
The following list documents Sonic the Hedgehog video game series references found within the Sonic the Hedgehog Cinematic Universe's films, as well as references and trivia from related media.
Characters[]
Introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog[]
Introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 2[]
Introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 3[]
Sentient Species[]
Creatures[]
Locations[]
- The design of Sonic's Island is based on Green Hill Zone, the first zone in Sonic the Hedgehog and South Island from the same game.[1]
- Green Hills' name is based on Green Hill Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog.[1]
- Later sections of Sonic the Hedgehog take place in San Francisco, the location that City Escape was based on in Sonic Adventure 2.[1]
- Mushroom Planet, the location of Doctor Eggman in the Sonic the Hedgehog pre-credits scene, is based on Mushroom Hill Zone, the first zone in Sonic & Knuckles, and the seventh zone in Sonic 3 & Knuckles.[1]
- Siberia, first seen in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, takes after Ice Cap Zone, the fifth zone Sonic the Hedgehog 3 of and Sonic 3 & Knuckles.[3]
- The Japanese Chao Garden establishment is based on the hub world of the same name.[2]
- A smaller version of Prison Island appears.[2]
- A fantasy version of Eggmanland appears.[2]
Items[]
General Items[]
Character's Equipment[]
Vehicles[]
Organizations[]
Music[]
- The theme of Green Hill Zone, a recurring location in the series, can be heard several times throughout Sonic the Hedgehog.[1]
- Sonic the Hedgehog's opening theme is "Friends" by Hyper Potions, which was originally composed for Sonic Mania.
- "StH2 Emerald Hill Zone ~Mega Drive Version~" by Masato Nakamura was orchestrally rethemed in the reveal trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 2. It was also used in the first official trailer for aforementioned film.[3]
- "Live and Learn" by Crush 40 was orchestrally rethemed in the reveal trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3.[2]
General[]
Sonic the Hedgehog[]
Sonic uses a drop dash to destroy a Badnik
Sonic dodges a laser in his Super Smash Bros. Ultimate pose

Sonic slides under a truck
- In the now-deleted first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog, a header reads "EVERY HERO... HAS A GENESIS", a reference to the Sega Genesis.
- The rings on the Paramount Pictures logo at the beginning of Sonic the Hedgehog, as well as the sound effect used when Sonic loses his rings, are directly lifted from the series.
- During Sonic's life on his island, he is seen rolling through an area identical in layout of Green Hill Zone Act 2 from Sonic Generations.
- During Sonic's opening monologue in Sonic the Hedgehog, he compares Longclaw to Obi-Wan Kenobi, a character from Star Wars.
- The function of rings as portals is a common element within the main series, although they typically warp to other dimensions, rather than other areas of the same universe.
- Crazy Carl at one point holds a picture of Sanic, a popular internet meme of the Sonic the Hedgehog character.
- A sticker within Ivo Robotnik's truck under a switch that powers his robots reads "Badniks," the name used for his robot army within the video game series.
Sonic vaults over a car in his Sonic Lost World pose
- During a car chase scene, Sonic performs a Drop Dash, a maneuver first seen in Sonic Mania.
- Sonic says "guess I had a bonus life" following a near-death explosion, a reference to extra lives in Sonic games.
- Sonic performs "The Floss" at several points, a dance popularized by Fortnite.
- At one point, Sonic performs his idle animation from Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
- During a chase scene, Sonic uses his render pose from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to dodge a laser. Later in the same scene, he performs a slide maneuver, which is common within the series.
- As Sonic flees from Ivo Robotnik, a street sign has the name "Mega Drive", referencing the Sega Mega Drive, the console's name outside of North America, where it is called the Sega Genesis.
- Sonic's race car bed introduced in this film is a prominent object in the Archie Comics Sonic the Hedgehog comic series.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2[]
- On a rock which is part of his Rube Goldberg mushroom-based mechanism, the Eggman Empire logo is drawn.
- Sonic the Hedgehog witnessing a police chase and leaping off the building afterwards is similar to Sonic's opening in Sonic Adventure.
- At the beginning of the film where Doctor Eggman is seen playing chess, he rolls the letter R in his lines "sharpened against the only competitor savvy enough to bring it" and "lets renovate this dump!" is a nod to his Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog television series counterpart, notable for rolling the R's in his speech.
