origin story of Shadow the Hedgehog. Shadow's presence in the film made for one of Sonic's darkest and most thrilling cinematic adventures, but the story still took a considerable toll. This third movie reduced the roles of Sonic's closest friends and allies, Tails and Knuckles, giving them parts in the story unbefitting their characters.

Due to Sonic the Hedgehog 4.

Knuckles & Tails Have Smaller Roles In Sonic The Hedgehog 3

Knuckles & Tails Are Pushed Aside To Make Room For Shadow

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 shows Sonic learning to work as a team with Tails and Knuckles. However, Sonic's two friends are still pushed to the side as the story focuses more on him and his war with Shadow. Knuckles's character is dialed down to mainly serve as a source of comic relief. Though Tails acts as a foil to Eggman's helper, Agent Stone, the former still acts as Sonic's loyal partner with hardly any agency outside their relationship.

With the way Sonic and his pals repeatedly dispute the name "Team Sonic", the film humorously acknowledges how the blue blur is getting more attention in the story than Tails and Knuckles. On the other hand, their small roles add to how Sonic lets his anger cloud his judgment as he pushes away his team to get revenge on Shadow. While the story ends with the apologetic Sonic fully embracing his partners as equals, Tails and Knuckles's characters never reach beyond being of Sonic's team in this movie.

Knuckles & Tails' Smaller Roles Is Disappointing After Sonic The Hedgehog 2

Knuckles & Tales Play Their Parts, But The Film Could've Done More With Them

Despite their smaller roles in the story, Tails and Knuckles play important parts in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The duo aids Sonic in stopping Shadow and the Robotniks, especially as they help break into G.U.N. headquarters in London to acquire the last key to activating the Eclipse Cannon. They even save the hero's life at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 when he falls toward Earth after losing all his strength as Super Sonic.

Nevertheless, as Sonic the Hedgehog 3 introduced Shadow, the film shined quite a spotlight on the character to explore his tragic backstory and relationships with Maria and Gerald Robotnik. As a result, the film took time away from Tails and Knuckles to flesh out the black hedgehog enough during its 109-minute runtime. By the time they exit the film, Tails and Knuckles' characters appear underdeveloped, especially considering their arcs in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, in which they both learn to move on from their pasts and become heroes in their own right.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Proves The Franchise Has A ing Character Problem That's Only Getting Bigger

With More Characters Coming, Established Sonic Characters May Get Overshadowed Even More

As the world of the Sonic franchise continues to expand, so too does the titular hedgehog's list of friends and enemies. Since Sonic the Hedgehog 3 featured a post-credits scene introducing both Amy Rose and the villainous Metal Sonic, it's clear that Sonic 4 will have to juggle even more characters with the story it has set up. While Ivo Robotnik's supposed death may even out the overabundance of new characters in this sequel, that alone can only remedy so much.

Even Shadow's character is at risk of being sidelined. Since the black hedgehog has already been introduced and developed in Sonic 3, the fourth film has more time to focus on newcomers like Amy and Metal Sonic. However, the approach that the story takes with the latter two characters may not accommodate Shadow's presence. It could fall short of giving him a satisfactory arc now that he's somewhat of an ally of Sonic and his friends after helping them save the Earth.

The threequel tried to emphasize the value of teamwork and show the duo's worth in the story, but they never quite got the chance to stand out as Shadow's presence loomed over them.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a triumph for the blue hero's franchise, but it failed to live up to the potential of Tails and Knuckles's characters after the previous film. The threequel tried to emphasize the value of teamwork and show the duo's worth in the story, but they never quite got the chance to stand out as Shadow's presence loomed over them. Unless the fourth Sonic film features a longer runtime or develops its ing cast more, the sequel risks repeating the third film's mistake, possibly to an even greater degree.