#sonic movie 3 analysis

[cyborg-3005]

Shadow is alone in Sonic 3:

an analysis of the tragedy of his character in the movie vs SA2.

spoilers for movie 3 below.

one of the most depressing parts of Shadow in Sonic 3, to me, is that he is completely alone for most of the movie. not in the literal sense, of course, but more in the sense of how everyone around him treats him along with how the world as a whole views him.

this stands in stark contrast to SA2’s telling of his story. in SA2, shadow is still lonely and somewhat isolated, but one person is at least a bit connected with him over the course of the game: rouge.

shadow sees rouge in that dire moment on prison island and thinks of maria, making it clear that he’s beginning to think of the two in connection. when rouge is in danger, he saves her, not wanting to see someone else he knows die like this. in the next cutscene on the ark, a flashback of a conversation between shadow and maria is immediately followed by a conversation between shadow and rouge in the same place, where rouge thanks shadow for saving her, and questions shadow if there were deeper reasons for him saving her than just for the emeralds

throughout the rest of the dark story, shadow and rouge not only work as teammates, but there are repeated parallels and connections drawn between maria and rouge. shadow, in some ways, has begun to view rouge in similar ways to maria, or at least value rouge in some way.

when rouge is found out as a spy, rouge grills shadow for possibly not being the real ultimate lifeform and possibly even his memories being implanted. shadow clearly takes rouge’s words to heart, as his tone of voice when he’s reaffirming that he’s still himself is shaky and not very resolved.

ultimately, shadow forms some kind of attachment to rouge, or at least a basic connection on some level. likewise, rouge also seems to at least appreciate him in some manner. shadow isn’t truly alone in SA2 with rouge around. it’s no replacement for maria, of course, but it’s something.

on the other hand, shadow in the movie doesn’t have a rouge.

in the beginning, he is on the run from GUN. he is frustrated, angry, confused, depressed, scared, and most importantly alone. no one, at least in tokyo, even is allied with shadow in any capacity. gerald isn’t there yet, there’s no rouge, no one, not even eggman, to greet him as an ally or teammate in the beginning. in SA2, shadow at least finds an ally in eggman when he escapes his capsule, but here, he has no one.

he doesn’t even remotely trust sonic and his friends since he, in shadow’s words, jumped out of a GUN helicopter.

he goes to the old GUN base to find any semblance of comfort or familiarity, and it’s seemingly empty upon his arrival. when gerald reveals himself to shadow, shadow immediately confides in the professor about his pain. he’s so desperate to share his grief and cling onto anyone that can sympathize with him, but from the beginning, gerald maintains distance with shadow. gerald convinces shadow that destroying the planet is the way to stop his pain, but he’s never really the teammate or friend shadow needs. he’s no rouge.

his brief interactions with stone in london again show that he’s clinging to anyone that might even be remotely close to him or on his side, but since stone is oblivious to gerald’s true plan and thus shadow maintains distance, shadow never really connects with him super deeply… not to mention how they’re around each other for about like 20 minutes at most before tails literally flushes them out of the sewers, with shadow leaving stone to complete his mission.

shadow does briefly see the connection between sonic and himself when he injures tom, but he doesn’t have or give himself any time to process it.

from there, shadow is only around gerald and eggman, who are in their own brewing conflict. shadow thus is just kinda there, not able to have time alone with gerald, or connect significantly with him. gerald only reaches out to shadow to aggravate him enough to power up the cannon.

and then, when shadow finally begins to connect with someone, that being sonic after their fight, it’s clear that shadow has somewhat resigned himself to the fate of sacrificing himself to save the world. from the beginning of their allyship, it’s clear to me that shadow is more at peace and less conflicted than he even really was in SA2, and i think that’s because he isn’t expecting himself to survive at all. his self-sacrificial mentality hasn’t changed much since the beginning of the movie, its objective has just shifted from vengeance to protection.

thus, even his connection to sonic is kinda hollow in the end, because it’s at a point where it’s too late for shadow to actually take some time to connect with sonic. it’s too late for shadow himself to be saved or even properly grieve, and shadow knows that.

what is consistent to me is the inconsistency of people surrounding him in the movie. shadow doesn’t have that consistent connection he can lean into even a little like he has with rouge in SA2. gerald, the one person in the movie that even somewhat consistently is around shadow, doesn’t treat shadow as an equal, he treats him as a subordinate. rouge treated shadow as a teammate and thus an equal. and in the end of SA2, everyone clearly cared at least a little for shadow, and rouge, amy, and sonic were all able to explicitly demonstrate that to him before he “died”. in the movie, it’s only sonic who is able to do that, and by then shadow’s not had any chance to connect without certain death looming right in front of him. sonic’s chances to deeply connect with shadow earlier in the movie were nonexistent since shadow only saw him for who he had allied with: GUN.

it is a relief that shadow at least found a friend in sonic before he “died,” but again, it’s not the same kind of connection that Rouge had with him in SA2.

shadow in the movie is going through pure grief, raw, without memory manipulation. and for most of it, he’s doing it without anyone that’s really there to comfort or sympathize with him.

that’s really tragic to me. like, the fact that shadow doesn’t even get the chance to properly have even a second to shed a tear for maria like he did in SA2 before resigning himself to death is just… damn.

at least he got a second chance now. it might be a struggle, but hopefully when he has this time in the future to process his grief, he has people to share it with.

i want to give shadow the biggest longest hug ever. he needs one.

[tornrose24]

I ended up rewatching Sonic 3, and even though I knew it was coming long before I saw it the first time, it’s really noticeable just how much Gerald was using Robotnik and Shadow from the start. Especially in the case of Robotnik because Gerald only responds to him in order to gain his trust, but when it comes to the plan, he ignores certain gestures (like the attempt at the chest bump or high fives). And while Gerald being insulting to Robotnik BEFORE the reveal isn’t surprising and could be just chalked up to ‘he’s his grandpa,’ he was obviously really needing to get his plan to work and didn’t care if feelings were hurt.

Also that moment where Robotnik shoves Gerald into the lasers, even when he wasn’t entirely sure if the suits would work? I think that’s what partly solidified the ‘your no Maria’ statement later. Because Maria would have NEVER done that to a loved one. There might be some slight similarities between the two cousins, but ultimately Maria was the better grandkid in Gerald’s eyes. Would things have been different if he was in Robotnik’s life at a young age or Maria never died? Who knows.

