It is impossible to forget the magic that happened approximately 20 years ago, when Sonic the Hedgehog appeared for the first time on television. There are still many franchise fans, and I am actually proud to say that Sonic was an important part of my childhood. Testament to the genius of Sonic are the many games, which weren’t the most consistent appearances, but they were nevertheless ( mostly ) awesome. For those who haven’t heard of him before, Sonic is the protagonist of a cartoon released by Sega. The story is about a Hedgehog, nicknamed the Blue Blur because he had the ability to run at supersonic speeds and curl into a ball in order to attack his opponents, who battles with the evil doctor Robotnik in order to free Robotropolis. There were undoubtedly many awesome episodes in the anime series. Here is my personal top 10 list.
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The Void
This is the episode where everything becomes clear, but also more complicated. As it turns out, Sonic encounters a new opening in the Great Unknown, and although he manages to escape from it, he attracts the attention of an evil sorcerer, Naugus. This episode is enlightening but it is also very funny, especially the scene where Sonic tries to teach his computer, Nicole, slang. The ending is quite heart-warming.
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Sonic’s Nightmare
During this episode, one of Sonic’s scariest nightmares becomes true. For some time now he would have dreams of Sally. In his dream Sally became robotized due to his misjudgments and bad decisions. When Sonic, Sally, Bunnie and Antoine investigate an abandoned city, and become trapped, Sonic is put in the situation to overcome his fears. From this episode we learn a little bit about Sonic’s personality, who is actually scared of the idea of failing.
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Cry of the Wolf
In some of the previous episodes we see that Robotnik is preparing an indestructible machine which might mean the end of Sonic and his friends. Luckily, in this episode, his team meets another Freedom Fighter group, called the Wolf Pack which is led by a wolf woman called Lupe. The episode is great because it features Native American-like wolves, and an interesting showdown between the Doomsday machine and the protagonist.
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Heads or Tails
It is only natural that the pilot episode has to be interesting, otherwise who would start watching a new series? The purpose of a pilot is to introduce the characters, places and atmosphere to the viewers. In this regard, „Heads or Tails” does a terrific job. During the pilot we meet Sonic, Princess Sally and Robotnik, as well as an explanation of what exactly is going on in this fantasy universe. However, this episode is different from the others, because it is a little too colorful and silly. Nevertheless it is a great opening.
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Sonic and Sally
You probably already know that Sally is Sonic’s primary love interest, and if you didn’t know before, you know now. This episode from season 1 talks about the capture and replacement of Sally with a robot that spies on the Freedom Fighters. The only person who suspects something is odd is Tails, and in the end Sonic. Moreover, this is a great episode because we get to learn a little more about Bunnie’s insecurities.
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No Brainer
This is a great example of irony in life, because after all the useless attempts of Robotnik to subdue Sonic, his not-so-smart second-in-command Snively, manages to wipe away the Hedgehog’s memories. The brainwashed Sonic starts spying on his friends, and if his memories won’t come back it is only a matter of time until the Freedom Fighters will be no more.
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Blast to the Past
„Blast to the Past” is a two-part episode in which Sonic promises lifelong hatred towards Robotnik for the first time. It starts with Sonic’s comment that they should have killed the evil villain when they were kids. In these episodes we also get a little insight about the characters, because both Sally and Sonic meet with their childhood selves. The protagonists haven’t really changed during the years, as it turns out, because kid Sonic and grown up Sonic are both silly, and Sally still has the habit of rolling her eyes.
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Sonic and the Secret Scrolls
Season 1 had a lot of awesome episodes, but none had all of the characters cast in the adventure. The episode isn’t special in itself, but I really appreciated the fact that I got the chance to see how all of the Freedom Fighters are together.
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Doomsday
The last episode of the Season 2 brings all the important characters together for a final, epic clash. Robotnik finally starts the Doomsday Project we’ve been hearing so much about. It is actually a huge fortress which can create an infinite number of Doomsday machines, anywhere on the planet. Although all the team comes together in an attempt to stop him, there is not much they can do. The only way to save the world is with the help of the Deep Power Stones. After they defeat doctor Robotnik, Sally and Sonic finally become a couple. However, in the last scene we see Robotnik talking to a strange red eyed creature. Sadly, we never got the chance to see what the teaser meant because the series was canceled.
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Sonic Racer
This is hands down, my absolute favorite episode. The season 2 ender was also awesome, but „Sonic Racer” is the best episode from Season 1. It is the best animated episode in the entire series, and it is also very interesting, because, once again, we get the chance to understand Sonic a little better. The plot is about a new plan thought up by Snively. He believes that they should defeat Sonic with his own weapons. As a result he creates a cheetah robot and challenges Sonic to race it and prove that he is the fastest thing alive. Although Sonic couldn’t say no to the challenge, he also seizes the opportunity to create an opening for his friends.
Sonic truly is an amazing anime series, and I am very sad that the series did not continue. It is a wonderful cartoon to grow up with, because it can teach you a lot about the value of friendship and never giving up, but it is also really fun to watch even after you are all grown up.
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