Main article: Sonic the Hedgehog is the main character of the series and debuted on the game of the same name. He's a blue hedgehog and is generally regarded as one of the most popular video game characters of all time. He's best known for his speed, which overtime seems to have increased. His first appearance alongside characters without was in for the , though his appearance in unarguably made a bigger splash among fans. Sega and Nintendo's partnership with the two aforementioned games, among many others such as the Triforce arcade system , signifies to a great extent just how far the two companies' relationship have come in comparison to 10 years ago when they were competing for the top spot. It wasn't until the third installment would Tails, as he's better known, learned to fly using his two tails. His first appearance on a Nintendo owned console was for the , though perhaps even more surprising was his and the rest of the Sonic gang's appearance in where he was featured as a playable character. Knuckles the Echidna Main article: Knuckles the Echidna is a red colored character who first appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. He has a short temper compared to the other protagonists of the series and is named after his large knuckles. His first appearance on a Nintendo owned console was Sonic Adventure 2: Battle for the GameCube. In the games that he's appeared in he commonly helps Sonic find the Chaos Emeralds, and will even occasionally have his own missions. Ever since Rouge the Bat first appeared in a game, the two have had a rivalry, perhaps because of how similar the two of them are. Amy Rose Main article: Amy Rose is one of the star characters of the series who made her debut on Sonic the Hedgehog CD, though first made her appearance on a console with for the GameCube like most of the Sonic characters. She is perhaps best known for her giant mallet, her pink hair and her crush on Sonic, which unfortunately for her is not returned Sonic simply views her as a friend. She, along with the rest of the Sonic cast, made their surprising debut alongside a Nintendo owned character in for the later remade for. Cream the Rabbit Main article: Cream the Rabbit is a cute bunny who is one of the few major characters to have debuted on a system, the game being for the. She is best known for having a friend named Cheese. The two of them travel together on their adventures, and even during gameplay Cheese won't be too far behind. She is also close friends with Amy above. In for the , Cream the Rabbit is an optional playable character. Big the Cat Main article: Big the Cat is a gluttonous protagonist who has a pet frog. His first appearance was that in Sonic Adventure, though Big would later appear in Sonic Adventures 2: Battle for the GameCube, which would be his first appearance on a Nintendo console. He loves to fish and live with his friend Froggy. His other major affiliation is that with his friend Amy Rose. Silver the Hedgehog Main article: Silver the Hedgehog is a rival to. As of yet he has appeared in various Sonic video games, such as , , , and even as a trophy and as a cameo on the stage. In most of the previously mentioned games he plays a very minor role, usually playing the role of a cameo. In , Silver the Hedgehog was planned to be included as a playable character, though was removed for unknown reasons. Nevertheless the player can still hack into the game and unlock him by doing so. Blaze the Cat Main article: Blaze the Cat is a character from the Sonic the Hedgehog series, who comes from the another dimension. She is the defender of the Sol Emeralds, the counterpart to the Chaos Emeralds, and usually has to defend them from Eggman Nega. Blaze is Pyrokinetic, which means, she can harness and control the power of fire, hence her name. Like in the official Sega of America Sonic mini site, Sonic Central. Interestingly, most of Blazes appearances have been on Nintendo consoles, with the exception of Sonic the Hedgehog 2006. Her first appearance was in Sonic Rush, which was also her first Nintendo appearance. Silver the Hedgehog and Marine the Raccoon are her best friends. She has a super form, known as Burning Blaze. Main article: Shadow the Hedgehog is an anti-hero character in the , who debuted in Sonic Adventure 2, later remade in to Sonic Adventure 2: Battle. He was created by 's grandfather, Gerald Robotnik, with the DNA of Black Doom, and was made to be the Ultimate Lifeform. However, after the Space Colony Ark was destroyed, which took the life of Shadow's good friend, Maria, Shadow was struck with amnesia, and attempted to destroy the , believing it was Maria's request. However, after recovering much of his memory, Shadow ended up assisting in saving the Earth from the. Shadow's somewhat rough past has made him very bitter and cold in current years, and due to this, he is capable of joining the cause of good or evil. He always ends up doing what is right in the end, however, and has grown a friendly rivalry with Sonic and. Rouge the Bat Main article: Doctor Eggman is a devious, evil scientist who invents many machines, and created Shadow. He has tried, many times, to defeat Sonic and take the Chaos emerald, but Sonic always defeats him. He started trying to destroy Sonic altogether, but has never succeeded! He always comes back though, he won't let a little blue hedgehog slow him down! Metal Sonic Appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl Nintendo and Sega surprised many fans when they had announced that would appear as a playable character in the video game. It was announced months before the game was actually released, and was accompanied by a video of the character in action.
