The announcement of Sonic Superstars has reignited a long-standing debate among fans regarding the name of one of its returning main antagonists. After a 27-year absence from the series, the character has been known as Fang the Sniper in Japan and Nack the Weasel in the West. However, character creator TOUMA took to Twitter in 2021 to shed light on the origin of these two aliases, providing intriguing insights into the character’s backstory.
In response to a question from IDW writer Jon Gray, TOUMA shared some key points (translated from Japanese):
From what I remember, Fang originated from a different dimension or place, separate from the other characters in the Sonic series. During that time, there was limited coordination between the Game Gear team and the main Sonic team. The difference in naming might have been due to these reasons, but please note that the specific details and background information are not available in my knowledge.
Usually, the naming convention followed a pattern of “Name + Animal Name,” but in the case of Tails, it deviated as his full name is Miles “Tails” Prower, and the animal name comes at the end. I believe FANG also took Tails as an example and did not include an animal name in his designation.
Fang carries a cork gun. Although he doesn’t actually shoot it, he was given the name “Sniper.” I believe this is because Fang is boastful and came up with the name himself without any justification.
Lastly, I will address the question that many of you find intriguing: Why does Fang have two names? The issue revolves around the character’s name. Initially, the character was named “Nack.” However, we heard news of a character called “Knuckles” appearing in America.
The Japanese names “ナックルズ” (Nakkuruzu) and “Nack” had a striking resemblance. The Game Gear team realized that we had to change the similair name “Nack” due to the introduction of the character in America. We conducted a name search through Japanese magazines, and the name chosen was “Fang.” I recall that within the team, we gave him the additional name “ザスナイパー” (za sunaipā), meaning “the sniper.”
Me and the person who came up with my character’s concept and setting believed that he would make his worldwide debut under the name “ファングザスナイパー” (Fangu za sunaipā), or “Fang the Sniper.” However, I later heard that the project leader at that time decided to revive the original name “Nack” for the American market and introduced him as a weasel character.
While TOUMA’s insights were based on personal recollections at the time, it appears that SEGA and Sonic Team have made an official decision regarding the character’s name. Sonic Superstars will feature the character as Fang the Sniper.
Stay tuned to Sonic City for more exciting news and updates on Sonic Superstars!
Source: TOUMA on Twitter
