Badnik

Eggman's robots, also known as Badniks, are fictional enemy robots created by the evil Dr. Ivo Robotnik in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games.

While they were simply known as "Eggman's robots" in the Japanese releases of the games, the robots were classified as "Badniks" in the manuals of the early North American and European versions. After Sonic Adventure was released in 1999, the robots are called "Eggman's robots" in these areas of the world as well.

In the games, they are used by Eggman as numerous soldiers, and they appear constantly throughout the levels to hinder the player and to stop the main protagonist Sonic the Hedgehog. Eggmans robots have gone through a number of changes in appearance.

Older robots from the original 16 bit games usually resemble mechanical animals with built-in weaponry. When destroyed by Sonic, they explode and release a small animal, such as a Flicky, that hops off the screen (although, in some games, they release a Ring or a flower seed instead). The games, along with the Sonic the Comic comic book, suggest that the animal is kept inside the robot to power it up, as a kind of organic battery. Some continuities, such as the Sonic cartoon instead showed that Eggman "roboticized" animals, literally turning organic beings into his mechanical minions.

Certain designs of Badniks reappeared in multiple games, while others appeared only once. The designs of Badniks from Sonic 1 appear often, such as variations of the Beeton ("Buzz Bomber") Badniks, which resemble wasps and fire energy blasts from their stingers. The designs of the Gani-Gani ("Crabmeat") Badniks, which resemble scuttling crabs and fire energy blasts from guns within their claws, and the caterpillar-based Nal ("Caterkiller") Badniks are also seen often. These Badniks are likely used often due to appearing in the Green Hill Zone and Marble Zone, the very first levels of the first Sonic game, making them "classical".

The Ai-Ai Badnik ("Coconuts") from Sonic 2 was designed after a monkey, and sat in palmtrees while throwing coconuts at Sonic. Variations of this Badnik has also appeared, and unlike the ones from Sonic 1, its design is often used in the 3D games. A specific Coconuts also got a somewhat large role in the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon series.

In Sonic & Knuckles, the player would face EggRobos, robots based on Eggman himself. These robots have appeared in several games since, without many design changes, and often as playable characters.

Eggman is also known for making robots based on Sonic himself to pit against his rival. While most of these robots have been destroyed by their organic counterpart, one of them, Metal Sonic, has appeared again and again throughout the series to battle Sonic.

In Sonic Adventure, the same game that stopped using the "Badnik" name, the E-Series was introduced. This line of robotics have appeared frequently since, with the notable E-102 and E-123 even being recurring playable characters. An Egg Pawn seen in Sonic Heroes.

Sonic Heroes introduced the "Egg Pawn" robots, clunky orange humanoid robots resembling Eggman. These were apparently easier to make and were more expendable because of the many Egg Pawn troops encountered in games. Unlike the "variety" of previous Badniks and their designs, enemies in Sonic Heroes were almost exclusively Egg Pawns with various weaponry and equipment. These robots have appeared in several games since Sonic Heroes, and appeared along with animal-based robots in Sonic Rivals. They were also created in different sizes, from small bazooka wielding ones to gargantuan hammer wielding ones.

The new Sonic the Hedgehog game introduced all-new robots, called Egg Guardians. They are much more intimidating and menacing than the cartoonish Egg Pawns, and are tall, armed with machine guns and have white armour. They were likely used as Sonic Team wanted the game to be more "realistic", but these robots have not been used for any later games.

Asteron

A starfish-like robot that hovers and explodes, launching its points at various angles.

[edit] Aquis

A hovering seahorse robot that spits oil at the player.

[edit] Balkiry

A fast-moving pterodactyl-like robot that only travels in one direction.

[edit] Ball Hog

A purple pig robot that tosses bombs down hills. A similar robot has appeared in the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog but only in one episode.

[edit] Bloominator

Bloominators are immobile tulip robots that occasionally emit spiked balls from the opening in the top of their heads. The balls are fired in random directions and arc in accordance with gravity.

