Bean the Dynamite
- For other uses, see Bean the Dynamite (disambiguation).
Bean the Dynamite (ビーン・ザ・ダイナマイト Bīn za Dainamaito?) is a character that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is an anthropomorphic woodpecker who competed in a fighting tournament for the Chaos Emeralds and the right to destroy the Death Egg II. In battle, Bean is capable of throwing an endless number of bombs for defense, an ability he uses to get himself into all sorts of mischief for his amusement and fun.
Concept and creation[edit | edit source]
Bean the Dynamite is based on the characters "Bin" and "Pin" from the 1988 Sega AM2 arcade game, Dynamite Düx, where the aforementioned ducks attempt to rescue a girl named Lucy from an evil Sorcerer known as "Achacha the Great". It should be noted that "Bean" is close to the Japanese pronunciation of "Bin".[3] Bean is near identical to Bin and Pin, except for his green feathers, attire, and species of woodpecker instead of duck. In his first appearance in Sonic the Fighters, Bean was most likely designed by Masahiro Sugiyama, the character designer of the arcade game.
Appearance[edit | edit source]
Bean is a green anthropomorphic woodpecker with black eyes, a yellow beak and orange legs, two spiky tufts of feathers protruding from his head, and two long tail feathers. For attire, he wears a red neckerchief around his neck, white gloves with cuffs, and red flat shoes with gray soles, each with a white stripe over it, similar to Sonic's shoes.
History[edit | edit source]
Sonic the Fighters[edit | edit source]
In Sonic the Fighters, Bean had been entrusted to safeguard one of the Chaos Emeralds to keep Dr. Robotnik from abusing it. Eventually though, Dr. Robotnik constructed the Death Egg II, which he used to deploy hordes of robots to lay the world to waste with. Soon after, Bean joined the fighting tournament held to decide which one among the Chaos Emerald guardians was the strongest. If Bean could defeat all the contestants, he would earn the right to use all the Chaos Emeralds for Tails' single seat Lunar Fox and travel to the Death Egg II and destroy it.[4]
At the end of the tournament, the victor used the Chaos Emeralds to go to the Death Egg II and made it self-destruct moments after escaping it.
Other game appearances[edit | edit source]
Sonic Generations[edit | edit source]
In the HD version of Sonic Generations, Bean makes a cameo on some of the wanted posters dotted throughout City Escape.
Sonic Mania[edit | edit source]
In Sonic Mania and its expansion Sonic Mania Plus, Bean makes a cameo appearance. Right before the start of Mirage Saloon Zone Act 2, he, Fang the Sniper or Bark the Polar Bear (depending on the random pattern) can be seen standing on an Armadiloid while throwing a bomb towards the Tornado, making the biplane crash to the ground. Like in Sonic Generations, he is also seen on several wanted posters through the Zone.
Bean also appears during the boss battle of Mirage Saloon Zone Act 2, where he is revealed to be one of the illusions created by the Heavy Magician. During the battle, Bean has a pattern consisting of throwing a couple of bombs and then hopping backwards or forwards. Landing an attack on him will make the Heavy Magician reveal herself.
Personality[edit | edit source]
In the games, most of Bean's personality is hard to define, though he is characterized with rapid and erratic movements, suggesting that he is either hyperactive or highly eccentric. Supposedly, he is also considered to be highly dangerous.[6] He has also been stated to be a sports enthusiast.[5]
In the IDW comics, Bean's personality is fleshed out a bit more, and he possesses a very wacky and non-serious demeanor, rarely showing fear, even when fighting against the likes of Metal Knuckles or Heavy King. In spite of his goofy demeanor, Bean can be quite vicious, emotionally fickle and violent, with Amy describing him as a "jerk" and "mean, rude, and cruel". Despite this, Bean does appear to have a compassionate side, as he was moved to tears by Eggman's story of Heavy King's betrayal. Bean has a deep love for watching explosions, which he considers to be "beautiful".[2]
The IDW comics also show a sassier side to his personality, as he is shown calling out Fang's antics and calling him various names when he wants to gets his point across to him. He is also often shown being very sarcastic and mocking people when things don't go his way or when trying to talk back to others. Sometimes he unexpectedly acts as the voice of reason in certain situations, but even he doesn't like it when he is and finds it weird. Underneath all of his goofiness and sass, it is also shown that he has a breaking point and will get angry when he gets pushed too far.[7][8][9][10]
Powers and abilities[edit | edit source]
Bean, as his moniker implies, is an explosion expert who primarily attacks with bombs. It is unknown where he gets them from, but he seems to be able to produce them whenever needed, similar to how Amy pulls out her Piko Piko Hammer; his bombs, however, are weak and can backfire if they explode too close up to Bean. It has also been shown that in a pinch, he may also summon a bigger bomb to deal more damage if he so desires. In addition, Bean is very agile, rivaling the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog.
