#sonic movie 3 analysis

[sparkles-rule-4eva]

Idk if I'm gonna make a review post, exactly, but the things that went on with Sonic's character in movie 3 have left me reeling, and dying to analyze. I don't have many screenshots to share, and the ones I do aren't good quality bc the movie's not released digitally yet, but here goes.

(edit: now updated with HD screenshots :3)

For one, the theme of dealing with grief was so well handled. I was hoping they were going to use the parallel of this Sonic losing someone close to him, just like Shadow had, and that's just what they did. What made it even more painful, however, was how Sonic was faced with the possibility of losing a second parental figure.

Shadow saw him hunched over Tom, pleading with him to wake up, and remembered himself doing the same when Maria had died. That was where Shadow saw a bit of himself in Sonic.

Shadow took mental notes of it, but he didn't back off, though he didn't make any other attempts to hurt Tom. Heck, he wouldn't have attacked in the first place if Tom hadn't been disguised as Walters.

And just... watching the way Sonic just started spiraling after this scene was so heartbreaking. The way he looked so lost and broken as they were taking him away in the ambulance, when Maddie didn't say anything to them, and the camera just zoomed out for a few seconds, showing him and his brothers looking so small and so lost in the world as they were left alone, unsure if their dad would be okay.

Sonic didn't want comfort. After the initial fear and grief, the anger he'd felt earlier when he turned on Shadow came back with a vengeance, quite literally. Looking at their calmer, almost normal everyday life earlier in the movie, it seems everything's fine. Sonic seemed fine and perky. I was taken aback at how calm he was about finding his old cave. He seemed fine, all things considered from earlier in his life. The Before Times, as fanfics have dubbed them.

But the moment his found family was threatened, the moment he was faced with the possibility of losing the home and love he'd finally gotten after so many years of pain and isolation, he fell apart. He became aggressively protective of it. Of course he would want to defend those he loves, but not like this. Not the Sonic we know.

The way Shadow phrased it later, "What kind of hero abandons his friends to seek revenge? Abandons his family?"

That struck a nerve, but Sonic just snapped back, "Don't you dare talk about my family."

The expressions he had after he'd taken the Master Emerald and gone after Shadow were so complex. You can see the mix of emotions on his face. Most clearly, the anger. But mixed in, you see the pain, the grief, the paralyzing fear of losing someone else, and you see how emotionally fragile he really is.

Shadow scoffs about how he'd thought that Sonic cared for them. "Especially the one, what's his name again? Tom?"

And that pushed him over the edge.

The way he just let out that chilling scream of rage and grief and went on to punch Shadow so hard he quite literally sent him flying straight into the moon. He was enraged. He was distressed. He was spiraling. And he was, for a few minutes, completely out of control.

We know that this version of Sonic is not so reserved about killing people, like the game version. In the second movie, Sonic had every intention of killing Robotnik in the final battle, and he thought he succeeded. This marks the second time that if someone threatens Sonic's family, he's out for blood. In that vein, he's like his game counterpart; it's the safety of his loved ones, not himself, that he's concerned about. Passionate about.

Except.

He could not bring himself to do it.

I think part of him was remembering what Walters had said about Shadow having experienced loss, the way he had.

He'd won here. He could've just killed Shadow right then and there. Shadow was even goading him into just doing it. Demanded what he was waiting for. Pointing to his own chest and yelling that he was right there. To just do it. (Another thing to analyze; Shadow was just done with everything and didn't even care if he died at this point, but that's for another post.)

But something was stopping him.

Even in those screenshots, you can see the pain and anger mixed on his face. I could be mistaken, but it looks like there's a tear in his eye. (If I'm right, the idea of him crying during this fight makes me break apart in sadness.)

And then came the flashback. This is what drives me insane.

In Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow is out to destroy the world, and it's remembering Maria's true final wish that stopped him.

I never could've predicted that in this version, it was Sonic who was out to kill someone, kill Shadow, but remembering Tom's words to him about not letting his pain change who he is was what stopped him. Sonic was the one who needed to stop and remember. And that's just what he did. 🥺

And then, only then, was he able to calm down, remember himself, remember what Tom would want him to do. He wasn't handling this the same way he'd handled Longclaw's death. He was turning into exactly what Shadow had become. The horror at realizing what he'd nearly become, what he'd almost done, set in.

He made the right choice in the end because of that. Just like Shadow did in the games. Just like he later did here, too. But Shadow was able to have "redemption" of sorts in this version, not because of some talk, but because he saw the example in Sonic, right in front of him.

