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Sonic the Hedgehog fandom

Sonic the Hedgehog cosplayers at Anime Los Angeles 2016

Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game series and media franchise that originated from the 1991 game of the same name for the Sega Genesis, which was spawned from franchise publisher Sega's request for a mascot to compete against Nintendo's Mario. Following the game's success, numerous sequels, successors, spinoffs, television series, and feature films have been produced, each with varying levels of success and critical reception. While initially successful, the series gained a negative reputation during the 2000s for its poorly-received installments and has frequently been a subject of mockery.

Over the course of the franchise's multidecade history, Sonic the Hedgehog gained a significant fandom, whose members have created extensive fan works, including fan art, fan fiction, fan games, modifications and websites. The subculture intersects with the furry fandom and internet culture. Several Sonic-related Internet memes have surfaced from the fandom, with some having been referenced in official Sonic media. While generally tolerated by Sega, the fandom has occasionally been criticized for certain fan-produced content and fan behaviors.

History

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The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise and its main protagonist Sonic gained significant popularity among children in the 1990s. The franchise has expanded beyond video games to include animated series and comic books.[1] During the mid-1990s, the franchise's prominence declined due to fewer Sonic releases and competition from the rising popularity of Sony's PlayStation console. It began to recover following the announcement of Sonic Adventure (1998) for the Dreamcast.[2]

The games released during the 2000s received poor or mixed reviews—especially Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), likewise poorly received by players. The fandom fragmented and diversified, but survived.[3] The game's impact led fans to coin the term "The Sonic Cycle" in 2008, describing the pattern of hope followed by disappointment with each new Sonic game.[4] The cycle originated on NeoGAF during the lead-up to the release of Sonic Unleashed (2008), which received mixed reception from critics and journalists upon release.[5] The formulation of "The Sonic Cycle" consisted of three stages; the announcement, the reveal of recurring characters, and poor reception. The cycle then repeats with the next major Sonic announcement.[4] Titles that followed this cycle included Sonic and the Black Knight and Sonic Free Riders.[5] Many critics subsequently took enjoyment from mocking the fandom.[3] Although some fans weren't impacted by the 2000s entries. For exampe, Nick Thorpe, Retro Gamer writer and a fan of the series, stated that he is always looking forward to new entries in the series and its fandom in spite of the poorly-received entries.[2]

According to Takashi Iizuka, fans' practice of creating original characters influenced the character customization system in Sonic Forces (2017). He also stated his team chose not to create different body types and shapes because most original characters resembled Sonic's design.[6] When the teaser trailer for the 2020 film Sonic the Hedgehog was released, the film's director Jeff Fowler asserted that the team behind the film received heavy criticism towards Sonic's design. Fowler then confirmed that changes to Sonic's design would be made. Numerous fan edits then went viral on social media platforms such as Twitter.[7] Writing for Vice magazine, Samantha Cole reported that many members of the furry fandom thought the design was ugly and argued that Paramount Pictures should hire one of them to design Sonic instead. However, member Amethyst Basilisk found the design to be appealing and interesting for the furry fandom.[8]

Fan base

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Online communities and conventions

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The children's book author Caleb Zane-Huett and game developer Nick Splendorr discuss that Sonic's role as more than just a player-controlled character and the franchise's struggle with plot encourages players to create their own fan fiction based on the franchise. The fan base has splintered into numerous subcommunities, each developing their own identity and interests. Sonic subreddit moderator David Manzolillo declared that the community can make any type of fan thrive, and feel accepted regardless of their views.[3] Websites have emerged to support them, such as Sonic Retro, a wiki that keeps detailed records of beta versions and hacks of official games,[9] Another, Sonic the Hedgehog Area 51, is a forum dedicated to the franchise's lost media and prototypes.[2]

Summer of Sonic, an annual fan convention dedicated to the Sonic series and hosted in the United Kingdom, was founded by Svend Joscelyne and Adam Tuff and was first held in 2008.[1] The attendees could watch both official and fan-created content shown on stage as well as interviews with Yuji Naka and Takashi Iizuka. There were also live musical performances. The convention has held over six events with the final one held during 2013, However, two special events were held during 2016 and 2019 respectively.[10]

Fan-made games

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Fans of the Sonic franchise have been known to create well-received fan games. Sega has often allowed these projects to continue without issuing cease and desists to their developers. The website Sonic Fan Games HQ hosts the online annual event Sonic Amateur Games Expo (SAGE), which showcases both fan-made and original games.[9] Notable Sonic fan games include Sonic After the Sequel (2013), set between the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and 3.[11] Sonic Dreams Collection (2015), which satirizes the fandom.[12] Sonic Robo Blast 2, which has continued to receive support since its development began in 1998.[13] Finally, Sonic P-06, a remake of Sonic the Hedgehog was released in 2006.[14]