In combat, Bean is a flurry and strong fighter, capable of going up against experienced fighters like Sonic and Knuckles. His combat style revolves around heavy utilization of his bombs, either throwing or kicking them into opponent. Apart from the use of bombs, Bean's secondary weapon is his beak which he can use to deliver a rapid flurry of pecks to his opponents. He also possesses great agility, being able to perform flips and make great leaps with ease.[2]
Bean also has the ability to harness Chaos Emerald energy from the Chaos Emeralds to initiate an enhanced state called Hyper Mode.
Relationships[edit | edit source]
Fang the Hunter[edit | edit source]
Bean loves to annoy Fang the Hunter in many ways even to the point of Fang not being able to trust Bean with the simplest of tasks. But Bean will follow all of Fang's orders despite not doing most of them correctly making Fang and Bean's bond special. Often times Bean will call out Fang's deeds as he did during one incident where he wanted to use Bark and Bean for his benefit and Bean and Bark got nothing out the deal, despite this he does like hanging with Fang, as he finds it fun to cause mischief with him. It is later shown that he does have a breaking point when it comes to Fang's mistreatment of him and Bark, as after the end of that incident, he and Bark decide to quit working with him.
Bark the Polar Bear[edit | edit source]
Bark the Polar Bear and Bean have a good friendship and both will help each other in combat as seen on some occasions.[2] Even in the Modern era the two are on the same wanted poster proving overtime they have grown a strong bond.[6] Bean even considers Bark his "buddy."[11] Bean has been shown to care for Bark on multiple occasions when Fang doesn't, such as when Fang was going to leave Bark behind before leaving the Heavy Wing and Bean convinced him to go and save him, or how when they later find him at the brink of defeat, he is seen checking to see if he is okay, while Fang just assumed he was fine despite his condition.[10]
Friends/allies[edit | edit source]
- Bark the Polar Bear (best friend)
Neutral[edit | edit source]
Enemies[edit | edit source]
- Amy Rose
- Espio the Chameleon
- Hard Boiled Heavies
- Honey the Cat
- Jimmy
- Knuckles the Echidna
- Miles "Tails" Prower
- Mighty the Armadillo
- Ray the Flying Squirrel
- Sonic the Hedgehog
In other media[edit | edit source]
Books and comics[edit | edit source]
Archie Comics[edit | edit source]
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs by Archie Comics, Bean is a mercenary with an undefinable past. He first appeared to attack Sonic along with his partner Bark, but was driven off by the Freedom Fighters and their allies. After serving Mammoth Mogul for a while, Bean and Bark joined Nack as Team Hooligan to find a Sol Emerald, but they eventually had to give up the hunt after facing too much opposition.
Following the Super Genesis Wave, Bean became a permanent member of the Hooligans, where he and Bark tried stealing a Sol and Chaos Emerald before joining the Chaos Emerald Championship with Nack.
IDW Publishing[edit | edit source]
Seasons of Chaos[edit | edit source]
Bean, along with Bark and Fang, was hired by Dr. Eggman to locate the Chaos Emeralds for him. Having tracked one to Summer Falls Zone, Bean and his associates arrived there in to acquire it, only to encounter Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, who were also searching for the Chaos Emeralds. Springing into action, Bean distracted Sonic with an explosion, much to his annoyance. Bean asks the hedgehog if he missed him (calling their encounter a ‘big reunion’), getting a harsh ‘no’ in response. After feeling tearfully heartbroken for a second, he shows his psychotic side and begins to fight Sonic while his teammates handled the others. Despite eventually getting a clear shot at Sonic, Bean refrained from throwing his bombs so as not to hit the Emerald he was carrying. This led to the Emerald falling off a cliff, prompting Bean and his teammates to retreat to Autumn Forest Zone in search of another. Bean used this opportunity to roast a marshmallow over one of the Marvelous Queen's boosters.
