- For other uses, see Angel Island (disambiguation).
Angel Island[2] (エンジェルアイランド[3] Enjeru Airando?), also known as the Floating Island[4] (浮遊島[5] Fuyūtō?), is a location that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is a landmass of miracles and mysteries that floats high in the sky using the eternal energy of the Master Emerald; without it, the island will inevitably plummet from the sky. The island is inhabited by various Animals and is also the home of Knuckles the Echidna, who is the guardian of the Master Emerald and the only surviving member of the Knuckles Clan that once inhabited the place.
Concept and creation[edit | edit source]
The idea of a levitating island goes back at least as far as Nephelokokkygia ("cloud cuckoo land"), the airborne city of birds from Aristophanes' play The Birds; another example is Laputa from Johnathan Swift's novel Gulliver's Travels.
Angel Island is likely to have been inspired by Hayao Miyazaki's interpretation of Laputa - a lost city, that is featured in his 1986 animated adventure film, Laputa: Castle in the Sky. Similarities between Laputa and Angel Island include their dependency on a giant green gem to stay aloft, in Laputa this was called a Levistone. Many backgrounds for various Zones in Sonic 3 & Knuckles are heavily influenced by number of Laputa's locations and both games' story sequences bear strong similarities to many scenes from the film.[6]
Description[edit | edit source]
Angel Island is a massive piece of land that is floating high up above the clouds on Earth, hence its name. This is owed to the Master Emerald, a giant jewel that is able to keep the whole island afloat whenever it is placed on its Altar. As such, if the Emerald is removed from its resting place, Angel Island will fall down from the skies. However, the island is not able to counter forces pushing it downward, such as the extra weight of the Death Egg. Either way though, Angel Island is still buoyant enough to float on top of the sea without sinking.[7]
The flora and fauna of Angel Island are not very out of the ordinary, aside from one area in which gigantic mushrooms grow. Noticeably, however, this has been the Chao's original habitat long ago. Topographically, the island has terrain that varies from plains to plateau-like in attitude. At the center, though, there is a line of massive mountains, with an icy alp and some volcanoes found there.
Millennia ago, Angel Island was part of a continent on Earth.[7] Back then, this area was inhabited by the Knuckles Clan, a powerful clan of echidnas that heavily shaped the island's history. As such, several ancient areas that can be found on Angel Island were once built by the Knuckles Clan. These include giant temples, ruined cities,[8] and complex underground waterways.[9] After being released into the sky, Angel Island became an isolated place, with its only inhabitants before its incident being the Knuckles Clan's only descendant, Knuckles, and some Animals. Following that incident though, the island began to host industrial fortresses[10], amusement park-like cities and even a large ski resort village,[11] though it is unknown where many of these are derived from or what the inhabitants of the urban areas are like.
History[edit | edit source]
Past[edit | edit source]
Over 3,000 years ago,[12] Angel Island was a part of the area that would become known as the Mystic Ruins. Within this area was the Altar of Emerald, which housed the Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald, as well as a colony of Chao. This altar's grounds, along with its contents and inhabitants, were guarded by the Chao's guardian deity, Chaos.[12] Boarding the Altar of Emerald's territory was the village of the Knuckles Clan. After becoming the Chief of his clan, Pachacamac began a period of warmongering. In his pursuit of power for his clan to ensure their survival, Pachacamac sought to steal the Chaos Emeralds, but all his attempts to rob the Altar of Emerald were thwarted by Chaos.[12][13] During this period, Pachacamac's pacifistic daughter, Tikal, came across the Altar of Emerald where she won over the trust of the Chao and Chaos.[12] As a result of that trust, Tikal was allowed inside the altar by Chaos. There, she found the Master Emerald and realized its connection to the Chaos Emeralds.[12][14]
Eventually, Pachacamac planned one more attempt to raid the Altar of Emerald.[12] Learning of her father's plan, Tikal warned Chaos of the coming attack. Unable to convince Chaos and the Chao to leave their altar however, Tikal attempted to persuade her father once more.[15] Unfortunately, her efforts were for naught, as Pachacamac and his men eventually launched a violent attack on the altar. There, Tikal and the Chao tried to stop them. Not about to be persuaded, Pachacamac had his warriors trample over Tikal and the Chao. This profound act of indiscrimination incurred the wrath of Chaos, corrupting him with anger. In retaliation, Chaos transformed into Perfect Chaos with the Chaos Emeralds and annihilated Pachacamac and his men. Chaos proceeded to go on a rampage, laying waste to the Knuckles Clan civilization and wiped out nearly the whole clan overnight. Before Chaos could destroy the rest of the world in his blind rage though, Tikal used an ancient prayer in conjunction with the Master Emerald to seal Chaos inside of the Master Emerald along with herself. After that event, the Chaos Emeralds were lost. Following the attack, the surviving members of the Knuckles Clan suspended the Emeralds' altar area into the sky with the Master Emerald's power, creating Angel Island. Living there, the Knuckles Clan would bear the duty of observing and protecting the sealed Master Emerald, so that an incident like this could never happen again.[12]
Over time, stories about Angel Island's creation arose. One legend in particular said that the island was once part of the main continent in ancient time and that the people with an extraordinary culture inhabited it. That civilization had built a peaceful and happy society using the energy of something they called "the Mighty Stone", but then a faction of dark-minded elders tried to steal the stone's energy. When they accidentally caused the energy to explode however, they ended up wiping out their civilization in a second. After some time had passed, a god then descended from the sky to the newly created "mystery island". The sky god then restored a part of the civilization to the island and threw the "Mighty Stone" into the open sky.[7]
Over the next three millennia, the Knuckles Clan seemingly remained on Angel Island and upheld their vow to protect the Master Emerald. However, the clan entered terminal decline over the years, eventually leaving them with only one descendant left to guard the Master Emerald: Knuckles the Echidna.[16][17] Knuckles himself was born and raised alone on Angel Island, where he became friends with all of the island's Animals and the nature itself.[18][19] However, Knuckles' own past was a mystery to him; he knew nothing of how he came to be, his ancestral roots, or even the details of the Master Emerald he was supposed to protect.[20][3] Despite this, he chose to remain on Angel Island and spent his life as the Master Emerald's guardian, never questioning it.[20][3]
