Dodon Pa[2] (ドドンパ Dodonpa?) is a character that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is an anthropomorphic Tanuki and the mysterious sponsor behind the Grand Prix,[3] to which he invited Sonic and his friends to compete in. His true intentions remain a mystery though.
He drives around in a red, black and white hover craft that oddly resembles the Egg Mobile.[3]
Concept and creation
Dodon Pa was designed by Sonic Team artist Yuji Uekawa. In an interview, head of Sonic Team Takashi Iizuka said that much of Dodon Pa's creation was built around future-proofing and maintaining a persistent universe in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Accordingly, Sonic Team decided that if there were going to be more Sonic-themed racing games in the future, they needed to create a character that would facilitate all these races happenings, and allow the races to be a part of the world and storytelling. As such, Dodon Pa was created upon Iizuka's request. In addition, Sonic Team wanted to keep Dodon Pa in the Sonic universe as someone who would be there any time they needed there to be a racing event. As put by Iizuka, "He’s going to be the character we can use as the Master of Ceremonies."[1]
Appearance
Dodon Pa is described as a "funny-looking" and "chubby".[3] An anthropomorphic Tanuki with orange fur, he has a fairly large and round torso, slightly short arms, and sharp fingers. He also has a wide head with no visible neck, and a long tail with brown stripes. He also has a black patch of fur across his face, a white muzzle, a small black nose, and a long and rugged white mustache. He also has large eyes with surprisingly small blue irises and pupils.
For attire, Dodon Pa wears a crown with a large round velvet cap. This crown also has a golden lower head rim, a golden point on the top, and an emblem on the front that resembles a black wheel with a pair of white wings and a purple hub cap. He also wears orange coveralls with golden cuffs on the sleeves, a red scarf around his neck, and a brown belt around his waist with a golden buckle that resembles the front of a car. Lastly, he wears a short leopard skin cape with a fuzzy white hemline, a tall collar, and golden fasteners on the front.
History
Past
Dodon Pa's past is an absolute mystery, as no one knows where he comes from or why he hosts races.[2]
Team Sonic Racing
In Team Sonic Racing, Dodon Pa sent invitation letters to Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends, hoping to have them participate as racers in his Grand Prix. His true intentions however, are an absolute mystery.[3]
When Team Sonic and Team Dark had a race, Dodon Pa watched the action unfold as Sonic and Shadow went head-to-head. He also gave Tails a few hints regarding the team cars' capabilities through the in-car video links when the fox tried to figure the cars out. When Dr. Eggman then showed up unannounced during the race, claiming to be a special guest racer, Dodon Pa casually allowed Eggman, whom he found amusing, to participate. When Eggman then began asking for help, Dodon Pa filled him in on the Wisp power-ups that he could utilize. When all the racers then ganged up on Eggman, Dodon Pa was so invested in the beating Eggman received that he did not pay attention to whether Sonic or Shadow crossed the finish line first. Still, Dodon Pa was satisfied with how beautiful and dangerous the race was. As Eggman then moped over his loss, Dodon Pa told him that he looked forward to the doctor's participation with a team (since he found his passion against overwhelming odds inspiring) before watching a rematch between Sonic and Shadow.[2]
Personality
Described as eccentric and mysterious,[2] Dodon Pa is an enigmatic figure whose intentions for hosting the Grand Prix is an absolute mystery. At first glance, he looks like nothing more than a gentle, chatty person. However, it has been hinted that this is only a façade hiding his true personality.[3]
The look in Dodon Pa's eyes as he thinks about the dangerous part of racing, from the Team Sonic Racing One-shot comic.
Dodon Pa takes a great interest in the races he hosts, and appears more interested in the races themselves than their outcome. In fact, he does not show much interest in how his races end, and instead focuses on the more thrilling moments during the races, such as the great fight between Dr. Eggman and the other racers. He describes racing as something both beautiful and dangerous, and seems to be especially interested in the latter aspect, hinting a perhaps sadistic desire for anarchy and violence (something which there are plenty of in his Grand Prix).[2]
Being the sponsor of his Grand Prix, Dodon Pa wants his races to go according to his rules. However, he seems to ignore fair-play when something unexpectedly entertaining happens in his races, like when he casually let it slide when Dr. Eggman showed up unannounced to compete on his own in his team-orientated Grand Prix and began cheating shamelessly. While Dodon Pa also appears helpful by providing his racers with advice on how to win, he does not care about whether those he help are good or evil, which makes his personal preferences hard to pin down.[2]
Dodon Pa also possesses a distinct laugh: "Hohohoho".[2]
Powers and abilities
Dondo Pa evidently has some piloting skills, as he is able to pilot his own hover craft without aid.
Relationships
Dr. Eggman
Dodon Pa first met Dr. Eggman when the doctor showed up unannounced to his Grand Prix and began to compete under the pretense that he had been invited as a special guest racer. Despite knowing this was a lie, Dodon Pa allowed Eggman to compete, finding Eggman's efforts to join the Grand Prix amusing.[2]
Even though Eggman is evil, Dodon Pa does not mind helping Eggman in his efforts to win the races in his Grand Prix. In addition, he finds Eggman's passion against overwhelming odds amusing.[2]
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog, whom Dodon Pa refers to as "blue hedgehog", is one of the participants in his Grand Prix. In regards to Sonic, Dodon Pa has deemed him a pretty good racer and finds his rivalry with Shadow amusing.[2]
Shadow the Hedgehog
Shadow the Hedgehog, whom Dodon Pa refers to as "black hedgehog", is another participant in Dodon Pa's Grand Prix. Like Sonic, Dodon Pa thinks Shadow is a formidable racer and finds his rivalry with Sonic amusing.[2]
Quotes
- "My expensive race, my rules! Hohohoho!"
- —Dodon Pa taking through the video monitors, Team Sonic Racing One-shot
Trivia
- Dodon Pa shares his name with the roller coaster Do-Dodonpa (formerly Dodonpa (ドドンパ?)), which boasts the fastest acceleration in the world.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Dreadknux (20 May 2019). TSS Interview: Takashi Iizuka Hints At Dodon Pa’s Return as ‘Master of Ceremonies’. The Sonic Stadium. Retrieved on 22 May 2019.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Team Sonic Racing One-shot, "Team Sonic Racing"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Brian (22 August 2018). Team Sonic Racing reveals first Story Mode details, new character Dodonpa. Nintendoeverything.com. Retrieved on 23 August 2018.