We know what happened next, I'm not gonna go much into it. But seeing this whole side of Sonic, the side that just barely slipped out in the last movie, was so, so fascinating. I love how each movie continues to explore him as the main character, in a different way. This one probably got me crying the most. I cried even as I wrote this post and put more pieces together. The more I think about it, the more I love it. 🥹😭💙💛❤️

[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.

[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.

[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

[essycogany]

Small Things Can Make Big Differences 🩷

Hi, Fans Of Amy Rose!

This is my opinion and we don’t know what could happen between now and Sonic Movie 3. Anyone can disagree. I’m 100% fine with that and this isn’t going to tarnish my enjoyment of the film at all, but I’ve got to get this off my chest. I’d love to see Amy Rose in Sonic Movie 3 and would be disappointed if she wasn’t in it. Yeah, she’d probably not have a HUGE role or time to develop as much. I get it, but at the same time, I personally don’t think we should shy away from characters having small arcs.

Tails had one in Sonic Movie 2 and I wouldn’t say the movie would’ve been better without him. I don’t think we should have to justify a main character like Amy who’s existed before KNUCKLES (and debatably Tails) being in a movie about her own franchise. We shouldn’t have to wait a whole year for it either. Stuff takes time sure, but other movies with Pokémon, the Avengers, Mario, My Little Pony G4, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and many others did it and did it well for the most part. Most of these have tons of characters that they wasn’t afraid to show in one movie. Characters with smaller roles still impacted the movies and in a memorable way too. We shouldn’t be so timid in bringing Sonic characters in Sonic movies. They’re just as marketable as these other franchises. The successes of the Sonic trilogies proved that.

Without Amy or other characters it doesn’t feel as full as it could be. Not saying we should’ve got all of them from the get go but a little more would be nice.

I’m saying this respectfully but that doesn’t make sense especially if we have enough time to flesh out the human core characters/side characters who aren’t even part of the main franchise and not the ones most audiences came to see in the first place. I’m neutral and understand both critiques and defenses so you can decide where to go to on that.

Back to before, you don’t need long drawn out character development in order to be written well. Tails turned out fine despite his small role. Heck, Amy’s roles in the GAMES were usually small but not less impactful because of it. Amy practically helped save the entire world with her “small roles” and one for an emotional and impactful moment with Shadow. Even small things can make big differences and that’s one lesson you can learn from Amy.

Amy’s interactions with Gamma in SA1 impacted the robot to the point of him sacrificing himself to free a Bird he needed to stay alive.

Amy believed in Sonic when the whole world (or Silver) was against him in Sonic 06.

Amy showed kindness to Sonic as the Werehog and gave her closest friend encouragement. She still loved him regardless of how he looked.

There’s more examples, but these are the most well known. Do you notice how most of them were small actions or small moments of development in small roles. And still managed to make Amy a wonderful character while impacting the stories?

I’ll also just show this too.

Also, don’t worry about her stealing time from Shadow. The film’s called Sonic Movie 3 not Shadow The Hedgehog. He can share the spotlight. Knuckles did in SM2. There’s no excuse in my opinion.

The movie doesn’t have to have Amy and wouldn’t be worse without her, but I think we shouldn’t overlook her importance to the franchise even if what she does is small. Or feel bad for being more aware of what little we get in these movies. It’s okay to admit certain flaws. Nothing’s perfect and not above criticism as long as we’re respectful about it. And for the kiddies who would like to see a cartoony animal girl character for the first time in these films, Amy would be a fantastic way to start.

Amy debuting in Sonic 3 and interacting with the boys would be a lovely way of establishing that close connection between the core four of the franchise. They’d literally have the definition of love at their sides. Again, small changes can make big differences. That’s all I have to say. Now I’m going to continue to be excited for the 3rd Sonic movie.

[descendant-of-truth]

Y'know, it occurs to me - Movie!Sonic has a lot more in common Shadow than any other version of Sonic that I know of, and that creates a unique storytelling opportunity that wouldn't have been possible before.

Because originally, Shadow having a dark and traumatic backstory was what separated him from Sonic. Their similarities came out more in their confidence, their playful attitude, and even their withdrawn demeanor (though Shadow's is more extreme). Sonic's genuine ability to be carefree and optimistic was his biggest difference from Shadow.