And yeah, there’s how Gerald uses and manipulates Shadow. In a way Shadow is also his grandkid, but Gerald uses Shadow’s grief to manipulate him, and it’s easy because for one thing Shadow probably looked up to him as a parental figure the same way he likely did in the games. Meanwhile Shadow has to put up with Gerald’s manipulations of Robotnik, knowing he’s just using him. I can only imagine Shadow not being impressed that THIS guy is Maria’s cousin.

(I’d go on about Gerald manipulating Shadow, but I’m sure someone already did an analysis about this.)

So that makes Robotnik and Shadow’s interaction towards the end a bit more meaningful-the realization that they are being used, and that they ultimately don’t WANT to destroy Earth, and the willingness to perform a self-sacrifice to protect it (even if it’s for varying reasons.) Robotnik ISN’T Maria, but he is similar to her in the ways that matter most and does NOT need to be second fiddle to her. Shadow doesn’t HAVE to listen to someone if he doubts that what they want goes against what is right. And in the end, the last people on their minds are the ones who genuinely cared about them and who looked out for them.

[charred-angel-ribs]

Watched Sonic 3 a couple days ago, and was sat there the whole time thinking "I've gotta tell Tumblr about this", so here's what I thought (loved it btw). /lh /gen

Spoilers under the cut /lh /safe /gen

Loved the characterisation of Shadow and liked that they made him an actual fleshed out character and not just "oo bad guy cause bad"

Jim Carrey was a star as always, was wonderfully amusing and played his parts well

The ending was phenomenal, so cool, especially the final fight scene with Shadow and Sonic followed by the cool teamup

The choreographing for the fighting and overall acting felt really good to watch, as well as the animation - it was well-done

/lh /gen

These next ones are somewhat critical (not in a mean way, just in a story-telling analysis kinda way - lots of love to the people who worked on the film) if you wanna skip over them: /lh /gen

Also, CW for death mention. I didn't tag it so I didn't spoil people for it, but if you're reading this, you're already fine with spoilers I assume. Stay safe! /lh /gen

I was disappointed that we didn't get to find out what happened with Stone after the ending. We got to see the Sonic gang hanging out and living in the afterwards, but we never got to see how Stone ended up. I feel like they probably neglected to tie up his character's story for this arc (arc being film) because they figured they didn't need to since he was just part of the comic relief and not an important character, which was a bit of a let down, especially after we got those glimpses at the complexity and intimacy (/p) of his and Eggman's relationship. After that emotional speech from Eggman at the end, I really wanted to see where things went with Stone; did he move on, did he grieve, did he get closure from that speech or did it make him feel worse, did he go on to pursue villainy in his honour/memory or did he decide to start a nee chapter doing something different and leaving it behind to stay in the past?

Eggman's dad didn't feel fleshed out enough as a character. We got a brief insight into his history and his motivations, but it didn't feel quite enough to actually understand him as a person and not just a concept.

Eggman's dad also didn't really get a proper end, if that makes sense? He was a big part of the story in the film and was a key character, a catalyst for most of the events that took place, and then we got the fight scene between him and Eggman towards the end, and then he just gets zapped and they move on immediately. It didn't feel right to have this important character just be given the "Ok, they're really important, we're doing a lot with them, they're a key part of this story, andddd gone lmao". It felt like they tried to make it funny, but the comedy was misplaced.

We deserved to see more of Stone :[

The ending felt sooo narratively satisfying, and it felt like the film built it up perfectly; the ending of Eggman turning things around in his final moments but still managing to do it really in character was brilliant, and Shadow having this as his chance to die. He'd lived, he'd suffered, he'd mourned, he'd come to terms with it, and he was ready to go - he'd lived over 50 years, and although he spent most of it frozen and reliving trauma, that's still a long time to be alive, and he'd had his time. He was ready to join Maria in the stars. This was his final stand, to do something good and to truly honour Maria's memory in one last ultimate act of kindness and selflessness - he couldn't save Maria, but he could save all of those people down there, who still had lives ahead of them, love to give, jokes to laugh at, smiles to share. Sure it was a bittersweet ending, but it felt like the best outcome - the best way to end things. Shadow was incredibly powerful, and it's so tiring to have so much power that noone knows what to do with you, people are scared of you - nobody should have that much power, and I think he knew that. This was his ending. ... and then the filmmakers went "Sike!!" and made the post-credit scene where it shows Shadow isn't actually dead and that whole amazing ending that was perfectly executed was actually just for nothing :/. Like, don't get me wrong, it would've been awesome to see fanfic writers and artists changing or adding onto the ending to revive Shadow or pull a "Sike!!" moment, but I feel like that would only really work in the fan space where the story is malleable to each person and what they wanted out of it, but for the actual canon story itself, it just felt like a cheap get-out-of-jail-free-card.

/lh /nm /gen

Again, I know I sound critical there, but I did genuinely love the film. It was just some gripes that I wanted to pick at for a minute. I hope everyone else enjoyed the film! /lh /gen

[movie-robotnik-positivity]

I don't think Robotnik ever saw Stone's affection as genuine. He's used to people only valuing him if he's useful. His own bosses call him a freak, yet they put up with him because of his "perfect operation record". He isn't even shocked when he learns the goverment erased him, he expected it and had a contingency plan ready.

He keeps calling Stone a sycophant and a barnacle, because why else would someone stay with him if not to gain something? Clearly, Stone is just a suck-up wanting to ride his coattails. And Ivo is fine with that! He gets his ego stroked and in return Stone gets a slice of the world-domination pie. Mutually beneficial!

This symbiotic relationship gives Ivo a sense of control and ensures that Stone won't abandon him like everyone else. It also keeps him detached: of course Stone waited months or him to return from space, that's his job. His admiration is inevitable, and meaningless.

Ivo develops a genuine, irrational attachment to Stone, one he's able to rationalize as just being transactional. Those emotional walls shield him from the fear of abandonment that comes with caring for another person.

Except...even after Robotnik becomes a liability, Stone stays. There's no benefit, no plans of ruling humanity, not even a paycheck. Yet despite everything, Ivo tries to keep the old boss/employee dynamic going. He can't fathom the idea that someone would stay for anything other than convenience.

Then Gerald shows up, and for the first time Ivo allows himself to put down those walls. As an orphan he had built up this idealized image of family that he thought he could never have. People will use you then toss you aside when convenient, but family? Family is different. Family will always be there for you and love you no matter what. Family won't abandon you.

And suddently Stone's grovelling is no longer necessary. Why would he need someone who just pretends to like him when he now has all the unconditional love he's always longed for? That's obviously why Stone got so jealous, it couldn't have been real concern, he was just afraid of losing his comfy position as the lapdog of humanity's new king. Between a sycophant and family, the choice felt obvious.

