@@Socialism_on_Roids Yuji naka was getting dragonball tapes sent over to the states to watch whilst developing the next games in the series as he is a fan of the show/manga so he definitely took inspiration from it
Knuckles was a chill and calm dude and was a loyal and determined guardian, he's not super intelligent but that's because he was alone his whole life so of course he's introverted but he's smart in his own ways and is knowledgeable about the Emeralds, the lands and ancient stuff. He's also a loyal friend, acting like an older brother of sorts to characters like Tails and Cream and heck, even Sonic. He's also arguably one of the strongest characters being strong enough to punch with so much force that air molecules split and cause powerful explosions or ignite his fists and even punch Super Sonic. He's also the most relatble fictional character to me.
Correction, in Adventure 2 Knuckles used the Master Emerald to stop the Chaos Emeralds when they were out of control However that took time, so while it's possible Knuckles could have used that to make Super Sonic more vulnerable, he more likely didnt since he didnt have much time between Sonic showing up, chanting and punching Super Sonic. Also we didnt saw the Master Emerald with him there. It's possibly thought that the Phantom Ruby weakened Super Sonic as in Mania it was found right where Knuckles punched him in Sonic 3, however Knuckles does not seem to know much about the Ruby so, again, unlikely. Also, even if it happened without of Knuckles knowledge it would still be a retcon. So yeah, for all we know that punch on the chin of the arguably most powerful character in the franchise was 100% Knuckles only.
@@ale-xsantos1078 It was Knuckles, not some Discount Chaos Emeralds, it also could be the Master Emerald giving hum his strength and power, he doesn't have to always be close to it
Knuckles also reminds me of Black Panther. T'Challa protects Wakanda and the vibranium from evil doers while Knuckles protects Angel Island and the emeralds. Also how they both carry on the legacy of their ancestors.
Knuckles will always be my favorite character. From Sonic 3 to Sonic Advance 3, it felt like the developers really respected him. The cracks began to show in Sonic X and 06 and it's been downhill since then. It hurts me as a Knuckles fan.
The best of Knuckles to me is in the Adventure games. Those games built off of the Knuckles from Sonic 3 & Knuckles. While he didn't have his super forms in the Adventure games, his personality was improved and his origins. Sonic Adventure 2 didn't destroy Knuckles per say, but it sowed the seeds and it was following the beginning and end of Sonic Heroes combined with Sonic X where he fell off. While I didn't mind Knuckles leaving the Master Emerald to help Sonic save the world, the issue came when the writers never put him back on Angel Island. Heroes, to me showed that if his friends needed him, he would help, so long as the Master Emerald isn't in jeopardy. In the Adventure games the Master Emerald came first. In Sonic Adventure he never followed Sonic around. His entire mission was to restore the Master Emerald. He only assisted when it benefited him. As soon as he defeated Chaos, he was off again. He crashed Sonic's space shuttle to get his Master Emerald shards that flew into space in one scene and in another after the Master Emerald was secured, he was prepared to stop Eggman himself after Sonic asked him. Though Knuckles prefers to be alone, he cares enough for his friends to put himself on the line, so long as it doesn't interfere with the Master Emerald.
unlike how most people recognize him now, when Knuckles was introduced in the first place, he was superior than Sonic not just for brawl but brain as well. he was always ahead of you and set the traps that you can't avoid. he was cocky and cunning, that was his personality. then he turned into something stoic musclehead. and then, Sonic Boom literally made him stereotypical bodybuilder. people compare him with Piccolo but at least Piccolo have some kind of consistency. but even before Sonic Boom, Knuckles never have his own identity. his character is just one of the Sonic's rival, taking the roles what Sonic isn't. in the Sonic Forces, he's being rebel commander, which was felt rather awkward since he was being sole guardian of island, having lesser social experience than Sonic or Shadow. so what exactly is he? he's just rival. that's why his character was never defined. that being said, not just for American creators or fanfic writers, but even Japanese developers themselves don't know what to do with him. at least fandom know what he is though. king of the memes.
I think the problem with Knuckles in people's eyes is that they are forgetting that Knuckes is most of his alone. It's hard for him to decide whom to trust. Tho I hate that it was played off too much.
@Fitness addict He's still comparable before boosting, he just doesn't move as often or to the same degree as him due being a guardian of the island. They _shouldn't_ be running around and saving the world whenever something comes up... emphasis on shouldn't, cuz fuck consistency. I feel like he could have easily gotten to at least Boost level if he spent half the time moving around as sonic does, even if he'd still likely be slower.
My thought on Knux being one step ahead, I do think it's his home turf so he, of course, knows not only how to get around, but also what all the traps are and do. Doesnt mean he cant have a gullible moment, but I think it's a deal we need to consider. I dont even see him as being done wrong in Sonic Mania Adventures. He wasnt dumb there more on edge and untrusting. ... and he punched the super out of someone again.
He was the leader of the resistance because Sonic was presumed dead and off world, Shadow was missing, Vector had his own team to lead, Silver was the face of the resistance, and Amy just doesn't have a commanding presence. Knuckles is a strong and respected warrior from an extinct ancient clan of warriors, so he probably has some Battle experience to help him make strategies for the resistance.
@@SaiyanScholar Only in the games, The Archie Comics made Knuckles potentially the strongest mobian. The Dark Mobius storyline with Knuckles becoming the ultimate villain Enterjak.
I whole heartedly agree, classic Knuckles was such a special character and Sonic Team just killed his character during the Adventure games. I never understood where this whole, "He is not as intelligent as Sonic..." Where did this even come from? Being tricked by someone doesn't mean you are an idiot. A lot of the problems with modern Knuckles is Sonic Team and the games being written in the West by comedy writers. They don't know how to write Knuckles so they resort to the stupid cliche of big and dumb. I wish they would just wipe the slate and go back to the original trilogy (I'm counting Sonic 3 and Sonic and Knuckles as one game). Playing through the complete version of Sonic 3 after Knuckles gets betrayed and pointed his arm out to me as he was on the teleporter was such an incredible moment for me. Nothing in any of the 3D games has ever come close to how that was able to stay with me. Probably also helps these characters didn't talk like the walking moronic idiots they are now in the modern games. Long live Classic Knuckles and all he was.
Knuckles was great in Adventure 2 and Heroes. Cool, calm, and levelheaded. At times, he even showed more common sense than Sonic. That moment in bullet station when he tries to talk Sonic out of firing themselves out of that canon comes to mind. After Heroes is when I noticed his intellect starting to decline. It wasn’t this truly horrific thing until Boom though. That’s when they seemed to decide his mainline personality should be nothing but a dumb jock stereotype. To be fair though, every game since Colors has had horrendous writing. I haven’t enjoyed any of the character’s personalities since Black Knight.
"Unknown from M.E" will ALWAYS be my go to song for knucks from adventure 1 It was my FAVORITE song and I would always watch HIS credits scene for the music🔥💯
@2071Johnny Amy should have been a front line fighter in that game in the first place, with Knuckles and Rouge being the commanders. I always saw Amy as a front line fighter due to her natural fighting abilities.
3:54 Let's be honest tho they hit it RIGHT with blaze the cat Her story made the complete END of rush feel SO good(it personally took ME higher😉) and incredibly heartfelt.
@prickly pear Nah, knuckles is a lot more hot headed than blaze is. She calm and quiet, only getting mad in spur of the moments, that's how she was at 1st, but she definitely got more chill after rush 1. Tbh, knuckles isn't the ONLY character that is allowed to be in sonic Idk what silver has to do with any of this but while I do see similarities in Knuckles and shadow, there's enough between the 2 to distance them
@prickly pear Shadow isn't really like Knuckles other than being serious and sharp witted, Silver just got tricked into thinking Sonic was evil, and Blaze is a guardian. Having one trait that's similar to Knuckles doesn't make the three "blatant knuckles ripoffs" dumbass. Their similar traits were all handled differently to further set them apart from Knuckles. And how dare you downplay Blaze's development
From a design perspective, Knuckles is just perfect. Everything you need to know about him is plain to see, especially when you notice in how many deliberate ways he's portrayed as Sonic's opposite. Blue to red, agility to strength, carefree to responsible, light skin to dark skin, windswept hair to dreadlocks, rounded nose to pointy nose, pointed shoes to blocky shoes, it goes on and on. All that and more potential relevant lore to explore than probably the entire current cast combined. Best character in the series.
