Will 'o Wisps


 * For the alien race, see Wisps.

The Will 'o Wisp, also known as the Will-of-the-Wisp, is an object that appears in Sonic and the Black Knight. They are hazardous and destructive objects that Sonic and the Knights of the Round Table can use to their advantage.

Description
The Will 'o Wisp appears as ghostly apparitions resembling floating orbs of blue flames, with electrical discharges emitting from the core, and gives off purple sparks. No one really knows exactly what the Will o' Wisps truly are.

The Will o' Wisps appear as stationary objects in the levels during the gameplay in Sonic and the Black Knight. If the player attacks an Will o' Wisp however, either with normal attacks or a regular Soul Surge, it will cause the Will 'o Wisps to explode violently and cause damage to the player's character. In order to dispatch a Will o' Wisp without causing damage to one self, the player has to target a Will o' Wisp with Soul Surge, and then perform a kick on it (which can only be done during Soul Surge), in order to send the Will o' Wisp flying through midair and cause it to explode a safe distance away from the player, once it impacts a surface.

By kicking the Will o' Wisp away with a Soul Surge, the player can use it to the player's advantage. his includes sending the Will' o' Wisp into one of the Knights of the Underworld in order to destroy them, or launching it into troublesome or otherwise unbreakable obstacles, or even into other Will o' Wisps, in order to open new paths through the level.

Real World Background
The Will 'o Wisp is based on the real-world Will-o'-the-wisp, atmospheric ghost lights in much of European folklore.

The term "will-o'-the-wisp" comes from the word "wisp", a bundle of sticks or paper that are sometimes used as a torch, and the name "Will", thus giving it the name "Will-of-the-torch". In folklore, the Will 'o Wisps are believed to be spirits of the dead other supernatural beings, such as fairies, that are seen by travelers at night, especially over bogs, swamps or marshes. They are said to recede if approached, though the will-o'-the-wisp's role varies from drawing travelers from safe paths, to being guardians of treasures.

It is believed by scientists that the instances where Will-o'-the-Wisps have been observed are due to the spontaneous combustion of methane or other hydrocarbons originating from decomposing organic matter.