And, of course, Gerald turns out to be just like everyone else in Ivo's life: just another person trying to get something from him. The second he stopped being useful, he was tossed aside.

His image of family is once again shattered, but those emotional walls are already down. Now that Ivo experienced that betrayal he was so afraid of, now that he's about to die, he's finally able to be honest with himself.

Looking down on Earth, he realizes there had only ever been one person on that blue marble who actually cared. Someone who had always been there, even when there was nothing to gain. Stone had never abandoned him.

But he had abandoned Stone. He tossed him aside, just like Gerald did to him. Now that he's able to understand how Stone felt, this is his last chance to make things right.

In his final moments, with nothing to fear, Robotnik puts down his emotional walls and opens up as best as he can. Stone had done so much for him, asked for nothing in return, and now it was his turn to do the same. Ivo helped save the world, not for recognition or convenience, but simply out of love.

Stone had always been a sycophant to him, yes, but he had also been a friend. A sycofriend.

[the-irreverend]

If you're looking for a scene that best captures the complexity and nuance of Shadow the Hedgehog's character, look no further than this scene.

The reason why I love this scene is because he's not just saying these things to hurt Sonic, but more to express the hurt he feels in seeing Sonic take after him.

His facial expressions and the way he speaks (god bless you Keanu Reeves!)are not expressing pure hatred, saditisc revelry, or callous indifference. He's disgusted, dismayed, AND DARE I SAY HURT that Sonic would go down the path that he himself took, and that he would do so despite having so much to lose (i.e. the people he cares about)!

He's not saying "we're not so different you and I", he's saying "I'm disgusted that you would become just like me!"

It really drives home just how deeply the pain, loss, and trauma he experienced 50 years ago affects him, and not only that, he harbours a toxic hatred for himself because of the terrible mistakes that pain inspired him to make, and that he would do ANYTHING TO BE FREE OF IT. And now that hatred extends to Sonic for making the same terrible mistakes that he made!

[lyricthecat-12]

I urgently needed to talk about the last scene between Sonic and Shadow in the third movie, because I think what they did is simply beautiful. 🥹💙❤️🖤

Before Sonic 3 came out, there was debate over who would be the one to change Shadow's mind since at that point, there was no solid indication that Amy or Rouge would appear. I was a fan of the idea that maybe they'd have Jojo be the one to remind Shadow of Maria's wish, since she was an established character from the start and fits the profile like a cheerful, caring, and optimistic girl.

However, seeing that in the end they made it so that Sonic was the one who talked to Shadow and convinced him to fight to save the world, surprised me and at the same time fascinated me infinitely more. Because they managed to make the change organic by connecting it with narrative elements that were also raised and developed from the beginning; Sonic's grief over losing Longclaw and his paternal relationship with Tom, making this moment something special and significant for both of them:

It is a moment of connection and understanding between two people who have lost the person who was once the most important in their lives, who loved them when no one else did and gave them a home,

That for a long time they had to deal alone with the pain and guilt of having been the trigger for their deaths but, as they emphasize in the film, While Sonic was able to find a family that would love him and help him get better and cope with that pain, Shadow was alone and the only person he interacted with after awakening, only manipulated him in order to fulfill his revenge.

Until this moment, where Shadow finally meets someone who not only knows his pain perfectly but has also learned to move forward and not let it corrupt him even in the most difficult moments, and who in turn motivates him to do the same.

All of this contributes fantastically to their connection, as it is no longer just that their personalities and ways of acting are opposite, but also the way in which their stories correlate and at the same time distinguish each other, creating a new and emotional parallelism between them: They are two sides of the same coin, two extremes that ultimately come together to bring out the best in each other.

Which is beautifully reflected throughout the final battle. Sonic and Shadow display effortless synergy, supporting each other, backing each other up, and even casually joking around.

A good reminder of the great chemistry and dynamism they used to have years ago. Unlike now that they make it seem like Shadow barely tolerates Sonic, before they both had a friendly rivalry where they respected each other, valued each other and helped each other without problem. And I'm really glad the movie brought back some of that dynamic and reflected it in such a natural and fun way, and I hope that continues for future SCU projects instead of sticking to the current direction.

And I'm not just saying this because I'm a fan of Sonadow, but because I genuinely believe that this is the most natural direction for their relationship after all this time.

[essycogany]

Sonic HATES Being Wrong

Like…to an extreme degree. Let me elaborate.

This is a very interesting detail I’ve noticed ever since I made my Sonic’s Flaws post. Here, I’d like to talk about Sonic’s most fatal flaw because this conversation gets interesting. The flaw is one every variation of Sonic can be guilty of and one that causes the most damage to his world and even the people he cares about. If you disagree, I understand. Just hear me out and even if I don’t convince you, I hope this turns out to be a fun read regardless. Feel free to give me some context, correct me, or add information if you‘d like.

The Flaw

Sonic is terribly pertinacious and stubborn. Most people would think of Sonic Prime where he doesn’t listen to his friends warning him to not destroy the paradox prism, but when I think of Prime!Sonic I don't think of that. Especially since this version comes off more as an inexperienced teenager trying to figure things out. While in the games, he’s portrayed as rarely being wrong. Not because he’s perfect, but because Sonic never feels the need to change because of past victories. After all, if everything is going his way, why should he change, right? Well, this can be a problem. The scene in S3 ep3 where a few of the pirates were lost at sea, shows how truly stubborn Prime!Sonic (and Sonic in general), can be. He verbally refuses to take accountability for lost resources and unknowingly helps Nine have better predominance over them.

In this scene, No Place was decaying and Sonic finds out that the other pirate crew was stuck there. Everyone else, even the villains, reasonably says it’s too risky and he ignores them. Of course, he is within reason but if things went sour, it would’ve been his fault. Especially since that almost became a reality before the Chaos Council swooped in to help.

Near the end of the episode, Sonic says it’s a win for everyone, but Mr. Doc says, “Was it? Your little friends are safe, but at what cost? The fox can conjure up more minions with the snap of his fingers. Whereas our fleet is damaged, our troops are spent, and we’re almost out of time.” Surprisingly reasonable call out of the consequences of saving the pirates, if they don’t have enough resources, they were even more screwed than before. Then Sonic says, “I’m sorry but losing anyone is not an option.” While it’s warranted and makes sense for his character, it almost comes across as “We had to save them because I said so.” This is an example of Sonic not having a good argument by addressing the results of their battle. He does it a lot more than you’d think. Despite Sonic not listening to people being a bigger staple of Prime, I personally think it’s never expanded upon or executed well. Not to me anyway, but I don’t mind anyone disagreeing.