Classic Era[edit | edit source]
Sonic 3 & Knuckles[edit | edit source]
Sonic the Hedgehog 3[edit | edit source]
In Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and the lock-on game Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Knuckles the Echidna was doing his usual duty of patrolling Angel Island's altar. Much to his surprise however, the Chaos Emeralds in the altar started to shine and vibrate strongly before a bright flash erupted from them, knocking him out.[19] In that moment, Dr. Eggman's Death Egg crashed into Angel Island after being heavily damaged by Sonic the Hedgehog during the West Side Island incident. The impact destroyed many of Angel Island's mountains and forests, and pushed the island into the ocean, which created a large tsunami when the island hit the water. However, Angel Island did not sink; instead, it simply floated slightly on the ocean as if nothing had happened. Eggman, who had survived the fall of the Death Egg, was aware that the Chaos Emeralds were somewhere on the island. He also detected the energy of the island's Master Emerald, which he realized he could use to power the Death Egg and re-launch it into space. As such, he began capturing the local Animals and turning them into Badniks while re-modeling Angel Island's environment into a more severe one using an environment-changing machine.[7]
Knuckles would later regain consciousness, only to discover that the altar had been partially destroyed and that the Chaos Emeralds were missing. He also found the Death Egg. This sight made him deduce that the Death Egg was from the legendary dragon described in the Chaos Emerald's altar, which stated that the Death Egg would bring disaster to the island. He subsequently began to look for the Chaos Emeralds across the island until he met Dr. Eggman. The doctor, who had learned about the echidna's duty, falsely claimed that he was a kind scientist who was investigating the Death Egg. He also "warned" him about Sonic, who supposedly was an evil hedgehog trying to disrupt his investigations and steal the Master Emerald. Believing Eggman, Knuckles teamed up with him to stop Sonic at all cost.[19]
Some time later, Sonic and Tails arrived at the island in the Tornado to investigate the cause of a recent tidal wave.[7] On the way, Sonic became Super Sonic and flew to Angel Island, only to be forced out of his Super State by Knuckles with an ambush upon his arrival. Knuckles then stole the Chaos Emeralds and left to hide them around the island. Following this, Sonic and Tails began traveling across the island to stop Eggman's attempt to re-launch the Death Egg. Shortly after their arrival, Eggman had his Fire Breaths set Angel Island Zone's jungle ablaze. Despite this, Sonic and Tails pushed on. After overcoming Eggman and his Egg Scorcher Mk. III though, Knuckles triggered a trap that sent Sonic and Tails plummeting into Hydrocity. Making their way through the underground temple, the duo was eventually sent into the clutches of Eggman and his Egg Vortex by Knuckles. After overcoming Eggman's contraption, Sonic and Tails were sent into Marble Garden by a geyser. Overcoming Eggman and his contraptions in this Zone, Sonic and Tails traveled to Carnival Night, where Knuckles got in their way again. Regardless, Sonic and Tails survived his and Eggman's ordeals in this Zone and made it to IceCap using a Cannon. There, they beat Eggman and his machines again before digging their way into the Launch Base, where the doctor was repairing the Death Egg. Knuckles and Eggman tried repeatedly to stop them there, but to no avail.
Towards the end, Sonic and Tails tried using an Egg Mobile to reach the Death Egg, but Knuckles got in their way. Fortunately, some tremors got Knuckles out of the way, allowing Sonic and Tails to board the Death Egg as it took off. Eggman then returned to defeat Sonic using excessive force with his machines. Sonic and Tails however, still defeated Eggman, causing the Death Egg to plummet all the way down into Lava Reef.
Sonic & Knuckles[edit | edit source]
In Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Sonic and Tails were thrown into the air after causing the Death Egg to crash once more, but the wind carried them into Mushroom Hill on Angel Island. During their trip, Sonic saw the Death Egg crash into the island's volcano. Knowing that it was only a matter of time before Dr. Eggman would try to re-launch the largely intact Death Egg, Sonic planned to head out and destroy it for good with Tails. Before he could head out however, Sonic saw Knuckles appearing cautiously from a door hidden in the bushes and disappearing into the forest. After Knuckles was out of sight, Sonic investigated the door until he opened it, behind of which he discovered a shining Giant Ring. Curious, Sonic touched the Giant Ring, causing him to be transported to the Hidden Palace where he found the Master Emerald in its altar, a sight of which riddled Sonic with questions.[21]
Returning to Mushroom Hill, Sonic and Tails continued their adventure until Knuckles appeared and used a mechanism to blow them deeper into the Zone. When they later found and destroyed Eggman's season-changing contraption, Sonic and Tails defeated Eggman in his Egg Scrambler. Immediately after, Eggman and his Flying Battery flew by, prompting Sonic and Tails to board the latter. Onboard the ship, Sonic and Tails overcame Eggman and his machines before jumping off the Flying Battery and into Sandopolis. Finding a way into the underground from there, Sonic and Tails overcame Eggman and his Egg Golem before falling into shaft that led them into Lava Reef. As they were making their way out however, Sonic and Tails got forced deeper into the Zone's volcano by Knuckles, where the Death Egg reactivated the volcano. Despite this, Sonic and Tails overcame Eggman's subsequent machines and found a way into the Hidden Palace. There, Sonic fought Knuckles in a direct fight. Upon being defeated however, Knuckles noticed that Eggman was stealing the Master Emerald from its shrine with his Egg Mobile. Knuckles tried to stop Eggman, but ended up getting electrocuted. Seeing how that he had been deceived, Knuckles led Sonic and Tails to the Sky Sanctuary to stop Eggman. Upon arriving there however, the trio saw that Eggman had already re-launched the Death Egg with the Master Emerald. Although he was able to help Sonic and Tails along, Knuckles was too exhausted to continue from there, so Sonic and Tails carried on without him. After overcoming Eggman's Mecha Sonic Mk. II, Sonic and Tails managed to board the Death Egg. Not long after, Sonic and Tails returned to Angel Island with the Master Emerald, having destroyed the Death Egg and defeated Eggman, thus allowing Angel Island to rise into the sky again. With all said and done, Sonic and Tails left Angel Island.
