Summary
TheSonicseries has generally been all about speed, but it’s full of characters who have pulled off some pretty powerful moves. Shadow has blown up comets and kaiju-sized beasts, as has Sonic, who’s taken down gods, genies, wizards, and more. Though he usually did this in his Super form, which Knuckles managed to beat on his debut with one surprise uppercut.
But while they tend to get the lion’s share of opportunities to prove their power, they’re not the only tough cookies in the franchise. Though their friends, rivals, and frenemies might not have blitzed Black Doom, or blasted through moons, they’ve had moments where they’ve been surprisingly strong.
6Tails
The Two-Tailed Fox Is Tougher Than He Looks
Miles ‘Tails’ Proweris more of a thinker and a tinkerer than a fighter, as his nerves often get the better of him on the field. Yet he’s tougher than he lets on. For one, he managed to save Station Square from Dr. Eggman inSonic Adventure. He didn’t even have any gadgets to rely on then either. He just had his two tails, which could move fast enough to slice through metal. They’re better known for helping him fly, though he can also spin them on the ground so he can keep up with Sonic while running.
They can help him swim in the water too, unlike the Blue Blur who sinks like a blue stone. Though even if he was forced to fight, he might do better than people think, asTails’ Sky Patrolshowed, it took a 10-ton weight to get him to strain, and even then, he could still drag it on the ground. This meant that it wasn’t Sonic and/or Knuckles' weight tiring him out when he carried them. On top of his confidence, he needs to work on his cardio too. Then he could break the games without needing a mech (Sonic Frontiers) or an army of Super Flickies (Sonic 3 & Knuckles).
5Emerl
Unassuming Robot May Be the Strongest Machine on the Planet
The biggestSonicfans may already know how strongEmerlcan be, but there are many who might only know the Gizoid from theSonic X Shadow Generations‘Dark Beginnings’ shorts. That’s because he made his debut inSonic Battle, aSmash Brosclone for the GBA that wasn’t all that great. Still, it gave Emerl an intriguing background as a robot made by an ancient civilization, which was later unearthed by Prof. Gerald Robotnik. He surmised the Gizoid could destroy the world all on his own if he reached max strength.
At his base level, he could go toe-to-toe with Shadow. Once rediscovered inBattle, he grew even stronger as he learned more moves from Sonic and his friends. Unfortunately, he was prone to power overloads, which made him go rogue and join Dr. Eggman’s side. By the end of the game, it took all Sonic had to bring him back to his senses. But in doing so, he discovered Prof. Gerald put a self-destruct program in him to prevent him from threatening the planet. After one last farewell, Emerl activated it, and made his debut game his last one as well.
4Rouge
Chatty Bat Turns Out to Be a Proficient Fighter
Rouge the Batis known for a lot of things, but strength isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind. She’s better known for sneaking, stealing, making catty remarks, andflying aimlessly around Mad Space inSA2. Yet she’s taken on Knuckles, an echidna who can punch through boulders, and managed to bring him to a standstill in a head-to-head fight. That’s because her legs pack a mean kick, being able to blast through walls and kick foes off into the horizon.
Whatever Knuckles can do with his punches, Rouge can do with her kicks. She’s just able to do it with more finesse, as she can be delicate enough to cut open glass, as opposed to Knuckles' more tour-de-force approach. She hasn’t been skipping her other gym days either, given her core strength is still strong enough to carry Shadow and Omega in flight formation inSonic Heroes. So, while she’d prefer to achieve her goals without needing to throw hands (or feet), she’s quite capable of doing so if need be.
3Amy Rose
Sonic’s #1 Admirer Swings a Mean Hammer
One of Rouge’s feats was also being able to stand up well againstAmy Rose, which may not seem like a big deal. But Rouge only managed to stop Knuckles in his tracks. Amy knocked him flat on the ground with a single-hand shove in(the original PS3/360 version of)Sonic Generations. Silly as it seems, it makes sense, as she developed that strength from carrying her giant Piko-Piko Hammer around everywhere. It’s not just for show either, as she knows how to use it.
When she isn’t using it to smash badniks into bits or off into the sky, she’s blasting gales at foes with it, or knocking them off their feet with its impact tremors. Without it, she can still throw a mean jab, hook, or uppercut, asSonic Battlesaw her take up kickboxing as a form of exercise on the side. She’s even been able to use the Chaos Emeralds to go super or pull off a Chaos Control to freeze her foes in place. She’s come a long way from being the lovesick hedgehog inSonic CD.
2Chip
Tiny Confectionery Addict Turns Out to Be a God
Yes, really,Chipthe tiny flying chihuahua-looking thing is actually one of theSonicseries’ most powerful figures. At first, it might be from how testing he can be, as his hyperactive personality and love of chocolate and other sweets can rub players up the wrong way. But as time goes on inSonic Unleashed, he begins to realize who he really is: he’s Light Gaia, a primordial entity tasked with protecting the planet fromhis evil counterpart, Dark Gaia.
His light powers are enough to amplify his strikes and protect himself and others with forcefields. They were enough to help put the planet back together after Dr. Eggman broke it too, let alone turn him into Gaia Colossus, a temple-based mech fast enough to keep up with Super Sonic, and strong enough to soften Dark Gaia up for Super Sonic’s finishing strike. If that wasn’t enough, being a god means he’s also immortal. He could possibly be beaten but never killed.
1Cream & Cheese
Tiny Rabbit and Chao Are Strong Enough to Nuke Eggman’s Biggest Mechs
Cream the RabbitandCheese the Chaoaren’t at the top because they’re somehow stronger than a literal god or a world-breaking robot. Neither can swing a giant hammer around, or kick through mountainsides. They’re at the top because their strength is the most surprising as, despite being some of the tamer characters in the series, they broke their debut game in half with their co-op skills. On her own, Cream can run, burrow, spin-dash, and homing attack with the rest of them, and fly by flapping her long ears.
She’s tough enough to carry Amy and Big the Cat inSonic Heroes, which already requires quite a bit of power given Big is, well, big. But with her little friend, she becomes a force to be reckoned with. Not just because they could bodyslam people or form tornadoes inSonic Battle. It’s because Cream could send her Chao friend out to attack enemies from afar for her. As simple as it sounds, it was enough for her to beat all the bossesinSonic Advance 2, finishing them faster than Sonic and with the least risk. No wonder the Chao is called ‘Cheese’.