In any case, Sonic, as a character in every continuity, tends to “follow by his own rules” but this can be perceived negatively as “doing whatever he wants no matter who argues with him.”

Examples

Sonic Boom Rise of Lyric tackles this too. This is probably the least serious example but still can be a problem sometimes. This is S2 Ep 19 when an Eggman robot Clone tries to break Team Sonic apart and almost succeeds too. It doesn’t have much to do with this topic but I do like how in this episode when the drama started happening, Sonic for once in his life tries to talk about his feelings with Tails who turned out to be Steve. I know this has nothing to do with this discussion, but I just thought it was a funny thing to point out. The one time Sonic tries to talk about his feelings, he gets the door slammed in his face. It’s so mean-spirited and stupid. I love Sonic Boom!

But yeah, Rise Of Lyric also shows how his stubbornness can end up with the world being at stake. Or in the case of this episode have your friends grow apart.

The Sonic Movies tackles his shortcomings perfectly. I think he's pretty impulsive in all 3 movies. Mixing his perniciousness doesn't create the greatest meal. He's younger, so that would be expected. This scene is the most recent example. Sonic as a character tends to live in the moment and here, Movie!Sonic is playing a huge role in this category. He’s not even trying to hear anyone out. He’s in a constant rage at this point and can’t think clearly. He wants revenge on Shadow so much he loses himself. His brothers are so loyal to still allow him to get the Master Emerald despite knowing he wants it for revenge. Sonic's so hurt, he even forgets what they originally were there for.

I'm sure if Sonic choose to let his feelings consume him, he probably wouldn’t have saved the world. Why? Let’s just say things would’ve went out of control without Shadow. Sonic dogged a big tangent bullet for having mercy on Shadow.

Yeah, Archie/Reboot Archie didn’t mess around either. I'd say it’s sometimes as tense and bit worse due to him having the biggest ego and ongoing trauma. I'm surprised he didn't go insane. Notice how harsh he is in these instances. He’s overly angry here. Luckily, he has a large group of friends to help him take things down a peg and reminds him how they have his back. Even when worst comes to worst (which is an understatement), his friends are able to get him out of that mindset and put him back in reality. Hunbel him to put it bluntly.

In a way, Sonic's flaws in the Archie comics make me think he feels so guilty that he pushes himself beyond his limits as a way to make up for his loudmouth. Like in other versions, he feels the need to take on more than he can physically handle. He strains his body, mind, and entire being to accomplish tasks on his own because he believes he deserves the punishment. Alternatively, he might just be exhausting himself and attempting to take on more than he can manage. It’s not surprising, really.

This panel is insane for letting Eggy make a valid point. You can tell by his ears how Sonic’s getting visibly irritated. By the end of the argument, he gets super mad and can’t even find a good quip to back himself up. Because in a way, he knows Eggman has a point. That’s how I interpret it anyway.

Game or IDW Sonic is usually in denial when it comes to being wrong. He doesn’t address the issues directly but the person who calls him out for it instead. He’s the most experienced Sonic. I know some people use “mature” but I think experience is a better term due to how he doesn’t have arcs or character growth like other characters. More so he’s used to this song and dance, so his hatred towards being wrong comes from a place of thinking he’s got everything under control. Until it bites him in the butt.

You notice in most of these Sonic’s pretty angry and isn’t the biggest fan of being told off. Even in different continuities, the guy cannot argue without not being self-aware most of the time. The funny thing is he isn’t doing it selfishly. At least not in a typical way. To me, Sonic is the least selfish character in the franchise for a good chunk of the series. He sacrifices himself, gives people more chances than they deserve, and even takes the time to stop his main goals if it means helping someone else. But the guy cannot take the time to admit he’s wrong or his morals have consequences. Not because Sonic thinks he’s better than everyone. I don’t think Sonic sees himself in that way, but I do think he’s always in “I’ve done this thing plenty of times. As long as this thing works, I’ll keep doing it,” mode. Or in the case of Movie!Sonic, goes on instinct which is also a common part of his characterization.

Why Sonic Has This Flaw

Sonic never stops running; he charges head-first into any situation, always striving to do what's right. After all, he's the fastest thing alive. Sonic doesn't have the luxury of questioning himself or dwelling on doubts. While it's true that he has caused some issues, including in the games, he doesn't waste time feeling sorry for himself. The only times he's shown insecurity were during the Metal Virus arc, so interpret that as you wish.

This brings up another point. Crazy how much I didn’t notice, but most of the time, Sonic doesn’t like it when people disagree with him. Understandable, everyone doesn’t want to be wrong. But he takes it to the extreme at times. Like sometimes he's baffled when anyone challenges him. Sonic’s also never truly called out by the right people. I don’t mean Shadow, Espio, Knuckles, or the villains. I mean, Amy, Tails, Tangled, or other characters he’s inspired. People who look up to him. Sure, they try, but I can count on one hand how many times he actually listens. Sonic’s always so caught up in doing things his way that he disregards people who mean the most to him.

I mentioned this in my other post but he doesn't listen to Tails in Sonic 06 or Lost World, so the games count.

While Sonic often has valid points in his arguments with others, he frequently comes across as someone who needs to be right. He rarely allows others the opportunity to express their views or admits when he is wrong. This issue is often overlooked in stories where these conflicts arise, either because there isn't enough time to address them or they remain unanswered altogether. This makes sense, considering that Sonic typically doesn’t undergo character arcs canonically. However, I appreciate the presence of characters like Shadow, Knuckles, Surge, Kit, and certain Archie characters like Scurge. They serve to challenge Sonic’s morals and illustrate that he isn’t always correct. If Sonic isn’t going to evolve as a character, at least these figures can show that his sense of freedom and living by his own rules doesn’t work for everyone. They can be portrayed negatively and can challenge his viewpoints. They can be questioned. They can be challenged. Sonic isn’t always right.

His passion shows that he truly wants things to work for everyone. His stubbornness drives him to the point of frustration as he strives to help others to live according to his ideals. However, at times his approach isn’t the most effective. You can see that Sonic genuinely hates this, yet he continues to push forward to help those in need. There’s something both beautiful and heartbreaking about that.

Conclusion

What’s funny is that Sonic rarely gets angry, so you could say this could be one of his few triggers. Along with people being unjust and other such.

Overall, Sonic has good intentions but the results of those intentions are severe. None of this is to imply Sonic’s a terribly written character. It’s just a serious flaw he has. Though listening to his friends more would help.

