Barry the Quokka[note 1] is a character that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. They are an anthropomorphic quokka who is working in their first day on the Mirage Express when suddenly roped into an unfolding murder mystery game.
Appearance[]
Barry is a crimson-furred, anthropomorphic quokka with green eyes and tan skin. They have large dark crimson ears, a black nose, and a dark crimson patch between their eyes. They also have two small strips of hair on their head and a short pointy tail that is barely visible.
For attire, they wear a dark green coat with three gold buttons and a yellow nametag stuck to it by tape over a white shirt with a red bow tie. They also wear white gloves, and black shoes with yellow cuffs.
History[]
Past[]
Prior to being hired for the Mirage Express, Barry was passing out Chili dogs during the Clean Sweepstakes[2] and compete in winter games.[3] Outside that his life was living as a normal citizen of Earth.
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog[]
Having recently acquired a job on the Mirage Express, Barry realizes they forgot their nametag, so they wrote it on a little note instead. The very first day, just happened to be the same day as Amy Rose's birthday and the Conductor's last day, he had them make her and her friends comfortable. After taking their tickets, recovering Vector the Crocodile's in the process, Amy reveals the birthday theme is a murder mystery and has nominated Miles "Tails" Prower as the detective. However, as they prepare to start, the train suddenly gains speed, knocking Amy, Tails and Barry far into the storage car. Managing to get out, they find Sonic the Hedgehog on the floor, seemingly deceased. With Amy moving ahead, due to having the master key, Tails asks Barry to assist him in finding out who "killed" his best friend. While searching for clues and reaching the front of the train, Tails and Barry conclude that Espio the Chameleon was the culprit. However, he had only cheated on the train's orders when a very much alive Sonic reveals the train is actually a Badnik and a Flicky was unwillingly controlling it. Managing to disable the train, they reach the nearest station, where they meet up with the conductor's wife before Sonic briefly took off to grab a cake for Amy and they immediately celebrate.
Barry celebrates Amy's birthday with his new friends.
The future of Barry is determined by the player during the epilogue. They either resigned from the Mirage Express on the spot or continued their job for some time, either practiced their singing or won millions in a lottery, and either went to space or started to run a local supermarket.[4]
Personality[]
Barry is very anxious, as it is their first day on the job. They are noted to not be used to getting complimented and are hinted to have self-esteem issues of some kind. Other characters mention them sweating a lot, pretty much every time a situation is stressful, and Blaze describes them as a "very... animated person." They enjoy playing endless runner games on their phone, and when faced with a problem they must solve or a question they must answer, they mentally visualize their thought process as one starring Sonic, having been prompted to try and think of how the hedgehog would handle the situation, implying that they idolize him.
Despite their anxiety, Barry has a bit of a mischievous side, willing to lie to get snacks from the Mirage Express, tease Espio by falsely claiming he failed their quiz, or even jump-scare Tails after opening a wardrobe. They have a strong belief that there is always something hidden in the trash bin, which by their own admission is an extension of their belief in the importance of dedication and persistence, a tenet they have inherited from their father. While this seems to largely be a positive trait, it also leads to them having a tendency to get tunnel vision, often fixating on a task or habit even when it seems illogical to pursue, such as playing a slot machine. They have also shown to have a strong interest in caves and a talent for beatboxing.
Powers and abilities[]
Not much is known about their powers and abilities though they are a good cook and can use their problem-solving skills.
Relationships[]
Miles "Tails" Prower[]
Tails and Barry work together to reveal the murderer.
Miles "Tails" Prower and Barry were partners for the majority of the game, and the quokka seems to respect him a great deal for his genius and undying optimism. They consider Tails to be someone normal, when compared to the rest of the cast, that is.
Sonic the Hedgehog[]
Sonic motivating Barry.
Barry at first did not realize until the Conductor announced that the blue hedgehog is Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic later on after waking up from being knocked out by a blow dart would encourage Barry to help him fight Eggman and destroy the Mirage Express along with not being afraid, Barry takes his advice and becomes a hero themselves.
Blaze the Cat[]
Blaze the Cat's presence seems to fluster Barry, with the prospect of her being a princess from another dimension. They initially feel obligated to bow in her presence before she assures them they don't need to. Later on, Barry may volunteer to pretend to be Blaze's spouse for a plan, which Blaze is more opposed to for professional reasons rather than personal reasons.
The Conductor[]
The Conductor is Barry's employer and appreciates them a great deal. When first meeting him, they start by being nice toward the conductor and respects him to keep their job. Throughout their adventure they kept thinking about the conductor telling them about keeping the passengers safe showing a sign of respect and not ignoring the boss.
Friends/allies[]
- Amy Rose
- Avatar (good friend)
- Big the Cat
- Blaze the Cat
- Cream the Rabbit
- Cheese
- Conductor (employer)
- Conductor's wife
- E-123 Omega
- Flicky
- Froggy
- Jewel the Beetle
- Knuckles the Echidna
- Miles "Tails" Prower
- Rouge the Bat
- Shadow the Hedgehog
- Silver the Hedgehog
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Tangle the Lemur
- Team Chaotix
- Vanilla the Rabbit
Enemies[]
Quotes[]
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Trivia[]
- Barry cannot be named after any of the other characters in the game (including Amy and Vector, despite being common names). If attempted, they will say: "(...Like... THE [name]?) (Haha, wouldn't that be cool.) (But no...)" and prompt the player to put in another name.
- Barry also cannot be named curse words, slurs, or vulgar terms. If attempted, they will say: "(I don’t think I could show my face around here again if I wrote that.) (Let’s try again.)” and prompt the player to put in another name. This dialogue will also occur if the player attempts to name the quokka "I killed Sonic".
- Barry's skill of microwaving chili dogs could be a reference to how prominent the food is in the franchise and spin-off media.
In other media[]
Books and comics[]
IDW Publishing[]
Barry and the Avatar, from Sonic the Hedgehog: Winter Jam.
Barry makes a cameo appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog: Winter Jam. Barry is seen working with the Avatar in a contest that Dr. Eggman is watching.
Barry selling Chili dogs, from Sonic the Hedgehog #69.
Barry makes another cameo, this time in Sonic the Hedgehog #69, where they are selling chili dogs during a Clean Sweepstakes race.[2][3]
Gallery[]
Screenshots[]
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Miscellaneous artwork[]
Notes[]
- ↑ The character can be assigned a custom name by the player in The Murder of Sonic, but they are referred to as "Barry the Quokka" by fans and official sources alike (including game files and promotional material).
References[]
- ↑ Ian Mutchler (@thefantastician) on Tumblr. Tumblr (2 April 2023). "Ian Mutchler: the player character is a quokka!"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sonic the Hedgehog #69, "Story one"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sonic the Hedgehog: Winter Jam, "Story one"
- ↑ The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
| Playable characters | Sonic | Barry | |
|---|---|---|
| Non-playable characters | Amy | Blaze | Chao | Conductor | Conductor's wife | Cubot | Eggman | Espio | Hot Honey | Knuckles | Metal Sonic | Orbot | Rouge | Sage | Shadow | Tails | Vector | |
| Bosses | Mirage Express | |
| Moves/Techniques | Spin Attack | Spin Jump | Spin Dash | |
| Gimmicks and obstacles | Iron ball | Spring | Spikes | |
| Items | Birthday key | DreamGear | Item Box (Super Ring) | Ring | |
| Other | Amy's birthday | Big Chao Band |Bottomless pit | Death Egg | Eggmanland | Mirage Express | Spagonia | Super Monkey Ball | |
| V·T·E | Category | ||
