Summary
Sonic the Hedgehoghas truly left its mark on the video game industry. The series changed the platformer genre in some substantial ways, but the signature character also turned intoSega’smost popular commodity and blossomed into a franchise that essentially sold their platforms. TheSonic the Hedgehoggames have had their ups and downs over the years, but they’re still incredibly popular and have never stopped honing in on the best ways to engage with the fans.
Sonic himself has become one of the biggestmascotsin the video game industry, butSonicgames have introduced a wealth of characters. Some of them connect with fans in a major way, while others have virtually disappeared and turned into odd footnotes in the franchise’s legacy.
Updated July 20, 2025, by Nadia Grace Mullings:With its long history and influence,Sonic the Hedgehogis one of the video gaming world’s most recognizable franchises. Over the years, many fans have been introduced to the Blue Blur and his friends, rivals, and their many adventures, which mostly revolve one way or another around stopping Dr. Eggman. Aside from the mainline series, there are a number of relatively forgotten games which likewise feature many niche and thus forgotten characters. Some of these characters appear in games exclusive to one console and, with no remaster or port, they remain very obscure and forgotten by fans.
It’s hard to imagine a creation of Doctor Eggman actually helping out the heroes for a change. However, given how poorly Dr. Robotnik treated everyone and everything around him, it was only a matter of time before even his own creations would turn against him. Such is the case with E-123 Omega, who is one of the most powerful robots Eggman has ever created.
However, after leaving him behind to die, E-123 Omega swore revenge against his creator and even teamed up with Shadow the Hedgehog to take their common enemy down once and for all. Omega has appeared in a number of Sonic games, though only in the background.
Cream the Rabbit (and her trusty Chao pal, Cheese), has turned into a valuable ally of Amy Rose and a popular character in theSonic Xanime, but she was initially a much more niche supporting character. Cream’s origins chart back to theGame Boy Advancetitles,Sonic Advance 2and3.
Cream’s kind nature made her popular enough to get a bigger spotlight inSonic Heroeson Team Rose.This has helped Cream and her cute partner also become a recurring presence in multiplayer titles like theSonic Ridersgames and, more recently,Sonic Dream Teamafter a long hiatus.
Sonic the Hedgehoghas experienced some radical shifts over the years, and it’s surprising just how many different racing games have been developed. TheSonic Ridersseries put the famous hedgehog on futuristic hoverboards and tries to match the frenetic speed of the platformers.
Sonic Ridersintroduces a new trio of villains known as the Babylon Rogues. Jet the Hawk leads the pack, but Wave the Swallow and Storm the Albatross are featured just as much. TheSonic Ridersgames were popular enough to get a handful of sequels and the Babylon Rogues even show up in theSoniccomics.
The Chaotix Detective Agency is an organization inSonic the Hedgehogthat many people might not be familiar with.There are many colorful members in this agency, including Espio the Chameleon.
Given that he’s a chameleon, it’s obvious that Espio can turn invisible to avoid or confuse enemies. He can also stick to walls for long periods of time, letting him get through most platforming challenges with ease.
15Charmy Bee
Espio and Vector’s Trusty Sidekick
Charmy Bee is pure positivity, and even though he works alongside more aggressive characters like Vector the Crocodile and Espio the Chameleon, he helps balance the group out. Charmy’s initial appearance is alongside Knuckles inKnuckles Chaotix,but he actually shows up in theSonicmanga before then.
Charmy remains a niche character, but he’s gained enough of a following that he’s made minor appearances inSonic Heroes,Shadow the Hedgehog, and some of theOlympic Gamestitles. He’s even been able to cameo in theSuper Smash Bros.series, which is a rare honor.
Another one of Sega’s more interestingSonicexperiments involves the arcade titleSegaSonic the Hedgehog.The curious take on aplatformerattemptedto introduce two new sidekicks for Sonic that bear a strong resemblance to him. Mighty the Armadillo is a cute addition to the team, but he’s a character that’s never been given much of a chance.
Mighty does get some love in the underrated Sega 32X title,Knuckles Chaotix,and the more recentSonic Mania,so hopefully the character is about to get another chance.
13Ray The Flying Squirrel
Suffered The Same Fate As Mighty
Ray the Flying Squirrel is anotherSoniccharacter who made his debut inSegaSonic the Hedgehog,which means he’s largely been ignored.SegaSonic the Hedgehogwas supposed to be ported to theSega 32Xand included in theSonic Gems Collection,but neither came to pass, which means most audiences never got to experience this plucky character.
Ray seems less essential than Mighty because he’s basically a Tails knockoff that looks more like Sonic. Beyond the fact thatSonic Maniathrows a bone at Ray, along with Mighty, he’s basically been ignored by Sega.
Speaking of robots created by Dr. Robotnik, another name that comes to mind is E-102 Gamma. Just like the other entries on this list, this character isn’t really all that memorable due to its sporadic appearances, with the majority of screen time in the series obviously being taken by the main cast of heroes and villains.
Just like Omega, Gamma also got tired of Eggman’s tyrannical reign after serving under him for the longest time. As a result, he left his creator and went rogue, promising to save the rest of his robot brethren from the cruelty of their creator. While he ultimately succeeded in reaching this goal, it came at the cost of his own life in an admirable and heroic sacrifice.
Sticks the Badger is a rare exception since she’s an original character that’s come out of theSonic Boomanimated series and was able to transition into video games. Sticks is an energetic mix of enthusiasm and paranoia that makes her a fun wild card.
Sticks was initially just in theSonic Boomvideo games, but she’s slowly worked her way into other ancillary titles, like theSonicracing gamesSonic Dash 2andSonic Runners.Sticks also shows up in the 2016Mario & Sonic Olympic Gamestitle, so maybe she’s destined for a larger role in the future.
Sega had high hopes for its handheld Game Gear console, but its failure to beat the Game Boy led to the company deserting the handheld market. Sega still developed a number ofinterestingSonic the Hedgehogtitles that were exclusive to the Game Gear.
Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Troubleis one of the standouts from the handheld and it introduces a new villain to the series, Fang the Sniper (originally Nack the Weasel). Fang never became Sonic’s main nemesis, but he still showed up in other niche titles likeSonic the FightersandSonic Drift 2.
