What The Sonic Franchise Does That's Great And Why You Don't Notice It First As A Kid.

What The Sonic Franchise Does That's Great and Why You Don't Notice It First As A Kid.

You know when I go back and watch some old playthroughs of Sonic games, I noticed that Sonic the Hedgehog is surprisingly mature for its time. Not so much that kids can't enjoy, but it's something you don't notice until you get older, you know?

In the early days, The Sonic Franchise actually dealt with some important topics and conveyed a lot of really good messages. Of course, there's the obvious Nature vs Industrialism, which is a really good topic to get awareness to. But it also dealt with very deep themes and topics that you don't realize they did until you got older.

For example, Sonic games and shows conveyed and actually showed trauma, death, and grief. In Sonic 2, if you fail to get all the Chaos emeralds, it turns out, Eggman KILLS Tails. It's not shown until the end, but the somber way Sonic turns to the stars and the Tails constellation is shown, tells us ALL we need to know.

Then there's Sonic Adventure 2, a game that features Shadow the Hedgehog, a creation made for a child he grew close to and loved like a sister until she died RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM, SAVING HIS LIFE AS SHE DID. She tells Shadow to protect and fight for the world she never got to go to. This game isn't just a simple action game or a simple introduction to a soon-to-be ruined character (I'm so sorry Shadow...), it actually explores grief and the ways we can overcome it.

Not only that, but Tail's arc in Sonic Adventure is also to be mentioned. This kid was bullied for his extra Tail (to which some people can relate, not just for bullying, but being outcasted due to a deformity you never asked for), but ultimately grew proud of it, which again can inspire so many who relate to his issues. Not only that, but Sega manages to kill two birds with one stone, while Tails made a friend Sonic, he became dependent on him. When realizing this, Tails actively becomes independent, mainly from the fact that he owes Sonic SO MUCH and can't afford to rely on him for EVERYTHING. He fights against Eggman and saves Station Square ALL ON HIS OWN. This ties into the reality of every kid becoming an independent adult ready to face the world.

Unlike other games made in that time, where it's all simple action and colorful fun, Sonic had this...this...

How do I explain it?

Okay, look at it this way, in every early Sonic game and show there was this hidden walnut of maturity, that when found and cracked at the right time would show you all of the themes and messages of things you might've gone through during or when you got older and envelops you, showing you that you are strong, telling you that you're not alone; and that realization made me LOVE this franchise even MORE.

I think part of the downfall of this Franchise was how Sega brushed their trauma and development aside, and when they did include it, it was half-assed instead of a meaningful exploration. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE comedic shows like Sonic Boom, but I just miss that DAMN walnut (XD), you know?

Then Sonic Frontiers came out. And it was as if I was taking a breath of air after being smothered, that subtle but deep display of maturity was BACK. The exploration of these characters, and the delicate but STRONG handling of death and grief, I missed so much.

Then there was Sonic Prime, and my heart was EXPLODING with happiness. The way they handle Nine's trauma at being abused so elegantly, the subtle Amy under Rusty Rose (a ROBOTICED AMY), hell even the old Nature vs Industrialism is back!

This right here is what makes Sonic great, and I'm so happy they brought it back!

Yeah, I can see Chao scrounging around, hiding from robots and whatnot, or this Chao is abandoned and ends up scrounging in the trash, probably where Nine walks by after being beaten by his bullies, he grows attached to it immediately (sounds familiar?), and takes it home.

He cares for the pet, giving it love and immense care. But then times got desperate, and with nothing else to eat, and failed self-control, he ate the poor thing out of desperation. And the name as you said if food related is very dark foreshadowing, on the bright side he finally got to eat a cookie, and on the dark side he ate cookie.

I love this theory sm!

Nine's Lab And A Short Nine Theory

Just simple observations of Nine's lab <3

Alright, Nine has to have had someone here before if he was actively writing keep out (in the weird language in Sonic) on a cabinet INSIDE his lab. Another thing, what is that thing? Nine has a second floor, probably where his bed and kitchen area are.

Nine likes to draw, and he's a pretty good artist ngl.

Did Nine kill someone, or is that paint?

