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Not to be confused with Dark Sonic.

If this is your world, then it's a world that I don't want any part of!


— Darkspine Sonic, Sonic and the Secret Rings

Darkspine Sonic[3] (ダークスパインソニック Dākusupain Sonikku?) is a transformation that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is the form Sonic the Hedgehog can achieve by absorbing the World Rings of rage, sadness and hatred. In this form, he is slightly more violent and aggressive due to the influence of the World Rings' sealed feelings. At the climax of the World Ring incident, the hedgehog unwillingly assumed this form and defeated Alf Layla wa-Layla, thus saving the world of the Arabian Nights.

Concept and creation[]

The idea of Darkspine Sonic came from Morio Kishimoto. The form was inspired by the Dodge Viper racing stripes.[1]

Appearance[]

In this form, Sonic's fur and arms become a deep indigo color, and his skin turns pale white. He also gains a single, thick white stripe around his feet, and some more near his elbows, as well as a pair of much thinner white stripes that go up his forehead and down his upper middle quill, and a secondary pair of stripes on his lower middle quill. In addition, Sonic's mouth, pupils and irises disappear entirely. His eyes also become slightly more angular in shape, and his quills hang lower than usual. In terms of attire, Sonic loses his trademark gloves and shoes and instead gains four glowing golden rings around his wrists and ankles. His voice also undergoes a slight change: becoming much gruffer, but maintaining its normal pitch. He is also constantly enveloped in a large, flaming, orange aura.

Game appearances[]

Sonic Storybook Series[]

Sonic and the Secret Rings[]

Darkspine Sonic 1

Darkspine Sonic, from Sonic and the Secret Rings.

In Sonic and the Secret Rings, after witnessing Erazor Djinn absorb the seven World Rings, Sonic saw Erazor mutate into the incomplete Alf Layla wa-Layla, as the requirement for controlling the World Rings were not met. As Alf Layla wa-Layla announced his desire to remake the world of the Arabian Nights in his image, the Red World Ring, Purple World Ring, and Green World Ring erupted from his body and were absorbed by Sonic, causing him to turn into Darkspine Sonic following a painful transformation. Asking the deceased Shahra to lend him her power, Darkspine Sonic engaged Alf Layla wa-Layla in his own distorted realm. During their ensuing, brutal battle, Darkspine Sonic managed to literally beat the seven World Rings' power out of Alf Layla wa-Layla, thus making him revert back to normal. In the aftermath, Darkspine Sonic reverted Alf Layla wa-Layla's realm, and himself, back to normal too.

In this game, Darkspine Sonic is only playable during the "Last Chapter" Mission in Night Palace. When beginning the fight, Darkspine Sonic will have zero Rings in his possession, although the player can pick up Rings throughout the Mission. In exchange, Sonic can maintain this form without sustainment from the Rings in his possession, and his Ring count will not be decreasing over time like that of Super Sonic.

In gameplay, Darkspine Sonic takes damage like he would normally during any other Mission, meaning that the player will lose Rings each time he takes a hit. If Darkspine Sonic takes a hit without any Rings on him, the player will have to start the Mission over. In return, the number of Rings the player can carry and the size of the Soul Gauge have been increased to their maximum. Also, by shaking the Wii Remote, Darkspine Sonic will perform a mid-air Spin Attack that recharges his Soul Gauge without the need to collect Pearls. He also retains the ability to perform the Time Break and Speed Break.

Sonic and the Black Knight[]

In Sonic and the Black Knight, Darkspine Sonic makes a cameo appearance on one of the fan arts posted in the game.

Other game appearances[]

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games[]

In the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Darkspine Sonic is mentioned as a part of some of the questions in Shy Guy's quiz minigames during London Party.

Sonic Dash[]

In Sonic Dash, Darkspine Sonic (referred to as simply "Darkspine" in-game), appears as one of the playable characters. In this game, he can be unlocked after obtaining 100 of his character cards.

Image Rarity Affinity Bonus Upgrade Profile
Power-Up Highest level
Sonic Dash Darkspine Portrait 7.0
Epic N/A Dash Boost 11
x2 Multiplier 7
Magnet 11
Shield 10
Headstart 11


Sonic Forces: Speed Battle[]

In Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, Darkspine Sonic is one of the playable characters, who was added to the game's roster in the version 4.8.0 update. He has the following gameplay characteristics:

Image Rarity Stats Items
Projectile Boost Trap
SFSB Darkspine Sonic
SFSBSpecialCardIcon
Special

Speed: 9/10

Acceleration: 6/10

Strength: 6/10

SFSBGatheredFlame
Gathered Flame
SFSBSpeedBreak
Speed Break
SFSBSlowBurn
Slow Burn

Powers and abilities[]

Darkspine Sonic 5

Darkspine Sonic countering Alf Layla wa-Layla's Spirit Blast, from Sonic and the Secret Rings.

In this form, Sonic possesses the combined power of three of the World Rings, and is powerful enough to defeat even Alf Layla wa-Layla, despite the latter possessing the power of one more World Ring.

