Ray the Flying Squirrel


 * "Ray" redirects here. You may be looking for Ray the Manta.

Ray the Flying Squirrel (レイ・ザ・フライングスクイレル) is character who makes its only appearance as a playable character in SegaSonic the Hedgehog arcade game. Although he hasn't made any appearances in other media, he has an expanded role in the Archie Comics series, in which he is a member of the Chaotix team. Ray the Flying Squirrel is designed by Manabu Kusunoki.

Physical Appearance
Ray has golden yellow fur, and dark tan skin on his muzzle, inner ears and torso. He has black eyes, a small tapered hair tuft at the top back of his head (making it appear somewhat teardrop-shaped), a furry skin membrane connecting his waist to his lower arms, small, perky triangular ears, a shiny, bulbous black nose and long, durable club-shaped tail.

He wears white gloves with large, sock-like cuffs, red sneakers with a white buckle-strap, and white socks. These shoes are apparently almost identical with Sonic's iconic sneakers.

SegaSonic the Hedgehog
Ray's only major appearance is in SegaSonic the Hedgehog arcade game. In the intro, Ray gets captured by Doctor Robotnik along with Mighty the Armadillo and Sonic the Hedgehog himself. After that Robotnik imprisoned them to his captive Island where trio has team up to escape from its dangerous hazards and traps. As the trio got to doctor's tower, Robotnik actives self-destruction of island, but luckily the trio and Robotnik manages to get out of island before its explosion. And thus Sonic, Mighty and Ray foiled Robotnik's plot.

In the game, one of the earliest to feature a voice cast, Ray's voice was provided by Hinako Yoshino (credited as Hiroko Kanamaru).

Gale Racer
Since SegaSonic the Hedgehog arcade game, Ray's yet another small appearance is a cameo as a key chain in the Sega game Gale Racer, (the Sega Saturn version of Rad Mobile.)

Sonic Generations
Ray makes a cameo appearance in Sonic Generations in City Escape. Ray and Mighty can be seen on missing posters dotted throughout the level. The poster mentions that they've been missing since 1993, referencing the game, SegaSonic the Hedgehog.

Personality
Not much is known about Ray's personality, but it is shown during SegaSonic the Hedgehog that Ray acts as a semi comic-relief character of the trio. He's also shown to be slightly more fearful than Sonic and Mighty.

Abilities
Due to Ray's sole playable appearence, Ray's moveset is very limited. In the arcade game, Ray shares the same abilities that Sonic and Mighty have in said game. Ray's abilities include the basic Spin Jump, Spin Attack and Spin Dash (in his sole game appearance, he had the same game controls as both Sonic and Mighty), and he is also rather agile. Being a flying squirrel, he can likely glide through the air though this was never seen in game.

Archie Comics
In the Archie comics continuity, Ray the Flying Squirrel is a member of the Chaotix and best friends with Mighty the Armadillo, having met him while both were held prisoner by Dr. Ivo Robotnik. The two teamed up with Sonic the Hedgehog during an escape attempt, but Ray ended up being trapped when he grabbed the prison's Power Stone energy source and was caught in a time warp. Years later, Mighty found and freed him, bringing him back to Angel Island. Joining the Chaotix, Ray became a loyal, if timid member, helping them face various foes on the island and then later on the surface as they fought Doctor Eggman alongside the Freedom Fighters. Later, Ray also became a part-time resident of New Mobotropolis. Mighty and Ray consider each other brothers, and treat each other as such.

Trivia

 * Ray is the first Sonic character depicted with five toes on each foot, which are first seen when his shoes fall off upon walking off a cliff.
 * According to an interview in Sonic Central, Sonic doesn't know the whereabouts of Ray, Mighty the Armadillo, Bark the Polarbear, Bean the Dynamite, or Nack the Weasel. This explains why these characters haven't made a game appearance for a long time.
 * Ray was rumored to appear in Sonic the Fighters as an announcer but was scrapped.