Not long after, Knuckles was relaxing in Mushroom Hill until he got attacked by an Eggrobo. Surviving the attack, Knuckles gave chase to the Eggrobo as it escaped. After having chased it across Angel Island, Knuckles' pursuit took him back to the Sky Sanctuary. There, he got caught by the Eggrobo with an Egg Mobile and brought before Mecha Sonic Mk. II, who had stolen the Master Emerald, thus leaving Angel Island to slowly fall down from the sky. Fortunately, Knuckles got free just before Mecha Sonic Mk. II could finish him with a Spin Attack, which ended up destroying the Eggrobo. Knuckles proceeded to fight Mecha Sonic Mk. II, who started using the Master Emerald to attain a Super State halfway into their battle. Regardless, Knuckles still beat Mecha Sonic Mk. II. As the Sky Sanctuary collapsed around them however, Knuckles and the Master Emerald were rescued when Sonic came by and picked them up in the Tornado. They were then brought back to Angel Island, thus allowing it to float safely in the sky again.
Sonic Mania[edit | edit source]
In Sonic Mania, sometime after the Angel Island incident,[22] the island fell into the ocean once again due to the effects of the Phantom Ruby when it appeared on the island.
Detecting the Ruby, Sonic and Tails came to Angel Island to investigate it. There, they met five Eggrobos who were excavating the island in search of the Phantom Ruby. Upon finding the Ruby, the Eggrobos used it to send Sonic, Tails and eventually Knuckles to Green Hill.
After being expelled from Little Planet during their mission to get the Phantom Ruby away from Dr. Eggman, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles literally dropped into Hydrocity. Midway through the Zone, the team got back at Eggman with his own Egg Mobile when he tried to escape them. Sonic and his crew also managed to escape Eggman's final trap at the end of the Zone, although the egg-shaped scientist again eluded capture.
Some time after that, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles arrived in Lava Reef via a flying submarine. Midway through the Zone, after taking care of the Drillerdroid, the trio used a Transport to descend deeper into Lava Reef, eventually arriving at the Hidden Palace. Along the way, the crew got split up. Sonic and Tails themselves arrived into the arms of the Heavy Rider and Jimmy, but the heroes were able to defeat them and ride a rocket to Little Planet. Meanwhile, Knuckles arrived at the Master Emerald's local altar, just as the Heavy King tried to steal the massive gem. However, Knuckles stopped the theft and made the Heavy King retreat. Knuckles then used a Warp Point to catch up to his friends.
Sonic Mania Plus[edit | edit source]
In Sonic Mania Plus, some time after the first Phantom Ruby incident, Sonic and the Phantom Ruby arrived in Angel Island Zone following the conclusion of the War to Take Back the Planet. In that Zone, Sonic found a capsule with old acquaintances, Mighty and Ray, trapped inside. After Sonic set both allies free, one of them was revealed to be the Heavy Magician in disguise, who swiped the Phantom Ruby and passed it to the broken-down Hard Boiled Heavies, reviving them and sending the heroes back to Green Hill.
After being sent to Hydrocity during their mission to get the Phantom Ruby away from Dr. Eggman, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Mighty and Ray pressed onward through the ancient city. While there, the group managed to use the Egg Mobile against Eggman after catching him swimming through the ruins. The group later overcame Eggman's Laundro-Mobile at the end of Zone, although Eggman managed to elude capture.
The group soon after ended up in Lava Reef via a flying submarine. Inside this Zone, Sonic and his friends overcame the Drillerdroid when it attacked them, before arriving at the Hidden Palace via a Transport. While traveling through this area, the group came across one of the Hard Boiled Heavies and foiled whatever they were up to after a heated battle. After that, the group of heroes arrived on Little Planet.
Sonic Superstars[edit | edit source]
In Sonic Superstars, Angel Island is the setting of the opening and ending cutscenes of the game's Story Mode, specifically when Knuckles is the player character. Additionally, a shot of Angel Island can be set as the wallpaper for Time Attack in the main menu.
Modern Era[edit | edit source]
Sonic Adventure[edit | edit source]
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In Sonic Adventure and its enhanced port Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, Knuckles was falling asleep beside the Master Emerald at its altar in the middle of the night while lamenting the story of his life, unaware that the Egg Carrier was approaching Angel Island on a mission to free Chaos from the Master Emerald. Not long after, Knuckles awoke to find the Master Emerald shattered behind him, leading to the release of Chaos and Tikal's spirit form. Finding Chaos next to the Master Emerald's remains, Knuckles tried attacking him, only for Chaos to swap him aside and escape. Immediately after, Angel Island's ability to stay airborne faded due to the Master Emerald's absence, causing it to fall from the sky and land on the coastline of the Mystic Ruins. In order to get Angel Island floating again, Knuckles left his island to search for the Master Emerald's shards. The island's crash at the Mystic Ruins also confused the researchers and explorers about where the new "mountains" came from.
