Knuckles the Echidna

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Template:Knuckles the Echidna infobox

Angel Island. A land of miracles. Of mysteries. My home. I am its guardian. I watch over the Master Emerald and every living thing here. That is to say, all plants and animals. Any other kind of civilization is long since disappeared from the island. I do things on my own and that's just how I like it. I don't need anyone else to get by. But sometimes... I wonder how things would be if I hadn't been given this responsibility. Why was I chosen for this duty? Perhaps it's karma...

— Knuckles the Echidna, Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergence File:FRONTIERSPROLOGUE - Knuckles' narration.ogg

Knuckles the Echidna (ナックルズ・ザ・エキドゥナ, Nakkuruzu za Ekiduna^?) is a character that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is an anthropomorphic echidna and the current guardian of the Master Emerald, a powerful ancient gemstone which is kept on Angel Island. Guarding it is his solemn duty to protect from anyone seeking to abuse it, as well as the sole surviving descendant of the echidna race from the Knuckles Clan.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4] Known for his powerful and wild nature,^[1] his dominant traits are his super strength and the two spike-like knuckles on each of his gloves, from which his name is derived from, and which he can dig and climb walls with. He can also trap the wind under his dreadlocks to glide through the air. Knuckles is also one of Sonic the Hedgehog's oldest friends and rivals.

A loner by nature, Knuckles is independent, headstrong, and serious, yet gullible and short-tempered to a fault. He is entirely devoted to his duty, spending most of his time on Angel Island protecting the Master Emerald,^[4] and rarely cares about anything that is of no importance. When his friends and others are in need of his help, however, Knuckles can always be relied on, being willing to leave his home very often.^[4]

Though usually depicted as the guardian of the Master Emerald, he was originally described as the guardian of Angel Island's seven Chaos Emeralds.^[5]

Concept and creation[edit | edit source]

File:Knuckles-the-Echidna-Character-Sketches.png

Knuckles' original design.

Knuckles was created and designed by Takashi Yuda. During the conception of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the development team wanted to create a new rival for Sonic.^[6] The final design of Knuckles was the result of dozens of possible designs inspired by numerous different animals and usage of the market research about American kids’ taste.^[7]^[6]^[8] There were eight different candidates with the most popular one being Knuckles with his dreadlocks. One design even planned Knuckles to be more “reptilian”, like a dinosaur due to the popularity of Jurassic Park at the time.^[9]^[10] Knuckles' long tail in the final design is stated to be a remnant from his early, more dinosaur-looking design.^[9]^[7] When it came to Knuckles' primary color, red and green were proposed candidates among the staff, while Yuji Naka was pushing towards purple. However, after conducting research on American children, it was revealed that red was overwhelmingly popular, thus being chosen for the character's color.^[11] The emphasis of the character was to break walls.^[12]

Character designer Takashi Yuda never intended him to be any more than a "supporting character."^[13] Knuckles was introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 as an "intimidator" because of his powerful abilities.^[14] He was given a headlining role in the next game, Sonic & Knuckles.^[15]

Appearance[edit | edit source]

Knuckles before the Chaos incident, from Sonic Origins

Knuckles before the Chaos incident, from Sonic Origins
Knuckles after the Chaos incident, from Sonic Advance 3.

Knuckles after the Chaos incident, from Sonic Advance 3.

Knuckles is an anthropomorphic echidna with red fur that covers most of his body, a black nose on his peach-skinned muzzle, a white crescent-shaped patch of fur on his chest, sharp teeth, (only visible when he is smirking or angry earlier) and amethyst eyes. He also has seven dreadlock-like spines around the sides and back of his head and a medium-sized, tri-crooked tail. For attire, Knuckles wears red and yellow shoes with green cuffs, light gray soles, and metallic, sextuple-bolted plates on top. He also wears large, white, mitten-like gloves with sock-like cuffs and two pointy, spiked knuckles on each hand.

In his younger years, Knuckles had black eyes, a more protruding chest, more defined cheekbones, and was shorter in stature.

For a list of Knuckles' alternate outfits, see Knuckles the Echidna/Miscellaneous#Outfits.

History[edit | edit source]

Note: This is an abbreviated look at Knuckles' history, focusing primarily on his three most recent mainline adventures. For a complete history of Knuckles, see Knuckles the Echidna/History and appearances. For his history in the IDW comics and Sonic Prime, see Knuckles the Echidna/History and appearances (IDW) and Knuckles the Echidna/History and appearances (Sonic Prime).

Past[edit | edit source]

Born and raised alone on Angel Island^[16]^[17], Knuckles assumed the mantle of the Master Emerald's guardian, fiercely protecting both it and the island from intruders.^[17] Despite protecting the Master Emerald out of duty, Knuckles ultimately was unaware of his ancestral roots to the Knuckles Clan, or the fate of the other Echidnas.^[18] One day, however, he faced a catastrophe when Dr. Eggman's Death Egg craft crashed into the island, sending it plummeting into the ocean. Soon after, Eggman himself emerged, and took advantage of Knuckles' confusion to convince him that a hedgehog named Sonic and a fox named Tails were after the Master Emerald for nefarious purposes.^[17] When Sonic and Tails did inevitably arrive on the island in search of adventure, the tricked echidna attempted to halt their progress on several occasions, until Eggman made his true plans known by stealing the Master Emerald himself when Knuckles' back was turned. Realizing his error, Knuckles teamed up with his former enemies, and assisted Sonic and Tails their pursuit of Eggman. After the heroes succeeded and the Death Egg was destroyed, Knuckles parted with Sonic and Tails, who left the island on good terms with the echidna. From this point forward, Knuckles became a friendly rival to Sonic, assisting him in many more of his adventures.

Sonic Forces[edit | edit source]

During the Infinite incident, Knuckles experienced a visit from Silver the Hedgehog, who warned him of an incoming catastrophe that could potentially destroy the world. After witnessing subsequent paranormal events, Knuckles left his position on Angel Island to assist those in danger on the world below. ^[19] During Sonic's disappearance and the following War to Take Back the Planet, Knuckles became the head of the Resistance, and desperately fought to keep a small portion of the world free from the influence of the Eggman Empire and their living superweapon, Infinite. Knuckles' efforts would serve him when a talented rookie joined the Resistance, and ultimately freed Sonic from his imprisonment on the rebuilt Death Egg. With Sonic and the Rookie's help, Knuckles was able to lead the resistance into slowly reclaiming the world's territories, and ultimately a final assault on the Eggman Empire Fortress which resulted in the defeat of both Eggman and Infinite, and the full liberation of the planet.

Team Sonic Racing[edit | edit source]

During the Dodon Pa incident, Knuckles and the rest of Team Sonic received mysterious invitations to an interplanetary racing tournament, and, out of curiosity, accepted them. Soon, Knuckles learned that the founder and organizer of the race was a mysterious bureaucrat known only as "Dodon Pa", who had invited many other teams to the prix as well, providing an advanced vehicle to each of them. As the race carried on, and the competition between teams became more aggressive, Knuckles grew suspicious of Dodon Pa's ultimate motives, a suspicion only magnified when he learned that Dodon Pa possessed the technology to send messages to other dimensions, and even the future. At the climax of the prix, however, Knuckles learned that Dodon Pa's real motives were to create an Ultimate Energy Engine from the race's data, which he planned to use for philanthropic purposes. Unfortunately, the engine was stolen by Eggman, prompting Knuckles and the other teams to fight back, successfully saving Dodon Pa and destroying the unstable engine.

Sonic Frontiers[edit | edit source]

During the Starfall Islands incident, Knuckles found himself pulled from Angel Island's Sky Sanctuary after investigating a mysterious structure. Emerging on the Starfall Islands, Knuckles was immediately set upon by a troop of Soldiers, which he handily defeated with his strength. However, the battle drew the attention of another being in the area: Sage, the newest creation of Dr. Eggman. Knuckles attempted to face the malicious AI, but Sage used the powers of an Asura Guardian under her control to imprison Knuckles inside a Cyber Cage on the desert Ares Island.^[20] Furious, Knuckles remained in the cage until Sonic the Hedgehog arrived, having visited the island on his own quest. Knuckles was freed by Sonic, but was left in a ghostlike state as a result of still being partially connected to Cyber Space. Knuckles repaid his debt to Sonic by assisting the hedgehog in his search across the island for the remaining Chaos Emeralds. In the process, he learned much about the island and the fate of its natives, while also confiding with Sonic about being restrained from exploring the world by his dedication to guarding the Master Emerald. Although Knuckles was eventually freed from his non-physical state through the efforts of Sonic, the act infected the hedgehog with a deadly amount of Cyber corruption, and as a result Knuckles willingly returned to his ghost form in order to mitigate the damages, and allow Sonic to focus on solving the problem himself. Once Super Sonic and a reformed Sage ultimately defeated The End, the cosmic being that was behind the entire crisis, Knuckles was freed from Cyber Space, and returned to his physical form once more, celebrating the victory alongside Amy and Tails.

