- This article is about the video game character. For other uses, see Jet the Hawk (disambiguation).
Jet the Hawk (ジェット・ザ・ホーク Jetto za Hōku?) is a character that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is an anthropomorphic hawk and the leader of the current generation of Babylon Rogues. He is known as the "Legendary Wind Master" (伝説の風使い Densetsu no Kaze Tsukai?) due to his mastery of Extreme Gear riding, which has earned him an impressive reputation.[4]
Cocky and brash, Jet is very arrogant, prideful, and always seeks riches and fortunes. While also the Babylon Rogues' leader, Jet rarely takes his responsibilities seriously, though he knows how to assert his authority. For all his shady characteristics though, Jet is an honorable Extreme Gear rider.
Since losing to Sonic the Hedgehog in Extreme Gear, Jet has kept an intense rivalry with the hedgehog. