LogFAQs > #966004589

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Sonic the Hedgehog
First Appearance: Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)

What can I say about Sonic at this point? He's a great character, through and through, and there's a reason why no matter the state of his games or anything else that he still persists as an icon.

His design just works. He just looked cool in a time where the video game characters we had as franchise stars were like Mario or Zelda. They're cool, but man does Sonic ever just look like he's the coolest of any franchise character. He's got a cocky grin, wagging his finger, his aesthetic with the blue and spikes and rolling into a ball. Everything works about the character, and how he was billed as a speedy badass fighting giant robots and big mechs? He just works. Some designs are a little better than others, but for the most part Sonic always looks great, and there's a reason he's always drawn people in from any age in any generation.

It's when we develop his personality, first through all kinds of media, and then eventually in Sonic Adventure 1 onward, we finally see him continue to be this cool smart-aleck with a heart of gold. Where he may not take things seriously, he likes to clown on people, but he cares deeply about keeping people safe and takes being a hero completely seriously when he needs to, and also builds up those around him. That's really all you need for a character like this. It works so well as a protagonist.

The fact that he's transcended so many gameplay styles too is pretty wild in and of itself. You might prefer different playstyles, but all of them have their quirks that really take advantage of him. He's a spiky blue guy who bounces and moves fast. What else do you need? Even Sonic Frontiers seems like it's going to take it in a new direction with another aspect of the character's gameplay.

I don't think there's really been any bad portrayals of Sonic, honestly. Even in the worst of times, Sonic still has something endearing about him. I think he'll hold up forever, even if he does find himself in another dark age. Because as a character, everything works for him, and there are pieces that will fit in anywhere to make a new fan, no matter what.

Rank: S

https://youtu.be/fMa9Iot1Ves