Not long after, Sonic and Tails traveled to Angel Island's IceCap in search of a Chaos Emerald. After traversing the mountains and escaping an avalanche, the duo found the green Chaos Emerald and brought it back to the Mystic Ruins. In the meantime, Knuckles returned to Angel Island, his search for Master Emerald shards taking him to Angel Island's Red Mountain. There, he found three shards before taking his search off the island. Not long after, Big visited Angel Island as well during his search for Froggy, whom he found in Icecap, only to lose him again and prompting Big to search elsewhere. Knuckles soon after returned to Angel Island with a multitude of shards that he returned to the Master Emerald's remains. As Knuckles discovered that the Master Emerald was still missing a few pieces though, the Master Emerald showed him that the remaining ones were on the Egg Carrier. As Knuckles wondered where he could find the vessel, E-102 Gamma appeared on Angel Island, who Knuckles followed to the Egg Carrier. Soon after, Sonic's pursuit of the Egg Carrier led him to Angel Island, his chase eventually taking him to a mountain peak in Red Mountain. Just as Sonic thought he could not follow the Egg Carrier any further though, Tails appeared in the Tornado 2 and gave him a lift. Gamma soon after returned to Angel Island in search of E-104 Epsilon, whom he found in Red Mountain and subsequently destroyed. Afterward, Gamma left for the Egg Carrier. Soon after, Knuckles returned to Angel Island with the Master Emerald's last shards and six of the Chaos Emeralds. Upon finishing the Master Emerald's restoration, Angel Island took flight once more and Knuckles was at peace again.
Not long afterwards, Angel Island fell down from the sky and landed on the Mystic Ruins' coast once, possibly due to the Chaos Emeralds' presence on the island. As Knuckles thought about consulting Sonic however, Dr. Eggman and Chaos appeared on Angel Island, with the latter taking Knuckles out and stealing his Chaos Emeralds. Soon after, Sonic and Tails came to Angel Island to investigate its fall, where they found Knuckles and Eggman. Recovering from Chaos' beating, Eggman left in his Egg Mobile to get revenge on Chaos. Meanwhile, Knuckles urged Sonic and Tails to keep Chaos from getting the last Chaos Emerald. Before they could out however, Sonic was given a vision of the past by Tikal. Fortunately, Sonic quickly came back to his senses and headed out with Tails.
Sonic Advance series[edit | edit source]
Sonic Advance[edit | edit source]
In Sonic Advance, Dr. Eggman came to Angel Island's Angel Island Zone during his quest to establish the Eggman Empire by finding the Chaos Emeralds and turning Animals into Badniks. However, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy came to Angel Island Zone too, where they freed the captive Animals. At the end, Eggman had his creation, Mecha Knuckles, battle the heroes, but it was defeated and destroyed. Eggman then fled from Angel Island Zone, with Sonic and his crew following his trail.
Sonic Advance 2[edit | edit source]
In Sonic Advance 2, while on their quest to foil Dr. Eggman latest attempt to establish his Eggman Empire, Sonic, Tails, Cream and Cheese came to Angel Island. There, they made their way through the island's Sky Canyon, before coming under attack by Knuckles, who had been tricked by Eggman into fighting Sonic and his crew, in the Egg Saucer. After being defeated though, an embarrassed Knuckles got chided by Sonic, who promptly took off afterwards. Wanting payback at Eggman himself, Knuckles joined Sonic on his adventure.
Sonic Advance 3[edit | edit source]
In Sonic Advance 3, when Dr. Eggman used Chaos Control to divide the world into seven pockets of reality, Angel Island ended up in Chaos Angel. When Sonic and his crew later made it to Angel Island's Altar Emerald in an effort to use the Master Emerald to restore the world to normal, they got intercepted by Gemerl. Though they defeated Gemerl and made to the Altar of Emerald, they were attacked by Eggman and Gemerl in the Hyper Eggrobo upon their arrival. Regardless, the heroes still defeated the villains and used the Master Emerald to restore the world. However, as Eggman and Gemerl fled, Gemerl started to malfunction, prompting him to attack Sonic and take the seven Chaos Emeralds he had, which he used to become Ultimate Gemerl. Ultimate Gemerl then betrayed Eggman and left to cause havoc, but Sonic used the Chaos Emeralds to become Super Sonic and defeated Ultimate Gemerl with Eggman's aid. After the battle, Sonic woke up on Angel Island, where he was welcomed home by his friends. With their adventure over, Sonic, Tails, Amy, Cream and Cheese left Angel Island while Knuckles remained behind to watch the Master Emerald as its guardian.
Sonic Rivals[edit | edit source]
In Sonic Rivals, while on Angel Island, Knuckles saw the Master Emerald disappear from right in front of him.[23][24] This was the doing of Eggman Nega, who used a special camera to turn the Master Emerald into a card in his time, which, due to the Master Emerald's nature as a temporal singularity, caused it to vanish from all time frames.[24] As such, Knuckles left Angel Island to find the Master Emerald. Meanwhile, Eggman used the Master Emerald's card to bring the Angel Island from his time, where it is known as "Onyx Island", to the present era.[24]
Eggman Nega's scheme eventually drew Sonic, Knuckles, Shadow and Silver to Onyx Island. After traveling across the island, the quartet defeated Eggman Nega. In the aftermath, Knuckles recovered the Master Emerald and planned to use it to sent Onyx Island back to the future.
Sonic Generations[edit | edit source]
In the console/PC version and Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Generations, as a side-effect of the Time Eater's time-traveling, parts of Angel Island from somewhere across spacetime got transported to White Space where they were drained of color and life.
After ending up in White Space, both Classic and Modern Sonic separately paid a visit to Angel Island's regions in that dimension. By speeding through these areas, the Sonics were able to fix space, thereby restoring Angel Island's sections from their lifeless states. When the Time Eater later got destroyed, Angel Island's parts were seemingly return to their rightful places in the timeline.