Sonic leaping over glass with his skateboard in hand.
- The design of the skateboard is similar to the snowboard used in Sonic Generations.
- Tails wears a backpack similar to the one Tails wore in the Sonic the Hedgehog television series episode, "Drood Henge."
- When Sonic tells Ozzie to not watch Snow Dogs again, as it is "the worst", he sings it like Ben Schwartz's character Jean-Ralphio Saperstein did in Parks and Recreation, where he said "she's the worst" to describe his sister.
- In the OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes special "Let's Meet Sonic," Sonic also sings "he's the worst" to describe Doctor Eggman.
- When Knuckles bursts through a truck, the truck belongs to a company named "Splash Hills", a reference to Splash Hill Zone.
- Stone identifies Knuckles as a "space porcupine". Knuckles was also called a porcupine in the Sonic Adventure song "Unknown from M.E."
- When a dance battle ensues in a Siberian restaurant, Sonic performs the famous pose on the cover of Sonic Adventure.
- According to Tyson Hesse, the tiles seen in the Siberian temple are meant to be Babylonian, a specific species from the video game series.
- During Knuckles' flashback sequence featuring the Echidna, deep in the background one can briefly see a temple what appears to be the Shrine of Knuckles' race from Sonic Adventure.
- Sonic snowboarding off a steep snowy mountain is a reference to many IceCap Zone levels that incorporate this feature, originally spawning from Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
- Tom Wachowski's ringtone is the classic Green Hill Zone theme from Sonic the Hedgehog.
A production image of the G.U.N. helicopter with the "SA-2" writing
- Like in the original film, Sonic says "Gotta go fast" when preparing to run. The line originates from the theme song of Sonic X.
- Ivo Robotnik wanting to electrocute Knuckles in attempt of betrayal references the events of Sonic & Knuckles.
Knuckles' fast-paced punches.
- Trying to save Knuckles from drowning, Sonic sucks up an air bubble beforehand, as frequently done in video games when you'd run out of breath.
- During that scene, the soundtrack "You Don't Have to Be Alone Anymore" plays, where a rendition of the classic drowning theme is played.
- When Stone scrolls through different outfits Ivo Robotnik might wear, he comes across the design for "Classic Robotnik," as used in the classic era, first used in Sonic the Hedgehog.
- The instruction manual that Stone reads for the Giant Eggman Robot is designed after the English manual for the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 video game.
- The Giant Eggman Robot's 'Stache Smasher attack is a possible reference to the 'Stache Smash video game Eggman made in the Sonic Boom episode "Eggman: The Video Game Part 1."
- Sonic jokingly asks if he is going to build a robot wife and house for his Giant Eggman Robot. But Doctor Eggman has created robot wives twice in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog ("Sonic the Matchmaker" and "Sonic is Running").
- Sonic returning a missile back to the Giant Eggman Robot by riding on it may reference Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie, where Sonic similarly redirects a missile towards Metal Robotnik.
- Knuckles throwing Sonic in his ball form at a Badnik may be a reference to Fire Dunk, a move from Sonic Heroes. He performs a move similar to the Screwdriver move from 2006's Sonic the Hedgehog.
Super Sonic halts the robot's fist
- As Super Sonic simply tips over the Giant Eggman Robot in order to make it plummet, he may do it the same way Sonic did in a 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog cutscene to an Egg Gunner.
- Knuckles also uses his fist to launch the ball in Sonic X episode "Unfair Ball."
- The title "Unfair Ball" may be referenced as Tails called what Knuckles did unfair.
- When an agent reports an issue to Walters, she mentions that the Guardian Units of Nations found a 50-year-old file having coordinates to Project Shadow's facility. In the video game series, Project Shadow was also conducted over 50 years ago before the events of Sonic Adventure 2.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3[]
- According to writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller, there were plans to incorporate elements from Sonic Adventure 2 and the Shadow the Hedgehog spin-off game in the film.[5] Most elements were taken from the former.[6]
- The film's updated logo bears reference to that of Sonic Adventure 2's, showcasing Sonic's quills on top and Shadow's at the bottom between the title.[7]
- The title reveal for the film is backed by a short orchestral rearrangement of "Live and Learn" by Crush 40, similarly to how Sonic the Hedgehog 2's title was announced.