Perfect video man, like seriously. Knuckles is and probably will always be one of my favorite fictional characters and I hate that he isn’t taken seriously anymore. It’s sad that not even the creators take him seriously, especially considering how he’s supposed to be a rival to Sonic. Also Archie Knuckles is the best! Thanks for giving him a mention. I’m willing to bet that if more people read the Archie comics they’d become instant fans of Knuckles.
I also feel bad that knuckles been bonbarded from his serious role he once had to be replaced by other characters, he'd fallen far from what made him so imported in the first place.
I rarely ever comment on videos like these, but this video is 100% spot on. One of my absolute favorite characters in any media since I was a child, its really let me down how the echidna has been constantly degraded over time for laughs. It really feels like Sonic team forgot what Knuckles main character traits were and slowly adapted the meme instead, its a real shame.
Classic knuckles is my favourite character in the franchise, I hope one day that sega will show him some more respect. He easily has the most story potential in my opinion.
Damn I never realized how much of a rival Knuckles was, even more so than Shadow. I kinda wish we could see that more often now because he's different and not just another hedgehog as much as I like Shadow.
Sonic characters in the modern era unfortunately fall under the same curse that Dragon Ball characters do. New characters are introduced constantly to be a rival to the main character just to become jobbers later to make the main "protagonist" look better. Either that or they literally get sent to cheerleader status even though we know they can help. Nobody can take the spotlight from Sonic Christ for even five seconds. Honestly, the over glorification of Sonic himself has gotten so much worse than Goku's situation to the point that characters entire personalities and character development have been retconned, Tails being by far the most offensive and egregious example.
@@broom2839 I'm glad others also notice the over glorification of Sonic. I get that Sonic is the protagonist and that he ultimately saves the day but in modern games he is portrayed as the world's one and only savior despite the many powerful characters that can also save the day. It's as if everyone becomes helpless babies and only Sonic can save them. No wonder you call him Sonic Christ. 😂 Don't get me wrong. I like Sonic as a character and it's expected that he will receive the most attention but I'm tired of the whole universe revolving around him and it would be nice if the spotlight shines on others from time to time. It seems with the release of Sonic Frontier that Sonic as a game is heading towards that direction.
I remember first getting into Sonic and how I always stuck with the blue blur himself. However, Knuckles slowly took my attention and made me really appreciate red red himself. The Adventure games continued to show him love and even Heroes, despite having Knuckles being on Team Sonic, still showed respect for his character. 06 and Sonic X were the first two major gabs at his characteristics and the train lacked breaks entirely. Luckily Mania and surprisingly Forces pushed him into the right direction. Mania especially as it brought back Super Knuckles and he personally defeated the Heavy King, preventing him from becoming unstoppable with the Master Emerald. Mania Adventures mainly showed how the echidna felt after all of the abuse he's been put through, showing him becoming extremely paranoid and desperate to not be tricked again. Eggman's trick was actually convincing and he ultimately prevented Metal Sonic from even getting to transform. One of these days Knuckles can hopefully take the spotlight again and show why he deserves it. Even tho Blaze & Metal Sonic have also become beloved characters to me, I never let them surpass Knuckles' previous position as my favourite...somewhat. Who out of the three I prefer depends on my mood honestly.
I thought Knuckles was the serious brawler. Sonic was speed, Knuckles was Strength. To be Honest I'm glad I'm a Shadow fan(even enjoying his solo game as a guilty pleasure) seeing what they did to him in Sonic Boom, that incarnation of him being one of the reasons I couldn't stand the series.
I love how certain areas were knuckles exclusive, because even tails couldn't reach them and the fact that he can break through certain barriers thus opening a shortcut
I always found it odd that Sonic would have more of a connection to the Chaos Emeralds than Knuckles. Shadow I understand having a very strong connection to them since he was created to use that power, but Knuckles still should have the greater connection to Chaos energy out of the three of them.
I feel like since they made sonic so funny and cute in the movie, that leaves room for them to make knuckles more serious again in the second movie... and just save shadow for movie 3
7:10 agreed with everything except shadow being protected, he's also been flanderized to hell and back. He used to be nuanced but now he's just an edgy boy who's always angry :/ Also that image you used from of Archie were characters not ordered to be created by Sega. Sally aside those were made by the comic writers with Sega not caring
To be fair, he's actually had some legit funny moments in BOOM. Though, a few moments doesn't exactly make up for years on the sideline. Its actually a little scary how accurately "Super hedgehog bargain sale" fits. Knuckles should be the main one getting super forms
It is not about funny i dont care about funny its about him having no brain and what happend to his design wtf delete that trash of a sonic boom all the characters exept for shadow and sonic have any personality
Knuckles is my favourite sonic franchise character and yes even in bad takes from shows and comics I still loved him way more then the others to me knuckles is a serious character with a leader mentality hell they even made him the resistance leader in forces because he was the most credible one.
Sonic X happened that’s what happened. Once that show happened he went down hill. Not the voice acting but the writing in that show set the ground work in turning him into a joke. Knuckles being the equivalent of Piccolo and Yamcha And Shadow being the equivalent of Vegeta
What? He was written very well in Sonic X. Maybe not perfect but he still had his signature seriousness. Course, most people haven't watched it beyond season 1 so I'm not surprised. Season three is where he and Tails shined to me.
They nerfed him so bad hes not even fast anymore he was able to keep up with sonic now hes considered to have "sLoW mOvEmEnTs" He can throw multiple punches in a few seconds I dont know why they ruined every sonic character
In Sonic X: Just consider the fact that he's ignored and mocked by others, even by his own friends when he disagrees with their thinking. And not to mention that he doesn't get a lot of gratitude or respect for risking his life to save others. Knuckles largely exists as a Commander Contrarian to the team that desires to take more desperate measures to get back home. While he has a bad attitude (especially where Sonic is concerned) and some of his ethics like trusting Eggman over and over are genuinely short sighted, the team tend to demean him over any point he makes (a few of which are rather valid and likely would have led to less disastrous results if followed, though of course this is never called out). It doesn't help that most of the time he argues with them he is tricked or bullied into following through rather than reasoned with in any way, despite the team endlessly pointing out how wrong it is when Eggman manipulates him in a similar manner.
Exactly he was my first favorite, like him, Shadow and Rouge. And thanks for doing this video heh, you did it cause of my comment or it was on your list lol cause you said before you wanted to expand the content and all in the first video of Sonic in your channel so I should it expected more :P still like Knuckles no matter what.
After watching this video, I have to agree with classic Knuckles' being the most loved version compared to his modern or BOOM counterparts. But his modern version in the IDW comics are doing him some justice, dispite him being gullible every now and again. But hey, it's part of his character now, for better or worse.
I like knuckles’ strong sense of responsibility-it ties him down, it can seem almost crushing, but he doesn’t abandon it. Even in sonic mania shorts he’s obsessed with protecting the emerald, (even if they made him look goofy).
Knuckles isn't the only character who has been flanderized. Pretty much everyone has regressed as characters. Hopefully they get some new writers that can redeem all the characters and make them as good as we remember them as they should be.
It was kinda nice that they tried making him the leader of the resistance in forces, but since the story wasn’t that great in forces, that kinda didn’t matter in the end
Shadow is one of my favourite characters in SA2 but then Shadow the Edgehog (the game) totally ruined him. At least he had a good run of 1 whole game before he got ruined. But he did get some redemption: Sonic Heroes made him cooler again (though after Shadow the Edgehog it was almost impossible to use Shadow again and not make him cooler - it's hard to sink as low or lower as Shadow the Edgehog did). Of course no version of Shadow comes even close to how he was in SA2. He was mysterious, interesting, dark without trying, and just seemed important (which he was). Truly the ultimate life form. Even Knuckles was still pretty cool in SA2 and it was probably one of the last games where he was actually the Guardian of the Master Emerald since Sonic Heroes seems to be the first game where he's demoted to just being Sonic's friend. I guess it may be for the better, if he's always on Angel Island it may be hard to include hm in many stories without making it convoluted. But Is till like him better as Guardian.
@@oneheckofabanana2016 I agree on the Shadow having a lot of issues but regardless I love his character and all his flaws. Knuckles may of realized it would be safer to have the Master Emerald on him at all times by shrinking it like he did in SA2B
@@oneheckofabanana2016 (if u think about it,if shadow never existed,we wouldnt have sonic 06 or sonic boom,matter of fact we would probably be doing games kinda like sonic generations where we revisit classic levels but with the adventure and 2d gameplay) ALSO NO SONIC FORCES,but sadly we probably wouldn't have sonic mania BUT THATS A COST WE CAN TAKE
Knuckles is *THE* boi Despite his race being extinct, he was loyal to his lineage and protected the Master Emerald as if his life depended on it and I respect that. He was that one character I always took seriously until they ruined his character in recent games. They made him into a joke and he completely drops the whole Master Emerald protection as if it never existed. He's really there just to be there at this point. I loved Knuckles as a rival for Sonic, but now he's just a plain side character.
