The Gun Beetle[1] (ガンビートル Ganbītoru?), also spelled as GUN Beetle,[2] is an enemy in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is a mass-produced robot model deployed by the military organization Guardian Units of Nations, and a part of Beetle series.
Appearance
Resembling the Mono Beetles, the original Gun Beetles look like grey balls with blue outlines and armor on the front. On top of them, they have a sharp blue cap with a red-striped edge. Below this cap, reaching from just behind the edge of their front armor to far behind their back, they have a horizontal yellow turbine disk with a red and blue-striped frame. On their "face", they also have a single yellow, red and white lens. Unlike the Mono Beetle, however, the Gun Beetles come equipped with a thin red gun barrel on their bottom and box-shaped magazines on their lower rear.
In Sonic Generations, the Gun Beetles' design was slightly tweaked. Here, their lenses were made more red and white, their cap was emblazoned with G.U.N.'s symbol and the number "01", and their gun became more advanced.
Game appearances
Sonic Adventure 2

A Gun Beetle shooting at Shadow, from Sonic Adventure 2.
The Gun Beetle first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2 and its remake, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle. When attacking the player, it shoots one projectile at a time. It awards 100 points when destroyed. Each Gun Beetle has different ways of attacking, with some not attacking unless the player is close to them and others will attack with two shots per second, even if the player is far away (especially in Hard mode). In rare cases, the Gun Beetles may not even shoot at all. Gun Beetles are not immune to their shots however, so, if it is hit by another Beetle's shot, it will be destroyed.
When the player is within a Gun Beetle's range, its eye will start glowing red, and then it will track the playable character's movements before taking aim and shooting at them.
The Gun Beetle appears in the following stages:
Character | Stage | |
---|---|---|
Normal mode | Hard mode | |
Sonic | Crazy Gadget | City Escape Crazy Gadget |
Tails | Eternal Engine | Prison Lane Eternal Engine |
Shadow | White Jungle | Radical Highway White Jungle |
Dr. Eggman | Lost Colony Iron Gate |
Lost Colony |
Rouge | Dry Lagoon Security Hall |
Shadow the Hedgehog
In Shadow the Hedgehog, the Gun Beetle once again appears as an enemy. In this game, it carries a variety of guns that it can use during battle. These weapons can be picked up by Shadow when the Gun Beetle is destroyed. These weapons include:
Sonic Generations
In the console/PC version of Sonic Generations, Gun Beetles from somewhere across spacetime appear as enemies in City Escape. In gameplay, they return to firing single projectiles, much like in Sonic Adventure 2.
In other media
Sonic X

In the anime series Sonic X, the Gun Beetles debuted during the Sonic Adventure 2 adaptation saga. In this media, they were constructed after the Perfect Chaos incident to combat Dr. Eggman's forces.
Trivia
- In Shadow the Hedgehog, in a number of stages (such as Circus Park), its full name is a "G.U.N. beetle drone sentry".
Gallery
Concept artwork
Artwork
Models
Screenshots
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References
- ↑ Prima Development (20 June 2001). "Enemies" (in English). Sonic Adventure 2: Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games. p. 16. ISBN 978-0761536147.
- ↑ Kaizen Media Group (22 November 2005). "Enemies". Shadow the Hedgehog: Prima Official Game Guide. Prima Games. p. 90. ISBN 978-0761551959.