Sonic fans have long debated the true intent behind one of Knuckles’ lines in Sonic Heroes. Now, thanks to Scott Drier, we have confirmation. During the Sonic Heroes Reunion Panel at Sac Gamers Expo 2024, Drier—joined by former Sonic voice actors Ryan Drummond (Sonic) and David Humphrey (Shadow)—revealed that the infamous attack line, “shift, rock, yeah,” was deliberately crafted to sound like a swear word.
According to Drier, Sonic Team gave him a very specific direction during the recording session:
“Would you feel comfortable making the ‘f’ in ‘shift’ as soft as you can? We want it to be shift, but we want people to wonder if you’re swearing.”
This revelation confirms that while Knuckles wasn’t technically swearing, the ambiguity was entirely intentional—a playful touch from the developers to keep fans guessing.
The panel featured several other fascinating anecdotes from the voice actors:
- Ryan Drummond’s Sonic Casting Origin:
Drummond landed the role of Sonic thanks to his work on an edutainment game, The Three Decoders. Sonic’s casting director, Lani Minella, was introduced to Drummond through a studio connection, who recommended him based on his performance as Sheldon the Turtle. - Improvising Sonic’s Voice:
Drummond had no preparation for his audition. He was shown a picture of Sonic and asked to imagine the character’s voice. His first audition line was: “Pick up all the gold rings and get a free life.” - Ben Schwartz Connection:
Drummond praised Ben Schwartz’s portrayal of Sonic in the movies, sharing that Schwartz had sent him kind and supportive messages. - Sonic Adventure’s Lost Cartoon Opportunity:
SEGA considered creating a Sonic Adventure cartoon in 1999 but ultimately decided against it. Drummond explained that SEGA saw cartoons primarily as tools to promote video games, and with Sonic Adventure being a success, they deemed the cartoon unnecessary. - Knuckles’ Original Voice Actor Mystery:
The panel revealed that no one, including Drier, knows why Michael McGaharn—Knuckles’ voice actor in Sonic Adventure—did not return for subsequent games or what happened to him afterward. - Directing Knuckles’ Voice:
Drier described how he worked to make Knuckles’ voice distinct from Drummond’s Sonic, adopting a deeper tone. If his pitch drifted too high during recording, directors would remind him with a single word: “Ryan.”
For more stories and behind-the-scenes insights, you can watch the full Sonic Heroes Reunion Panel below:
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