I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t like a moment of his friends noticing a constant pattern of him being pertinacious and not paying attention to anyone’s protest. I wouldn’t want it to come out of nowhere, but it’d be an issue that’d progress over a large amount of time and add up. It could be dramatic or constructive depending on the situation and execution. Whatever character does it, they’d either talk to him about it or physically show the outcomes of his actions. They do it all the time in other media but not canonically. This is just random speculation though. I don’t know if I’m in over my head but I hope someone got something out of this.

All of this is not to say Sonic never takes accountability or listens to his friends. SA1 scene with Amy, when he apologizes to Bell in IDW for being too standoffish, and plenty of other examples. Like the end of Sonic movie 3. That Sonic Boom episode where he apologized for not working with his team. And endless moments in Archie and Reboot Archie. Sonic isn’t unreasonable. Just 9 times out of 10 he can get a big head. That’s all.

Stay Creative! 💜

[iwasbored777]

I've been dying to talk about these two scenes cuz when they show Shadow's powers when GUN finds him he's not nearly as powerful as he'll be later in the movie.

The first scene was before he met Maria, the second one is after he loved her and lost her and after he was locked up for 50 years thinking about how GUN treated them. They already said that Shadow's power "went far beyond any living creature" when they found him but the pain they caused him unleashed even stronger powers that he probably didn't even know he had.

And, look, (I have to mention this too) I understand that commander Walters didn't want anyone to get hurt but I HATE these lines I hate them so much:

He said that Shadow was "too valuable to destroy" not "we couldn't kill him he was just a kid". It's like Shadow wasn't a living being. Walters had some sympathy for Shadow but Shadow was still a possession to GUN. He was trying so hard to not become what they turned him into, until he realized that they'll never give him a chance. And he was awake when they did this to him. I can't even imagine how terrifying this must've been.

[theprinceofflies]

Ok so obviously the Sonic movies always have large themes of having a family. Specifically a found family.

In the third movie (spoilers please scroll if you don’t want to see this) Sonic asks Robotnik if he thinks the doctor would be a good person if he had a family.

Robotnik responds with his orphan speech and how he has no family members alive. He also makes a small mention about how no one is romantically interested but he mentions bio family first.

But Sonic isn’t talking about bio family. We’ve never seen Sonic with his bio family in the movies. His family has always been non relatives. He had Longclaw as a mother figure and now Tom and Maddy are his parents with Tails and Knuckles being his brothers.

Again found family.

When Robotnik finds out his grandfather is alive he jumps right into the idea that he could have a family. Eventually Gerald betrays Ivo and he’s forced to accept that he will never have the chance with his bio family to be his family.

In the end he relizes or maybe accepts that he, like Sonic, has found companionship.

Stone is the one person throughout the movies who has supported him and cared about him. Whether you want to read this as romantic or not it’s still extremely found family.

Extra: I think it’s interesting how the good guys are all part of this big family while the bad guys are always alone.

Knuckles was alone and was technically the villain until he found a friend in Sonic.

The same with Shadow. He is focused on getting revenge for a family he lost but then once again finds companionship in Sonic.

Gerald is good until he loses that family and decides to blow up the earth

Lastly Robotnik is evil and has no one. In the first two movies he’s usually alone. Stone was written in for pretty much the sole reason of making sure Robotnik wasn’t just talking to the air. As he becomes the hero in the end he also accepts that companionship Stone has brought him

[jadeaphire]

Sonic Movie 3 Sonic and Shadow dynamic conversation… spoilers ahead!

So I think a lot of us can agree the dynamic between Sonic and Shadow in this movie was great. Of course there was the discourse at first, Shadow being frustrated at first was understandable, same thing with Sonic when Tom was hurt. And then they came to a mutual respect on the moon. After the moon scene we even see them be playful with each other. “Don’t tell me you’ve got a catchphrase.” And “Just try to keep up” with a smile on Shadow’s face. It reminds you of what Sonic and Shadow used to have back in the day, a mutually respectful feeling towards each other and a fun rivalry where both loved the banter and competition.

My question is what are they doing to do to Sonic and Shadow’s relationship after this? We know Shadow is alive and they will inevitably meet again. In the games, the next time Shadow and Sonic see each other again after SA2, they still held that same wonderful dynamic. But with Sega’s current depiction of their relationship, I worry. Now-a-days, Shadow pretends to barely tolerate Sonic, dislikes working with him, while Sonic commonly teases him and seems to be the only one who enjoys the banter.

With how things in the movie ended off, Sonic and Shadow happily fighting alongside each other in an almost playful way; spinning around each other, bantering, smiling… I can’t imagine them going back to “the more you talk, the harder I want to hit you.” Even though that’s kinda how Shadow and Sonic’s video game relationship seems to be now.

If my theory is correct that Shadow shows up halfway through, possibly towards the end of Sonic 4 to help fight Metal (probably either Neo or Overlord at that point), I really hope they keep their demeanor towards each other positive. Sure, Shadow can be more serious, as usual, but please please Sega don’t make Shadow act like he’s frustrated to be working with Sonic.

[sparkles-rule-4eva]

Thinking about this scene again, because do y'all understand??

This scene is one-of-a-kind.

This scene will never happen again.

And we could never, I mean never, get a scene like this in the games.

Because what do you mean Sonic and Shadow sat quietly together and genuinely talked about their trauma?

There was none of the banter that the game versions typically share. None of the pettiness or trying to outdo one another. None of the preconceived notions of each other's personalities that barred their potential friendship.

This scene, and those that followed, was what made the movie dynamic between these two my favorite, tied only with Sonic Prime.

This scene is quiet, tranquil, surprisingly so; considering only moments before this they were fighting to the death and Sonic nearly beat Shadow to death with his bare hands, and Shadow had wanted him to do it.

This scene is haunted with grief. But it's also brimming with raw, honest emotion. Seeing that kind of mood in a scene with just these two is absolutely amazing.

However talkative our little Sonic Wachowski can be, it was Shadow who broke the silence here. Sonic was understandably shaken by his own behavior, but still. He told Shadow the one simple thing, the reason he hadn't killed him when he easily could've: "There are no winners with revenge." And then he fell silent.

The way they sat silently, each lost in their own memories and grief, either staring at the ground or the stars.

Shadow broke the silence. It had provided the opportunity for open, honest communication. He was already his own mess, having seen what Sonic was going through. He'd initially used it to justify his own behavior, saying that Sonic had no right to fault him for dealing with his pain the way he was, since Sonic was making the same choices. Except in the end, when it really mattered, Sonic did make the right choice. He set the example on accident.

Completely isolated from anything that could possibly interrupt them, in literal space, Shadow finally had the freedom to share his trauma with someone who understood. Someone who'd lost his own loved one, and was in the position of possibly losing another. Shadow didn't ask for answers at first. He simply shared the memory of sitting with Maria under the stars, like they were in the present. He expressed his side in a way that no longer tried to justify it. He just said it as it was.