Ok, I have NO IDEA what that red stuff is, and I don't think I want to know. He's got the typical gadgets, and he must've made the monitors and stole an entire light rectangle from somewhere and hung it up himself, judging by the wonky way it's positioned.

He doesn't always use his tails as a chair, he has a red stool too. He also appeared to find a way to convert the energy from the city to use it for his own means, clever fox. Must be how the monitors are powered, from the battery underneath his self-portrait,

That was used, but on what? There are probably calculations on the board and some more drawings, but I can't tell. If anyone can somehow manage to remove the blur and make it clear because I can't do that I'm too dumb to understand math or any language other than English (I flunked Spanish).

I have a theory about what that could've been used for, but I'm saving that for its own post.

What looks like another Nine drawing, random boxes, a power generator, barrels of something, and a big ass Eggman sticker that he has laying around for some reason. Nice to know Nine digs stickers.

I can't tell what's on the shelf. But it looks like a collar. This makes the question:

Did Nine have a pet of some kind? Might've been a chao considering he knows what they look like to draw them and that the neck collar looks big enough to fit their neck, however, chao might've died out due to Eggman. But some might've been saved or slipped his grasp.

If he did...What happened to it?

Well, that's all I got, any of you guys made any observations I might've missed?

Oh my, This is lovely! Thank you for answering with this short but deep prompt <3

I can absolutely see this being Nine's mindset, being horrified and deeply wounded by this revelation, being nothing but a piece of a person he longs the life of. But then once again becomes overcome with his own embodiment.

Again, thank you for answering!!

Hello again! I have just a simple thought that MIIIIIGHT make you cry or scream. I'm simply curious about what you think!

Alright so it's already established Nine has a plan that involves the council. But imagine if the possibly true theory that the varients are shattered pieces of the main characters was confirmed? How would NINE react to never being a true person, but simply a 'piece', a shatter, a trait of the very person who got to live the life he's always wanted? How would he react to being merely a part of TAILS, a name he saw as a horrible slur from his experiences? How would he react to knowing that all of the sufferings, all of the things he did, didn't matter because he was merely a part of something bigger, never truly being an actual being, but a part of one? And when the Prisms come together, he would cease to be an actual person with a life, but a mere trait in someone he envies?

I know this might sound like nothing they'd put in, but what if they did? Can you imagine the shock and denial this hyper-independent fox will go through? If he's the same age as Tails, then this kid is EIGHT, he's still just a KID under all of that technical genius. He was full-on abused for years until HE did something about it and isolated himself for probably years as well. Then comes Sonic, someone who gives him nothing but KINDNESS and CARE. But only because he's a variant of his brother, when he sees Nine he sees TAILS. Knowing that Sonic probably won't hesitate to bring the world back together, and IF Nine is a variant of Tails, he'll cease to be. It's sort of like dying for him, sure Tails will be restored, but Nine won't exist any more than a mere trait.

Sure that's a good thing, but what would you do if you found out you were never a real, WHOLE person, but merely a part of someone, a TRAIT? You can never be happy as YOURSELF because the very person you're a PART OF EXISTS and you are nothing but a PART OF THEM.

Nine isn't Tails. Nine is selfish, confident, cold, aloof, calculating, and morally ambiguous only showing care for Sonic. Tails is the closest to Sonic, but he wouldn't do half of the things Nine did and will do in the future.

I think this shows that Nine isn't just Tail's emotional NEED for Sonic, but also his LOVE for Sonic, and because he's separated from the other traits, it's uneven and growing unhealthily into some kind of obsession.

The Grim is a perfect reflection of this. The blue sky with stars being Sonic and the world Nine dreams of, the sandy orange ground reflecting Nine's fur, and the grey crystals of his metal Tails reaching for the sky but never reaching, because HE ISN'T TAILS, but merely a SHARD of him.

It's up to NINE whether he ACCEPTS this harsh truth that determines his ending.

Gah! Sorry, but can you think of the angst BUFFET we can have from this show?!

All those fellow people who love angst, we'll probably be FEASTING in season 2.

He’s devastated.

All that suffering for what? All these memories for what? All that fighting for what?

Only to be a piece of someone else.