Upon arriving at Autumn Forest Zone, however, Bean and his teammates faced resistance from Mighty, Ray, and Amy, all of whom were searching for the Emeralds. Bean subsequently threw several of his bombs at Ray, one of which managed to hit, blasting him and Amy to the ground, and allowing Bean to take the purple Chaos Emerald. Unfortunately, his victory was short-lived, as he was soon knocked out by Metal Knuckles, who took the Emerald. Bean and the others then pursued Metal Knuckles, only to find Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and a defeated Eggman. After listening to Eggman's explanation of Heavy King's betrayal, Bean teamed up with Eggman and the heroes to assault his former fortress in Winter Caverns Zone. Arriving at the gates to the fortress, Bean and his group were attacked by Metal Sonic and Metal Knuckles, both of which were still under the Heavy King's control. Bean attempted to fight back using his bombs, only for Metal Knuckles to slice them in half, barely missing Bean. However, due to Tails and Eggman's help, both were neutralized, and put back under Eggman's control, prompting Bean to attempt blowing up the gate to enter the fortress, only to be dissuaded by Fang.
Bean and the others then entered the fortress, and were attacked by Heavy King, who was empowered by all seven Chaos Emeralds. Bean, however, enjoyed watching all the explosions created by his power, and assisted Sonic's plan by taking the green Chaos Emerald from Heavy King's stage. The plan succeeded, leaving Heavy King powerless, and allowing Bean and the others - excluding Eggman and his robots - to escape the fortress. With their mission done, Bean and his associates left Winter Caverns Zone in the Marvelous Queen, having been granted the purple Chaos Emerald for their efforts.
Amy's New Hobby[edit | edit source]
Later, Bean went to Amy's house to read some of Amy's self-made comic books. While there, he got shoved aside by Sonic when he came to see what this commotion was all about.
Amy's 30th Anniversary Special[edit | edit source]
Bean along with Bark and Fang were on a mission for Dr. Eggman and failed. Because of this, Eggman tasked Metal Sonic to put them in Capsules as punishment. Bark, Amy Rose and Ray would team up to free everyone, including Bean, who was not amused by his rescue. Bean along with Fang and Bark left on their own and left the heroes to their picnic.
Fang the Hunter miniseries[edit | edit source]
Bean along with Fang and Bark are watching over Sonic in Emerald Hill until Fang orders them to attack. Bean tries to use his bomb, but Fang stops him as he almost blew up the Marvelous Queen. After failing to attack Sonic, Fang mentions how they are on a hunt for the eighth Chaos Emerald. Sonic thinks they are referring to the Master Emerald and is no help to Fang's Gang. They then head over to Angel Island to ask Knuckles, but he isn't there and end up having to find him. After Fang bosses his gang around and denies Bark's suggestion of stealing the Master Emerald instead while it's unguarded, Bean puts his foot down and tells him that he and Bark are tired of him using them for his own benefit, but Fang is able to convince them to continue helping him out anyways. They then arrive in Mushroom Hill which Knuckles knowing they're on the island, captures Bean and Bark leaving Fang to have to find them. Fang, after fighting with Knuckles, rescues them in Sandopolis, after which Fang asks the echidna what he knows about the eight Chaos Emerald, but Knuckles believe it to be a fake, calling Fang delusional. After the three leave Angel Island, Bean and Bark once again talk down on Fang, saying that he's wasting their time and tell him that they want to quit. Fang is once again able to convince them to keep helping him by threatening to throw them overboard. They then arrive at Eggman's abandoned territory, where Fang talks about what he'd gain from the emerald once he finds it. Bean asks what he and Bark would gain from it, which leads to Fang trying to convince them that they'd also benefit from his gains. After some looking around for clues, the place starts to flood until Eggman saves them. After the rescue, the trio are hired to find the Hard Boiled Heavies aboard the Heavy Wing, which they agree to help with because Fang thinks the battleship's teleportation abilities may be related to the eighth emerald. Soon they locate the ship and get on smoothly, where they find the power source of the ship, what Fang thinks is the eight Chaos Emerald. Before the three can take it, they are confronted by Heavy Rider and her pet moto bug