Sonic the Hedgehoghas had a fantastic time in 2022. From a successful live-action movie sequel at the start of the year to the very well-receivedSonic Frontiers, the little blue hedgehog hasn’t had it this good in years. The year 2022 also saw our blue blur receiving a revamped classic collection inSonic Origins. Indeed, Sega has been doubling down onSonic the Hedgehogfranchise quality ever since the original live-action movie in 2020.
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So it is no wonder that a brand new animated show featuringSonicand company also arrived to fanfare. Choosing unusually to debut the first episode inside Roblox,Sonic Primereleased its first season on Netflixa week after the premiere. So, with a new cartoon on the block, it is time to see how it stacks up againstSonic’sother animated adventures.
6Sonic Underground
The third and final animatedSonicshow from DIC Productions. Jaleel White would once again voice Sonic and would only run for one season. Opting to rebootSonic’sentire world and origin,Sonic Undergrounddid not follow the lore set up inAdventures of Sonic the HedgehogorSonic SatAM. Instead,Sonic UndergroundgaveSonica vastly different backstory and supporting cast.
In this third adaptation,Sonicis part of a royal family and has two siblings, Sonia and Manic. As youngsters, the kids were separated from their mother, Queen Alena; the story has the siblings searching for the Queenwhile fighting Doctor Robotnikand his forces along the way. The series only lasted one season and stands out from every other adaptation before and since for its wild new take onSonicand his world.
5The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
The first animatedSonicseries had a light-hearted, almostLooney Tunesvibe to it. Featuring Jaleel White asSonic,Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehoghad its debut in August 1993. With only one season, the 65 episodes would remain in the hearts of 90sSonicfans to this day. The show would also receive a spin-off video game calledDr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine; the game was a version ofPuyo Puyobut with aSonictheme.
Sonicwas portrayed as rude, mischievous, and comical; each episode was self-contained and followed an adventure-of-the-week style.Sonic, accompanied by his best friendTails, would have to defeatDoctor Robotnik’slatest scheme to save the planet. Two series staples, Scratch and Grounder, became iconic due to their status as main henchmen forRobotnik. A fun, wacky cartoon very grounded in its era.
4Sonic Boom
Sonic Boomwas set to be a whole new reboot and refresh of theSonicfranchise. Fans were unsure of the new redesigns ofSonicand company, most of all, the new design ofKnuckles the Echidna.Sonic Boomran for two seasons and received 3 spin-off games and a mobile game. The Boom era has ended, with Sega deciding to focus on a different direction for futureSonicshows and games.
Taking the route of a sitcom,Sonic Boomhad a rather different feel than other animated entries to the franchise.Sonicand friends had slightly tweaked personalities, evenacting more friendly towards Doctor Eggman at times. The writing in the show was clever and humorous, even though the series at times veered away from standardSonictropes. A worthwhile watch to see something quite different from an animatedSonicshow.
3Sonic Prime
The first animated show to release after theSonic Boomera ended,Sonic Primewas released on Netflix in December 2022. With a whole new cast performing the voices and a new multiverse twist on theSonicstory by placingSonicin alternate worlds throughout the season.Sonic Primealso leaned on the talented Ian Flynn, who also worked onSonic Frontiersand theSonic the Hedgehog IDW comic book series.
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Flynn was taken on as a story consultant forSonic Primeand the arcing narrative across the first season certainly shone brightly among other adaptations. HavingSonictravel across the different worlds gives the opportunity for new situations previously unavailable to the shows set on Mobius or Earth. Going forward, this show could emerge as one of the bestSonicadaptations ever.
2Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM)
An all-time favorite for fans,Sonic the Hedgehogwas the second animated show starring the blue blur. Lovingly dubbedSatAMby fans due to it airing on a Saturday morning tv slot when it first aired.SatAMtook a much darker tone thanAdventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, with overarching stories and a slightly more adult tone. The gameSonic Spinballalso uses theSatAMcontinuity in its story.
SatAMalso was the basis for the long-running Archie Comics adaptation ofSonic the Hedgehog. In this universe,Doctor Robotnikruled planet Mobius. During the show,Sonicand the well-loved Freedom Fighters attempt to overthrow the evil Doctors regime.Sally Acorn featured heavily in the seriesalongside Sonic and Tails, becoming a fan-favorite character. At the end of the series,Sonicand the freedom fighters actually succeed in defeatingRobotnikand his doomsday project for good.
1Sonic X
Sonic Xdiffers from the otherSonicanimated shows as it is done in an anime style. The series broughtSonicto Earth, meeting a boy named Chris Thorndyke. Now, Chris was not best received by fans, meaning many dropped the show before it hit its stride.Sonic Xran for 3 seasonsand was more popular in the western world than it was in Japan.
Oddly,Sonic Xwas released on cartridge for the GameBoy Advance, not as a videogame, but episodes from season one. There was also a lot of merchandise released, such as figures, novels, bedding, and even beach towels.Sonic Xreally focused on storytelling and was an adaptation ofSonic Adventure, a fantastic show worthy of the top place here.
