Sonic The Hedgehog: The Scariest Characters

Key Takeaways

• Some Sonic characters, like Mephiles and Tails Doll, have eerie designs that can be terrifying to encounter.
• Dark Gaia, Metal Sonic, and Black Doom have ominous appearances and powers that make them formidable foes in the Sonic universe.
• The intense power and design elements of Eclipse, Mimic, and E-123 Omega make them some of the scariest characters in the franchise.

The Sonic the Hedgehog games are primarily known for being fun, casual, and lighthearted high-speed platformers. However, anyone who knows the Sonic franchise will be well aware that not all the characters that exist in this universe are as happy-go-lucky as Sonic and his pals, as some actually come across as fairly scary thanks to their appearances and immense powers.

Though these types of characters rarely ever become too terrifying considering the franchise they’re in, there’s still something very unnerving about them whenever they appear on-screen which can easily make the skin crawl. As for who is the scariest of the bunch though, these characters below are often considered to be top contenders.

8 E-123 Omega

Omega’s Unpredictability And Thirst For Vengeance Can Make Him Pretty Intimidating

• First Appearance: Sonic Heroes

After Omega was shut down and sent into hibernation by Dr Eggman, the Egg-bot awakened from his slumber with a vengeance for his former master, willing to do whatever it took to get his hands on him. Since Omega ultimately has a one-track-mind that involves taking down Eggman and little else, he can often come across as quite scary, especially whenever he starts spraying his gatling guns randomly around a room, as he does at the beginning of Sonic Heroes.

Over the course of the games, he has started to lose the hard edge a little bit, but there’s no denying that even looking at this powerful machine can invoke a sense of fear, primarily because there’s no telling what he’s going to do next.

7 Eclipse The Darkling

Eclipse Was Designed To Be The Superior Yet Creepy ‘Brother’ Of Shadow The Hedgehog

• First Appearance: Sonic Universe #59

Eclipse, a character from the Archie Sonic comics, is a member of Black Doom’s army who was created for the sole purpose of being their own version of Shadow the Hedgehog. While he may share the arrogance of Shadow, Eclipse is much more ruthless than his counterpart. When Eclipse tries to convince Shadow to join the Black Arms, only for him to refuse, Eclipse responds by trying to force his way into Shadow’s mind in order to control him.

Luckily, Shadow’s willpower managed to fend off Eclipse’s abilities, but it still goes to show just how dangerous this guy can be, and how little he cares about playing fair. It’s unlikely fans will ever get to see Eclipse show up in the mainline games, but there’s still a chance Shadow’s disturbing ‘brother’ could make a quick cameo in a movie or spinoff later down the line.

Metal Sonic’s Uncanny Design Makes Him Quite Unnerving To Look At

• First Appearance: Sonic CD

No matter what sort of alterations and additions Eggman makes to Metal Sonic, the robotic imitation of Sonic always manages to look creepy. This machine is programmed to do one thing and one thing only: take down Sonic by any means necessary, and as a result, it’s usually fitted with all kinds of deadly weapons and gadgets to get the job done.

It’s also just unnerving that Eggman decided to make it an exact replica of Sonic, albeit with a much more serious face and long dangly limbs which it can use to catch its prey. He may be a fan favorite, but Metal Sonic is still uncanny enough to come across as genuinely intimidating and scary whenever he appears in the games.

5 Mimic The Octopus

Mimic’s Ability To Copy Appearances Makes Him Utterly Terrifying

• First Appearance: Tangle & Whisper #1

Mimic the Octopus is a character who shows up in the SonicThe Hedgehog IDW comic book series, and just as his name implies, he possesses the ability to change his appearance, which he will often use to copy other people. This already makes him a pretty frightening character, since there’s never any telling whether a close friend could actually be Mimic in disguise, but his original appearance is also unsettling, primarily his bright white eyes and devious smile.

He’s also been shown to be incredibly self-centered, as seen when he joins the Diamond Cutters, only to later betray them as part of his master plan. If Sonic Team is ever looking for a creepy villain to play a part in one of the future games, they need look no further than Mimic the Octopus.

4 Mephiles

Mephile’s Immense Power Paired With His Design Creates One Of Sonic’s Creepiest Foes To Date

• First Appearance: Sonic The Hedgehog

Sonic The Hedgehog (2006) didn’t receive too much praise from fans upon its release, but one area where Sonic Team knocked it out of the park was the villain, Mephiles. Out of all the hedgehogs in the series, Mephiles is by far the scariest in terms of design, especially the lack of a mouth and glowing eyes that seem like they’re able to pierce the soul of anyone he gazes at.

Mephiles has also been shown to be incredibly powerful, as demonstrated when he literally kills Sonic using a light beam aimed straight at his heart. His powers of manipulation and darkness make him a formidable, but also terrifying foe for Sonic and the gang to take on, but even after he was defeated, he became so popular that he would once again show up to cause havoc in Sonic X Shadow Generations years later.

3 Dark Gaia

The Eerie Dark Gaia Is The Embodiment Of Darkness And Chaos In The World

• First Appearance: Sonic Unleashed

After Eggman blasts the planet into pieces at the beginning of Sonic Unleashed, he also awakens Dark Gaia, a snake-like entity that resembles the dark half of the Earth’s cosmic cycle. Since this creature is the embodiment of darkness and destruction, it does make sense why it has such a spine-chilling appearance, and considering its size, it could easily wipe out the entire population of the planet if Sonic hadn’t put a stop to it.

What also makes Dark Gaia so terrifying is how it seems to lack any sort of consciousness, meaning the behemoth can in no way negotiate or come to terms with its enemies. Instead, all it can do is use its powers to wreak havoc on anyone that stands in its way, with it even coming close to taking Sonic’s life if Chip hadn’t saved him.

2 Black Doom

Black Doom’s Devilish Appearance And Disturbing Voice Can Easily Make The Skin Crawl

• First Appearance: Shadow The Hedgehog

Black Doom makes his debut in the Shadow the Hedgehog game where he tries to tempt Shadow into helping him after the hedgehog loses his memories. After a long hiatus from the series, he makes a re-appearance in Sonic X Shadow Generations where he once again tries to pull Shadow’s arm, turning him into the ‘perfect being’. Doom’s design is one of the freakiest in the entire series, especially his glowing red eyes, or single eye in the case of his octopus-like form.

Since he is also the commander of the Black Arms, an ancient race of violent aliens, he’s also constantly making threats about ruling the world, which he could have easily done if Shadow wasn’t there to stop him. His underlying power, paired with his design, already make him a terrifying enemy to face, but his devilish voice only ramps up the scare factor for Shadow’s arch-enemy.

1 Tails Doll

Nightmare Fuel That Was Inserted Into A Lighthearted Racing Game

• First Appearance: Sonic R

What was designed to be a one-off bonus character in Sonic R has taken on a life of its own long after the game’s initial release. Of course, I’m talking about the Tails Doll, an imitation of Sonic’s best friend which was designed by Eggman for racing, rather than fighting. The stiched-together design of the Tails Doll and dead eyes make it extremely unnerving and creepy to look at, especially when it hovers in mid-air while on a race track.

So many people were freaked out by the Tails Doll that it would eventually make its way into online creepypastas, becoming somewhat of a ghost story that longtime Sonic fans could speak of around a campfire. Tails Doll has actually reappeared in some of the comics, but whether it will make another appearance in the games, only time will tell.