- The first trailer for the film also contains the song, similarly to the first trailer for its predecessor. Additionally, the trailer also uses a rendition of the Green Hill Zone theme from Sonic the Hedgehog.
- In promotion of Knuckles, Sonic the Hedgehog 3's logo was paired with that of the "& Knuckles" portion of the eponymous video game's logo, adding onto the recurring "& Knuckles" joke. The image would read "Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles."[8]
- While not a direct reference, Shadow stands above damaged machinery (cars) while looking down upon Sonic in his first confrontation with him. This description can also be applied to a scene in Sonic Adventure 2.
- The scene proceeding this one sees Sonic jumping down a G.U.N. helicopter mid-air into the city before meeting Shadow, somewhat akin to what happens in the game.
- Shadow performs a drop kick on Tails, akin to his Shadow Rocket attack in Sonic Battle. He also performs a move similar to the Shadow Eagle attack.
- Doctor Eggman has gotten fatter and grew out his mustache. He thusly resembles his video game character more.
- After skating with his Air Shoes, Shadow enters a flying motion that mimics his Boost animation in certain games.
- Shadow uses the Dark Rider motorcycle first seen in his eponymous video game.
Team Sonic in the Chao Garden
- Sonic and Shadow leaping towards each other in the night sky is reminiscent to a scene in the intro for Sonic Adventure 2. In that scene, however, Sonic and Shadow pass each other by in slow motion with the moon in the background.
- The scene is more accurately recreated in a promotional video released for the fourth annual Sonic Central presentation.
- Super Sonic and Super Shadow later replicate this pose after destroying the Gun Hunters.
- An expansion pack for Sonic X Shadow Generations based on the film featuring Keanu Reeves as Shadow the Hedgehog will release on December 12, 2024.[9] In this DLC, billboards around Tokyo, Japan can be seen stating "ROUGE," a reference to Rouge the Bat, a character debuting in Sonic Adventure 2.
- Sonic’s prank on Rockwell before jumping from the G.U.N. helicopter—“Talk about low budget flights, no food or movies, we’re outta here”—is a nod to his line from Sonic Adventure 2: “Talk about low budget flights! No food or movies? I’m outta here! I like running better!” which he says while escaping from G.U.N.
- When Team Sonic jumps to the Shibuya Crossing, they briefly do the "flight formation" from Sonic Heroes.
- At the start of their first encounter, Sonic and Shadow argue about why they look alike. This could be a reference to their first boss fight in Sonic Adventure 2, where they both call each other "faker."
- The alien creature that appears in the film Beware the Alien Freak!! bears an exact appearance to Biolizard, a character who serves as the final antagonist from Sonic Adventure 2.
- Doctor Eggman's ringtone is the "E.G.G.M.A.N." theme from Sonic Adventure 2.
- Eggman's nanosuit has a more faithful appearance to the character's classic clothing in the games.
Super Sonic and Super Shadow team up
- When Gerald Robotnik loses part of his mustache, it is similar to when Eggman lost it in Sonic Lost World.
- Super Sonic and Super Shadow stopping the Eclipse Cannon is a reference to Sonic Adventure 2, only in the case of the video game series, the two stop the Space Colony ARK from falling on the Earth using Chaos Control.
The Moon is accidentally split by the Eclipse Cannon
- Eggman performing his last livestream across the screens of London is a reference to Sonic Adventure 2 when he makes his announcement to Earth to threaten it by deploying the Eclipse Cannon.
- Sonic and Knuckles have a conversation about their status as a team. Sonic’s response mirrors the exact line he delivered during a similar team talk in Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric.
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Sonic the Hedgehog
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Sonic the Hedgehog 3
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- ↑ Sonic Drone Home
- ↑ Rundown: Sonic writers Patrick Casey and Josh Miller talk details about upcoming third Sonic movie
- ↑ Sonic 3 producer says it’s going to be a "giant, fun, incredible movie" that "takes a lot from Sonic Adventure 2"
- ↑ @SonicMovie on X - November 29, 2023
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog on X - April 22, 2024
- ↑ Movie Shadow coming to Sonic X Shadow Generations