinoff Was Pointless For The Franchise

The Knuckles Show Feels Like It Wasn't Needed

Sonic the Hedgehog 3's treatment of Knuckles is a sad reality for fans of the series, as it proves that the spinoff was pointless for the franchise. Knuckles' battle against the villains of the spinoff and his friendship with Wade Whipple has had little impact on the franchise whatsoever, with the story being largely self-contained. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, these elements could have easily been woven into the story of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, rewarding fans of the franchise who checked out the Knuckles spinoff show.

However, there were very few options for how Sonic the Hedgehog 3 could address Knuckles thanks to the spinoff's story. The Knuckles spinoff show is about a bowling competition with an estranged father, something that has nothing to do with Gerald Robotnik or Shadow the Hedgehog. If Knuckles had featured a more grand story, it is possible that it could have tied into Sonic the Hedgehog 3 more. As of now, however, there is very little that Knuckles changes about the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 viewing experience.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Indicates There Was A Better Knuckles Story To Explore

Thanks To Wade's Master Emerald Connection

The bowling story was many fans' biggest issue with Knuckles, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 indicates that there was a better story to explore in the spinoff. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 reveals that Wade Whipple is now the guardian of the Master Emeralds and the Chaos Emeralds, with Knuckles having chosen Wade to guard it sometime after the events of Knuckles. Wade being the guardian of the Master Emerald is a big deal, and this could have made for a much more interesting arc in a Knuckles spinoff.

If Knuckles had been about the titular echidna deciding what to do with the Chaos Emeralds after the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the spinoff would have perfectly bridged the gap between the second and third film. The series could have followed Wade as he tried to prove that he was up to the task, with it ending with Knuckles entrusting Wade with the Master Emerald. This would have not only made the story feel more grand, but would have also more naturally connected the Knuckles spinoff to the story of Sonic the Hedgehog 3.