Sonic Forces[edit | edit source]
In Sonic Forces, Knuckles was on Angel Island, resting next to the Master Emerald, until Silver appeared at the Altar of Emerald to warn him about trouble of some sort from the future that involved Dr. Eggman. However, the two soon noticed that the island around them had suddenly disappeared, and in its place was a solid illusion of the ancient village of Pachacamac, a product of the stress test of the Phantom Ruby's powers that Dr. Eggman was conducting nearby. Immediately after, Knuckles and Silver were attacked by a Chaos Phantom Copy, prompting them to fight it. Just as they defeated it though, the Chaos Phantom Copy disappeared, along with Pachacamac's village. Knuckles then went along with Silver to warn the rest those on Earth that danger was approaching while Eggman watched with glee, satisfied that his test on Angel Island worked.[25]
Team Sonic Racing[edit | edit source]
In Team Sonic Racing, Angel Island's Sandopolis region served as the site of many races between different racing teams during a Grand Prix that was sponsored by Dodon Pa.
Other game appearances[edit | edit source]
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2013)[edit | edit source]
In the 2013 remaster of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, as well as in Sonic Origins, Angel Island makes a brief appearance in the new good ending of the game, which is seen if all the Chaos Emeralds are collected. In this ending, the Death Egg is shown approaching Angel Island, and then the aftermath of the crash is shown, revealing Dr. Eggman's survival. He immediately throws a childish temper tantrum in front of his wrecked Death Egg Robot, as Knuckles' eyes slowly reveal themselves from within the bushes and ominously stare at the doctor.
Sonic Pinball Party[edit | edit source]
In Sonic Pinball Party, there is an Angel Island board based on the Angel Island Zone from Sonic Advance.
Sonic Heroes[edit | edit source]
In Sonic Heroes, Knuckles mentions Angel Island in Frog Forest when he compares the local colossal mushroom to those on his island.[26]
Super Smash Bros. series[edit | edit source]
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit | edit source]
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Angel Island mentioned in the description for Knuckles the Echidna's trophy in the game.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U[edit | edit source]
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, Angel Island mentioned in the description for Knuckles the Echidna's trophy.
Sonic Jump[edit | edit source]
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In Sonic Jump, Angel Island was visited by Dr. Eggman, who intended to get the last of the seven Chaos Emeralds from Knuckles. When the two met, Knuckles refused to hand the Emerald over, but then Sonic showed up, much to Knuckles' dismay. However, this also distracted Knuckles, allowing Eggman to steal his Chaos Emerald. Sonic proceeded to ask Eggman what he wanted to use the seven Chaos Emeralds for, to which Eggman gloated that he was planning to use them to power a Brainwash Beam that would let him take control of the world, before taking his leave. Sonic and Knuckles then began accusing each other at being the one at fault for letting Eggman get the last Chaos Emerald until Tails broke up their argument. Sonic would then ask Tails of where they could find Eggman, to which Tails explained that Eggman would need to be in outer space in order for his Brainwash Beam to encompass the world Tails continued saying that Eggman may have a space station in South America with a rocket there to go into space with, prompting the trio to head to South America.
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood[edit | edit source]
In Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, Angel Island was left on its own over the Mystic Ruins when Knuckles got kidnapped by the Nocturnus Clan. In response to the threat the Nocturnus Clan posed, GUN posted soldiers in the Mystic Ruins to watch over Angel Island.[27] Meanwhile, the Nocturnus Clan needed the Master Emerald, which was on Angel Island, for their plans to permanently escape the Twilight Cage. However, instead of attacking Angel Island with legions of soldiers underneath it, as GUN was waiting for them there, the Nocturnus Clan used the Chaos Emeralds to draw Angel Island to their turf in Metropolis.[28]
As the Nocturnus Clan and their leader, Imperator Ix, invaded Angel Island, Sonic and Knuckles made it to Angel Island with a portion of their allies by hijacking an airship from the Nocturnus Clan while Tails and Dr. Eggman provided them with some artillery support. On the island, the heroes found themselves outnumbered by the Nocturnus Clan, so Sonic called Tails to have his team bring them back up while they slowed down their enemies. When Sonic and Knuckles later made it to the Master Emerald's shrine, they found Ix and his lieutenant, Shade, trying to access the shrine. Finding them unworthy opponents, Ix unleashed his troops on Sonic and Knuckles' team. Determined to hold out until help arrived though, Sonic and his crew fought back until Tails and Eggman arrived with a weapon that sent the majority of the Nocturnus Clan soldiers back to the Twilight Cage. Stepping up to deal with the heroes himself, Ix fought Sonic and his team until he began losing his patience and proclaimed that they would not stop him from conquering the world. Shocked by Ix's motivation for escaping their prison, Shade spoke against this, as she only wanted her people freed. In response, Ix blew most of the heroes and Shade away from the shrine, leaving only Sonic behind. Sonic, however, was too late to stop Ix from taking the Master Emerald and teleporting away with it, which resulted in Angel Island falling down from the sky and crash into Metropolis. There, Sonic, his team and Shade regrouped and left the island to stop Ix's plans by pursuing him into the Twilight Cage.
Points of interest[edit | edit source]
In other media[edit | edit source]
Animation[edit | edit source]
Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series)[edit | edit source]
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In the Sonic the Hedgehog television series, the Floating Island is a mystical island floating high above Mobius where the Time Stones are located. Discovered by Dulcy Sonic the Hedgehog and Sally came to the island to get the Time Stones and go back in time to stop Dr. Robotnik before he took over Mobius.
Sonic Underground[edit | edit source]
In the Sonic Underground television series, Angel Island is referred to only as the Floating Island. In this media, it is kept aloft in the sky by a Chaos Emerald. The Sonic Underground once went to the Floating Island to look for their mother there, only for its guardian, Knuckles, to mistake them as thieves seeking the island's Chaos Emerald due to the machinations of Sleet and Dingo. After discovering that he had been lied to however, Knuckles teamed up with the Sonic Underground and preventing the duo from stealing the island's Chaos Emerald. Some time afterward, the Sonic Underground returned to the Floating Island and recruited Knuckles for their mission to stop Dr. Robotnik's Fortress of Altitude.