"I've felt this pain for so long... it's all I know."

Sonic didn't immediately try to correct him. He didn't even say that there was a better way, in that moment. Instead, he empathized with him. He understood. He validated him, without justifying all the violent things Shadow had done.

"When I lost Longclaw, I felt the same way."

And with that, Shadow had it in stone that Sonic had been through the same thing. So he asked a simple, quiet, invisibly desperate question.

"Did your pain eventually go away?"

They still weren't looking at each other. They were sharing some of the deepest, most painful parts of themselves with one another. The words were vulnerable enough, to the point eye contact would've been too much. But the words were the most important part.

Sonic barely hesitated when he replied, "No." He wasn't going to pretend or lie. There was no reason to, no point, and all the walls he'd previously had up were torn down by the day's events. But he did have something to share. It had been likely around 12-13 years since Longclaw died, and even though Sonic had been so young when it happened, he had taken something away from it all. To the present day, he had continued to honor her memory by trying to make her proud in how he lived.

He expressed that in the beginning of the second movie. He timidly asked Tom if she'd be proud early in this same movie. It had never stopped being important to him.

Because he'd loved her. And that was the lesson he shared with Shadow, pulled straight from his own painful experiences. It wasn't even a "live the way she would've wanted" type of encouragement. It was "you loved her and she loved you. So focus on that. Hold onto that memory." He didn't give false reassurances by saying the pain would eventually fade, because he knew firsthand that it wouldn't. He simply gave him a different focus.

And Shadow listened. He took it silently, and just as he was processing the new perspective with a kind of wonder in his eyes, the sun rose.

This kind of honest, deep-seated conversation could've only happened in this universe, simply because Game!Sonic doesn't have a confirmed backstory and isn't really allowed to open up like that. This is where the lack of mandates on the SCU makes for beautiful opportunities like this.

This wasn't an exchange between rivals. This was a heart-to-heart between two young boys with similar trauma. Something that connected them and became the foundation for their friendship.

The idea of rivalry is barely addressed in this movie, and I love it. Whatever banter they share as they fight alongside each other later is all friendly and lighthearted, paired with smiles and excitement.

Shadow confessed that he'd felt like he had no choice in the things he'd done, but he phrased it in a way that made it clear that he knew now he'd been wrong.

Even so, Sonic— in classic fashion— extended an open hand to him and told him the simple, profound truth: "You always have a choice."

Better yet, even though they still had a mess to clean, neither of them would be facing it alone. And with their friendship finally established, they were able to move forward.

Again. This scene was perfect. The honesty, raw emotion, open communication, and shared past between these two, as opposed to their strained dynamic in other universes, will always stand out to me, and among many reasons will always be a reason I love these movies so deeply.

don't tag as ship or i'll sell your elbows to the dark web

[weirdozjunkary]

I was looking at some clips from the third Sonic movie and I realized something…

SONIC MOVIE 3 SPOILERS

Call me stupid (don’t), but the pieces just connected in my brain just now.

Shadow fully believes he killed Tom, right?

Like it’s not a reach, it truly seems like he believes he did to Tom what G.U.N. did to Maria.

He even says to Sonic (forgive me I’m ad libbing) “Now you know my pain. The pain I’ve felt for 50 years!”

It’s even sadder realizing that, at this moment, Shadow thinks Sonic is “like him” now. Fuled by anger, loss and revenge.

I think that he even feels guilt to some degree. He seems to accept his fate—who he’s become— when Sonic manages to pin him down. Presumably believing his death would be beneficial to the world now. Or believing that if he’s dead, the pain he feels will finally stop— that he’ll be with Maria again.

“Go on. FINISH IT! DO IT! IM RIGHT HERE!”

Even when Sonic doesn’t kill him, he’s both confused and baffled. He had been angry for so long, he couldn’t fathom not taking up on the opportunity for revenge.

[rad-roche]

scornfully rolling my eyes and declaring myself above 'they did the thing in movie adaptation' until they do it to the cartoon hedgehog and i'm sobbing and wailing in the theatre and yelling yeehaw and clicking my boots and scromiting and throwing other people's children over my shoulder and i'm barred for life

[funkyfandomlover]

SPOILERS AHEAD.

adding onto my previous post, another thing I noticed is that when Shadow is telling Eggman to buy him time to push the Eclipse Cannon away, he says (verryyyy paraphrased) "this is our last chance to do good."

Shadow was prepared to die while moving the cannon. He accepted it.

This is very dark on its own, and it's even darker when you remember that, again, this Shadow is a child.

This movie was amazing at conveying dark themes while also being lighthearted enough that kids could watch it.

[movie-robotnik-positivity]

Sonic 3 theory: original ending?

Sonic 3 left us with many questions regarding the future of the series. And some of the behind the scenes information we've gotten since then might give us a few answers.

Back on January 12th of last year, there was a MASSIVE leak with storyboards from both the Knuckles show and Sonic 3. The latter depicted Robotnik and Shadow's sacrifice and it is very....different from what we got.

Just like in the movie, Robotnik decides to sacrifice himself, but then sees time reversing around him. This version is more open-ended regarding the doctor's fate, leaving his story on a more ominous note.

This leak (along with the Terminator reference in the post-credits) led to the popular theory that Robotnik was sent into the future. But new concept art gave us THIS:

Robotnik, dressed in full emperor attire, standing in front of a post-apocalyptic city with Metal Sonic by his side. You can even see Super Sonic's quill on his staff, likely what he used to make this bad future happen.

This is very different from the post-credits scene we got, but it brings credence to the theory that Robotnik survived thanks to time travel and built Metal. Then there's THIS:

Amy Rose saving Sonic, not too different from the final version. Instead of Metal, there's a giant robot with one red eye like the Egg Drones (and the Death Egg Robots from Sonic Forces). But look at the background! The same red skies and destroyed buildings as the previous image.

SO WHAT IF, the original plan was for Sonic 3 to end on a cliffhanger where Sonic returns to Earth, only to learn that Robotnik used time travel to rewrite history? He would then be saved by Amy, the hero of this new timeline.

Obviously these are just concepts. A lot has changed since they were made and a lot more will change once Sonic 4 enters pre-production on February. But this could give us an idea of what we could expect.

[birdsandbeetlesandmoths]

The Sonic Movie Franchise and The Found Family Trope

A personal request by my dear moot and friend @writer--in--theory, which I am entirely happy to deliver on.

Feel free to point out inconsistencies or anything you think I can improve on in my analysis.

