Sonic the Hedgehog Characters

Miles "Tails" Prower

Sonic's best friend · Mechanic and pilot

Tails is an 8-year-old fox with two tails that let him fly like a helicopter. He debuted in Sonic 2 (1992) as a player-two sidekick and grew into the team's engineer, building and flying the Tornado biplane. He idolises Sonic, and the best Tails stories are about him learning he can manage on his own.

Voice

Colleen O'Shaughnessey (games and films)

Knuckles the Echidna

Guardian of the Master Emerald

Knuckles is the last of his people, sworn to guard the giant Master Emerald on Angel Island. In Sonic 3 (1994) Eggman tricks him into fighting Sonic, and being gullible has stayed part of his character ever since. He's proud, strong and serious, and he can glide and dig. He's Sonic's rival and one of his most reliable friends.

Voice

Dave B. Mitchell (games), Idris Elba (films)

Amy Rose

Self-declared girlfriend · Hammer fighter

Amy is a 12-year-old pink hedgehog who debuted in Sonic CD (1993) and has chased Sonic romantically ever since. Sonic Adventure gave her the Piko Piko Hammer and a story of her own, protecting a small bird from Eggman's robots. Recent games present her as the group's warm, optimistic centre rather than just the girl following Sonic around.

Voice

Cindy Robinson (games)

Shadow the Hedgehog

The Ultimate Life Form

Shadow is a black and red hedgehog created 50 years before the games by Professor Gerald Robotnik aboard the Space Colony ARK. Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) introduced him as a villain driven by grief for Gerald's granddaughter, Maria. He's serious, guarded and fiercely independent, and he can warp space with Chaos Control. He has starred in his own games, including Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) and Sonic X Shadow Generations (2024).

Voice

Kirk Thornton (games), Keanu Reeves (Sonic 3)

Cream the Rabbit

Polite young rabbit · With Cheese the Chao

Cream is a gentle, very well-mannered young rabbit who flies by flapping her large ears. She travels with Cheese, a small Chao who fights alongside her. She first appeared in Sonic Advance 2 (2002) and is often paired with Amy, whom she looks up to.

Rouge the Bat

Treasure hunter · Government spy

Rouge is a glamorous jewel thief who also works as a spy for G.U.N., and she rarely says which job she's doing today. She debuted alongside Shadow in Sonic Adventure 2, where she wants the Master Emerald, and she has a long, teasing rivalry with Knuckles. Rouge, Shadow and E-123 Omega later form Team Dark.

Silver the Hedgehog

Psychic hedgehog from the future

Silver comes from a ruined future and travels back in time in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) believing that killing Sonic will save it. He's wrong, and he learns it. Sincere and a little naive, he uses psychokinesis rather than speed, and he's been a recurring ally since.

Blaze the Cat

Princess from another dimension

Blaze is a reserved, duty-bound princess who controls fire and guards her own world's Sol Emeralds. She was introduced in Sonic Rush (2005) as Sonic's counterpart and gradually opens up through her friendship with Cream. She's also Silver's closest friend.

Big the Cat

Fisherman · Owner of Froggy

Big is a huge, slow-talking cat whose story in Sonic Adventure is about finding his pet frog, Froggy. He doesn't care about Eggman or the Emeralds. Fans tease him for his fishing levels, but Sega clearly likes him, and he keeps turning up as a gentle bit of comedy.

Sticks the Badger

Jungle survivalist

Sticks was created for Sonic Boom (2014), the separate cartoon-and-games spin-off, as a paranoid wild child who distrusts technology and believes in every conspiracy. She was so popular that she has since appeared in the main series' comics and games.

Vector the Crocodile

Leader of the Chaotix Detective Agency

Vector is a big, loud crocodile with headphones and an overdue rent bill. He runs the agency with more enthusiasm than skill, but his heart's in the right place. He's the muscle and the voice of the group, and he takes any case that might pay.

Espio the Chameleon

Ninja detective

Espio is a disciplined ninja who can turn invisible, and he's the only member of the agency who takes the work seriously. Most of his scenes involve trying to keep Vector and Charmy focused. His calm makes him the straight man of the trio.