Jimmy. The gang work together to defeat her and take the gem powering the ship. After Fang discovers that the eighth emerald is not real, proven by Heavy King saying how it is actually another gem named the Warp Topaz, Fang decides to take it anyways and the gang runs for it. Bean tells Fang to call the Marvelous Queen, but since it is on the other side of the ship, it doesn't get to them immediately, so they are forced to continue running. The Heavies go after them and Bark decides to stay back and fend off Heavy Rider and Heavy King. Bean is then split from Fang as Heavy Magician tricks him by disguising as Fang and leading him to a dead end with Heavy Gunner. Eventually, Bean is able to fight back by summoning a bigger bomb to blow them up. Fang then teleports to Bean by using the Warp Topaz's teleportation powers with his Marvelous Queen, which had arrived while he fought Heavy Shinobi. After reuniting with Fang, Bean reminds Fang about Bark, so they save him before he is defeated by Heavy King, after which they successfully warp out of the Heavy Wing. After escaping, Bean gets mad at Fang, as he put him and Bark through everything they went through for no reason since the eighth emerald was fake. The two then quit working for Fang and leave to go do something else more fun.
Merchandise[edit | edit source]
A plush toy of Bean was made as part of a line of plush toys for Sonic the Fighters in Japan, which could only be won from claw machines.
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- According to Bean's Japanese bio in Fighters Megamix Official Guide, Bin (the main character from the 1988 arcade game, Dynamite Düx, who Bean as a character is based on) is his father.[1] The difference in species, Bin being a duck but Bean being a woodpecker, is not explained. It’s possible Bean is a Woodpecker Duck Hybrid.
- Bean is one of the four characters (along with Fang the Hunter, Mephiles the Dark and Knuckles the Dread) to have a title that does not refer to his species. Dynamite refers to his expertise with explosives.
- According to an interview on Sonic Central from 2004, Sonic "does not know the whereabouts of Bean, Ray, Bark, Fang, Chaos or Tikal."[12]
- The cover of Sonic X #34 features Tails in a swimming pool with a Bean the Dynamite themed inflatable ring. The inflatable ring also has the Sonic the Fighters logo printed on it.
- Bean being referred to as a "sports enthusiast" is most likely a reference to his cameo appearance as a Soccer mascot in Virtua Striker 2.
Notes[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Bean's height is taken from the official Japanese guide for Fighters Megamix, in which it was comparable to the human characters in the game. This appears to be inconsistent with his height in Sonic the Fighters, which was relative to the rest of the playable characters (for reference, Sonic stands at 100 cm). Actually 101cm or so.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Bean" (in Japanese). ファイターズメガミックス オフィシャルガイド. SoftBank. 24 February 1997. p. 208. ISBN 978-4797302127.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Special, "Seasons of Chaos"
- ↑ Dynamite Düx. Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved on 17 March 2015.
- ↑ "Sonic the Fighters" (in Japanese). Gamest (173). June 1996. Archived from the original. Retrieved on 15 July 2018.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Flynn, Ian; Sega (8 December 2021). "Sonic Arcade Classics". Sonic the Hedgehog Encyclo-speed-ia. Dark Horse Books. p. 20. ISBN 978-1506719276. "Bean the Dynamite - He's a wild sports-enthusiast woodpecker who can seemingly generate explosives from thin air. He attacks with wild abandon, but always with an impish smile on his face."
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 File:Bean and Bark.png
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter Issue 1
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter Issue 2
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter Issue 3
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter Issue 4
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog: Fang the Hunter Issue 1
- ↑ Sega of America . Sonic Q and A. Sega of America. Archived from the original on 13 June 2004. "Stephen F. (a.k.a Sonic's number 1 fan.): Will Ray the Flying Squirrel, Bean the Duck, Chaos, Nack, Tikal, and Bark reappear? P.S: COOL SITE!!! / Sonic: Actually, I don't know exactly where they are... but we do have some old faces from the past that will be with me in Sonic Heroes... make sure to check 'em out!"
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