Alright, so, the Found Family trope. Extremely popular and very well done, along with one of the tropes I find the most fulfilling to write in to fanfiction.

As I, and I believe most people in fandom, consider the Sonic movies to be an AU, I’m not going to be comparing specific relationships or characterization to any other games or media, other than that the familial aspect is more apparent in these films than in most games, and I haven’t read enough of the comics, either Archie or IDW to develop opinions as to those.

The Sonic movies do a fascinating job at truly displaying and fleshing out that found family trope that is more of a notion or behavioral quirk between characters in most games. They aren’t given as much concrete development in games as the movies have allowed, since the Sonic games focused more on the gameplay aspect rather than a more slice-of-life/slower storyline (a story that takes its time to create relationships between characters) that found families are most often found in.

I'm going to go by specific character relationships, and connect them as needed.

Sonic's Characterization

The first Sonic movie begins with Sonic losing his only parental figure, an extremely traumatic event that leaves a hole in him for the rest of the series and leaves him to fend for himself during his most formative years. He grows up alone, but retains the sassy, care-free demeanor.

I believe the reason he's still so outwardly unaffected by that trauma is that he coped for much of the unseen years between Longclaw's death and formally meeting the Wachowskis through exploring the world. He finds a home in Green Hill because he sees a home in the Wachowskis. We know that he had already been "spying" on them for a while and hanging around their house without them knowing. And he feels that longing for a home, a family, for what he had with Longclaw, and he wants that back.

But he is still aware of what he is, of how they might see him, as only an alien. And that is what keeps him away, that fear of the possibility and being rejected again, being alone again. So he's content with just viewing their life, imagining himself with Tom and Maddie.

I think that's one of my favorite parts of Movie!Sonic. Despite many of his characterizations by the fandom is as an emotionally unavailable character, Movie!Sonic is emotionally intelligent, whether already or as a result of having to grow up too soon. To take care of himself early on, and as much as he may boast or pride that he is totally fine having fun and running around the world, he is, in the end, running to escape the possibility of standing still and realizing that he is still incredibly lonely. While he may not explicitly say it, much of that initial montage in his cave and at Tom and Maddie's movie night, from the outside always looking in, he is aware of what he feels. However, that fear keeps him away.

It pushes him to the baseball diamond, and him running to escape the emotions, the memories, and his imagination, creates that very first outburst of incredible energy and power that alerts the real danger (GUN).

It's only the possibility of being found out by an unknown danger, being attacked and forced out of his cave, out of his home yet again, that forces him to finally act. Not quite meet the Wachowskis yet, as that isn't his intention.

But he does knowingly go to the only other place he feels safe at. The Wachowski's home.

He realizes that he needs to run to escape this danger, doing what Longclaw's last words bade him do before she sacrificed herself for him, but is found by Tom (and promptly shot with a tranquilizer, but, y'know, it starts rocky sometimes!!).

As for the Wachowski's, as original characters we have nothing to expect of them. But they are immediately charming and unique and, while understandably wary of Sonic at first, immediately realize the danger he's in and want to help him.

Sonic and Tom Wachowski

An obvious father-son relationship within the overarching found family (which will eventually include Tails and Knuckles, but I'll get to them later). However, Tom's interactions with Sonic are written in a way that feels incredibly sincere and I think their believability together made my skepticism for humans being related to Sonic (as a character and as a story) disappear.

Tom is obviously skeptical as well at first, especially after finding out that Sonic had just been spying on them for years. But when he learns of Sonic’s past and how he’s been alone for all of the years after that, he understands. He wants to protect Sonic from whoever is hunting him, from experiencing that loneliness again, and after getting to know that little blue blur, is willing to do anything to make sure that Sonic is safe, that he has a home.

And Sonic is bracing for the inevitable rejection again, after he chooses to stay in Green Hill and not escape to a new world, near the end of the movie.

But they surprise him by showing him that they want him to stay, setting up a whole room for him, and allowing him to be a kid!! He doesn’t have to be alone anymore, because he has a family who wants to take care of him, who cares about him and would literally throw the rest of their life to the side to care for this little hedgehog who crashed into their life one day.

There isn’t enough content between Maddie and Sonic only for me to give her a section as well, but she definitely feels the same. The protectiveness she feels is just as strong.

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles

Sonic and Tails

Now, for the even better found family relationship. Sorry, as much as I love Tom and Sonic, these two will forever be my heart.

Tails, in the movie, is also coming from another planet, bullied and ostracized from his village most of his life for the mutation causing his double tails. He hears news of a blue speedster and, beginning to practically idolize him, uses his capability with technology to track Sonic down. While it’s barely explained why Tails is looking for Sonic in the first place, he is clearly expecting for something to happen to Sonic, saying that he hopes he “isn’t too late.” What exactly, he’s worried about, isn’t explained either, and he and Sonic are pulled into the race to find the Master Emerald against Robotnik and Knuckles.

Tails is, thankfully, not characterized as naive or too young to be responsible, which I am glad for, as I was initially worried that they’d infantilize him as a result of him just being a younger kid. He wants to prove himself, rather, and shows his skills through his gadgetry and eagerness to help Sonic, and his initial adoration and interest in Sonic changes into something more brotherly. Tails was inspired by Sonic and saw someone who was clearly different, other. Just like him. And he thought that if Sonic could be great, then maybe he could too, and his otherness didn’t have to stop him.

My favorite scene for this is when they’re in the inn in Siberia, and both of them are finally able to see a more relaxed, actual child-like version of the other.

Sonic is told that he’s Tails’ first real friend, the first person to truly care about him, and to not judge him for his appearance or his interest in tech. And Tails is surprised by this fact, not sure at first if Sonic is being genuine, but once realizing that he is, hugs Sonic and reveals the parts of himself, the feelings and his past, that he hid and felt shame for for so long.

Sonic and Knuckles

Sonic and Knuckles have a classic rivals to friends relationship and it was probably one of my favorite parts of the movie besides Sonic and Tails being absolutely adorable.

Knuckles is another character who is alone, the last of his kind, a race of fierce warriors and protectors, who value loyalty, strength, and honor above all. He’s seemingly destined for a solitary life, much like Sonic assumed himself to be, from the beginning of the movie, and his lack of knowledge of the world he is adjusting to allows him to be taken advantage of by Robotnik so easily.

