Characters We Most Want To See In Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds

Summary

• Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds features familiar and new characters, with potential for guest appearances from other Sega properties.
• Characters like Chaos, Tikal, and Marine are highly-requested additions to the game’s roster.
• Possibilities for crossover characters include AiAi from Super Monkey Ball, Kazuma Kiryu from Yakuza, and potentially even Mario from Nintendo.

The first gameplay trailer of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds was unveiled at PlayStation’s State of Play event in February 2025, showing off various characters and stages from across the Sonic universe. The current roster consists of a mix of staples like Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Shadow, as well as lesser-known characters in the series, like Jet the Hawk from the Sonic Riders games and Sage from 2023’s Sonic Frontiers.

However, there are many characters who Sega and Sonic Team have left on the table to be added in the future, either as part of the base game or as later add-ons for DLC. Guest characters from other Sega properties have also been rumored. Some of them have been highly-requested additions to the roster, while others may be more niche picks to appeal to long-time fans of the games. These stand out as the most highly-requested of the lot.

9

Chaos

The God of Destruction Should Show His Wrath Once More

Chaos was introduced in the original Sonic Adventure for the Dreamcast as the game’s primary antagonist. A Chao who was mutated into his familiar watery form by the Master Emerald, he would be sealed away after killing a tribe of echidna who wanted to use its powers for evil. After being reawakened by Dr. Eggman, the two would work together to find the Chaos Emeralds to achieve world domination.

While he would never appear in another mainline Sonic game again after Sonic Adventure, he remains a fan-favorite character, being playable in the multiplayer mode of Sonic Adventure 2: Battle and reappearing in Sonic Battle on the Game Boy Advance. Sonic Racing Crossworlds could be the perfect opportunity to reintroduce him to new fans.

8

Tikal The Echidna

Sonic Adventure’s Overarching Heroine Could Unleash Her Powers

An ancestor of Knuckles, Tikal the Echidna debuted in Sonic Adventure in the form of a guiding light who would help players on their journeys. The cast would later find out that she was the original best friend of Chaos who sealed him away in the Master Emerald to keep him from going down a path of darkness.

While she hasn’t appeared in a mainline Sonic game since her debut, she later made non-canon appearances in the battle mode of the Sonic Adventure 2 rerelease, as well as playable appearances in mobile games such as Sonic Runners. A playable appearance in Crossworlds could give her the most exposure since her debut.

7

Marine The Raccoon

One-Off Handheld Sidekick Deserves A Comeback

A close friend of Blaze the Cat, the adventure-loving sailor Marine the Raccoon made her only canonical appearance in 2007’s Sonic Rush Adventure for the Nintendo DS. When Sonic and Tails find themselves on Marine’s home Southern Island, the two team up to defeat Captain Whisker, a robot pirate who stole Blaze’s prized Jeweled Scepter.

While Blaze has become a series staple following her debut in the original Sonic Rush, Marine has largely stayed out of the limelight since, only appearing in small cameos since then. While a return to the franchise isn’t necessarily likely due to her obscurity, she’s a viable choice if Sega wants to lean more into deep cuts for future roster picks.

6

Fang The Hunter

’90s Rival Was Recently Brought Out Of Retirement

Also known as Nack the Weasel, Fang was introduced as a rival to Sonic in Sonic Triple Trouble for the Game Gear. A bounty hunter by trade, he was hired by Dr. Eggman to help retrieve the Chaos Emeralds. Despite being a one-off antagonist for that game, he would continue to appear in spin-off games over the next few years, such as Sonic Drift 2 and Sonic the Fighters.

After an over 25-year-absence, however, Fang made his return to the series in Sonic Superstars, where he once again joins Dr, Eggman and newcomer Trip the Sungazer on their quest for the Emeralds. With Superstars being a game featuring Sonic and friends’ classic appearances, Crossroads could either keep his design from that game or introduce a more modern look.

5

Trip The Sungazer

She Was The Star Of Classic Sonic’s Newest Game

The breakout newcomer from Sonic Superstars, Trip originally was an ally of Dr. Eggman, but after having a falling-out with the evil scientist, she realigned herself with Sonic and his friends. She has her own unlockable story campaign that is noticeably more difficult than other characters’, and a gameplay style that mixes Knuckles’ with Amy’s. Fans who got far enough to user her, though, fell in love with her unique gameplay,

Trip has yet to appear in any other game in the series, and it’s unknown if Sega is willing to use her outside of Superstars. But if there’s any game that’s the perfect opportunity to bring one-time Sonic characters back into the fold, it’s a massive crossover game like Sonic Racing Crossworlds.

4

AiAi

Sega’s No. 2 Kid-Oriented Mascot Is An Easy Pick

Sonic Racing: Crossworlds has hinted at using guest characters from Sega’s other games, which it did for the first two Sonic & Sega All Stars titles but did away with for Team Sonic Racing. While Sega has mostly pivoted away from their family-friendly game series towards more mature titles, the biggest that’s still around today other than Sonic itself is Super Monkey Ball.

The series protagonist, AiAi, appeared in both Sega All Stars games, so he seems like a shoo-in for a crossover game like Sonic Racing: Crossworlds. Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble featured special skins for Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy, and a costume for Shadow. It seems likely Sonic will return the favor by bringing in Sega’s most famous chimp to join the race.

3

Kazuma Kiryu

The Star Of Sega’s Biggest 21st-Century IP Would Be A Hit

The original protagonist of Sega’s highly popular Yakuza, or Like a Dragon, series, Kazuma Kiryu has mostly been retired in his own series since his saga concluded in Yakuza 6. Since then, his rival Goro Majima and new hero Ichiban Kasuga have gotten more attention. But since Sonic Racing: Crossworlds is a non-canon entry, that doesn’t mean Kiryu himself should be left out of the spotlight entirely.

The very realistic themes of Yakuza would feel a bit out of place in a cartoonish universe like Sonic the Hedgehog, but it is exactly that dissonance that would make Kiryu stand out. After missing all previous Sega crossover racers, he’s long overdue for an appearance.

2

Tom Wachowski

The Sonic Movies Deserve Some Representation

Sega has occasionally acknowledged the universe of the live-action Sonic movies in its video games, though those have mostly come in alternate skins for the games’ pre-existing characters. A more interesting way to tie in the movie would be to bring in the movies’ most prominent original character, Tom ‘Donut Lord’ Wachowski.

Played by James Marsden, Tom is the sheriff of the town of Green Hills who discovers Sonic and serves as a father figure in all three films. He has an obvious vehicle of choice in his police car, and appearing in future video game adaptations will help cross-promote the film series through the original games. His inclusion could be made extra special if Marsden returns to voice the character.

1

Mario

Could The Ultimate Racing Crossover Happen?

No video game is more synonymous with kart racing than Mario Kart, and seeing Sonic’s one-time rival making the jump to another company’s own racing game series would be a crossover for the ages. Mario could use his many vehicles from Mario Kart, but he could also be given an all-new set of cars, given Crossworlds’ are noticeably larger than their Nintendo counterparts.

While Crossworlds is a multi-platform game, it has already been announced that a Switch version is in development. If Mario were to be playable, he would likely be exclusive to Nintendo’s console. However, since there is precedent for console-exclusive characters in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, the door can’t be closed entirely on that possibility.