After watching the movie Sonic the Hedgehog 2, I feel some of Knuckles' credibility came back as they kept his classic serious demeanor, showed off some of his knowledge and some abilities. Yes, there are comedic moments playing on his ignorance, the way the movie is written and the characters he interacts with, it's not too similar to the game, "Sonic the Hedgehog 3". Now, you touched on a valid point regarding his dynamic with another character that was definitely proven true in the theater...
Knuckles is one of if not the most one of the most important characters in the sonic world and franchise. He does not deserve to be pushed on the sidelines and let shadow take over. I’m legit so angry right now that I’m crying lol. Knuckles ISNT FRICKIN DUMB FAM!
@rheemz6257 You’re totally right. Knuckles isn’t stupid, he was always smart. It was Sega who wrongly made him dumb by wrongfully forcing the gullible bullshit on him. They should have kept him a cunning trickster, he was a far better character that way.
Basically they turned the Hedgehogs into Saiyans in the modern games, making it seem like they were the only ones with the abilities to transform. I started taking notice of it in Sonic Heroes, when Sonic goes Super but Tails and Knuckles only get a supporting bubble. It was really showing in Sonic 2006, when they brought in Silver whom is basically Trucks..being a hedgehog from a grim future, that had the ability to fly. The character was seemed like he was suppose to be the Tails replacement in Sonic's new team...and create a shadow that would sallow Tails. Both Tails and Knuckles have been going backward since the modern games. With characters like Tails whom would be at the front lines, to being a coward against a lower form of Chaos he once battled. They both now only there to make Sonic look so much better. It is a shame as both Tails and Knuckles had so much more area to grow and evolve as characters. As a long time fan since the Genesis days myself it is a shame to see as Tails, my personal favorite growing up, along with Knuckles, being my second favorite, are left in the dust. Games like Tails Adventure was such a great concept for Tails character, with a Metroidvania style gameplay. While I was not a huge fan of Knuckles game, I feel the character has allot of potential for a style of gameplay which would be fitting to the character. I'm still shocked I'm in a time where freaking TOAD has gotten a game more recently then characters like Tails/Knuckles. Princess Peach has even had a more recent adventure...not only that but her and Toad have gotten to tag along and be playable 100% in games like Super Mario 3D World. While Luigi had his own year, a handful of his own games...not to mention his roles in the Mario and Luigi RPGs. While Sega seems to care less about any character that is not a hedgehog. With Mania being a large part due to the passions of a fan...more so them Team Sonic itself.
Yeah. Tails especially. Tails has become a pussy now sadly. He cowered and didn't even have the courage to fight Chaos 0 in Sonic Forces, when in Sonic Adventure he beats Chaos 4! Modern Tails has been a joke. He needs Sonic to save him from everything. Make Tails and Knuckles great again.
For what it's worth, I have an idea for a fan fiction that's based around a backstory I heard back when Sonic 2 was released. And like you, I also miss the respect that Knuckles so rightfully deserves! Also, great video!😎👍
Sonic Chronicles in the only post-Advance game where Knuckles is treated seriously. The game might as well have been called Knuckles Chronicles considering how central of a character he is there. Solid development and lots of explored lore. In that game, I'd argue Sonic is less important than Knuckles and Tails.
Hell yeah I grew up playing him back on sonic the hedgehog 3 on sega. I connected with him as an introvert growing up and reading him in the sonic comics. Pure awesomeness on this video man. 🔥🤘👊😎
As a more recent Sonic fan, watching this video made me feel a little guilty at first as a new Knuckles fan, like i still haven’t properly understood the line between his original organic self and the media in which alter him almost entirely or brush him off. But then i remembered something interesting about my experience with this character currently. It seems that out of all the Knuckles characterizations i’ve exposed myself to so far, my favourites tend to be more in line with his classic self from when he debuted. I’ve found it a little harder (understatement) to be fond of the Knuckles shown in, let’s say, Forces, compared to the way he presents himself in something like the original Sonic 3, and he doesn’t even speak words in that game! Knuckles being dumbed down, simplified to just fiery and gullible, and overall being lowered to more of a supporting role at the cost of getting potential development sucks to see, and i could only hope someday he can really get treated right again on a more frequent basis, for now it only really seems gradual but i guess time will tell. In conclusion Knuckles deserves better than what he’s got and this comments section of Knuckles fans validating eachother is so, so nice 🥺 this is a great video bro!! I’ll be sure to subscribe!! Keep it up!
Have you ever watched Bleach? If you have, you can see that the character Renji was inspired by Knuckles. He is the hot-headed red-hired rival who always gives the protagonist trouble. Plus, he likes the girl who is always beside the serious black-haired hair.
When Knuckles was the general of the rebel army in Sonic Forces I was amped to see my guy get some shine again. Too bad it didn't amount to much in the story
Fun facts about Knuckles: Knuckles is almost as fast as Sonic and was noted to being the only person at the time to be able to do so. (Tails was known before as being the only other person who could KEEP UP with Sonic which means Knuckles is in fact that than Tails but is slower than. Sonic but not by a huge margin.) He has the power to fight emerald empowered beings without being in his emerald empowered forms. Knuckles is directly descended from Tikals tribe and knows the ancient incantation Tikals grandmother taught her. Meaning there's a good chance Tikal was the first Guardian of the Master Emerald. Knuckles knows about Chaos Control. Knuckles knew about the Super Emeralds the entire time. The OVA where Knuckles is not on Angel Island at all but is considered the world's greatest treasure hunter on the planet is something even Sonic in SA2 and Battle says directly to Knuckles. Knuckles' song: Unknown From M.E references Knuckles digging skills and ability to detect treasure and his enjoyment of doing just that, but can't freely do so as he must protect the M.E from interlopers at all times. Knuckles can't jump higher than Sonic. Knuckles canonically is the strongest character in the series next to Mighty the Armadillo.
I grew up in the 90s, and classic era Knuckles was my favourite character. What a shame to see such an intelligent and cool lone wolf character, with so much lore and backstory potential to be expanded on, go completely to waste by being a one-note short-tempered idiot that is the butt of jokes and memes.
Pretty cool video! My only nitpick is that a majority of the problems you provided were less Knuckles specific, and more so series wide problems (certain characters being simplified to one personality trait, characters becoming shells of their former selves, etc). Nonetheless, this is still an important subject in terms of Sonic, and I'm glad it's being discussed on a wider scale!
Here Here! I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment of what's been done with Knuckles lately. His recent iteration Flanderization at its finest. Most good things about Knuckles have been either downplayed or outright ignored.
Actually, after watching a few clips of the Japanese dub of Sonic X, I realize he was written so much better and given excellent dialogue. His character suffered greatly because of censorship and making the show dumbed down and more politically correct for kids. For example, his interactions with Rouge in the Japanese dub are very true to what real women are attracted to. The Japanese dialogue has him being cool, not wearing his emotions on his sleeve (but not necessarily fooling anyone and being more adorable for it), being more aloof and not being too soft, and overall just genuinely earns his girl's respect and makes her fell a deep desire like "I need to impress him". In the English version, he's portrayed more the guy who is oblivious to her affection, says obvious things, and his relationship with Rouge is portrayed with her being feminist and smarter than he, so that she cracks the whip on him when he gets out of line with her, and makes it seem like he is the one lucky to be with her. To be honest, I believe much of ruined the reputation of Knuckles was the effort to make him less attractive. Similar to how the girl characters are always clothed to make sure the boys aren't jacking off to them (coincidence that the male characters in Sonic are always naked?), Knuckles was genuinely attractive as a male character because of his dynamic, and the censors wanted to make sure their little girls weren't dropping their panties for Knuckles. After that, people just accepted a lesser character than who he really was, and kept devolving from there. Not to mention that the writers decided to emphasize that Knuckles isn't as fast as Sonic and envious of his speed (this is true, even in the original games, but not by too much and he never was portrayed as envious). I have hope for him in the Sonic movie sequel, if it happens. Apparently, they will listen to the fans and make the movie based off of our feedback. As to why I like him, I actually didn't like him the most at first. Sonic was my favorite character - he looked cool, was and is my favorite color, and was well made and designed to be the main character. However, I began to want play Knuckles more than Sonic, because the gameplay was better. Sure he wasn't as fast, even from the original games I could tell, but he could also glide and climb walls. His gameplay was much more creative than Sonic's, and I remember telling myself "he's like a mix of Sonic and Tails, since he can glide but not fly." I made a decision to seek out value in his abilities and who he is, even though my instincts told me to just be a Sonic fan, and I made myself more mature because of it.
