Edge Rewrite
everything Source code View original
// HTMLRewriter · presentation

This page was redesigned at the edge.

Cloudflare fetched the original article and streamed it through HTMLRewriter to apply an entirely new visual system without rebuilding the source page.

// request.cf · coarse context

A page that knows where it met you.

Only coarse request metadata is shown. This demo does not display or persist visitor IP addresses.

Country
US
Cloudflare location
CMH
Connection
HTTP/2
Language
Not provided

Ray ID: a2706f1a2f70a9fe

Jump to content

Draft:Metal Sonic

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  • Comment: We need to see that the character has standalone notability per WP:GNG. We need to see significant, secondary coverage of the subject that is separate from the broader sonic show. Mentioning him as part of recaps of shows/games is considered WP:ROUTINE so would announcements about figureines related to the character, etc. Not saying these sources can't be used, they just don't do much to establish notability. Sulfurboy (talk) 04:15, 25 July 2026 (UTC)
Metal Sonic
First appearance
Sonic CD (1993)
Designed byKazuyuki Hoshino
Voiced by
Japanese
English
In-universe information
SpeciesMilitary robot
GenderGenderless[a]

Metal Sonic (Japanese: メタルソニック, Hepburn: Metaru Sonikku) is a character from Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Metal Sonic was created by Kazuyuki Hoshino, and typically appears as an antagonist within the video game series.

The character is introduced in Sonic CD (1993) as an antagonistic robotic duplicate of Sonic the Hedgehog, created by series antagonist Dr. Eggman. He is usually presented to possess great strength and advanced artificial intelligence, with weaponry including a laser cannon, a jet engine and a force field device he can use to protect himself from projectiles and certain attacks.

Metal Sonic is one of the franchise's most recognizable and discussed antagonists, having appeared in rankings and features devoted to memorable robots and Sonic characters.

Concept and creation

[edit]

During the development of Sonic the Hedgehog CD, a project created to promote the Mega-CD add-on for the Sega Mega Drive game console, game director Naoto Ohshima wanted to introduce a strong rival for Sonic.[2]

Kazuyuki Hoshino designed Metal Sonic in the likeness of Sonic the Hedgehog, "on the concept that he was Sonic’s fatal rival". Hoshino had a clear image of the character in his mind from the moment he was briefed, and Metal Sonic's design emerged after only a few sketches. Hoshino’s primary focus was making him look metallic, and for his design to clearly show that the character is a robot: instead of blue wool, Metal Sonic is covered with blue painted metal; instead of white eyes and green pupils, he has black eyes and red pupils; and iron claws instead of white gloves. For Metal Sonic to have the ability to move as fast as Sonic, Hoshino came up with several ideas. He ultimately settled on one based on a jet engine, inspired by drag racers. Metal Sonic's in-game sprites depict him levitating; this is because Hoshino did not want him to have the same movements as Sonic.

When asked during a 2013 interview what approach would he take if he were to redesign Metal Sonic, Hoshino indicated that he would give the character "a different feel and texture that you would pick up just from looking at him", like the ability to become invisible. Hoshino named Metal Sonic as his favorite Sega character he created, citing the character's longevity.

During the creation of Sonic Heroes, dedicated to the twelfth anniversary of the release of the first game of the series, Sonic Team decided to bring back Metal Sonic as a character and made him a ventral villain of the game. In Sonic Heroes, Metal Sonic received an updated design and was designated as "Neo Metal Sonic". In the story itself, the authors decided to explores Metal Sonic's obsession with the series protagonist.

While Metal Sonic is traditionally a non-verbal character who only communicates in electronic sounds and vocal effects, he has a speaking role in Sonic Heroes. In that game, he was voiced by the actors who voiced Sonic at the time, Jun'ichi Kanemaru in Japanese and Ryan Drummond in English.

Music

[edit]

Like many other characters of the Sonic media franchise, Metal Sonic has his own music themes dedicated to him. The musical accompaniment of the Stardust Speedway level, where the battle with the final boss, Metal Sonic, takes place, in the variation of "Bad Future", was reused in later games as the final boss theme. In the Sonic the Fighters fighting game, where Metal Sonic appears as the final boss, the track "Never Let It Go (Death Egg's Eye)" accompanies the battle. In the Virtual Sonic tribute album Not Alone 5, known for working on the soundtracks for many Sega games of the Mega Drive era, there is a track titled "Metal Sonic". In the two-part OVA anime Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie, the closing theme "Look-a-Like" is performed by the Japanese singer Hata Sensei and reflects the character's role in the story. In Sonic Heroes, Metal Sonic's theme is "What I'm Made Of…", performed by Crush 40 and played during the battle with Metal Overlord.