In an alternate version of the crisis's conclusion Knuckles instead continued to assist Sonic after sacrificing his physical form, working with Tails, Amy, Eggman, and Sage to locate the Chaos Emeralds scattered across Ouranos Island. Battling his way through enhanced Guardian robots, and destroying any Impact Forms that impeded progress, Knuckles helped deliver the Emeralds to Sonic, and later assisted Super Sonic during his final fight with the modified Supreme Titan, possessed by none other than The End itself.

Regardless of which depiction of the final battle actually took place, following The End's defeat, Knuckles rendezvoused with his victorious teammates preparing to leave the island on board the Tornado. As the four heroes flew off into the horizon, Knuckles vowed to return to his duty as guardian of Angel Island "at least, for a while".

Personality[edit | edit source]

File:CS K US.png

Knuckles' profile, from Sonic Jam.

Knuckles is independent, wild,^[21]^[22]^[23] hot-blooded,^[24] tough,^[21]^[22]^[23] and a loner by nature. If Sonic embodies the wind that keeps blowing forward, then the echidna personifies the immobility of a mountain.^[25]^[18] Due to having lived in seclusion for most of his life, Knuckles is a rather antisocial and reclusive individual. As such, he cares very little about what others think, which makes him bluntly honest, straightforward, and somewhat egotistical.^[21]

Knuckles is fiercely loyal to Angel Island and does whatever is in his power to protect it. He prefers to stay close to the Master Emerald's shrine to keep a watchful eye over everything at his home. Despite this devotion, the echidna is willing to leave his duty whenever his help is needed.^[4] Though he has found other lifestyles appealing, and may even dream of a free one like Sonic's own,^[21] he will never trade away his duties as he is far too devoted to his role as guardian, looking very concerned whenever he leaves the Master Emerald behind and spending too much time protecting the giant gem alone.^[26] When not performing his duties, Knuckles prefers spending his time practicing his fighting skills, going treasure hunting, or hanging out with his friends.

Knuckles is usually solemn, stoic, and collected, and usually likes to be by himself. As stubborn as he is tough,^[23] he is as well headstrong and inflexible,^[21] preferring to do things his way, which causes him to clash with others. Regardless, he is very strong-willed, seldom wavering in his determination, and will not give up on his goals once he has set them. While he is cool and determined in battle, the echidna has an extremely short and wild temper and is hard to reason with when he is angry,^[27] which has more than once gotten him into trouble.

File:Knuckles profile SG.png

Knuckles' profile, from the Xbox 360 version of Sonic Generations.

Despite being a silent loner, Knuckles is a heroic, brave, kind-hearted, and selfless soul. While unwilling to forgive evil people,^[24] he will risk his own life to save anyone or get them out of trouble and shows empathy for others. He is likewise a loyal and caring friend, who is always willing to help his friends out in tight situations and will do anything to protect them. When not angered, the echidna is pretty laid-back and never cracks under pressure. He can also be very understanding of the sly and does not take kindly to people who disrespect or hurt his friends, or innocents, in any way.

Having been living much of his life in isolation, Knuckles grew up believing in honesty and holds a firm and steadfast belief that there is good in everyone, which always lets him give people second chances. Because of his lack of social ingenuity, however, it makes him very naive, incredibly gullible, fast about forgiving people, and easily misled, which has given him a history of being tricked by Dr. Eggman. This has made the echidna aggressive and suspicious towards anyone he deems questionable. Over time, however, Knuckles has gotten better about this and is more suspicious concerning the doctor's trickery. Once he finds out he has been tricked, he can get quite angered, but quickly regains enough of his composure to start working towards a resolution immediately.