Sonic Mania, a 2017 video game released by Sega with critical acclaim, was developed by fans who have previously worked on Sonic ROM hacks, fan games, and mobile remasters of Sonic 1, 2 and CD. Whilst some fans went on to work on official games, others took inspiration from the series and created their own games. Notable original games include Freedom Planet (2014) and Spark the Electric Jester (2017).[15]

Fan art

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Fans have created fan art of the Sonic franchise, including queer art. Fans often created original characters (OC) known as Sonic OCs to be embedded into their own fictional narratives and interact with Sonic's cast directly. They often post their OCs at the online art website DeviantArt. Due of the vastness of Sonic OCs, a fad become popularized among people to search their name alongside the phrase "Sonic OC" and then share their results online.[3]

Sonic the Hedgehog is a popular subject for artists and writers involved in the furry fandom, which is associated with sexual themes. Fans have written romantic fiction featuring Sonic, an example being artists drawing the character pregnant.[16] Some artists may draw him and other series characters depicted as sexually attractive.[8] Fans of the series have produced extensive erotic content online. Ben Richmond, writing for Vice, wrote that most of the content was likely created by young adolescents. Mandy Jones, a social worker, stated that young adolescents often become curious about sexuality, emphasizing the visualization of sexuality as healthy. Although, she expressed concern over the possibility of adolescents engaging in themes of sexual violence.[17]

Internet culture

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Ugandan Knuckles

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See also: Knuckles the Echidna § Ugandan Knuckles

A deformed version of Knuckles the Echidna from the Sonic franchise, with audio taken from the Ugandan comedy film Who Killed Captain Alex?, began appearing on the virtual world platform VRChat in the form of 3D avatars in 2017. These were created by fans of the character and used to infiltrate game worlds in attempts to annoy other players.[18] Its design has been traced back to a one-second clip uploaded to YouTube by Gregzilla in 2017.[19] The meme has received intense criticism for being racist towards the population of Uganda.[18][20] Roblox Corporation banned the use of Ugandan Knuckles imagery in its online game platform Roblox. Comparisons have been made between Ugandan Knuckles and the internet meme character Pepe the Frog. Oren Segal of the Anti-Defamation League commented that context was key when discussing the connotations of the meme being hateful.[18]

Pingas

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"Pingas" is a word coined by YouTube Poop (YTP) creator and artist Stegblob in 2008. In one of her videos, she inserted a short clip from an episode of the 1990s animated series Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. A line spoken by Long John Baldry as Doctor Robotnik, "Snooping as usual, I see" was cut down to "ping as", which became the phrase that the meme revolves around. The phrase became popular among fans after a YouTuber uploaded a video where the word replaces every note of the song "Gourmet Race" from the video game Kirby Super Star (1996). Archie Comics, an official Sonic franchise comic book publisher, later referenced the meme in Sonic the Hedgehog #205.[21]

Sanic

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Sanic is a satirical depiction of Sonic drawn using Microsoft Paint and created by musical artist 0nyxheart, who uploaded it to YouTube as a video titled "How 2 Draw Sanic Hegehog". The video featured a loud and distorted version of the theme that plays during Green Hill Zone, the first level of Sonic the Hedgehog (1991). Following this, the video was posted on 4chan, at which Sanic became popularized as an Internet meme.[22] Sonic Forces tributed Sanic with a free in-game T-shirt featuring the drawing, which can be worn by the player's avatar.[23] Sanic briefly appears as a sketch in the 2020 Sonic the Hedgehog film.[24]

Reception

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Sega's response to the Sonic the Hedgehog fandom has been more permissive compared to other companies. In May 2021, Sega's social media manager Katie Chrzanowski addressed that the company does not have issues with fan content in most cases as long as the content is not being monetized.[25] IGN writer Kat Bailey praised the company's stance toward fan content, with a marked contrast to other companies who commonly shut down fan projects, for example ports and tributes.[26] The series' former writer Ken Pontac expressed mixed opinions towards the fandom, being instructed by Sega not to engage.[27]