Appearances

[edit]

Video games

[edit]

Metal Sonic's debut is in Sonic the Hedgehog CD. He is given orders to go back in time and change the past so that Doctor Eggman can rule the future. Sonic must race him in Stardust Speedway to retrieve Amy Rose. He is severely wounded when he crashes and falls, but is rejuvenated by Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II, only to be defeated again in a similar style. He returns in Knuckles' Chaotix, where he attempts to obtain the Chaos Rings, but he is stopped by the Chaotix team.

Metal Sonic serves as the main antagonist in Sonic Heroes. He considers himself better than Sonic in everything, and so in the conclusion of the game he tries to prove that he is the original, while Sonic himself is only a copy of him. He appears in a new form as Neo Metal Sonic before transforming into the game's final boss, the Metal Overlord. Upon being defeated by Super Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, he reverts to his traditional appearance.

Metal Sonic appears as a bonus playable character in Sonic Rivals, reprogrammed to aid Eggman Nega in his attempt to take over the world. He returns as a playable character in Sonic Rivals 2, under orders from Eggman to aid Shadow in stopping Eggman Nega's plans. In Sonic Free Riders, Metal Sonic is a playable character and the final opponent in the game's story mode. In Sonic Generations, he appears in his classic form as a rival boss, battling Classic Sonic in Stardust Speedway before ultimately being destroyed. In the 2024 remaster Sonic X Shadow Generations, his Metal Overlord form returns as a boss that Shadow battles. Metal Sonic returns as a boss character in Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric and Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal, and the Sonic story mode of Lego Dimensions.

Metal Sonic appeared as a playable character in the multiplayer mode of Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, as well as Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, and all the Mario & Sonic titles beginning with Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. Collecting all the emblems in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut unlocks Metal Sonic as a bonus playable character in Sonic's stages, and purchasing both episodes of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I unlocks bonus levels in which Metal Sonic is playable.[3]

In other media

[edit]

Television

[edit]

Metal Sonic serves as the main antagonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog OVA, where Eggman records Sonic's abilities and uploads them to Metal Sonic, who proceeds in attempting to destroy the world before being tossed into lava by Sonic. He appears in the Sonic Boom episodes, "It Wasn't Me, It Was the One-Armed Hedgehog" and "Eggman the Video Game Part 2: The End of the World".

Film

[edit]

Multiple Metal Sonic's appear in the post-credits scene of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024),[4][5] and Metal Sonic is set to appear in Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (2027), alongside Amy Rose.[6]

Comics

[edit]

Metal Sonic has made recurring appearances in the Sonic The Hedgehog comic book series.[7] The debut of Metal Sonic in comics took place in June 1994, in the 27th issue of the Sonic the Comic series from the British publisher Fleetway Editions.[8] Here Metal Sonic is called Metalix. As in the original, it was created by Dr. Eggman to destroy Sonic. However, after the defeat, numerous prototypes of Metalix, created over the entire time of attempts to develop a robot capable of defeating Sonic, found the Brotherhood of the Metalixes. They build their leader in the form of a huge and motionless Sonic robot in red-golden colors and call him Emperor Metalix. Under his command, they are trying to capture the homeworld of Sonic, Mobius.[9]

In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series from Archie Comics, published since 1993, Metal Sonic also received a new name - Shard. The story of its creation again does not differ from that described in the Sonic CD. After his first defeat from Sonic and the Fighters for Freedom,[10] Dr. Eggman continues to use Shard and updates it a couple of times.[11] Ultimately, the Freedom Fighters manage to capture Shard and reprogram it, after which he takes Sonic's side and helps him confront Dr. Eggman. Starting from the third incarnation, Shard undergoes strong design changes: the blue color changes to black and gold, the gun takes the place of the left hand, while the laser gun on the stomach is replaced by a power crystal. After Shard switches to the good side, Dr. Eggman creates another Metal Sonic, which looks more like the current version of the character from video games.[12]

Cultural impact

[edit]

Metal Sonic is one of the most prominent villainous characters across broader franchise discussion. According to a 2006 poll conducted by Sega for Japanese fans in Japan, Metal Sonic was voted the most popular Sonic villain and the second most wanted character for future appearances, behind Shadow the Hedgehog.[13]

Various merchandise depicting Metal Sonic has been on San Diego Comic Con,[14] as a JUVI made by Toys 'R' Us,[15] Figurine,[16] and Metal Sonic Statue.[17]

Reception

[edit]

Reception to the character has been predominantly positive, particularly for his role as Sonic’s robotic counterpart and as a recurring boss character. Reviewers have often highlighted his debut in Sonic CD as one of the game’s most memorable elements, with the race and battle against him on Stardust Speedway frequently singled out as a standout moment.[18][19] Some sources have regarded the concept of a robotic duplicate of Sonic as overly literal or eccentric, and his repeated reuse across the series has occasionally attracted criticism from journalists like Tyler Wilde of GamesRadar.[20][21]

Retrospective commentary has treated Metal Sonic as one of the more enduring antagonists in the franchise, noting both his design and his effectiveness as a darker mechanical reflection of Sonic.[22][23][24][25] Critics have also responded positively to several of Metal Sonic's later appearances.[26] His boss role in Sonic Mania drew praise, while some commentators viewed him as one of the stronger recurring rivals in the series.[27]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ Referred to as male.

