Totem pole

Totem poles are general rocky or wooden obstacles, that mostly serve as part of the zone's background, but even sometimes being as amusing obstacles that may harm the player. Being usually seen in world of Sonic the Hedgehog, it is first seen at Green Hill Zone in original 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog and being reappeared numerous times. Totem poles have several blocks with different facial expressions.

Description
In original 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog, there are seen two variations of totem poles in Green Hill Zone, as the one pole has four blocks with two wings on the top and the other one only has three blocks without wings. The 8-bit version of the game with same name has similar totem poles with three blocks with wings. These totem poles are also seen at maps of Green Hill tracks in Sonic Drift, Neo South Island Zone in Sonic Pocket Adventure, at 3D variation of Green Hill in Sonic Adventure 2 and at background of Green Hill stage of Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 features two, different looking totem poles / pillars, that surrounds the player during the conformation of Aquatic Ruin Zone. Doctor Robotnik attacks by using hammer connected to Eggmobile to shoot arrows from poles into, while the player has to climb to top of the pole and hit Eggmobile. After the battle, totem poles will go down. These pillars return briefly at hoax of Egg Serpentleaf fight of Sonic the Hedgehog 4, however Eggman destroys as he reveals real vehicle to fight against the player. Smaller totem poles are seen at Sonic World feature in Sonic Jam. There are larger, rocky totem poles that are seen part of Whale Lagoon in Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing. Different, larger totem poles are part of Dr. Eggman's Incredible Interstellar Amusement Park's structures, as seen at Tropical Resort of Sonic Colors.

Stony and wooden totem poles (small and tall) are seen at Green Hill in Sonic Generations. In Nintendo 3DS version of the game features gimmick, where totem poles apparently can fall into player's neck at the modern act of Green Hill. There are also giant totem pole, which player has to run away before it falls down. In Sonic Dash, rocky totem poles are onto player's way, while he / she has to avoid them or crashing to them ends the endless running.

Trivia

 * In the original Sonic the Hedgehog, there are few, different and unused blocks inside of the game's code, that would belong as part of totem poles and are colored grey and red. It's notable to know, that the palette isn't the correct, as the game has no correct one.
 * Totem poles are based on the real-life ones, as faces can have different meaning depending on the culture.