Nine hates that the only good thing he inherited was his brotherly love for Sonic. Despite everything he’s still his biggest fan. He wants to be able to grow up and have Sonic watch him become the hero he’s going to be.

But that can’t happen now.

He has no choice. He has to do what is right. After all, he does truly love his brother. He is his.. brother.

Hm. Brother. It feels so natural for him to say.

Nine never considered Sonic a friend, but a best friend.

Why does he want to leave him?

He realizes that he also inherited Tails’ clever mind. Nine realizes he can.. stop this.

Sonics friends are going to hate him for this! He went against their wishes, didn’t he?

Nine feels he should protect his friend just like he protected him for all those years he cannot remember.

After all… what are friends for..?

Hi! Just wanted to know your opinion on something, do you think Nine planned to be captured from the start, as in, he made that plan while in the grim? Im asking because the scene where he's (supposedly) trying to go back to the grim always breaks my heart. The way he says "one more portal and am home free" and then the "no no no!" just. Ouch. And like yeah i guess one could make the argument he was pretending for the council, but he talked as if talking to himself, and i wouldn't be surprised if the council didn't even hear him. It's possible his plan was made last minute, but idk. what do you think?

I think it's possible he planned that. I think that when Sonic left he had time to think about it (because if Sonic being gone in another world for a day was weeks in another world, I think him being gone for a second would've been at least half an hour). And yes, it broke my heart as well, poor baby.

But I think Nine thought out getting captured as a backup plan if all else failed? Like he had a plan if he was captured, just in case. With how crafty and smart Nine is I wouldn't be surprised, he's always a step ahead of everyone else.

You just killed me from cuteness overload!!!

best friends forever

Sonic Prime Theory: On Shadow This Time!

I know, it's not Nine! I'm surprised too, but this popped into my head and I think I have an idea of why Shadow can communicate with Sonic and can't go into the worlds.

Remember when Sonic shattered the Prism, that Shadow protected himself by Chaos Controlling? The energy of the emerald while it protected Shadow it also REJECTED the power of the Prism.

This might be why Shadow can't enter the other worlds because he has an emerald that rejects its effects of it! It just doesn't allow him to, because the energy of the Prism most likely contrasts against the Chaos energy of the emerald. Also, remember how the power of the Chaos emerald affects the user of it? Yeah.

In the context of Shadow being able to communicate with Sonic, again it might have to do with the emerald.

Shadow might have also been able to see what happens if Sonic shatters the Prism also because he had the emerald in his possession.

Although why he was looking for it is beyond me. He does use it constantly in any adaptation of Sonic with him in it though so, there's that possible reason that he just searches for it because he wants to teleport and shit (and...I'd honestly do the same thing ngl).

But it saved Shadow from being affected by the Prism so it was worth it.

Also, the fact that Chaos emeralds show up when they're needed might explain why it was in a random rock.

Also apparently Chaos emerald can also "sense" people's thoughts. Shadow wanted to communicate with Sonic, and Sonic was the only one other than him that wasn't affected by the Prism (at least from what I can tell).

Shadow didn't want to be affected by the Prism shattering so the emerald protected him and itself.

Shadow however didn't seem to want to know the future, but the emerald might have warned him what was about to happen so he could stop it.

The reason why Shadow wasn't affected by the Prism might also be the reason why he can't do anything in the void, due to the different worlds being created by pieces of the prism, might be why he can communicate with Sonic (it also might be because Sonic can also harness the Chaos energy), and it saved him because it was trying to warn him.

Idk, 's just a random theory but it fills in all the holes in my opinion. It's also better than just being "ShaDoW waS JuSt TheRe FoR The FaNs aNd The PloT". He's there for a reason, and that's why I love his depiction in Prime, there's a legitimate reason why he does things other than him just being a plot device and an angry edge lord.

Why he punched Sonic in the beginning? 1. Sonic doesn't even listen to his friends, what would make him listen to his rival? 2. Shadow quite literally has to knock sense into Sonic to make him stop and 3. let's all face it, Shadow's not the best at communicating, especially with someone as hyperactive and bad at listening as Sonic.

Why he tries to communicate with Sonic? Sonic is the only one he can communicate with, not to mention, Sonic broke the world.

They put so much more purpose and depth into him and I LOVE it!