Critic Zolani Stewart felt that the Sonic fandom believes in itself more than it believes in naysayers. Writing for USGamer, Caty McCarthy added that the fans themselves is what made the community confounds anti-fans.[3] Polygon writer Michael McWhertor discussed how he was disappointed at the Sonic games, however praised the fandom's relationship with the furry fandom for their expression.[28] PC Gamer writer Rich Stanton wrote that searching Sonic on Google can lead to displeasuring images and details.[29] Authors Karis Jones and Scott Storm wrote that a student ranked the Sonic fandom as one of the worst video game fandoms of all time. The student discussed the behavior of fans and the way in which they demand content from Sega. As a result of this, the company has often been mocked and jested by fans. Whilst the student saw Sonic as embroiled in a societal obsession with violence, they remained hopeful in Sega's interaction with its fan base, with the fans themselves shifting their discourse practices towards helping the franchise.[30]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Ollerenshaw, Tracy (June 8, 2016). "Happy Birthday Sonic! The famous blue hedgehog turns 25". BBC. Archived from the original on July 8, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Thorpe, Nick (June 2021). "ENDLESS RUNNER". Retro Gamer. No. 221. pp. 108–109. ISSN 1742-3155. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e McCarthy, Caty (August 17, 2017). "The People Who Never Gave up on Sonic: A Deep Dive Into the Most Curious (and Passionate) Fandom on the Internet". USgamer. Archived from the original on November 23, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Shea, Brian (November 14, 2016). "Where Sonic Went Wrong". Game Informer. Archived from the original on April 29, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Donnie (July 1, 2017). "In-Depth: The Sonic Cycle". Last Minute Continue. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  6. ^ Frank, Allegra (September 25, 2017). "Sonic Forces' Custom Hero mode might not be the wish fulfillment you want". Polygon. Archived from the original on December 27, 2019.
  7. ^ Alexander, Julia (May 2, 2019). "Sonic's live-action design upset the entire internet, so the studio is changing it". The Verge. Archived from the original on May 7, 2025. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  8. ^ a b Cole, Samantha (December 14, 2018). "I Asked Some Furries Whether the New 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Is Hot or Not". Vice. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
  9. ^ a b Donaldson, Alex (August 28, 2018). "The Sonic community just released a slew of amazing fangame demos". VG247. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  10. ^ "CAN YOU FEEL THE SUNSHINE?". Retro Gamer. No. 234. June 9, 2022. p. 16. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  11. ^ Neltz, András (June 20, 2013). "There's a New Sonic Out on PC. It's a Fangame and It Looks Amazing". Kotaku. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014.
  12. ^ Fingas, Jon (August 16, 2015). "'Sonic the Hedgehog' tribute games reflect a mascot's fall from grace". Engadget. Archived from the original on August 20, 2015.
  13. ^ Menegus, Bryan (July 22, 2016). "The Fan-Made Sonic Game That Won't Die". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  14. ^ Summers, Nick (2019-12-11). "One fan's struggle to fix the worst game in Sonic history". Engadget. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
  15. ^ "The Hackers And Modders Behind The Next Official Sonic Game". Kotaku Australia. 2017-08-07. Archived from the original on 2024-07-29. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  16. ^ Alexander, Leigh (2014-04-04). "Sonic the Hedgehog: how fans have subverted a fallen mascot". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  17. ^ Richmond, Ben (February 12, 2015). "Hedgehog Healing: We Asked a Social Worker About Amateur Sonic Erotica". Vice. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  18. ^ a b c Alexander, Julia (2 February 2018). "Understanding Ugandan Knuckles in a post-Pepe the Frog world". Polygon. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  19. ^ Hathaway, Jay (January 11, 2018). "How Ugandan Knuckles turned VRChat into a total trollfest". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on January 14, 2018.
  20. ^ Abu-Salah, Yousef (5 February 2018). "Ugandan Knuckles: A Mistaken Case of Institutional Racism". The Vision The Eyes of MSMS. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  21. ^ Feldman, Brian (10 February 2020). "How Pingas Became One of Sonic the Hedgehog's Most Famous Memes". Intelligencer. New York. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  22. ^ Noz (4 January 2013). "Cyber Secrets #4: Noz". Red Bull Music Academy. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  23. ^ Good, Owen S (26 November 2017). "Sonic Forces pays tribute to Sanic Hegehog meme". Polygon. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  24. ^ Russell, Bradley (14 February 2020). "Sonic movie Easter eggs: every cameo and reference to the games". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  25. ^ Doolan, Liam (2021-05-11). "Sega Is Still Cool With Sonic Fan Games, Provided "No Profit Is Involved"". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 2025-06-22. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  26. ^ Bailey, Kat (May 11, 2021). "Sega Is Mostly Okay With Sonic Fan Games". IGN. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
  27. ^ Doolan, Liam (February 2, 2021). "Sonic Writer Talks About His Love-Hate Relationship With The Fandom". Nintendo Life. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  28. ^ McWhertor, Michael (July 15, 2024). "Sonic the Hedgehog would be a truly great franchise if not for the games". Polygon. Archived from the original on July 24, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
  29. ^ Stanton, Rich (March 29, 2024). "Google picks the one fight it will never win—with Sonic fans". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on June 7, 2024. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  30. ^ Jones, Karis; Storm, Scott (June 5, 2022). FIGHTING TOXIC FANDOMS: Critical Media Compositions in a High School Classroom. Critical Media Literacy. Vol. 2. pp. 128–129.