(Christ, loneliness and loss is a really reoccurring theme, and I haven’t even gotten to Shadow yet)

Knuckles is only able to truly interact with and talk with Sonic after he is betrayed by Robotnik, breaking one of his key values and shattering his worldview and who he believed was the right side. However, he fully expects Sonic to leave him behind as well after the temple battle, the flood overtaking him. But Sonic, seeing only someone who was taken advantage of and who also lost everything he loved, chooses to save him, nearly sacrificing himself in the process. Knuckles also saves Sonic as well, after realizing that Sonic didn’t swim to the surface with him.

Sonic chooses to deliberately ignore that Knuckles was apart of the tribe that killed Longclaw, letting it bring them together in grief instead of driving them apart, and doesn’t care that Knuckles has been attacking him since they met, as Sonic understands why and forgives him for that. Knuckles doesn’t understand, at first, why Sonic saved him in the first place, but when Sonic explains his hero concept and that he needs to take responsibility for others and couldn’t just let Knuckles die, Knuckles sees who Sonic is.

And a mutual respect is gained.

Knuckles, while he is incredibly blunt, deliberate, and honest, understands this. He sees a pure will that he admires in Sonic.

Altogether . .

The third movie only strengthens their bond, as both Tails and Knuckles have been accepted into the family, as the Wachowski’s are happy to adopt another couple of super powered alien kids.

Tails and Knuckles, while still sidelined due to Shadow’s storyline, are key factors in how their team functions and they work the best together. This is a result of the familial relationship formed in the time between movies 2 and 3, as they, during that time, are able to live together and learn from each other.

While they do have a 3rd act separation that I was worried about, it’s established that it’s only allowed through the trust formed between Sonic and Knuckles. Which they handled perfectly, as it wasn’t out of character and wasn’t even malicious, it was a result of the trust between all three of them. They all suffered when Tom was critically injured, they all watched the ambulance drive off with the same, devastated look. They had become so close over these few months together.

Their relationship becomes the most adorable and genuine of sibling relationships, as they are all able to bond over discovering the world, learning and playing and being allowed to be kids. I know I emphasized this before but I will do it again: What makes this found family so incredibly strong is that all of them are able to learn from each other, to build and grow alongside each other and they have all greatly affected each other’s lives in ways that changed them for the better.

Their shared experiences of otherness, of loss, of grief, brought them together into warmer emotions of family, of friendship, of trust.

That is the basis of a found family. People brought together through mutual respect, understanding, and love.

Outside of Sonic-related relationships . . .

Shadow and Maria

Shadow crashed into Earth from a meteorite and supposedly spent the first moments of his life on Earth in a lab, in a tube, isolated but for scientists who would stare and write and run tests and treat him as, honestly, less than a being with a conscience.

The time before Maria was probably extremely lonely, despite him being surrounded by people, setting a precedent that Shadow would assume that humans wouldn’t want anything to do with him, didn’t care about him aside for his powers.

But when he meets Maria, she immediately interacts with him, smiles and mocks him playfully, not for the purpose of analyzing him, but just because he was another kid in the lab, and she wanted to be friends out of pure interest for who Shadow was, not his alien blood.

The montages of their time together in the lab, spent having fun running around the halls, Maria introducing Shadow to dancing and music and sweets and movies and everything he would never have gotten to experience if not for her, only reinforce their close bond, the family he found with her. She was the only one who could understand him in the lab, probably in his whole life, as we have no clue what happened before he crashed to Earth.

The rooftop scene is my personal favorite, as Shadow feels comfortable, safe enough, to confide in Maria about his self-consciousness, his fear that his power will make him only terrifying, only a monster.

Maria comforts him, telling him that he can choose who he wants to be for himself, that he’ll know who he wants to be in his heart. She teaches him that his purpose and life doesn’t have to be dictated by what he possesses or what he appears to be, as his actions and decisions are what truly matter.

That even when a star has long since faded, their light still shines.

This barely concealed metaphor for the effect your life can have on the people you know is beautifully poetic, and reminds Shadow, near the end, of what his true goal should’ve been.

That Maria would have never wanted him to hurt others, to destroy the world, in order to avenge her. Because she loved the world. And Shadow would never want to destroy what she loved.

They make me hurt in the best way. Maria’s line about a star’s light still shining even after it’s long since faded breaks me every time.

Agent Stone and Ivo Robotnik

I know that this isn’t necessarily found family in the familial sense, but if you don’t ship them or believe them to be romantic, don’t worry, this further analysis is purely from a non-shipping perspective.

While the power dynamic is clearly tilted towards Ivo, and I think this acknowledgement of the relationship is very one-sided in the way that Stone is very aware of how he feels towards Ivo, with his devotion and willingness to do whatever it takes for Ivo, while Ivo does not outwardly admit how attached he’d become to his agent, his presence and intelligence, and that he appreciates and needs Stone’s company. Ivo has never spoken his feelings aloud while Stone has practically worn them on his sleeve.

My point is that the third movie, in terms of Ivo’s plot, outlines the choice between blood relations and your chosen family.

Ivo has a chosen family, which consists of only Stone. He’s never had a true family before, no blood relatives, no parents to speak of, and when he discovers Gerald, who may be the first blood family he’s ever had, he begins to value blood over chosen, leaving Stone to pursue a life with his grandpappy over him.

However, when it’s revealed that Gerald never cared about Ivo in the first place, only needing him to be able to achieve his goal of destroying the world in order to avenge Maria, even going far enough to say that Ivo could never be Maria. Could never be what Maria was to Gerald. Ivo realizes the mistake he’s made.

Ivo has his hero moment, to attempt to redirect the Eclipse Cannon’s impending explosion, that “if he can’t rule the world, he might as well save it.” He is still, as much as he may say he hates it, affected by his humanity.

And when giving his final livestream, he finally speaks aloud the feelings, the effect Stone has had on him, in his own words that he knew Stone would know the true, sincere meaning of. That he truly did value him and care about him (“I love the way you make them”), which wasn’t even just about the work Stone did for him, but also what Stone brought to his life, that consolation and trust.

Ivo said that Stone was the only person in his life he could trust. That he was the only person who truly cared about him. As tragic as that sentiment is, he’s right. Stone loved Ivo unconditionally, and Ivo didn’t realize this, didn’t realize that he also cared for Stone, until it was too late for him, but not too late for him to make sure that Stone lived.

——————————————————————————

All in all, the Found Family dynamic, in all of its forms, from parental to siblings to a weird boss-employee relationship, is practically perfect.

These relationships are well-built, developed by shared experiences that characters bond and heal over, mutual respect for each other, a strong trust, and an unconditional love between them.

Oh, the unconditional love is the most important part. Because that is what brings so many people into the found family trope.

Those who are experienced with not getting that constant trust and unbreakable bond from blood, seek that love from others. Build their own family. And the families crafted in these films are beautiful.