I always had the impression that Knuckles being easy to trick was kind of a lazy shorthand for the writers to use to involve him in storylines post the third Sonic game(s). "He's supposed to be guarding the Floating Island and/or the Master Emerald/Super Emeralds; how do we keep him involved?" And because thinking is hard, they just went with what worked previously. And kept doing it every other time that question popped up. It feels a little bit like we get a glimpse at some of Knuckles' survival skills in the hunting missions of the Adventure games. And it's kind of a shame Sega won't capitalize on that more, and maybe try letting him take center-stage with none of the simpleton pigeonholing. Hell, maybe Knuckles should get another game to himself, and this time *just* himself to show the modern fans what he's always been capable of. You could probably make one hell of an exploration game by robustly fleshing out the bare bones of his gameplay in the Adventures stages he got. Just. No hunger/thirst mechanics. Seriously.
@ashenesoterica You’re totally right. Knuckles being easily tricked was always due to lazy writing. It was never a natural, organic trait, unlike his cunning guile. They should have kept him as a trickster. That’s a better fit for him.
What you said about Shadow is true, however I see his introduction more as a start of the "shoving aside" of my favourite character instead of the killing off. You know when that happened? When they had to turn the hedgehog duo to a fucking triumvirate. Ever since that disgrace called 06 happened, the fanbase *completely* jumped on the new guy because he was a male hedgehog as well. Until today, the loudest thing the fanbase cris is "SONICSHADOWSILVER! SONICSHADOWSILVER!" With Shadow Knuckles at least had a presence with the fans (Advance 2 Battle, Heroes, and a leading role in Chronicles) which was then completely extinguished when Trunks the Hedgehog had to show up. I heard people say "Knuckles is the resistance leader? The world is REALLY as good as doomed." when he appeared in forces. That's that. And one of the main reasons why I absolutely despise Silver.
I grew up with Knuckles mostly with the Adventure era, but Sonic 3 & Knuckles is my 2nd favorite Sonic game, and I loved Knuckles a lot on that game. Ever since Sonic X, Knuckles always felt like he was becoming a flanderized joke. Once a chill guy with a bad attitude, who didn’t trust anyone, now a hothead meathead who only got tricked because he’s an idiot. Dr. Eggman has an IQ of 300, who’s known for tricking Sonic and Tails many times, so I don’t know why he’s an idiot just because he’s been tricked. Knuckles is a master martial artist and the world’s greatest treasure hunter said by Sonic himself. He’s really smart, but by nature, he’s quick to believe someone is an enemy, which Dr. Eggman takes advantage every time.
Fun fact about Boom!Knux: The writer of the show loved comedy dynamics, and saw that the group was missing "the idiot", so they had Knux fill the role. Tails is "the nerd", Sonic's "the main/douche", Amy is "the love intrest/voice of reason" and Sticks is the "the weird one". Ya know, like The Detention Club and Friends.
They no longer made the master emerald important, which made knuckles seem also less important. An emerald that has such power should be one of the most important things to protect.
Honestly people just see knuckles as a joke and if anything I liked the idea of knuckles being the guardian of the master emerald the its appealing to the imagination but now thanks to the way of he is being shown (via sonic boom) the knuckles of old is just forgotten about and that pains me to say it but thanks for bringing this up Saiyan Scholar
The only thing wrong with Sega isn't the games, or the disgrace that became Tails or Knuckles, but it's the fact that they don't listen to their fans. No one asked for Sonic Mania, but it came, and everyone loved it. People were super hyped about Sonic '06, but it became a failure. You see the pattern? Sega has not taken advice from fans for 25 years. Every warning, every time Sega wants games out early, it ends up being a failure. The reason Sonic Mania succeeded was because they were given time, and wasn't rushed out the door like Sonic '06.
The same thing that happened to literally every other Sonic character,he was pushed to the side
Sad times!
The parallels between Sonic the Hedgehog and Dragonball are downright uncanny.
@@Socialism_on_Roids Yuji naka was getting dragonball tapes sent over to the states to watch whilst developing the next games in the series as he is a fan of the show/manga so he definitely took inspiration from it
Don't worry man! You'll always have _Classic Sonic_ as an alternate playstyle!
@Lambda Core By The Jetzons.
Knuckles was a chill and calm dude and was a loyal and determined guardian, he's not super intelligent but that's because he was alone his whole life so of course he's introverted but he's smart in his own ways and is knowledgeable about the Emeralds, the lands and ancient stuff.
He's also a loyal friend, acting like an older brother of sorts to characters like Tails and Cream and heck, even Sonic.
He's also arguably one of the strongest characters being strong enough to punch with so much force that air molecules split and cause powerful explosions or ignite his fists and even punch Super Sonic.
He's also the most relatble fictional character to me.
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I argue that the Master Emerald helped him to negate the Chaos Emeralds powers as implied in Adventure 1.
@@M3rtyville It's implied in Adventure 1?
Correction, in Adventure 2 Knuckles used the Master Emerald to stop the Chaos Emeralds when they were out of control
However that took time, so while it's possible Knuckles could have used that to make Super Sonic more vulnerable, he more likely didnt since he didnt have much time between Sonic showing up, chanting and punching Super Sonic.
Also we didnt saw the Master Emerald with him there.
It's possibly thought that the Phantom Ruby weakened Super Sonic as in Mania it was found right where Knuckles punched him in Sonic 3, however Knuckles does not seem to know much about the Ruby so, again, unlikely. Also, even if it happened without of Knuckles knowledge it would still be a retcon.
So yeah, for all we know that punch on the chin of the arguably most powerful character in the franchise was 100% Knuckles only.
@@ale-xsantos1078 It was Knuckles, not some Discount Chaos Emeralds, it also could be the Master Emerald giving hum his strength and power, he doesn't have to always be close to it
Sees the title...
Knuckles: "oh no!"
Omari Walker.I had the same reaction.
haha he said oh no it's funny
That isn't funny...
"Do I look like I need your power?"
And just like that, Knuckles can be taken seriously again.
Knuckles is my favorite character.
I agree with this & Knuckles.
Jonny Augz same & knuckles
i'm a tails fanboy...
@@kaexewires7531 Tails is cool too.
arbereshe & Knuckles
Knuckles is the red echidna version of piccolo. Started as an awesome serious stoic rival to comic side show.
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Cygnus Prime true 😢
Knuckles also reminds me of Black Panther. T'Challa protects Wakanda and the vibranium from evil doers while Knuckles protects Angel Island and the emeralds. Also how they both carry on the legacy of their ancestors.
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Interesting observation 🤭
This is a good take
Difference is, Knux is the last of his race, while T'Challa is a king of a highly advanced, heavily populated people.
... they wrote him off the black panther, early sonic ripped off a lot of Marvel. They even admitted it copywrite had different rules back then.
Knuckles will always be my favorite character. From Sonic 3 to Sonic Advance 3, it felt like the developers really respected him. The cracks began to show in Sonic X and 06 and it's been downhill since then. It hurts me as a Knuckles fan.
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gameguy 64 Knuckles in the Dark era wasn’t too bad it was hit and miss, he had good moments he had bad ones
Knuckles: *CHUCKLES* I'm in danger
You can say knuckles has the
Chuckles
Knuckle Knucklevision?
But he'd rather flex his muscles
but Knuckles don't Chuckle
Black Rose unlike Sonic
knuckles: Oh no
The best of Knuckles to me is in the Adventure games. Those games built off of the Knuckles from Sonic 3 & Knuckles. While he didn't have his super forms in the Adventure games, his personality was improved and his origins.
Sonic Adventure 2 didn't destroy Knuckles per say, but it sowed the seeds and it was following the beginning and end of Sonic Heroes combined with Sonic X where he fell off.
While I didn't mind Knuckles leaving the Master Emerald to help Sonic save the world, the issue came when the writers never put him back on Angel Island. Heroes, to me showed that if his friends needed him, he would help, so long as the Master Emerald isn't in jeopardy. In the Adventure games the Master Emerald came first. In Sonic Adventure he never followed Sonic around. His entire mission was to restore the Master Emerald. He only assisted when it benefited him. As soon as he defeated Chaos, he was off again. He crashed Sonic's space shuttle to get his Master Emerald shards that flew into space in one scene and in another after the Master Emerald was secured, he was prepared to stop Eggman himself after Sonic asked him.