Charmy Bee

Youngest agent

Charmy is a hyperactive young bee with a flight helmet and almost no attention span. He's the agency's comic relief and occasionally its secret weapon, since he can fly and sting. He treats every mission as a game.

Mighty the Armadillo

Strongman · Old friend of Sonic

Mighty is a red and black armadillo who's much stronger than he looks and doesn't like to fight. He disappeared from the games for decades after Knuckles' Chaotix, which made his return in Sonic Mania Plus (2018) a treat for older fans.

Ray the Flying Squirrel

Glider · Mighty's partner

Ray is a shy flying squirrel who glides in long arcs. Like Mighty, he dates back to the SegaSonic arcade game and was revived as a playable character in Sonic Mania Plus. He's usually seen with Mighty.

Metal Sonic

Eggman's robot double

Metal Sonic is a sleek robot built to beat Sonic at his own game. He debuted in Sonic CD (1993), racing Sonic through Stardust Speedway, and is still Eggman's most successful creation. He's silent and obsessive. In Sonic Heroes he rebels and copies data from everyone to become Neo Metal Sonic.

Orbot and Cubot

Eggman's assistants

A sarcastic red sphere and a dim yellow cube who serve as Eggman's long-suffering henchmen. They first appeared in Sonic Colors (2010) and supply most of the jokes in the games where they turn up. Orbot in particular enjoys pointing out when his boss is losing.

E-123 Omega

Rogue combat robot · Team Dark

Omega is the last of Eggman's E-100 series robots, sealed away and furious about it. Woken by Rouge in Sonic Heroes, he joins her and Shadow, mostly because he wants to destroy everything Eggman makes. He speaks in blunt, all-business lines.

Chaos

God of destruction

Chaos is a liquid creature sealed inside the Master Emerald, and the main threat of Sonic Adventure. Eggman frees it and feeds it the Chaos Emeralds, expecting to control it. Its story is a tragedy: it was once a protector of the Chao, driven to rage after Knuckles' ancestors attacked their shrine.

Tikal the Echidna

Echidna princess · Guardian of the Chao

Tikal is an echidna from thousands of years in the past, who appears as a spirit in Sonic Adventure. She tried to stop her own tribe from harming the Chao and ended up sealed in the Master Emerald with Chaos. She isn't a villain; she's the person who explains what went wrong.

Professor Gerald Robotnik

Eggman's grandfather · Shadow's creator

Gerald was a brilliant scientist who built Shadow aboard the Space Colony ARK. After the military shut the project down and his granddaughter Maria was killed in the raid, he planned revenge on the whole planet. He's the hidden antagonist of Sonic Adventure 2 and the reason Shadow exists.

Mephiles the Dark

Shadow-form demon

Mephiles is one half of the sun god Solaris, and the scheming antagonist of Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). He takes Shadow's shape and manipulates Silver into hunting Sonic. He's one of the series' few genuinely cruel villains, and among its most discussed.

Infinite

Masked mercenary

Infinite is a jackal mercenary empowered by the Phantom Ruby, a gem that creates convincing illusions. In Sonic Forces (2017) he helps Eggman conquer most of the world. His grudge against Shadow, who once beat his squad, drives much of his cruelty.

Zavok and the Deadly Six

Zeti warriors

The Deadly Six are a gang of Zeti from Sonic Lost World (2013), led by the red brute Zavok. Eggman tries to use them and they turn on him. Zavok later returns as one of the villains in Sonic Forces.

Sage

Eggman's AI

Sage is an artificial intelligence that appears as a girl in Sonic Frontiers (2022). She starts out trying to stop Sonic on Eggman's behalf, but her bond with Eggman grows into something like that of a daughter and father, which gives the game its unexpectedly emotional thread.

Jet the Hawk

Leader of the Babylon Rogues

Jet is a cocky green hawk and the leader of a sky-pirate gang, with Wave the Swallow and Storm the Albatross. He debuted in Sonic Riders (2006) and considers himself the fastest thing in the sky, which makes him a natural rival for Sonic on hoverboards.