Though not dull-witted, Knuckles is often prone to rash and ill-advised actions. While not above picking complex strategies, he often chooses force to be the solution, pushing himself through obstacles while focusing on his goal and ignoring other factors along the way. Similarly, he can also be quite reckless when panicking about the Master Emerald, such being especially evident during the Space Colony ARK incident, where he ended up fighting Sonic for the controls of the space shuttle and causing it to crash land as well as abandoning his allies out of a panic due to the Master Emerald shards being lost to space from a collision with a meteor forcing the cargo bay to open. When in his right element, however, Knuckles can be quite clever, sharp-witted, and sneaky, such as setting several successful traps for Sonic and Tails on Angel Island when they first arrived. He is also capable of learning from his mistakes. Knuckles has also proven himself to have a high degree of leadership skills, most noticeably during his time as the commander of the Resistance. He is noted to be very charismatic with inspirational speeches, and he has a flair of daring plans that provided the Resistance with a much-needed offensive during the War to Take Back the Planet. However, for all his skills as a leader, Knuckles is still easily distracted and prefers to be out on the battlefield rather than in the command center. While he would never admit it, Knuckles has become a bit envious of the lifestyle that Sonic has, being able to live carefree without anything holding him in one place. Even so, Knuckles would never trade away his duties to live Sonic's life, far too devoted to his role as guardian.

Knuckles is said to be shy around women.^[28] Also, due to his secluded lifestyle on Angel Island, Knuckles feels very uncomfortable in industrialized or crowded cities and places,^[29]^[30] especially if they do not have any vegetation^[31] or are littered with bright lights.^[32]

Knuckles seems to have lightened up on later adventures, such as the Time Eater incident and the War to Take Back the Planet. While he still sometimes displays a brooding, headstrong, and stubborn attitude, he is shown to be better at acknowledging his shortcomings and displays more personal restraint and better social interaction.

File:TheIDWKnux.png

Knuckles the Echidna, from Sonic the Hedgehog #3.

In the IDW Comics, Knuckles is a tough and headstrong echidna. Serious, unconcerned with nonsense, and stubborn, he has no patience for stationary work and prefers to be where the action is, unless the safety of the Master Emerald is at stake. Despite this, he is still an overall nice person in normal conversations.^[33]Knuckles prefers solitude. He is likewise fiercely defensive and loyal to his homeland and prefers to stay there.^[33] Because of this, he refuses to let anyone else protect it, determined to do his job alone.^[34]^[35] As such, when anything bad befalls the island and its Master Emerald, Knuckles takes it very personally and blames himself for not being able to prevent it. He will also not allow himself to rest or take it easy until he is sure that his island and its treasure are safe once more.^[36] He also does not like having visitors on his island unless there is a crisis that require Angel Island. As soon as the crisis is over, however, he wants to see his island abandoned by the visitors as soon as possible.^[37]^[38] Despite his ties to his home however, Knuckles is very heroic and is willing to leave his duty whenever his help is needed in order to aid his friends as well as the innocent. As such, he has been known to open his island to the needy and defend those instead of the Master Emerald, just like he promised Espio during the Zombot apocalypse. He is also ready to make sacrifices for the good of all, as seen when he let himself get infected by the Metal Virus in order to keep a Zombot Shadow at bay.^[39]

Powers and abilities[edit | edit source]

Being the guardian of the Master Emerald, Knuckles is a very powerful, seasoned warrior. Said to be an unstoppable power in fights,^[24] he is capable of taking on even the most powerful of opponents without rest. He has even been able to fight figures like Sonic, Rouge, Shadow, Silver, and Metal Sonic to a standstill.

File:Heroes VolcanicDunk.png

Knuckles punching the ground with enough force to trigger an eruption, from Sonic Heroes.

Knuckles' trademark ability is his indomitable strength. Possessing lots of power,^[40] he is strong enough to pulverize massive boulders,^[2]^[25]^[41] punch through solid steel,^[2] and lift objects several times his size and weight with ease.^[2] By comparison, Knuckles' strength is stated to equal Sonic's speed;^[2] considering the hedgehog's measured footspeed, which is known to surpass Mach 1, it would mean that Knuckles is capable of lifting over 100 metric tons.^{[note 1]} This makes the echidna one of the physically strongest characters in the series.^[2] His strength seems to lie in his upper body, particularly in his arms and fists, the former of which boasting enormous strength^[42] and latter being as hard as rocks.^[43] Another testament to Knuckles' strength is that by just punching the ground, he can create fissures, widespread tremors, and even powerful volcanic eruptions.^[44] Additionally, he can punch with his fists or throw objects through the air with such force that they ignite from friction. He can even launch punches with such force that they create explosions of enormous power.^[45] Despite his main strength lying in his upper body, however, Knuckles' legs are quite powerful too, as he can jump several stories into the air from a standstill position.^[46]

File:KMPlayer 2016-07-12 23-14-39-288.png

Knuckles running at speeds comparable to Sonic and Tails, from Sonic Heroes.