In the movies, Sonic is... not nearly as put-together. Just like Shadow, his personality is shaped almost entirely from the result of tragedy. Both of them had to watch their closest family member get shot trying to save them from raiders (who were specifically targeting them for their powers) by sending them to Earth. The difference here is that, for Shadow, this event is fresh in his mind, while Sonic's had ten years (give or take) to accept what happened and move on.

Except, there's more, because losing Longclaw is itself not the main thing informing Sonic's character - it's the fact that he spent those next ten years in near-total isolation. Also similarly to Shadow, he took the last words his family said to him very seriously, and she told him to stay hidden no matter what. Combine that with the natural fear of what being found did to Longclaw, and the majority of Sonic's life has been spent hidden away, looking out at the world but unable to participate in it.

Remind you of anyone?

(I swear if the movie doesn't make a point about this parallel specifically I'm gonna lose it)

Normally, Sonic is a silly and upbeat character because that's just how he is by nature, and the feelings he keeps to himself are rarely detrimental to his health. In the movie universe, Sonic is silly and upbeat because he needed to be that way in order for his life to be bearable.

His constant chatter isn't quirky for the sake of it, it's a habit he developed out of necessity because there was no one else to talk to. He compulsively needs to fill the silence because not doing that would only reinforce how alone he was, and it's something he can't shake off even when he's not by himself anymore. His primary method of handling his feelings is to ignore them until they literally explode out of him with lightning firing everywhere.

All of this to say, a Shadow meant to be a foil to this Sonic is going to look very different from the Shadow we're used to. From what little about the movie's events have been described as of writing this, I'm inferring that Shadow's actually going to be a lot more open about his motivations for revenge than he was in the game, and that puts Sonic in the very interesting position of being more closed-off than Shadow.

Because sure, he might try to connect with Shadow's pain like he did with Knuckles. But because Sonic and Knuckles's history was so directly connected, they didn't really have to... talk that much about it. Sonic could acknowledge that they both lost their families a long time ago without having to go into detail about it or the aftermath. And because it had been so long since it happened, it was a lot easier for them to put it behind them and move on.

Shadow can't do that, because for him, Maria was lost very recently. He's not going to accept "you can move on and find new people to care about" as an option, and Sonic can't very well tell him to just ignore it like he did, either. Shadow isn't going to do the whole repression shtick.

For the first time, getting through to Shadow may just depend on Sonic being able to acknowledge his own pain, first. After all, how's Shadow supposed to interpret Sonic, if not as some random guy with a perfectly happy family and an obnoxiously happy attitude telling him that he needs to just, get over what happened to him? How can that come across as anything but naive and shallow without understanding how much Sonic suffered to get to this point?

(It's still a little naive and shallow even with that in mind, but the reason for that isn't because he has no perspective on what experiencing a violent tragedy is like - it's because his only known way of handling it is to leave it in the past and Not Think About It)

Though I do wonder if there's room for Sonic to initially clam up on his emotions even more after meeting Shadow for a bit? Like, he learns to some extent what happened, and is like "aw jeez if this is what could happen if I let myself be more upset about my lot in life then I REALLY need to reign it in" which is the exact opposite lesson he needs to learn but would be really interesting to watch

Point being, I think Sonic and Shadow are being set up as even more like mirrors to each other than usual, and I can't wait to see what they do with that potential

[atwas-gaming]

Something I wanna talk about:

The moment when Sonic says "Knuckles, no!"

That didn't sound like a "don't be an idiot" or a "hold on a minute" kind of no to me. That sounded like a take-charge NO! Like a leader.

He's FINALLY coming into his own!!!

[sparkles-rule-4eva]

"Can't Die with Regrets."

SONIC 3 SPOILERS!!!

Based on this post

AO3 version

“If neither of you have the guts to help me, then I’ll do it alone.”

Words that Sonic was regretting. Severely.

It had been nearly an hour since he’d last seen his brothers. In a fit of rage, and grief, and too many negative feelings for him to process, he’d all but stolen the Master Emerald and hunted down Shadow, fully intending to kill him.

Looking back at himself, the way he’d just lost control, he felt ashamed, but he could still remember why he’d done it in the first place. He still could feel the paralyzing fear that had gripped him when he’d found Tom unconscious, completely unresponsive. Fear that had quickly turned into an early kind of grief, reminding him all too much of a night long ago, when he’d found himself alone in an unfamiliar forest at night, crying over the loss of Longclaw.

His first parent.

Things had been fuzzy. He was scared. He was stressed. He was angry.

He had not waited ten painful years for his family, only to have it stripped away from him again. He didn’t know what he would do without them. Without his dad.