Sonic X[edit | edit source]
In the Sonic X anime series and its comic series published by Archie Comics, Angel Island mostly mirrors its role in the games, with some minor differences. In this media, its flight attributes are maintained by the Master Emerald.
Generations ago, the island was a part of the Mystic Ruins on Sonic's home world, but later got separated into an independent island following the Knuckles Clan's attack on the Altar of Emerald. In the present day, the island and its Master Emerald are guarded by Knuckles. However, Angel Island eventually got transported to Earth via Chaos Control in the aftermath of a battle between Super Sonic and the E-99 Eggsterminator. The island and its Master Emerald would subsequently play a role during the events involving Chaos and Shadow, before being sent back to its original world.
Angel Island was later revealed to be the location of the Planet Egg for Sonic's world. When the Planet Egg was stolen by the Metarex, the planet's flora started to wither until the Planet Egg was returned when the Metarex were defeated.
Sonic Boom[edit | edit source]
In the Sonic Boom television series, Angel Island is briefly mentioned as the place where Knuckles the Echidna comes from.
Sonic Mania Adventures[edit | edit source]
Seeking the Chaos Emeralds to power up Metal Sonic,[29] Dr. Eggman discovered they laid buried on Angel Island. As such, he began digging all over the island in his search for them.[30][31] At the same time, the island came to rest in the sea again after Knuckles removed the Master Emerald from its shrine.[31]
Sonic eventually arrived on Angel Island after returning from the present, only to discover the holes Eggman had left from his digging. At the same time, Sonic saw Eggman fly over him with some kidnapped critters in his possession, prompting Sonic to go after Eggman. When Sonic saved the animals however, he got caught in a trap Eggman had set up on Angel Island to eliminate him. Using his cunning and a Chaos Emerald however, Sonic got Eggman stuck in his own trap and ultimately left the Doctor to have his trap blow up in his face. Along the way, Sonic discovered that Eggman was on the hunt for the Chaos Emeralds, and that he already had four of them.[30]
Sonic soon reunited with Tails on Angel Island's beach and brought him up to speed on Eggman's plans. No sooner however, Sonic went after Eggman alone when the Doctor resumed his excavation of the island to find for the sixth Chaos Emerald. After getting beaten by Eggman however, Sonic teamed up with Tails. Together, the two heroes defeated Eggman and secured the sixth Chaos Emerald. However, setting his sights on the Master Emerald after seeing it with Knuckles in Angel Island's wilderness, Eggman began cooking up a scheme to steal the Master Emerald and blame Sonic for it.[31][32]
In the meantime, Knuckles was looking for a safer place to keep the Master Emerald as a result of all the trouble that had been coming to Angel Island after Sonic and Eggman arrived. During his outing, he had a run-in with Ray, who had come to Angel Island looking for Mighty. Eventually though, Knuckles lost the Master Emerald when Eggman took it while the echidna was busy fighting RhinoBots. Furthermore, by using the Tornado as his escape vehicle, Eggman tricked Knuckles (who only saw the Tornado dragging the Master Emerald away) into thinking that Sonic was the one who stole the Master Emerald.[32] Continuing his search for Mighty, Ray came across Metal Sonic. Fortunately, Ray was saved from the hostile robot when Mighty showed up and subdued Metal Sonic. Detecting the seventh Chaos Emerald, which he was on the hunt for, in Mighty's possession however, Metal Sonic took Ray hostage and made Mighty give the Emerald to him in exchange for Ray's safe return. Mighty tried afterward to stop Metal Sonic, but he escaped and flew towards Eggman's base of operations on Angel Island. Mighty and Ray subsequently began following Metal Sonic Eggman's base. Meanwhile, Sonic and Tails were heading towards the base as well, with Knuckles hot on their heels.[33]
Inside Eggman's base, Metal Sonic took Sonic and Tails' Chaos Emeralds. Eggman then put his plan into motion by giving the rest of the Chaos Emeralds to Metal Sonic, thus allowing the robot to empower himself with all seven Emeralds before taking on Sonic. Although Mighty and Ray soon after arrived and aided Sonic and Tails, the quartet was unable to defeat Metal Sonic. Fortunately, Tails figured out a way to separate Metal Sonic from the Chaos Emeralds. Not beaten yet though, Eggman tried to empower Metal Sonic with the Master Emerald. However, both villains were foiled when Knuckles showed up and took them out. With the Master Emerald back in safe hands, peace reigned over Angel Island once more.[29] Meanwhile, Eggman and Metal Sonic landed some ways away in a wooded area on the island, where Eggman frustratingly abandoned Metal Sonic after the robot failed to respond properly. Metal Sonic lay in the same position for months until winter arrived, upon which he was found by Amy Rose, who took notice of the robot's sorry condition. Amy, feeling sorry for Metal Sonic, took Metal Sonic back to Eggman's lair on Angel Island. Eggman, thinking Metal Sonic had come home to mend things over, took him back much to Amy's pleasure and Sonic's disbelief.[34]
Books and comics[edit | edit source]
Archie Comics[edit | edit source]
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics, Angel Island was first known as the Floating Island. It was created six hundred years ago when the scientists Jordann and Kayla-La discovered the White Comet about to hit the city of Echidnaopolis. With the aid of the Fire Ants and many Chaos Emeralds, lifted a massive of land from Downunda and into the sky.
The Floating Island hosted many settlements, but the communities of note echidnas of Echidnaopolis and the Dingo Regime of Cave Canem. Tensions were high between the two due to the Dingo Regime often raiding their neighbors for technology. The breaking point came when the dingoes unleashed a nuclear strike. The attack was foiled, but the island was ruined by the nuclear fallout. Guardian Hawking used Dimitri's research to move the settlements into its own pocket zone while he and the Brotherhood of Guardians oversaw the cleanup of the island. It took a hundred years to return it to its natural splendor, but eventually almost all societies were returned to the island.