[edit] Bubbles

Bubbles are spherical blue robots with a nozzle-like head that defend themselves by producing spikes all over their body.

[edit] Butterdroid

Butterdroids are floating butterfly robots that are generally found in groups of two or three. To attack, they slowly fly towards Sonic, Tails or Knuckles.

[edit] Buzzbombers/Buzzer

Buzzbombers are robots in the forms of giant wasps, based on the namesake badniks from the classic Sega Genesis Sonic titles. Their stingers double as laser emitters, and they are usually deployed for aerial attacks. They also made an appearance in the pilot episode of the SatAM cartoon, wherein they pursued Tails in an attempt to draw out Sonic and attempted to transport a herbicidal agent to the Great Forest in an attempt to expose the location of Knothole, both endeavors being handily thwarted by the Freedom Fighters.

[edit] Caterkiller/Catakiller

Squirming caterpillar robots that, aside from the head, are covered in spikes. To defeat one, Sonic must roll into its head, otherwise he will take damage and will scatter the Caterkiller's segments all over the place. They seem to be a favorite design of Eggman, since it is re-used in many other forms.

[edit] Chopper

Pirahna-like robots that leap upwards from below wooden bridges, in hopes of taking a bite out of Sonic.

[edit] Clucker/Cluckoid

Chicken-like robots who operate the cannons on the Wing Fortress Zone. Its design possibly inspired the character of Scratch in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.

[edit] Coconuts

A monkey-like robot that clambers up and down trees, tossing coconuts down below. A similar character appeared in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.

[edit] Crabmeat

A scuttling crab robot that occasionally stops to launch two energy balls out of its claws. In the early issues of the Archie Sonic series, Crabmeat served as a subordinate to Robotnik before eventually being replaced by Snively.

[edit] Dragonfly

A hovering dragonfly robot that floats up and down in one place. Its weak point is its head, and hitting it anywhere else causes damage.

[edit] EggRobo

EggRobo is an egg-shaped humanoid robot resembling Dr. Robotnik. They first appeared as enemies in the game Sonic & Knuckles. In Knuckles' storyline, they are the bosses instead of Dr. Eggman; in Sonic's storyline in that game, many copies appeared as standard Badnik grunt enemies in the Sky Sanctuary Zone, after being seen launched from the Death Egg.

They are rather more prominent in Knuckles' storyline, however, as one EggRobo in particular attacks Knuckles in the beginning of the game, and then replaces Robotnik in cutscenes and as the end-of-zone boss in every level up until the Hidden Palace Zone (with the exception of Flying Battery Zone, which is Robotnik due to EggRobo not having sprites to mirror Robotnik's angle at the time). This EggRobo appears to have greater intelligence than the other ones, and can pilot machines like Robotnik, even apparently learning from Eggman's mistakes as the EggRobo attacks a lot more. There is also no animal inside this one. This EggRobo is destroyed by Mecha Sonic in the Sky Sanctuary Zone (the final level in Knuckles' storyline). The EggRobo restrains Knuckles, allowing Mecha Sonic to charge at him, but Knuckles breaks free and Mecha Sonic destroys the EggRobo instead.

EggRobo has appeared as an unlockable playable character in Sonic R and in the kart-racing mode of Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. In the original Sonic Adventure 2 for the Sega Dreamcast, however, EggRobo was only available through an online download.

[edit] Egg Golem

The Egg Golem is a boss inside Eggman's pyramid base, that appeared in Sonic Adventure 2. It is ordered by Eggman to fight Sonic, but its restraining mechanism is damaged in the battle. It then goes after Eggman only to be destroyed by its former master.

[edit] Flasher

A floating firefly robot that can't be damaged while it's flashing.

[edit] Grabber

A yellow and black spider robot that catches Sonic with its legs and then self-destructs, causing damage.

[edit] Grounder

A red robot with drill-tipped hands and noses. A similar character appears in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, though colored green.

[edit] Jaws/Jawz

Hovering shark robots that make no effort to attack the player. They simply fly in one direction slowly.