Knuckles is able to run at breakneck speeds that almost match Sonic's,^[47] who can reach supersonic running speeds. He is even able to run fast enough to create afterimages of himself and scale vertical surfaces and ceilings. Even so, he is not quite as fast as Sonic at his maximum speed, as Knuckles is noted to run fairly slow by comparison. Knuckles is also fast enough to execute rapid punches in quick succession within a split-second,^[48] although he has been noted to have slow movements in combat.^[40]

Knuckles possesses near-maximized physical durability. Testaments to this include him surviving a bomb exploding right in front of him through sheer toughness,^[49]^[50] and him going through atmospheric entry and then landing on the ground unharmed.^[51] In addition, despite the force of the impacts his fists receive when punching at high forces, Knuckles is never phased by the recoil, regardless of what he hits or how hard he is hitting. Knuckles is also shown to have sharp reflexes and acrobatic skills, enough to let him do special tricks and movements while in mid-air, pull off various Spin Attack maneuvers at high speed, and grind along rails just as fast as Sonic while doing tricks and evading obstacles.^[41]

File:Chara06 01.jpg

Knuckles gliding, from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).

Unlike Sonic, Knuckles is a good swimmer, being able to swim into incredible depths and with both great speed and skill. Thanks to the spikes on his fists, he is also a skilled burrower,^[3] being able to dig like a gopher^[2] into any wall or floor and tunnel through subterranean regions at great speed.^[52] These spikes also make him a skilled climber,^[3] as they allow him to plant his fists into any surface and scale them. In addition, the echidna is an expert at gliding,^[53] which he can easily do by using his dreadlocks.^[2]^[3]

Knuckles possesses the uncanny ability to sense energy, specifically the one produced by the Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald or similar ones, such as those contained in the Sol Emeralds.^[54]^[55]^[56]^[57] and can track down their "signals" like an Emerald Detector. Like Sonic and Shadow, Knuckles can also harness the power of the Chaos Emeralds to empower himself. As its guardian, Knuckles is also the only person alive who knows how to control the Master Emerald,^[25] which allows him to utilize the jewel's different powers or tap into its vast energies to empower himself. Other more mystical abilities Knuckles has exhibited include summoning lightning bolts, harnessing Earth elementals to heal himself,^[58] and using the supernatural power of the Earth to make rocks fall from the sky.^[59]

Knuckles is also able to perform the Spin Attack, a technique where he curls into a concussive ball or cutting disk and directs himself at his targets. With it, Knuckles can shred or burrow through just about any substance given enough speed. Adept in its usage, Knuckles can utilize several variants of the Spin Attack for both ground- and aerial maneuvers, including the Spin Dash, Spin Jump, and Homing Attack.

File:Rivals 2 Load screen 04 (no text) - Attack.png

Knuckles fighting Sonic, from Sonic Rivals 2.

Even without his Spin Attack, Knuckles is a skilled hand-to-hand combatant. A master in a number of martial arts^[21] focusing on hand-to-hand combat, Knuckles makes use of his powerful fists to take on his foes, with his specialty lying in punching moves where he uses his spiked fists for devastating blows. In terms of fighting style, Knuckles focuses on power, using straight, repetitive and forceful punches, such as power-packed jabs or piercing uppercuts to deal critical blows to his opponents. For stronger strikes, Knuckles tends to build up momentum with his fists by swinging them around, before hitting his opponent in full force. By taking advantage of his burrowing abilities, Knuckles can even hide underground before hitting opponents with an uppercut from below when his opponent least expects it. Despite being a powerhouse, however, most of Knuckles' fighting moves are slow and easy to read.^[40]

File:SFProlouge 56.png

Knuckles climbing a wall and searching in Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergence.

Knuckles is an expert treasure hunter and can be considered one of the best in the world, if not the best.^[60] Also, while not highly intelligent, Knuckles is well-versed in ancient cultures, ruins, and legends, such as when he was able to translate the ancient Babylonian texts at Gigan Rocks during the MeteorTech incident.

