The Sonic the Hedgehog Movies Need to Move On From This Character

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 introduces many new characters and also brings back some familiar faces. Among the returning cast members is Jim Carrey, who came out of retirement to pull double duty in Sonic 3 as his regular villain Dr. Robotnik, plus Robotnik’s grandfather Gerald.

The Sonic the Hedgehog movies draw on many of the iconic characters introduced in SEGA’s video games. Sonic (Ben Schwartz), Knuckles (Idris Elba), Tails (Colleen O’Shuagnessey), and Shadow (Keanu Reeves) are some of the notable characters who have made the jump from game to screen. Another is Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik, aka Eggman, who has served as the villain in all three Sonic the Hedgehog films.

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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Ending Explained

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What Happened to Dr Robotnik in Sonic 3?

Dr Robotnik seemingly meets his demise at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. But that turned out not to all be a lie after Agent Stone led Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails to the metal crab that Robotnik had been hiding out in. The mustached villain had let himself go in the time since his defeat but eventually agreed to an unlikely alliance with Team Sonic to get at the heart of G.U.N’s operation. However, Eggman quickly changed sides upon learning his grandfather, Gerald, was alive and working with Shadow, to bring a world-ending Eclipse Cannon to life. Eggman and Gerald took the opportunity to bond, but eventually, Eggman learned his grandfather’s true plan was to destroy the Earth rather than save it, as he sought vengeance for what G.U.N. did to his granddaughter, Maria.

Rattled by his grandfather’s true plan and the knowledge that his only family member despises rather than loves him, Eggman switches sides again. Forming an agreement with Shadow, the two work to alter the trajectory of the Eclipse Cannon and push it far enough into space for it to explode safely away from Earth. Everything points to this being Eggman’s swan song, with both he and Shadow sacrificing their lives to save Earth. However, that’s never stopped Eggman from returning before.

Sonic the Hedgehog Needs To Find New Villains

While Eggman is one of Sonic’s most recognizable villains he has now been the blue hedgehog’s major foe in all three of his big-screen films and it’s starting to get stale. After the first movie, the Sonic the Hedgehog movies resorted to pairing Eggman with other major characters, like Knuckles and Shadow, to create interesting villains for Sonic to fight. They would all eventually turn on Eggman and become allies with Sonic. Nevertheless, the Sonic the Hedgehog movies have persevered in trying to make Eggman a main character, despite introducing much more interesting characters around him. A fair amount of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was dedicated to exploring Eggman and Gerald’s relationship, which many might consider the least interesting part of the movie, considering there are new elements like Shadow and G.U.N. to explore. The film tried its hand at making Krysten Ritter’s Director Rockwell an antagonist in the third movie, but the character was largely wasted and received very little screen time, nor a compelling arc.

With Eggman seemingly finally laid to rest at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, it’s time for the franchise to let him die. The character has already cheated death multiple times, so bringing him back again runs the risk of becoming repetitive and boring. Instead, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 should introduce a new villain, one who can challenge Sonic in new ways. It appears the franchise is already laying the groundwork for this, thanks to the hint at Metal Sonic in Sonic 3’s post-credits scenes. Metal Sonic would be an ideal direction for the franchise to go post-Eggman, with the robotic hedgehog known to be one of Sonic’s more dangerous foes.

It’s long been time for the Sonic the Hedgehog films to introduce higher and more mature stakes, which started to happen in Sonic 3, but could become even more present in Sonic 4. Introducing a more serious villain is one way for the Sonic franchise to grow with its audience – provided they can resist the temptation to bring Eggman back one more time.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is in cinemas now.

Directed by Jeff Fowler, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 sets up a new threat for Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails by introducing Shadow the Hedgehog. Shadow presents such a big danger to planet Earth, that the heroes have to team up with Dr. Robotnik.

Release Date

December 20, 2024

Director

Jeff Fowler

Cast

Jim Carrey
, Ben Schwartz
, James Marsden
, Tika Sumpter
, Idris Elba
, Colleen O’Shaughnessey
, Natasha Rothwell
, Keanu Reeves

Writers

Pat Casey
, Josh Miller
, John Whittington

Production Company

Sega Sammy Group, Original Film, Marza Animation Planet, Blur Studio

Prequel(s)

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Based On

Sonic the Hedgehog Games

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