Across the entire Sonic the Hedgehog comic franchise, the Blue Blur has countless allies, each with their own special way of helping battle the machinations of Doctor Eggman. But who are the greatest allies of the furry freedom fighter?
This list identifies the greatest comic allies of all time, taking into account both the Archie and IDW Publishing continuities. Rather than ranking by pure power, the entries take into account how much they added to the Sonic mythos and story, as well as how they served to offer new perspectives on the franchise’s themes and its main character.
10 Shadow the Hedgehog (IDW)
Shadow benefited from IDW introducing him almost immediately into its continuity, as opposed to Archie’s Sonic, but IDW also gave a more intriguing spin to his rivalry with Sonic. The two hedgehogs butt heads over Sonic being a purer but often naive hero, especially in trusting Dr. Eggman’s good alter ego Mr. Tinker. This introduced nuanced philosophical questions about memory, identity, and the possibility of redemption. Moreover, Sonic convincing Shadow of his argument humanized Shadow’s character to an extent that Archie never achieved.
9 Tangle the Lemur (IDW)
Tangle’s exuberance and warrior spirit are so infectious and heartwarming that she could have made it on this list without requiring anything of substance to happen to her. She’s a fascinating mirror of Sonic, always running (or skipping joyfully) into the fray without thinking. But Tangle also has a powerful relationship with another ally on this list, Whisper the Wolf. Tangle has gravitated towards her polar opposite, which causes understandable friction between her and Whisper. This has helped both characters grow, and allowed IDW to explore their complexities in unexpected ways – for instance having the joyful Tangle shed tears over letting down her friend.
8 Silver the Hedgehog (Archie)
Archie’s big success with Silver was taking his video game traits and exploring them in new ways – something that was rare for the publisher, which tended to do its own thing with Sonic the Hedgehog‘s characters. Silver is a powerful but impulsive character – someone who became enemies with Sonic essentially over a hasty mistake. Silver’s impulsivity made him a dangerous enemy and an unpredictable ally – even prompting Sonic to attack him in a fit of rage. Sonic himself is an impulsive character, so seeing him respond to this trait in someone else makes Silver a fascinating presence, and someone who pushed Sonic to grow in ways no-one else could.
7 Belle the Tinkerer (IDW)
Belle the Tinker is one of IDW’s most compelling heroes due to her unique relationship with Metal Sonic and her father Mr. Tinker – the good alter ego of Dr. Eggman. Belle struggles with the fact that the person she considers her father is gone forever, and that the person who has “replaced” him is a monster. Although she rejects him, Dr. Eggman’s obvious disregard for her feelings during their highly anticipated “reunion” is still heartbreaking. Moreover, IDW has been hinting that Belle has a connection with Metal Sonic that could transcend their programming – another major theme that’s core to the franchise.
6 Tails (Archie)
Often depicted as a stock sidekick, Archie Comics took Tails’ character to a whole other level by unexpectedly involving him in a prophecy that made him the Chosen One. This connected Sonic’s chief ally to the Archie continuity’s gods and even Knuckles’ ancestors. Although Tails’ Chosen One status was later nerfed and wasted as a concept, it was a lengthy plot thread which did more good than bad, and Archie created endless possibilities with this story that fire fans’ imaginations even today. Tails was also explored as a person, including a mind-bending storyline where an artificial version of Tails created by Mammoth Mogul realized he wasn’t a real person – still one of the franchise’s darkest moments ever.
5 Nicole (Archie)
Nicole undergoes an incredible transformation in Archie continuity. Ever since she was introduced in the 1993 Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon, Nicole was always the handheld AI device that Princess Sally Acorn brought along on missions. Then literal years later in 2005’s issue #146, the two accidentally swap “bodies,” an experience that leads to Nicole finding an innovative way to manifest in the physical world. It’s partly due to how this changed everything fans knew about her character (and after such a long time) that her transformation was so effective. Then there’s, of course, the arc where she gets rejected by the people she has been protecting. Who wouldn’t empathize with her, especially since Nicole was so powerful she literally recreated their kingdom after Dr. Eggman destroyed their home.
4 Knuckles the Echidna (Archie)
Archie is famous among fans for building out Knuckles’ backstory, not just explaining his own desire to protect Angel Island, but his entire species’ history and connection to the Chaos Emeralds. Archie set Knuckles up as a rival to Sonic from the start – taking advantage of their classic grudging relationship – but also essentially embraced him as another protagonist, with many adventures starring Knuckles out on his own. Knuckles has always been a fan-favorite character, and Archie recognized this from the off, taking the ball and running with it further than any other publisher or medium. Knuckles grew as a character, was built out with extensive lore, and even became a living Chaos Emerald in a reveal of his hidden potential.
3 Bunnie Rabbot (Archie)
Bunnie is a powerful warrior in Sonic, and thankfully avoids the pitfalls of other female characters (like Amy Rose) who are bogged down by gender stereotypes that have only grown more pronounced with time. A tough as nails warrior, Bunnie gets extra physical power from being partially roboticized, with her fear over being part “monster” tying into the franchise’s themes of nature vs technology. This was further explored when Bunnie was accidentally restored, as she confronted the idea of getting her wish but becoming weaker as a fighter. Moreover, Bunnie later has to contend with how her only living relative had aligned with Dr. Eggman, causing her to question her loyalties. In short, Sonic the Hedgehog puts Bunnie through the wringer, creating an amazing character as a result.
2 Whisper the Wolf (IDW)
Whisper is hands down one of Sonic‘s greatest characters of all time. She is tortured by a painful past that IDW smartly dedicated a whole miniseries to in Sonic the Hedgehog: Tangle & Whisper, and her trauma-induced mindset has been explored through her unprecedented relationship with Tangle. The two have formed Sonic‘s best dynamic duo, clashing as they come to terms with their differences. Whisper is a soft-spoken character who has slowly been teased out of their shell, as well as one of the franchise’s most capable warriors. Moreover, Whisper has a unique relationship with Sonic, who was initially the only hero who understood Whisper’s original desire to be alone. Hopefully that will be explored more in future issues.
1 Princess Sally Acorn (Archie)
Sally is arguably the most crucial character in Archie Comics’ Sonic the Hedgehog continuity outside the title character. Her authority and commitment drive home the stakes of the Freedom Fighters’ battle against Dr. Eggman, and give Sonic an authority figure to enhance both his rebellious charm and how much he has to learn as a hero. That’s not to say the two don’t work well together – Sally not only becomes Sonic’s girlfriend, but eventually marries now King Sonic in Archie’s Mobius: 25 Years Later storyline.
However, the two aren’t joined at the hip – Sally was given her own adventures, and humbles Sonic due to her grasp of their mission, not simply as a killjoy character. She was even chosen by a mythical artifact, the Sword of Acorn, to inherit incredible powers. These are just some reasons why Sally is the best Sonic the Hedgehog ally, despite all the great characters who have come before and since.