The Happyland Amusement Park was erected overnight by Dr. Ivo Robotnik as a plot to destroy the Knothole Freedom Fighters. The after-effects of the Ultimate Annihilator broke down the last of the pocket zones, destroying Cave Canem and returning Echidnaopolis to the island. The island was renamed "Angel Island" after Knuckles' distant ancestor Angel-La. Soon after, the Eggman Empire invaded the island and destroyed Echidnaopolis while establishing a new version of Cave Canem. The Dingo Regime briefly took control of the island only to have their city wiped out by the fourth Enerjak.
Following the events of Worlds Collide, Angel Island became nearly inextinguishable from its game counterpart. Having allowed Relic the Pika to stay on the island for research purposes, Knuckles temporarily left Angel Island to help with the Shattered World Crisis. However, after Eclipse the Darkling landed on Angel Island, Knuckles was forced to shatter the Master Emerald and scatter its pieces to keep it out of Eclipse and GUN's hands. Fortunately, Knuckles got the reassembled Master Emerald back to Angel Island just before the Shattered World Crisis ended and could destroy Angel Island.
Sonic the Comic[edit | edit source]
In the Sonic the Comic series published by Fleetway Editions, Angel Island goes by the name of Floating Island. The island was able to fly by the power of its six Chaos Emeralds; however, if the Master Emerald is removed, the island will fall regardless. In this media, Knuckles has lived alone on the island for as long as he can remember, with only ruins and ancient texts to help him understand his long-departed people, the Echidna Empire.
Originally thought to be a myth, the Floating Island became a center point for many of Dr. Ivo Robotnik's operations after the doctor discovered the island, mainly the reconstruction of his Death Egg II. However, the island was firmly purged of his influence after Sonic and Knuckles destroyed the Death Egg II. Afterwards, the Floating Island would serve as a refuge for the Emerald Hill Folk until the end of Robotnik's tyranny. Regardless, the Floating Island would still be attacked by villains seeking its valuable contents, like Robotnik, the Drakon Empire and Ms Alpha's gang. During the last arc of the comic, Knuckles was forced to scatter the Chaos Emeralds to keep them from Chaos, making the Floating Island plummet into the sea where it sank.
Sonic Adventures[edit | edit source]
In the Sonic Adventures comic series published by Sirène, Angel Island is a region on Mobius where Sonic found the Magical Emeralds before Dr. Robotnik's army found and captured him.
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the Subspace Emissary mode has an area known as the Isle of Ancients. In the last part of the level, "Outside the Ancient Ruins," the island has a similar appearance to Angel Island if one looks into the background.
- Despite Knuckles appearing in 8-bit games, Angel Island never appears to be seen or mentioned explicitly. However, the character's profile in the North American manual of Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble mentions that he was the "guardian of the Chaos Emeralds on the Floating Island".[35]
- There are actually two real islands in the United States and Papua New Guinea called "Angel Island".
- Angel Island was planned to appear in the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 film[36] of when Knuckles encountered Robotnik, the former would show the latter how the floating island was falling into the ocean and in the need to bring the Master Emerald back to its location to save it. But was dropped as the writers wanted Knuckles and Robotnik to immediately get to Earth after the Mushroom Planet.
- A location that appears to be the zone itself as a stage setting only when Pachacamac is telling the story of Knuckles, does however appear in the ''Flames of Disaster'' episode of Knuckles.[citation needed]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
Concept artwork[edit | edit source]
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Sonic & Knuckles Japanese instruction manual
Artwork[edit | edit source]
Screenshots[edit | edit source]
Merchandise[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ SxSGens PreOrderNowSGF.jpeg
- ↑ Sonic Team (9 September 1999). Sonic Adventure. Dreamcast. Sega. Area/Level: Egg Carrier (Knuckles' story). "Knuckles: Now... I must return to Angel Island and the Master Emerald."
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Sonic Channel (Japanese). Characters: Knuckles. Sega. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved on 3 July 2015.
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Sega Genesis) United States instruction booklet, pg. 4.
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Sega Mega Drive) Japanese instruction booklet, pg. 4.
- ↑ Sonic 3 <> Laputa Comparison. Sonic Research Zone.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Sega Mega Drive) Japanese instruction booklet, pgs. 4-6.
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Sega Mega Drive) Japanese instruction booklet, pg. 42.
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Sega Mega Drive) Japanese instruction booklet, pg. 41.
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Sega Mega Drive) Japanese instruction booklet, pg. 45.
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Sega Mega Drive) Japanese instruction booklet, pg. 43.
- ↑ Sonic Team (9 September 1999). Sonic Adventure. Dreamcast. Sega. Area/Level: Mystic Ruins (Knuckles' story). "Tikal: Father! Please don't! / Pachacamac: Tikal, the 7 Emeralds are essential to our survival. It is for the good of all our people. / Tikal: How can I make you understand? Attacking other countries, stealing and killing...can't be the right path to peace. No one has the right to take their holy grounds. I beg you father!"
- ↑ Sonic Team (19 October 1999). Sonic Adventure. Dreamcast. Sega. Area/Level: Mystic Ruins (Big's story). "Tikal: So these are the 7 Emeralds... ?! Could it be? The servers are... the 7 Chaos Emeralds... Unified by one that is the controller... The 7 Chaos... The controller itself... Could this be the Emerald that controls the 7 Chaos?"