Though Knuckles prefers to be alone, he cares enough for his friends to put himself on the line, so long as it doesn't interfere with the Master Emerald.
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That is true
Yes! You got it exactly right! 👍
you got it right. Knuckles don't need no Super form to be badass
@@donathan2933 yep! But I would like for him to have one anyway 😁
With the new Sonic Frontier Divergence trailer with Knuckles in it, we're finally starting to see the Knuckles everyone loves again.
Knuckles on Sonic 3: GET BACK WITH MY EMERALD EGGHEAD!!
Knuckles now: War... War never cha-
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unlike how most people recognize him now, when Knuckles was introduced in the first place, he was superior than Sonic not just for brawl but brain as well. he was always ahead of you and set the traps that you can't avoid. he was cocky and cunning, that was his personality. then he turned into something stoic musclehead. and then, Sonic Boom literally made him stereotypical bodybuilder.
people compare him with Piccolo but at least Piccolo have some kind of consistency. but even before Sonic Boom, Knuckles never have his own identity. his character is just one of the Sonic's rival, taking the roles what Sonic isn't. in the Sonic Forces, he's being rebel commander, which was felt rather awkward since he was being sole guardian of island, having lesser social experience than Sonic or Shadow. so what exactly is he? he's just rival. that's why his character was never defined. that being said, not just for American creators or fanfic writers, but even Japanese developers themselves don't know what to do with him.
at least fandom know what he is though. king of the memes.
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I think the problem with Knuckles in people's eyes is that they are forgetting that Knuckes is most of his alone. It's hard for him to decide whom to trust. Tho I hate that it was played off too much.
@Fitness addict He's still comparable before boosting, he just doesn't move as often or to the same degree as him due being a guardian of the island. They _shouldn't_ be running around and saving the world whenever something comes up... emphasis on shouldn't, cuz fuck consistency. I feel like he could have easily gotten to at least Boost level if he spent half the time moving around as sonic does, even if he'd still likely be slower.
My thought on Knux being one step ahead, I do think it's his home turf so he, of course, knows not only how to get around, but also what all the traps are and do.
Doesnt mean he cant have a gullible moment, but I think it's a deal we need to consider.
I dont even see him as being done wrong in Sonic Mania Adventures. He wasnt dumb there more on edge and untrusting.
... and he punched the super out of someone again.
He was the leader of the resistance because Sonic was presumed dead and off world, Shadow was missing, Vector had his own team to lead, Silver was the face of the resistance, and Amy just doesn't have a commanding presence. Knuckles is a strong and respected warrior from an extinct ancient clan of warriors, so he probably has some Battle experience to help him make strategies for the resistance.
Fun fact: knuckles is basically the piccolo of the sonic universe
Yes,
It's all good yes
@@SaiyanScholar Only in the games, The Archie Comics made Knuckles potentially the strongest mobian.
The Dark Mobius storyline with Knuckles becoming the ultimate villain Enterjak.
Knuckles should be the Raphael and Wolverine of the team.
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What does it mean?
Chasformer I agree
I whole heartedly agree, classic Knuckles was such a special character and Sonic Team just killed his character during the Adventure games. I never understood where this whole, "He is not as intelligent as Sonic..." Where did this even come from? Being tricked by someone doesn't mean you are an idiot.
A lot of the problems with modern Knuckles is Sonic Team and the games being written in the West by comedy writers. They don't know how to write Knuckles so they resort to the stupid cliche of big and dumb.
I wish they would just wipe the slate and go back to the original trilogy (I'm counting Sonic 3 and Sonic and Knuckles as one game).
Playing through the complete version of Sonic 3 after Knuckles gets betrayed and pointed his arm out to me as he was on the teleporter was such an incredible moment for me. Nothing in any of the 3D games has ever come close to how that was able to stay with me.
Probably also helps these characters didn't talk like the walking moronic idiots they are now in the modern games.
Long live Classic Knuckles and all he was.
ChrisTop OttOwl i think he was great in the adventure games i think sonic x is where he started going down hill
Knuckles was great in Adventure 2 and Heroes. Cool, calm, and levelheaded. At times, he even showed more common sense than Sonic. That moment in bullet station when he tries to talk Sonic out of firing themselves out of that canon comes to mind. After Heroes is when I noticed his intellect starting to decline. It wasn’t this truly horrific thing until Boom though. That’s when they seemed to decide his mainline personality should be nothing but a dumb jock stereotype. To be fair though, every game since Colors has had horrendous writing. I haven’t enjoyed any of the character’s personalities since Black Knight.
He's not intelligent because he
s tricked.
HE NEVER MET EGGMAN
SONIC HAS. I AGREE
I agree except for the adventure part, they didn't ruin his character in those games, sonic x (sonic project) was where the downfall truly happened.
Nah modern knuckles is better
Plus he's my favorite color and fighting style.
OH YEAH!!!
Knuckles is the best. My favorite character to play as due to his gameplay style.
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What happened to Knuckles? In a word: Shadow.
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Metal Sonic also got screwed over as well in favor of that edgelord.
Where's that *damn* missing character development?
I guess you could say it all got... *overSHADOWED*
aw shit you beat me to it.
Right blame Shadow for the reason the writers fucked up Knuckles. Makes total sense. 👍
@@stevespud2707 He is to blame though.
Hyper Knuckles would glide, hit the wall, cause an earthquake and kill everyone. How can we not translate this power into a modern badass Knuckles?
"Unknown from M.E" will ALWAYS be my go to song for knucks from adventure 1
It was my FAVORITE song and I would always watch HIS credits scene for the music🔥💯
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Unlike Sonic I don't chuckle, I'd rather flex my muscles.
@@darknightmike10yearsago those jokes again.
Imagine a modern knuckles game where wall climbing is super fluid, fast, and fun to control
I feel like in forces they were trying to bring back his serious personality.
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And then have him make a stupid plan that got most of his troops defeated instead of using traps n tactics to gain a upperhand.
well i don't think so. because that game is WAR... war never cha-
Ethan Alday well that didn’t help well
@2071Johnny Amy should have been a front line fighter in that game in the first place, with Knuckles and Rouge being the commanders.
I always saw Amy as a front line fighter due to her natural fighting abilities.
The original knuckles was an amazing character in the Sonic franchise back in the 90s#bring back the original Knuckles#🦸🦸🦸🦸🦸
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3:54
Let's be honest tho they hit it RIGHT with blaze the cat
Her story made the complete END of rush feel SO good(it personally took ME higher😉) and incredibly heartfelt.
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@prickly pear
Nah, knuckles is a lot more hot headed than blaze is.
She calm and quiet, only getting mad in spur of the moments, that's how she was at 1st, but she definitely got more chill after rush 1.
Tbh, knuckles isn't the ONLY character that is allowed to be in sonic
Idk what silver has to do with any of this but while I do see similarities in Knuckles and shadow, there's enough between the 2 to distance them
@prickly pear Shadow isn't really like Knuckles other than being serious and sharp witted, Silver just got tricked into thinking Sonic was evil, and Blaze is a guardian. Having one trait that's similar to Knuckles doesn't make the three "blatant knuckles ripoffs" dumbass. Their similar traits were all handled differently to further set them apart from Knuckles. And how dare you downplay Blaze's development
From a design perspective, Knuckles is just perfect. Everything you need to know about him is plain to see, especially when you notice in how many deliberate ways he's portrayed as Sonic's opposite. Blue to red, agility to strength, carefree to responsible, light skin to dark skin, windswept hair to dreadlocks, rounded nose to pointy nose, pointed shoes to blocky shoes, it goes on and on. All that and more potential relevant lore to explore than probably the entire current cast combined. Best character in the series.
Knuckles hopefully gets a comeback in the years to come. Great vid!
Thanks dude! :D
Voltaic Fire just as long as he isn’t the current version and more comic relief than anything. Shadow more than not, will be the next entry.
Perfect video man, like seriously. Knuckles is and probably will always be one of my favorite fictional characters and I hate that he isn’t taken seriously anymore. It’s sad that not even the creators take him seriously, especially considering how he’s supposed to be a rival to Sonic.
Also Archie Knuckles is the best! Thanks for giving him a mention. I’m willing to bet that if more people read the Archie comics they’d become instant fans of Knuckles.
