Chao (Sonic X)

The Chao (チャオ) are creatures that appear in the anime series Sonic X and its comic series published by Archie Comics. They are a mysterious species that dwells in isolated locations. Amazingly, these creatures live on both Earth and Sonic's world.

Anatomy
The Chao are small, light blue skinned creatures with pudding-like bodies. While their exact height and weight is not pinpointed, they are generally about 40 centimeters tall. They have round waterdrop-like heads with blue eyes but no nose, round torsos smaller than their heads, a round stud for a tail, smooth feet with no legs, and arms with no visible hands. Neither their arms or feet have digits. They also have yellow tips on their arms, feet and head, small pink wings and a floating dot over their head.

Characteristics and culture
Chao are cute creatures that live exclusively in Chao colonies - remote, idyllic sanctuaries with clean water; without clean water, they cannot survive.

Chao are lovable creatures akin to human infants and their mannerisms are pleasant and relaxing. They are very sociable, peaceful and friendly, and usually spend their existence eating, sleeping, and playing. The Chao on earth are not instinctively afraid of humans due to their limited interaction with them. Chao can also become attached to individuals, as evidenced by the friendship between Cream and her Chao, Cheese.

As seen so far, wild Chao's diets consist of tree fruits, although they can just as easily consume manmade cooking. Chao can also only speak one word which is their own species' name, although it seems to comprise an entire language.

Powers and abilities
All Chao are capable of flight. In some cases, they may even possess incredible power, like Cheese who could land a devastating punch on Metarex Kingape. Apparently, Chao also have very sensitive hearing which can pick up radio waves.

Past
Generations ago, a Chao colony lived at the Master Emerald and Chaos Emeralds' shrine in the Mystic Ruins where they were protected by their guardian, Chaos. While the Knuckles Clan furthered their war efforts, the Chao and Chaos befriended chief Pachacamac's daughter Tikal, who in turn tried to protect the Chao from her father's plans to aid their shrine for the Emeralds. Finally, when Pachacamac and his warriors attacked the shrine, many of the Chao were hurt in the attack. This enraged Chaos, who wiped out the Knuckles Clan in his fury before Tikal sealed Chaos in the Master Emerald.

Around the present day, the Chao habitats began dwindling on Sonic's world, so measures were taken to protect the remaining Chao colonies. On Earth, Mr. Tanaka discovered a Chao colony near his hometown during his childhood and would often visit the Chao there. Cream the Rabbit eventually befriended a Chao she named Cheese, who became her constant companion.

Chaos Emerald Saga
While on vacation, Chris, Frances, Danny, Tails and Cream discovered Mr. Tanaka's childhood Chao colony and befriended the Chao there. However, the Chao's waters were soon muddied up by Dr. Eggman. As Chris and his worked to clean the Chao's water, Sonic arrived and purified the water for them.

Chaos Saga
As Chaos began running rampant on Earth, the Chao that Chaos had protected began appearing on Earth, where they watched the events with concern as Chaos went to become Perfect Chaos and attacked Station Square. After Super Sonic beat Chaos and calmed its rage, the Chao reunited with their old friend, much to Chaos' joy, as it returned to the Master Emerald with Tikal to live in peace.

Archie Comics
According to Cream the Rabbit, lots of people on Sonic's world have taken up Chao as pets.

When Perfect Chaos attacked Station Square, several Chao came through the Master Emerald to Earth to help stop Chaos. Once the threat had passed and Chaos returned to being the Chao's protector, they all returned to the Master Emerald. While Cheese was offered to join its friends, it opted to remain with Cream.

During a brief kidnapping of Cheese, Dr. Eggman acquired its DNA which he used to cultivate his own unique breed of Chao which would turn into dangerous Dark Chao when exposed to a certain radio signal. He then seeded these Chao into Station Square by selling them as pets before making them ravage the city to make the population to summit to him. However, Cheese noticed these Chao were different, altering Sonic and his allies to this threat. As Station Square and the heroes were overrun by the Dark Chao, Tikal, who had heard the Dark Chao's distress, came to everyone's aid with an army of Chao who held the Dark Chao off until Sonic and his allies could return them to normal. Tikal then took all the Chao, except for Cheese, back to the Master Emerald.

Known Chao

 * Cheese