- ↑ Sonic Team (9 September 1999). Sonic Adventure. Dreamcast. Sega. Area/Level: Mystic Ruins (Knuckles' story). "Tikal: I beg of you. Hear me now. My father is coming here soon. And I fear what may happen. You must take everyone away from here! Oh please! So, are you saying you can't leave this place? I understand... Let me talk to my father again! There must be a better way to do this. Don't worry, my friends. I won't let you down. I must do something...quickly."
- ↑ Sega, Hardlight (19 September 2019). Sonic Racing. iOS. Sega. Area/Level: Knuckles the Echidna: Driver info. "Last descendant of the Knuckles Clan and protector of the Master Emerald."
- ↑ Sumo Digital (23 February 2010). Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing. PlayStation 3. Sega. "Knuckles the Echidna's profile card: Knuckles the guardian of the Master Emerald, which gives Angel Island its power to float in the sky. He is the last of the Echidnas - the island's native people. His name comes from his powerful fists, which allow him to punch through rock and make him a skilled burrower and climber. He can also use his dreadlocks to glide for short distances.".
- ↑ Sega of America . Knuckles the Echidna. Sonic Characters. Sega. Archived from the original on 5 March 2005. Retrieved on 26 October 2017. "Knuckles was born alone on Angel Island, brought into this world to defend the Master Emerald. That is Knuckles' destiny and fate. If Sonic exemplifies the wind, then Knuckles is the mountain: stern and unmovable. Knuckles is quick to anger, but cool and determined in battle. Even though he considers Sonic his friend, the disposition of the Master Emerald is his ultimate concern. His determination to protect the gem from harm or ill use is set in stone and is unshakable. He is often envious of the adventurous lifestyle Sonic lives and the fame that has followed from Sonic's deeds, but Knuckles is well known in his own right, as a treasure hunter versed in the martial arts."
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Sega Mega Drive) Japanese instruction booklet, pg. 34-36.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Sonic Team (9 September 1999). Sonic Adventure. Dreamcast. Sega. Area/Level: Opening sequence (Knuckles' story). "Knuckles: 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!"
- ↑ Sonic & Knuckles (Sega Game Gear) Japanese instruction booklet, pgs. 12-13.
- ↑ Sega. "Story So Far". Sonic Mania Introduction Manual. Sega. p. 1. "Some time after saving Angel Island, Sonic the Hedgehog and his best friend, Miles "Tails" Prower, are relaxing when Tails picks up a strange energy reading far away. Though different from the Chaos Emeralds, the reading is remarkably powerful, and Tails convinces Sonic to join him to check it out. Sonic and Tails take off on the Tornado towards the source, but sure enough, the evil Dr. Eggman has detected it too! Now it's a race between Sonic and Eggman to get there first and figure out what mysteries it holds. However, Eggman has been busy: he's just unleashed a new team of elite Egg-Robos to handle his most important tasks. They're called the "Hard-Boiled Heavies," and they're about to reach the source of the signal first! It's up to Sonic, Tails, & their newest ally, Knuckles the Echidna, to defeat the Hard-Boiled Heavies, unlock the secrets of the energy source, and stop Dr. Eggman!"
- ↑ Backbone Entertainment, Sega Studio USA (24 November 2006). Sonic Rivals. PlayStation Portable. Sega. Area/Level: Sky Park Zone. "Knuckles: Hey, Eggman! How did you make the Master Emerald disappear from Angel Island?"
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Backbone Entertainment, Sega Studio USA (24 November 2006). Sonic Rivals. PlayStation Portable. Sega. Area/Level: Death Yard Zone. "Eggman Nega: Fine! If you want to know so badly, I'll tell you! I turned the Master Emerald into a card using my camera by taking a picture of it from the future Angel Island. Since the Master Emerald is a unique object that exists across the time-space continuum... When the future emerald was turned into a card, its existence in all the time frames vanished as well. / Knuckles: So that's why the Master Emerald disappeared from right in front of me! / Eggman Nega: So you finally understand. Using the power of the Emerald, I brought all of Angel Island here, into this time frame."
- ↑ Sonic Forces: Stress Test, "Stress Test"
- ↑ Sonic Team (6 January 2004). Sonic Heroes. Nintendo GameCube. Sega. Areal/Level: Frog Forest. "Knuckles: We have jungle mushrooms on my island, too...but not this huge."
- ↑ BioWare (30 September 2008). Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. Nintendo DS. Sega. Area/Level: Central City. "Commander: We're not taking chances. We've posted soldiers in Mystic Ruins to watch over Angel Island."
- ↑ BioWare (30 September 2008). Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. Nintendo DS. Sega. Area/Level: Metropolis Ground Zero. "Shade: Your military had set up around the base of the island. To conquer Angel Island, Ix needed to bring it to him. He used the Chaos Emeralds to draw the island over Metropolis, where we had set up our base. The plan was to assault the island on our turf, rather than attacking it with legions of soldiers underneath."
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Hesse, Tyson (17 July 2018). "Metal Mayhem". Sonic Mania Adventures. Season 1. Episode 5. YouTube.
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 Hesse, Tyson (30 March 2018). "Sonic Returns". Sonic Mania Adventures. Season 1. Episode 1. YouTube.
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 Hesse, Tyson (30 April 2018). "Sonic and Tails". Sonic Mania Adventures. Season 1. Episode 2. YouTube.
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 Hesse, Tyson (31 May 2018). "& Knuckles". Sonic Mania Adventures. Season 1. Episode 3. YouTube.
- ↑ Hesse, Tyson (22 June 2018). "Mighty and Ray". Sonic Mania Adventures. Season 1. Episode 4. YouTube.
- ↑ Hesse, Tyson (20 December 2018). "From: A. Rose". Sonic Mania Adventures. Season 1. Episode 6. YouTube.
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble (Sega Game Gear) United States instruction booklet, pg. 2.
- ↑ 34) Writing Sonic Movie 2 w/ PAT CASEY. Spotify. The GHZ Podcast (April 2022). Retrieved on 27 October 2023.
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