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I also feel bad that knuckles been bonbarded from his serious role he once had to be replaced by other characters, he'd fallen far from what made him so imported in the first place.
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I rarely ever comment on videos like these, but this video is 100% spot on. One of my absolute favorite characters in any media since I was a child, its really let me down how the echidna has been constantly degraded over time for laughs.
It really feels like Sonic team forgot what Knuckles main character traits were and slowly adapted the meme instead, its a real shame.
Classic knuckles is my favourite character in the franchise, I hope one day that sega will show him some more respect. He easily has the most story potential in my opinion.
He reminds me of myself once upon a time.
Haha! SS4 Echidna
Knock Knock,Its MEEEE DUDESSSSSSS
a really cool guy appeard and let out a comment.
Did you also know de wae?
Damn I never realized how much of a rival Knuckles was, even more so than Shadow. I kinda wish we could see that more often now because he's different and not just another hedgehog as much as I like Shadow.
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Sonic characters in the modern era unfortunately fall under the same curse that Dragon Ball characters do. New characters are introduced constantly to be a rival to the main character just to become jobbers later to make the main "protagonist" look better. Either that or they literally get sent to cheerleader status even though we know they can help. Nobody can take the spotlight from Sonic Christ for even five seconds. Honestly, the over glorification of Sonic himself has gotten so much worse than Goku's situation to the point that characters entire personalities and character development have been retconned, Tails being by far the most offensive and egregious example.
@@broom2839 I'm glad others also notice the over glorification of Sonic. I get that Sonic is the protagonist and that he ultimately saves the day but in modern games he is portrayed as the world's one and only savior despite the many powerful characters that can also save the day. It's as if everyone becomes helpless babies and only Sonic can save them. No wonder you call him Sonic Christ. 😂 Don't get me wrong. I like Sonic as a character and it's expected that he will receive the most attention but I'm tired of the whole universe revolving around him and it would be nice if the spotlight shines on others from time to time. It seems with the release of Sonic Frontier that Sonic as a game is heading towards that direction.
They need to bring back his hat he wore in the 90s anime film.
Fr
I remember first getting into Sonic and how I always stuck with the blue blur himself. However, Knuckles slowly took my attention and made me really appreciate red red himself. The Adventure games continued to show him love and even Heroes, despite having Knuckles being on Team Sonic, still showed respect for his character. 06 and Sonic X were the first two major gabs at his characteristics and the train lacked breaks entirely.
Luckily Mania and surprisingly Forces pushed him into the right direction. Mania especially as it brought back Super Knuckles and he personally defeated the Heavy King, preventing him from becoming unstoppable with the Master Emerald. Mania Adventures mainly showed how the echidna felt after all of the abuse he's been put through, showing him becoming extremely paranoid and desperate to not be tricked again. Eggman's trick was actually convincing and he ultimately prevented Metal Sonic from even getting to transform.
One of these days Knuckles can hopefully take the spotlight again and show why he deserves it. Even tho Blaze & Metal Sonic have also become beloved characters to me, I never let them surpass Knuckles' previous position as my favourite...somewhat. Who out of the three I prefer depends on my mood honestly.
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I thought Knuckles was the serious brawler. Sonic was speed, Knuckles was Strength. To be Honest I'm glad I'm a Shadow fan(even enjoying his solo game as a guilty pleasure) seeing what they did to him in Sonic Boom, that incarnation of him being one of the reasons I couldn't stand the series.
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I like you, you're pretty non biased. I like Sonic, Knuckles and Shadow alltogether but I prefer Shadow somewhat more
at least chronicles confirms modern knuckles can go super instead of the shield tbhing
I love how certain areas were knuckles exclusive, because even tails couldn't reach them and the fact that he can break through certain barriers thus opening a shortcut
I always found it odd that Sonic would have more of a connection to the Chaos Emeralds than Knuckles. Shadow I understand having a very strong connection to them since he was created to use that power, but Knuckles still should have the greater connection to Chaos energy out of the three of them.
I feel like since they made sonic so funny and cute in the movie, that leaves room for them to make knuckles more serious again in the second movie... and just save shadow for movie 3
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7:10 agreed with everything except shadow being protected, he's also been flanderized to hell and back. He used to be nuanced but now he's just an edgy boy who's always angry :/
Also that image you used from of Archie were characters not ordered to be created by Sega. Sally aside those were made by the comic writers with Sega not caring
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Ive been a Knuckles fan from the start and that has never changed.
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i agree. sonic and knuckles had such great potential as rivals. missed opportunities. same with piccolo as you said.
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Thank you for pointing out the Knuckles-Piccolo comparison. Always thought that about him
To be fair, he's actually had some legit funny moments in BOOM.
Though, a few moments doesn't exactly make up for years on the sideline.
Its actually a little scary how accurately "Super hedgehog bargain sale" fits.
Knuckles should be the main one getting super forms
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It is not about funny i dont care about funny its about him having no brain and what happend to his design wtf delete that trash of a sonic boom all the characters exept for shadow and sonic have any personality
im glad boom is in a parallel universe
They finally did him justice in the new movie
Knuckles is my favourite sonic franchise character and yes even in bad takes from shows and comics I still loved him way more then the others to me knuckles is a serious character with a leader mentality hell they even made him the resistance leader in forces because he was the most credible one.
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Sonic X happened that’s what happened. Once that show happened he went down hill. Not the voice acting but the writing in that show set the ground work in turning him into a joke.
Knuckles being the equivalent of Piccolo and Yamcha
And Shadow being the equivalent of Vegeta
Yes
What? He was written very well in Sonic X. Maybe not perfect but he still had his signature seriousness. Course, most people haven't watched it beyond season 1 so I'm not surprised. Season three is where he and Tails shined to me.
Rinya Skyline true but Knuckles declined a bit, he became a bit of a hot tempered muscleman who clashed with Sonic for no reason
They nerfed him so bad hes not even fast anymore he was able to keep up with sonic now hes considered to have "sLoW mOvEmEnTs" He can throw multiple punches in a few seconds
I dont know why they ruined every sonic character
Lmao when you think about it slow movements applies to everybody who ain’t Sonic
@@donathan2933 but why,does that include shadow because he is a speed type and so is blaze and espio
Knuckles The Echidna Rad Red no no no not very speed type counts maybe Shadow but Sonic’s speed is in a class of his own
@@donathan2933 oh i get it but Super Knuckles is faster than sonic in his base form
@@knucklestheradred774 there might be a chance he isn't
In Sonic X:
Just consider the fact that he's ignored and mocked by others, even by his own friends when he disagrees with their thinking. And not to mention that he doesn't get a lot of gratitude or respect for risking his life to save others.
Knuckles largely exists as a Commander Contrarian to the team that desires to take more desperate measures to get back home. While he has a bad attitude (especially where Sonic is concerned) and some of his ethics like trusting Eggman over and over are genuinely short sighted, the team tend to demean him over any point he makes (a few of which are rather valid and likely would have led to less disastrous results if followed, though of course this is never called out). It doesn't help that most of the time he argues with them he is tricked or bullied into following through rather than reasoned with in any way, despite the team endlessly pointing out how wrong it is when Eggman manipulates him in a similar manner.
Exactly he was my first favorite, like him, Shadow and Rouge. And thanks for doing this video heh, you did it cause of my comment or it was on your list lol cause you said before you wanted to expand the content and all in the first video of Sonic in your channel so I should it expected more :P still like Knuckles no matter what.
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Tbf he wasn’t a complete joke in Mania adventures. He managed to one shot both Metal Sonic and Eggman, when everyone else was struggling to beat them.
I’ve been loving Knuckles since I was a kid, man those were some of the best times of my life just sitting down and playing sonic 3 and knuckles
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The one born on an island in the Heavens. Unlike Sonic he doesn't chuckle. And he's making a Ghost's Pumpkin Soup.
Lol
After watching this video, I have to agree with classic Knuckles' being the most loved version compared to his modern or BOOM counterparts. But his modern version in the IDW comics are doing him some justice, dispite him being gullible every now and again. But hey, it's part of his character now, for better or worse.
I'll check the IDW out soon! Thanks
Knuckles got Piccolo'd.
If only he fused with Tikal and became a Super Echidna..
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@SMD sth91 aren't namekians asexual
I like knuckles’ strong sense of responsibility-it ties him down, it can seem almost crushing, but he doesn’t abandon it. Even in sonic mania shorts he’s obsessed with protecting the emerald, (even if they made him look goofy).