Knuckles is also a skilled Extreme Gear rider, having proven himself a worthy competitor against many of the world's best Extreme Gear riders. To best put his skills in perspective, Knuckles was able to beat Storm the Albatross in a race, who is regarded as a "wind master". When riding his Extreme Gear, Knuckles can bash his way through obstacles effortlessly and engage in close combat with his fellow racers without losing control. With his Extreme Gear, Knuckles can even enhance his physical abilities.^[61]

When it comes down to it, Knuckles is also shown to have semi-competent leadership skills. During the War to Take Back the Planet, he was able to lead the Resistance for several months against the Eggman Empire and even come up with war strategies of his own.

As seen during Dodon Pa's Grand Prix, Knuckles has excellent skills when it comes to driving and racing in racecars like the Land Breaker. Along those lines, Knuckles has also demonstrated some rudimentary piloting knowledge of more advanced crafts, having once piloted the Egg Saucer,^[62] and a Space Shuttle from Eggman's base to the Space Colony ARK (albeit in a more dangerous manner for half the journey due to panic over losing his Emerald Shards).^[63]

Equipment[edit | edit source]

Although he prefers to let his fists do the talking, Knuckles has wielded a number of tools during his adventures, albeit never permanently. During the Emerl incident for example, he made use of deployable landmines, and amidst the Gemerl incident, he would wield his own version of the Piko Piko Hammer.

In the IDW Comics, Knuckles possesses incredible strength, being as strong as Sonic is fast; with a single punch, he is able to pierce thick metal with ease or knock a person into the ground.^[64]^[65] Thanks to his experience, he is able to make good use of this skill. By stretching his arms and legs outwards while airborne, Knuckles can also catch the air under his dreadlocks to ride on it, allowing him to glide through mid-air. Also, by using the spikes on his fists, Knuckles can deal extra damage to his targets and scale any kind of surface with ease. He is also a great hand-to-hand combatant.^[33]^[66]

Being the guardian of the Master Emerald, Knuckles possesses a special link to the massive gem. This link allows him to detect the energies and will of the Master Emerald, although this link can be disturbed.^[67]^[36]

Transformations[edit | edit source]

Super Knuckles[edit | edit source]

Main article: Super Knuckles

File:Knucklessupershield.png

Super Knuckles, from Sonic Heroes.

With the seven Chaos Emeralds, Knuckles is able to attain a Super State known as Super Knuckles. In this state, all of Knuckles' abilities far surpass his normal ones. In addition, he is able to fly and is virtually invulnerable. However, this transformation consumes a lot of energy and requires Rings to be maintained.

Hyper Knuckles[edit | edit source]

Main article: Hyper Knuckles

File:Hyper Knuckles animated.gif

Hyper Knuckles, from Sonic 3 & Knuckles.

In Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Knuckles can transform into an extended version of Super Knuckles, called Hyper Knuckles, with the seven Super Emeralds. This form basically shares the same abilities and powers as Super Knuckles but on an even higher level.

Color Powers[edit | edit source]

Main article: Color Power

By harnessing different variants of Hyper-go-on from Wisps, Knuckles can use specific Color Powers to transform into a certain form, such as a drill, a laser, or even a planet, each one possessing its own unique abilities. So far, Knuckles has been able to transform into the Cyan Laser, Yellow Drill, and Indigo Asteroid. However, these transformations require a steady supply of Hyper-go-on to be maintained.

Weaknesses[edit | edit source]

Knuckles is stubborn and short-tempered,^[68] yet he can be easily fooled. He also has a degree of short-sightedness as well, as during the Chaos Incident, he mistook a Chaos Emerald for an Emerald Shard after seeing a glint in Eggman's hand, with Eggman exploiting this weakness by implying Sonic was also hunting for Emerald Shards, leading to a fight between him as well as Tails and Sonic after he saw a glint in their hands.

He is shy around the girls.^[69]

Knuckles suffers from phasmophobia (fear of ghosts), as he was scared of King Boom Boo during the Space Colony ARK incident, though evidently not to any debilitating extent, as he was perfectly capable of engaging in combat with the latter after only a brief spell of unease.

Relationships[edit | edit source]

Main article: Knuckles the Echidna/Relationships

In other media[edit | edit source]

Main article: Knuckles the Echidna/Miscellaneous#In other media

Sonic Prime[edit | edit source]

Main article: Knuckles the Echidna/History and appearances (Sonic Prime)

File:SPrimeKnuckles.png

Knuckles in Sonic Prime.

