Drill Claw

Drill Claw
Knuckles using the Drill Claw in Sonic Adventure 2.
Appearances
First appearance	Sonic Adventure 2
Other appearances	Sonic Advance 2 Sonic Advance 3 Sega Heroes
Statistics and overview
User(s)	Knuckles the Echidna Tikal
Utilization	Offense Triggering Dig Downward descent
Description	A spiraling dive.

The Drill Claw (ドリルクロー, Doriru Kurō^?) is a recurring move in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is one of Knuckles the Echidna's signature moves. When performing this move, the user does a spiraling dive in midair to attack opponents. It is the equivalent to Rouge the Bat's Drill Drive.

Description

When performing the Drill Claw, the user stops in midair and dives straight downward fist-first on any target below them while twirling around their vertical axis. As the move is performed, the user turns into a drilling projectile that can pierce through enemies. Knuckles in particular can strike with such force behind his blow that his fists catch on fire.

In gameplay, the Drill Claw is useful for reaching targets below the playable characters with an attack just as they jump/fly over them while allowing the player to damage enemies, break weak obstacles and certain platforms, and open Item Boxes in the user's path.

Game appearances

Sonic Adventure 2

The Drill Claw first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2 and its remake, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, where it is only usable by Knuckles the Echidna and Tikal. In these games, the users move with such speed when using the Drill Claw that they leave afterimages.

To use the Drill Claw in gameplay, the player must press // while in midair. While falling due to the move, the Drill Claw can be canceled before hitting the ground, leaving the user able to either fall normally or glide. This makes the Drill Claw a quick way for the player to descend. If the user touches the ground with the Drill Claw, they will automatically perform Dig (in Knuckles' case, he must possess the Shovel Claws for this to work). In addition, Knuckles' Drill Claw can be enhanced with the Hammer Gloves, allowing it to break Steel Containers.

Sonic Advance series

Sonic Advance 2

The Drill Claw in Sonic Advance 2.

In Sonic Advance 2, the Drill Claw serves both as one of Knuckles' regular moves and his Stop 'n' Slam maneuver. When using it, Knuckles' fists will be engulfed in flames .

To use the Drill Claw as a regular move, the player must press while in mid-jump. To use it as a Stop 'n' Slam maneuver, the player must press down on and the R Button at the same time after being launched into midair by gimmicks such as the Spring and Ramp. When used as the latter maneuver, the Drill Claw will not cancel the momentum Knuckles receives from the Boost Mode.

Sonic Advance 3

In Sonic Advance 3, the Drill Claw returned as a standard move for Knuckles. It also retains its visual presentation from Sonic Advance 2. In this game, Knuckles can only use the Drill Claw when having Amy Rose as his partner. To use the Drill Claw in gameplay, the player must press down on and at the same time while in mid-jump.

Sega Heroes

In Sega Heroes, Drill Claw appears as Knuckles' MAX skill, where the player needs at least twelve mana and destroys a random column.

Sonic Adventure 2

---

Main article · Scripts (Hero, Dark, Last) · Staff · Manuals · Glitches · Beta elements · Gallery · Pre-releases (The Trial, Preview, TRIAL Version) · Re-releases (Battle, 2012)

*Appears or is playable in only the 2P mode · ^Appears in only the original Dreamcast version
V·T·E · {{Adventure info}} · Category

Sonic Advance 2

---

Main article · Staff · Glitches · Beta elements · Gallery

V·T·E · {{Advance info}} · {{Advance 3 info}} · Category

Sonic Advance 3

---

Main article · Staff · Glitches · Gallery

V·T·E · {{Advance info}} · {{Advance 2 info}} · Category