Knuckles isn't the only character who has been flanderized. Pretty much everyone has regressed as characters. Hopefully they get some new writers that can redeem all the characters and make them as good as we remember them as they should be.
I think they're trying to make him serious again like what they did in Forces, but hell I dunno that game doesn't have the best reputation
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It was kinda nice that they tried making him the leader of the resistance in forces, but since the story wasn’t that great in forces, that kinda didn’t matter in the end
Next video Shadow The Hedgehog What the hell happened?!
Haha :P You know me
@@SaiyanScholar I'm a huge Shadow fan, my first Sonic game was SA2B and Shadow was just awesome in it
Shadow is one of my favourite characters in SA2 but then Shadow the Edgehog (the game) totally ruined him. At least he had a good run of 1 whole game before he got ruined. But he did get some redemption: Sonic Heroes made him cooler again (though after Shadow the Edgehog it was almost impossible to use Shadow again and not make him cooler - it's hard to sink as low or lower as Shadow the Edgehog did). Of course no version of Shadow comes even close to how he was in SA2. He was mysterious, interesting, dark without trying, and just seemed important (which he was). Truly the ultimate life form.
Even Knuckles was still pretty cool in SA2 and it was probably one of the last games where he was actually the Guardian of the Master Emerald since Sonic Heroes seems to be the first game where he's demoted to just being Sonic's friend. I guess it may be for the better, if he's always on Angel Island it may be hard to include hm in many stories without making it convoluted. But Is till like him better as Guardian.
@@oneheckofabanana2016 I agree on the Shadow having a lot of issues but regardless I love his character and all his flaws.
Knuckles may of realized it would be safer to have the Master Emerald on him at all times by shrinking it like he did in SA2B
@@oneheckofabanana2016 (if u think about it,if shadow never existed,we wouldnt have sonic 06 or sonic boom,matter of fact we would probably be doing games kinda like sonic generations where we revisit classic levels but with the adventure and 2d gameplay) ALSO NO SONIC FORCES,but sadly we probably wouldn't have sonic mania BUT THATS A COST WE CAN TAKE
Knuckles is *THE* boi
Despite his race being extinct, he was loyal to his lineage and protected the Master Emerald as if his life depended on it and I respect that. He was that one character I always took seriously until they ruined his character in recent games. They made him into a joke and he completely drops the whole Master Emerald protection as if it never existed. He's really there just to be there at this point. I loved Knuckles as a rival for Sonic, but now he's just a plain side character.
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After watching the movie Sonic the Hedgehog 2, I feel some of Knuckles' credibility came back as they kept his classic serious demeanor, showed off some of his knowledge and some abilities. Yes, there are comedic moments playing on his ignorance, the way the movie is written and the characters he interacts with, it's not too similar to the game, "Sonic the Hedgehog 3". Now, you touched on a valid point regarding his dynamic with another character that was definitely proven true in the theater...
1:50 you mean Knuckles Rosé
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Classic knuckles is my favorite character
The FALL of
Pan,
Uub
& Bulla
What the HELL Happened?
lol :P
How did Bulla fall she's still a baby and so is pan
@@MAR-sc7np I'm talking bout the GT versions, Pan being annoying and Bulla just not appearing much.
@@mcurran6505 oh ok
I was going to start throwing throwing in my opinion, but then I realized I'd actually like to see this vid, too!
Knuckles is one of if not the most one of the most important characters in the sonic world and franchise.
He does not deserve to be pushed on the sidelines and let shadow take over.
I’m legit so angry right now that I’m crying lol.
Knuckles ISNT FRICKIN DUMB FAM!
@rheemz6257
You’re totally right. Knuckles isn’t stupid, he was always smart. It was Sega who wrongly made him dumb by wrongfully forcing the gullible bullshit on him. They should have kept him a cunning trickster, he was a far better character that way.
Sonic: Goku
Knuckles: Piccolo
Shadow: Vegeta
Tails: Piccolo
Amy: Chi Chi or Caulifla
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Tails is Krillin
They all fit too well.
Tails could be Krillin or Gohan
@@joshualowe959 yup
Basically they turned the Hedgehogs into Saiyans in the modern games, making it seem like they were the only ones with the abilities to transform. I started taking notice of it in Sonic Heroes, when Sonic goes Super but Tails and Knuckles only get a supporting bubble. It was really showing in Sonic 2006, when they brought in Silver whom is basically Trucks..being a hedgehog from a grim future, that had the ability to fly. The character was seemed like he was suppose to be the Tails replacement in Sonic's new team...and create a shadow that would sallow Tails.
Both Tails and Knuckles have been going backward since the modern games. With characters like Tails whom would be at the front lines, to being a coward against a lower form of Chaos he once battled. They both now only there to make Sonic look so much better. It is a shame as both Tails and Knuckles had so much more area to grow and evolve as characters.
As a long time fan since the Genesis days myself it is a shame to see as Tails, my personal favorite growing up, along with Knuckles, being my second favorite, are left in the dust. Games like Tails Adventure was such a great concept for Tails character, with a Metroidvania style gameplay. While I was not a huge fan of Knuckles game, I feel the character has allot of potential for a style of gameplay which would be fitting to the character.
I'm still shocked I'm in a time where freaking TOAD has gotten a game more recently then characters like Tails/Knuckles. Princess Peach has even had a more recent adventure...not only that but her and Toad have gotten to tag along and be playable 100% in games like Super Mario 3D World. While Luigi had his own year, a handful of his own games...not to mention his roles in the Mario and Luigi RPGs.
While Sega seems to care less about any character that is not a hedgehog. With Mania being a large part due to the passions of a fan...more so them Team Sonic itself.
Pretty much all the sonic cast took sidelines.
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What about Shadow
@@iamnakedeveryday5170 He got ruined too. He's basically just an overly edgy Vegeta clone now.
I blame that stupid overrated boost gameplay. Playable Sonic/Shadow only nonsense!
Yeah. Tails especially. Tails has become a pussy now sadly. He cowered and didn't even have the courage to fight Chaos 0 in Sonic Forces, when in Sonic Adventure he beats Chaos 4! Modern Tails has been a joke. He needs Sonic to save him from everything. Make Tails and Knuckles great again.
For what it's worth, I have an idea for a fan fiction that's based around a backstory I heard back when Sonic 2 was released. And like you, I also miss the respect that Knuckles so rightfully deserves! Also, great video!😎👍
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Shadow did to Knuckles what Vegeta did to Piccolo
Sonic Chronicles in the only post-Advance game where Knuckles is treated seriously. The game might as well have been called Knuckles Chronicles considering how central of a character he is there. Solid development and lots of explored lore.
In that game, I'd argue Sonic is less important than Knuckles and Tails.
Short answer: He was a sideshow 😣
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Hell yeah I grew up playing him back on sonic the hedgehog 3 on sega. I connected with him as an introvert growing up and reading him in the sonic comics. Pure awesomeness on this video man. 🔥🤘👊😎
Knuckles has become the sonic equivalent of Yamcha.
True true once upon a time
LOL!
As a more recent Sonic fan, watching this video made me feel a little guilty at first as a new Knuckles fan, like i still haven’t properly understood the line between his original organic self and the media in which alter him almost entirely or brush him off.
But then i remembered something interesting about my experience with this character currently.
It seems that out of all the Knuckles characterizations i’ve exposed myself to so far, my favourites tend to be more in line with his classic self from when he debuted. I’ve found it a little harder (understatement) to be fond of the Knuckles shown in, let’s say, Forces, compared to the way he presents himself in something like the original Sonic 3, and he doesn’t even speak words in that game!
Knuckles being dumbed down, simplified to just fiery and gullible, and overall being lowered to more of a supporting role at the cost of getting potential development sucks to see, and i could only hope someday he can really get treated right again on a more frequent basis, for now it only really seems gradual but i guess time will tell. In conclusion Knuckles deserves better than what he’s got and this comments section of Knuckles fans validating eachother is so, so nice 🥺 this is a great video bro!! I’ll be sure to subscribe!! Keep it up!
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Just like a certain someone from DBZ
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Piccolo
Marco Frazil and every other Z fighter. Tien actually came to mind before he said Piccolo
meat man yup
@@meatman5308 Piccolo, Tien, Krillin Gohan (arguably)
1000% accurate my friend. Thank you for this amazing coverage.
This is a good vid
Thanks :D
Have you ever watched Bleach? If you have, you can see that the character Renji was inspired by Knuckles. He is the hot-headed red-hired rival who always gives the protagonist trouble. Plus, he likes the girl who is always beside the serious black-haired hair.