As Darkspine Sonic, Sonic has increased physical strength, enough to send Alf Layla wa-Layla's strongest attack back at him with brute strength alone, and throw punches and kicks powerful enough to harm the gigantic Alf Layla wa-Layla. He also possesses the ability to manipulate three elements in total, namely flame, darkness, and wind.[2] His pyrokinetic abilities in particular allow him to create and control fire. In combat, he can create concentrated flames around his hands and feet to increase the destructive force of his punches and kicks, and fire powerful blasts of flame from his hands.

Darkspine Sonic has also demonstrated profound and brutal skills in hand-to-hand combat, and retains his base form’s incredible speed, being capable of delivering powerful kicks and punches in rapid succession, as well as displaying the power of high-speed flight. He is also able to perform Time Break and Speed Break without relying on the magic of Shahra's Ring, and can generate the necessary amount of soul energy he needs for these moves by himself.

Being infused with some of the World Rings' power, which are what keep the world of the Arabian Nights together, Darkspine Sonic can warp the reality of the world of the Arabian Nights to an unknown extent: with one gesture, Sonic could change the world of the Arabian Nights back to normal after Erazor Djinn turned it into an empty void, to the cost of expelling the World Rings' power from his body.

Quotes[]

"We've got to... stop him! Shahra... Please! Lend me your... POWER!"
—Darkspine Sonic before the final battle, Sonic and the Secret Rings
"HA! How's this for an introduction then?"
—Darkspine Sonic deflecting Alf Layla wa-Layla's Spirit Blast, Sonic and the Secret Rings
"Your tale is finished, Erazor! Next time, try writing a better story!"
—Darkspine Sonic after defeating Alf Layla wa-Layla, Sonic and the Secret Rings

Trivia[]

  • Darkspine Sonic is one of three transformations Sonic has undergone that were unintentional, the other two being Sonic the Werehog and Excalibur Sonic.
  • Darkspine Sonic can be considered the second form of Sonic that was not attained using Chaos Emeralds.
  • It is possible that Darkspine Sonic is an incomplete transformation, as he only used three of the seven World Rings.
  • When transforming, Sonic was shown to be in pain, even screaming in agony, making this the first time that Sonic has ever dealt with negative side effects whilst undergoing a transformation, the second/third being his Super Sonic Cyber transformation.
  • This is the first form in which Sonic has neither gloves nor shoes, revealing that he has no toes.
  • Morio Kishimoto, the director of Sonic Team, has stated that Darkspine Sonic might not appear in future mainline games, since said form is unique to the Sonic Storybook series and bringing him back would require breaking various barriers.[1]
  • There are two mistakes revolving Darkspine Sonic in the Sonic and the Secret Rings: Prima Official Game Guide:
    • Its name contains a typo, thus it being incorrectly named "Darkspines Sonic".[4]
    • It states that Sonic used four of the seven World Rings, when Sonic has only used three of them.[4]

Notes[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Could use this move in Sonic Dash.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Could use this move in Sonic Forces: Speed Battle.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Morio Kihsimoto on Twitter. Twitter. Morio Kishimoto (January 27, 2023). Retrieved on March 5, 2023. "Morio Kishimoto: こんにちは!ダークスパインソニックは、ストーリーブックシリーズでメインストリームタイトルのソニックゲームとは区別されています。そのため、メインストリームタイトルに登場させるには、いくつかの壁を破る必要があるため、簡単では無いのです。ちなみに、ダークスパインソニックは私が考えました。ダッチバイパーのレーシングストライプにインスピレーションを受けているんです。これは当時の開発秘話ですよ! [Hello! Darkspine Sonic is distinguished from the mainstream title Sonic games in the Storybook series. Therefore, it is not easy to make him appear in mainstream titles as it requires breaking several barriers. By the way, Darkspine Sonic was my idea. Inspired by the Dodge Viper racing stripes. This is a development secret at the time!]"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Sega (November 13, 2011). Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Wii. Sega. Area/level: London Party. "Shy Guy: Do you know what Sonic becomes when he transforms into Darkspine Sonic? / ... / Shy Guy: Darkspine Sonic uses the powers of flame, wind, and darkness."
  3. Sonic Team (March 2, 2007). Sonic and the Secret Rings. Wii. Sega. Area/level: Special Book, Chapter 9. "Alf Layla wa-Layla Appears - A sad scene, Darkspine Sonic appears and gets ready for the final showdown!"
  4. 4.0 4.1 Hodgson, David S.J. (February 20, 2007). "World 7: Night Palace". Sonic and the Secret Rings: Prima Official Game Guide. Prima Games. p. 290. ISBN 978-0-7615-5511-7. "She slumps forward. She hopes she's done the right thing. Sonic's Ring cracks as Shahra's life force ebbs. Suddenly the Rings explode and Erazor is turned into a giant, slobbering monster, blinking in and out of existence. Shahra’s spirit melds with Sonic. He gets four of the World Rings around each of his limbs and is transformed into Darkspines Sonic."


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