“What kind of hero abandons his friends to pursue revenge? Abandons his family?” Shadow’s chilling words still echoed in his mind. He hadn’t had an answer. All he’d been able to feel was rage, and grief, and a spiraling sense of being completely out of control.

And while the fury had subsided as he remembered Tom’s words to him recently, about not letting his pain from losing Longclaw change who he was, the grief had stayed. The fear had stayed. Even as he let go of Shadow, as they sat and talked about their experiences with loss, the pain continued to burn in his chest.

Sonic pushed it to the back of his mind as they both charged up on the Chaos Emeralds and went to stop the giant cannon about to destroy a chunk of Earth. Talking with Shadow had helped him a little, as he reminded them both about how they could deal with their grief and their pain. Finally befriending this edgy other hedgehog had done him well. Fighting alongside him was even its own brand of fun.

But it was hard to not think about his family.

How the last he’d seen his parents, his father was in some kind of coma and being taken into an ambulance. His mother was looking at him and his brothers… strangely, as she sat with her husband. With a blank expression, one that chilled him and stirred a different fear entirely in his stomach.

Like she wasn’t quite sure of them anymore.

And his brothers?

He had not parted with them on friendly terms. He’d been in the thick of his grief-induced anger still. He’d snapped at Tails for attempting to comfort him, and had nearly fought with Knuckles over his demands for the Master Emerald. Knuckles had refused to fight him, which in hindsight made him feel even worse.

He wanted to apologize to them. But he didn’t know where they were.

In the distance, the huge cannon thing was crackling with chaos energy, clearly about to fire. Shadow dealt with the last of the bots that they’d been fighting, then they were both making a beeline for the cannon.

It probably wouldn’t destroy the entire earth— it was a precision weapon— but it would still kill many innocent lives. At the moment, it was aimed directly for London.

As far as Sonic knew, his entire family was down there.

So the only plan he could come up with in the panic of the moment was to block the hit directly, using the combined chaos powers of both himself and Shadow.

It was a big risk for sure, but there was no way he was letting that blast hit the earth.

“Now this might hurt a little!” he yelled to Shadow, as they flew directly up in the line of fire.

The cannon unleashed its blast.

It hurt more than a little, as they both raised their arms to create an invisible shield of sorts, blocking the blast, protecting those far below.

“This was your plan?” Shadow demanded beside him, his voice strained as he squinted against the blinding light.

Sonic didn’t answer, grunting as he tried to conserve his quickly-draining energy. Desperate for any kind of hope, he hollered, “Would someone mind shutting down the giant death ray?!”

He figured it was just the Robotniks up there, and they were the ones who’d planned this whole thing, but somehow his plea was answered. Slowly but surely, the continuous blast started to tilt, gradually away from the earth.

However, it was quickly getting harder and harder to keep blocking it. The ray was hot and excruciating to the touch, only less so because he was in golden god mode, but even that energy was starting to… fade.

Sonic gritted his teeth, nearly whimpering as he struggled to keep on blocking it. Hundreds of people are at risk down there! he snapped at himself silently. Including your family. Keep at it!

The ray continued to turn, slowly.

The edges of his vision started going dark.

He shook his head slightly, glaring up at the ray. The ray glared back at him.

You HAVE to do it! You have to get back to them! You have to see if Dad will be okay. You have to check on Mom. You have to apologize to Knuckles and Tails. YOU HAVE TO!

SO KEEP AT IT!

“Can’t… hold… much… longer!” he gasped out, as if whoever was turning the ray could hear him. Shadow looked over at him for a split second, then immediately turned back forward, pushing even harder against the blast.

Sonic couldn’t risk looking down to see how far the ray had turned from the earth. All he could do was keep looking up, keep hoping against hope that they were going to save everyone— and make it out alive. Both of which he couldn’t afford not to do.

But it wasn’t looking likely.

He didn’t have any more energy he could just summon out of nowhere. And he was very quickly running out of time.

And even as he struggled against the ray, his heart began to sink.

He had too many regrets. Too many things he still needed to say. Too many things he still didn’t know.

Stupid cannon should’ve waited a bit longer, at least so he could’ve gotten a chance to do all that.

But, just like throughout this whole ordeal, he was absolutely powerless with such a thing.

It was too late.

The darkness at the edges of his vision spread, as his arms and body started going numb. And with a final yelp, he blacked out.

The last thing he registered was a hand on his shoulder, forcefully shoving him to the right. Then everything went blank.

---

Sonic had truly thought he was going to die.