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Metal Sonic Voices". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on 3 February 2026. Retrieved 25 May 2026. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  2. ↑ "Sonic CD – Developer Interview Collection". Shmuplations. March 24, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Sonic Mania Adventures Concludes With Metal Mayhem". Hardcore Gamer. July 18, 2018.
  4. ↑ Moreau, Jordan (December 21, 2024). "'Sonic 3' Post-Credits Scene Explained: Who Are Those Video Game Characters? Does [SPOILER] Die? What's Next in 'Sonic 4'?". Variety. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  5. ↑ Shepherd, Jack (December 20, 2024). "Sonic 3 cameos explained: two legendary video game characters appear, but with a twist". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on January 4, 2025. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  6. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (January 20, 2025). "Sonic the Hedgehog 3 director teases plans for Metal Sonic, Amy Rose in Sonic 4". Polygon. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  7. ↑ "These Are the Guys Who Make Sonic's Life Hell in His Comic Book Series". Kotaku.
  8. ↑ Найджел Китчинг (w), Стив Поттер (let). "The Sonic Terminator, Part 4" Sonic the Comic, no. 27 (1994-06-10). Fleetway Editions.
  9. ↑ Найджел Китчинг (w), Элли де Виль (let). "The Brotherhood of Metallix, Part 1" Sonic the Comic, no. 59 (1995-09-01). Fleetway Editions.
  10. ↑ Майк Галлахер (w), Минди Эйсман (let). "Go Ahead... Mecha my Day!" Sonic the Hedgehog, no. 25 (Август 1995). Archie Comics.
  11. ↑ Дэнни Фингерот (w), Джефф Пауэлл (let). "Heart of the Hedgehog Part One: Evil's Return" Sonic the Hedgehog, no. 86 (September 1, 2000.). Archie Comics.
  12. ↑ Ян Флинн (w). "Unthinkable" Sonic the Hedgehog, no. 234 (Апрель 2012). Archie Comics.
  13. ↑ "ソニック キャラクター 人気投票 結果発表！". Sonic Channel. Sega. June 23, 2006. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  14. ↑ "San Diego Comic Con gets an exclusive Metal Sonic". Destructoid.
  15. ↑ "Metal Sonic Vinyl Spin Dashes To Comic-Con". Kotaku.
  16. ↑ Towell, Justin (July 11, 2011). "UK set to get limited edition Metal Sonic figurine this autumn. But £154.99 with no glowing eyes? Bah". gamesradar.
  17. ↑ "First 4 Figures Next Sonic Statue Is Pure Metal". Kotaku Australia. December 29, 2010.
  18. ↑ Dale North. (December 15, 2011). "Review: Sonic CD". Destructoid. Archived from the original on 2012-04-13. Retrieved 2011-12-16.
  19. ↑ Blevins, Tal (September 19, 1996). "Sonic CD Review". GameSpot. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
  20. ↑ Wilde, Tyler. (2010-07-16). "Robots that don't make any sense - Page 2". GamesRadar. Retrieved 2017-05-06.
  21. ↑ Woo, Ginny (May 29, 2018). "Detroit Become Human and the Worst Robots in Gaming". Game Revolution. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  22. ↑ Rich Knight (2012-07-18). "The 25 Coolest Robots in Video Games". Complex. Retrieved 2017-05-06.
  23. ↑ Meli, Marissa. (2011-06-10). "We Love These Video Game Robots Even Though They Can't Love Back". Ugo.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-19. Retrieved 2017-05-06.
  24. ↑ Buff, Chris (February 6, 2009). "Top 25 Video Game Robots". GameDaily. Archived from the original on April 26, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  25. ↑ "The Best and Worst Sonic the Hedgehog Games". EW.com.
  26. ↑ Alvarez, Daniel. (2017-04-26). "Ranking Every Main Sonic The Hedgehog Game From Worst To Best". TheGamer. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  27. ↑ "Sonic Mania is a blast, until you reach the bosses". PCGamesN.

Category:Sonic the Hedgehog drafts

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Draft:Metal_Sonic&oldid=1365912976"