When Knuckles was the general of the rebel army in Sonic Forces I was amped to see my guy get some shine again. Too bad it didn't amount to much in the story
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agreed
Fun facts about Knuckles:
Knuckles is almost as fast as Sonic and was noted to being the only person at the time to be able to do so. (Tails was known before as being the only other person who could KEEP UP with Sonic which means Knuckles is in fact that than Tails but is slower than. Sonic but not by a huge margin.)
He has the power to fight emerald empowered beings without being in his emerald empowered forms.
Knuckles is directly descended from Tikals tribe and knows the ancient incantation Tikals grandmother taught her. Meaning there's a good chance Tikal was the first Guardian of the Master Emerald.
Knuckles knows about Chaos Control.
Knuckles knew about the Super Emeralds the entire time.
The OVA where Knuckles is not on Angel Island at all but is considered the world's greatest treasure hunter on the planet is something even Sonic in SA2 and Battle says directly to Knuckles.
Knuckles' song: Unknown From M.E references Knuckles digging skills and ability to detect treasure and his enjoyment of doing just that, but can't freely do so as he must protect the M.E from interlopers at all times.
Knuckles can't jump higher than Sonic.
Knuckles canonically is the strongest character in the series next to Mighty the Armadillo.
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I grew up in the 90s, and classic era Knuckles was my favourite character. What a shame to see such an intelligent and cool lone wolf character, with so much lore and backstory potential to be expanded on, go completely to waste by being a one-note short-tempered idiot that is the butt of jokes and memes.
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Pretty cool video! My only nitpick is that a majority of the problems you provided were less Knuckles specific, and more so series wide problems (certain characters being simplified to one personality trait, characters becoming shells of their former selves, etc). Nonetheless, this is still an important subject in terms of Sonic, and I'm glad it's being discussed on a wider scale!
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Knuckles can beat Goku just so you guys can know
Easy. Knuckles tied behind is back.
dont trigger the Dragon Ball fans
Here Here! I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment of what's been done with Knuckles lately. His recent iteration Flanderization at its finest. Most good things about Knuckles have been either downplayed or outright ignored.
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@@SaiyanScholar 👊
Next should be Dr Eggman, What the hell happened???
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Why
@@iamnakedeveryday5170 because they ruined him over the years too...he became a joke
Also let’s all take this time to appreciate the English Dub Sonic X voice for Knuckles. Total badass.
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Actually, after watching a few clips of the Japanese dub of Sonic X, I realize he was written so much better and given excellent dialogue. His character suffered greatly because of censorship and making the show dumbed down and more politically correct for kids. For example, his interactions with Rouge in the Japanese dub are very true to what real women are attracted to. The Japanese dialogue has him being cool, not wearing his emotions on his sleeve (but not necessarily fooling anyone and being more adorable for it), being more aloof and not being too soft, and overall just genuinely earns his girl's respect and makes her fell a deep desire like "I need to impress him". In the English version, he's portrayed more the guy who is oblivious to her affection, says obvious things, and his relationship with Rouge is portrayed with her being feminist and smarter than he, so that she cracks the whip on him when he gets out of line with her, and makes it seem like he is the one lucky to be with her. To be honest, I believe much of ruined the reputation of Knuckles was the effort to make him less attractive. Similar to how the girl characters are always clothed to make sure the boys aren't jacking off to them (coincidence that the male characters in Sonic are always naked?), Knuckles was genuinely attractive as a male character because of his dynamic, and the censors wanted to make sure their little girls weren't dropping their panties for Knuckles. After that, people just accepted a lesser character than who he really was, and kept devolving from there. Not to mention that the writers decided to emphasize that Knuckles isn't as fast as Sonic and envious of his speed (this is true, even in the original games, but not by too much and he never was portrayed as envious).
I have hope for him in the Sonic movie sequel, if it happens. Apparently, they will listen to the fans and make the movie based off of our feedback.
As to why I like him, I actually didn't like him the most at first. Sonic was my favorite character - he looked cool, was and is my favorite color, and was well made and designed to be the main character. However, I began to want play Knuckles more than Sonic, because the gameplay was better. Sure he wasn't as fast, even from the original games I could tell, but he could also glide and climb walls. His gameplay was much more creative than Sonic's, and I remember telling myself "he's like a mix of Sonic and Tails, since he can glide but not fly." I made a decision to seek out value in his abilities and who he is, even though my instincts told me to just be a Sonic fan, and I made myself more mature because of it.
I agree with almost all of this
I'm glad he was redeemed in some way in the second Sonic movie.
I watched sonic x. But now my brothers watch sonic x.
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I always had the impression that Knuckles being easy to trick was kind of a lazy shorthand for the writers to use to involve him in storylines post the third Sonic game(s). "He's supposed to be guarding the Floating Island and/or the Master Emerald/Super Emeralds; how do we keep him involved?" And because thinking is hard, they just went with what worked previously. And kept doing it every other time that question popped up.
It feels a little bit like we get a glimpse at some of Knuckles' survival skills in the hunting missions of the Adventure games. And it's kind of a shame Sega won't capitalize on that more, and maybe try letting him take center-stage with none of the simpleton pigeonholing. Hell, maybe Knuckles should get another game to himself, and this time *just* himself to show the modern fans what he's always been capable of. You could probably make one hell of an exploration game by robustly fleshing out the bare bones of his gameplay in the Adventures stages he got.
Just. No hunger/thirst mechanics. Seriously.
@ashenesoterica You’re totally right. Knuckles being easily tricked was always due to lazy writing. It was never a natural, organic trait, unlike his cunning guile. They should have kept him as a trickster. That’s a better fit for him.
What you said about Shadow is true, however I see his introduction more as a start of the "shoving aside" of my favourite character instead of the killing off. You know when that happened? When they had to turn the hedgehog duo to a fucking triumvirate. Ever since that disgrace called 06 happened, the fanbase *completely* jumped on the new guy because he was a male hedgehog as well. Until today, the loudest thing the fanbase cris is "SONICSHADOWSILVER! SONICSHADOWSILVER!"
With Shadow Knuckles at least had a presence with the fans (Advance 2 Battle, Heroes, and a leading role in Chronicles) which was then completely extinguished when Trunks the Hedgehog had to show up. I heard people say "Knuckles is the resistance leader? The world is REALLY as good as doomed." when he appeared in forces.
That's that. And one of the main reasons why I absolutely despise Silver.
I grew up with Knuckles mostly with the Adventure era, but Sonic 3 & Knuckles is my 2nd favorite Sonic game, and I loved Knuckles a lot on that game. Ever since Sonic X, Knuckles always felt like he was becoming a flanderized joke. Once a chill guy with a bad attitude, who didn’t trust anyone, now a hothead meathead who only got tricked because he’s an idiot. Dr. Eggman has an IQ of 300, who’s known for tricking Sonic and Tails many times, so I don’t know why he’s an idiot just because he’s been tricked.
Knuckles is a master martial artist and the world’s greatest treasure hunter said by Sonic himself. He’s really smart, but by nature, he’s quick to believe someone is an enemy, which Dr. Eggman takes advantage every time.
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I am not a joke
@loyalty yt 🌀 Thanks
Fun fact about Boom!Knux: The writer of the show loved comedy dynamics, and saw that the group was missing "the idiot", so they had Knux fill the role. Tails is "the nerd", Sonic's "the main/douche", Amy is "the love intrest/voice of reason" and Sticks is the "the weird one". Ya know, like The Detention Club and Friends.
They no longer made the master emerald important, which made knuckles seem also less important. An emerald that has such power should be one of the most important things to protect.
WE GOT WE WANTED KNUCKLES IS BACK BABYYYY
Honestly people just see knuckles as a joke and if anything I liked the idea of knuckles being the guardian of the master emerald the its appealing to the imagination but now thanks to the way of he is being shown (via sonic boom) the knuckles of old is just forgotten about and that pains me to say it but thanks for bringing this up Saiyan Scholar
I had to edit this comment 5 times because my grammar sucks
The only thing wrong with Sega isn't the games, or the disgrace that became Tails or Knuckles, but it's the fact that they don't listen to their fans. No one asked for Sonic Mania, but it came, and everyone loved it. People were super hyped about Sonic '06, but it became a failure. You see the pattern? Sega has not taken advice from fans for 25 years. Every warning, every time Sega wants games out early, it ends up being a failure. The reason Sonic Mania succeeded was because they were given time, and wasn't rushed out the door like Sonic '06.