If he’d fainted while still in the direct path of the death ray, he would’ve gotten incinerated.

But that hand that’d pushed him… had it gotten him out of the way? Shadow had saved him?

His consciousness slowly edged its way back in, stirred by the sound of coughing. As his senses recovered, he realized he was lying down, sprawled half on an earthy floor, halfway on top of someone else…

Vision and hearing foggy, he squeezed his eyes shut tighter for a moment before wearily blinking them open. “Sonic, look,” a young, familiar voice said quietly.

Slowly, shakily, Sonic pushed himself to his feet, still trying to register what was happening, where he was, what was going on. But as he looked up, the memories returned, and another wave of grief hit him hard.

There was a huge, nebular mass in the sky above them, clearly the result of some kind of massive explosion. Tails had gone on excited rants to him in past months about astronomy, and stars, and what happened when they exploded. How they left a beautiful nebula blanketing the space around them even after they were gone.

“Shadow and Robotnik,” Tails said quietly beside him, staring with a hollow look up at the remains in the sky. “They sacrificed themselves… to save everyone.”

…Oh.

Shadow was gone.

Sonic looked at the distant fire, swallowing. “You always have a choice,” he murmured, remembering how he’d told that to Shadow right before they’d gone in to stop the death ray.

“The light shines, even though the star is gone,” was what Shadow had said, as they’d sat and reminisced on the moon’s surface.

They’d saved Earth, and everyone on it, but Shadow had given everything to make the right choice in the end. He’d become his own fallen star, like Maria, and he would shine on even now that he was gone.

Sonic’s chest ached. For all the drama and violence and pain of the last few days, he would never forget Shadow. The words they had shared stuck with him. Shadow had not deserved to die. He’d become a hero when it had mattered the most.

And so had Robotnik, apparently.

Sonic swallowed again, then turned to face his brothers, a sudden dread pooling in his heart. In what he’d thought were his final moments up there, he’d been desperate to live so he could apologize, and he’d pictured himself dramatically rushing back, shouting out the “I’M SO SORRY”s, hugging everyone left and right, rushing to do everything he thought he couldn’t. But now that he was faced with the real opportunity, and the reality of what had happened, he… was scared.

Scared that he’d gone too far. That they wouldn’t trust him again after he’d betrayed their oath.

Especially as he realized that Knuckles and Tails must’ve saved him after he fell. Even after what he’d said to them. It was the only explanation for how he’d woken up piled with them both in the middle of a corn field, relatively unharmed for having apparently fallen all the way from space.

“Guys, I’m really sorry for running off like that,” he said softly, avoiding the two pairs of eyes locked on him. His heart pounded uncomfortably in his chest. “I shouldn’t have left you behind.”

He dared to meet Knuckles’s eyes. The echidna stared back at him, his eyes hard.

“The truth is,” he went on, shifting his gaze again, “you’re the best teammates a hedgehog could ever ask for.” He glanced at Tails, the words spilling out now, and he was struck with a sudden gratefulness that he was here, getting to say all this, when he’d truly thought he’d missed the chance. “And the best friends,” he quickly added. “…Can you ever forgive me?”

Sonic held his breath. Silence reigned. His heart skipped a few beats.

Knuckles continued to stare.

Then the echidna slowly raised a fist towards him. “Team Sonic?” he asked quietly.

Sonic stared at his brother’s extended fist for a moment, almost weak as relief rushed through him. In a rush of emotion, he smiled like a sap and lurched forwards to hug Knuckles close, grasping to pull in Tails as well. “How about, just ‘team’,” he replied softly, resting his head against the echidna’s chest and wrapping his arms around both him and Tails.

His teammates. His friends. His best friends.

His brothers.

----------------------

there will be a second chapter soon btw

[personwholoveschocolate]

been thinkin about the movie and the haircut scene just wont leave my mind

i love it so so much. it literally just stone and ivo goofing around for the sake of it! remember when rob got to earth in sonic 2? badniks to fetch the suit adjust the 'stashe and thats it. this time however?

dramatic gestures, doctor here the rose so you can look like pablo (the cool one obv) while you defeat your opponent (the lame one boo) who stole your identity. The Grip. stone, get oN MY LAP.

just UGH i love it with great passion. huge fan. i literally just today realised that they made the haircut about the tv drama they watched just for giggles! ! ah! look at these little freaks in their natural environment. demonstrating healthy playful behavior. really good for them! couples like them adore to participate in such weird activities together. they are geccoes to me.