Knuckles is one of Sonic's best friends. Due to the Paradox Prism's incident, Knuckles is displaced across different dimensions from the Shatterverse. His alternate counterparts are: Renegade Knucks from New Yoke City, Gnarly Knuckles from Boscage Maze, and Knuckles the Dread from No Place.

Paramount[edit | edit source]

Main article: Knuckles the Echidna (Paramount)

File:Knuckles TV series - Knux Artwork.png

Knuckles, from Knuckles (TV series).

In the Sonic the Hedgehog film series produced by Paramount Pictures and its spin-offs, Knuckles is an alien echidna who is the last of his kind and is seeking out the Master Emerald, a gemstone of great power created by the echidnas but was later confiscated by the owls due to its dangerous power. To gain a clue to the Master Emerald's whereabouts, Knuckles began to search for the Sonic the Hedgehog, who was the apprentice of the final owl, Longclaw. In his search, he discovered Dr. Robotnik, who lead him to Earth and promised to help him find the Master Emerald. However, Robotnik later betrayed Knuckles and took the Master Emerald for himself. Due to this, Knuckles teamed up with Sonic and Tails to recover the Master Emerald. The trio formed a pact to protect it and Knuckles went on to live with them and the Wachowskis on Earth.

IDW Publishing[edit | edit source]

Main article: Knuckles the Echidna/History and appearances (IDW)

File:KnucklesIDW.png

Knuckles, from Sonic the Hedgehog #3.

In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by IDW Publishing, Knuckles' past is virtually identical to his game counterpart's, up until after the Sonic Forces. After the Eggman War, Knuckles remained in command of the Resistance, but most of his duties were handled by Amy. Knuckles would also help eliminate the dispersed Badnik groups and, with the help of Sonic, recapture Barricade Town. It later turned out that Neo Metal Sonic had taken control of the Eggman Empire and conquered Angel Island, allowing him to acquire the Master Emerald. Together with his friends, Knuckles defeated Metal Sonic and regained his island where he chose to remain. He decided as well to announce the Resistance's dissolution. Later, during the Metal Virus pandemic, Knuckles had to let Sonic and the members of the Restoration onto his island and defend them from the Zombots. After the Zombot apocalypse was resolved, Knuckles chose to remain on his island.

Reception[edit | edit source]

The character has received generally positive attention. According to IGN, fans "seemed legitimately happy" with the addition of the character of Knuckles, who was popular enough to get marquee billing in Sonic & Knuckles, but the writer felt that characters that came after him were going "overboard." IGN's Colin Moriarty singled out the introduction of both Knuckles and Tails as when the series became "iffy" and listed them and all other characters in the series, sans Sonic and Robotnik, as being 2nd most in need to "die" on his top 10 list. In contrast, he was listed as the best Sonic character by Official Nintendo Magazine based on the impact he brought to the Sonic games in which he first appeared.

Complex listed Knuckles as their eleventh most wanted character in the next Super Smash Bros. game. In another article, Complex regarded Knuckles as a better character than Sonic, and praised his gliding and climbing abilities, stating "even if his levels were a little more challenging than Sonic's, the thrill of being able to explore certain parts of levels that the blue-colored hero could not was worth it". Game Rant included Knuckles on their list of "Top 10 Third-Party Characters that Could Appear in the New Super Smash Bros.", commenting "This punch-drunk brawler knows how to serve up a buffet of knuckle sandwiches, and there's no question that he's one of the most fitting characters to occupy a spot on the roster".

Mega Zone's review of Knuckles' Chaotix praised the introduction of a new protagonist, whom it deemed "rougher [and] tougher" in comparison to the "spineless" Sonic. Mean Machines Sega called Knuckles' powers "impressive" and the character overall more useful and promising than Tails. Sega Magazine stated that Knuckles "looks cooler" than Sonic, comparing him to Spider-Man, and suggested he be given his own game. They later called him "groovy" and "ace", concluding that they "love him."

According to official Sonic Team polls, Knuckles is the fourth most popular character in the series, behind Tails, Shadow and Sonic.^[70]

Quotes[edit | edit source]

For more quotes, see Knuckles the Echidna/Miscellaneous#Quotes

"As far back as I can remember, I've been living here on this dark island, always guarding the Master Emerald from anything that can harm it. I don't know why I was given this job, why it was my fate, destined to be here... forever."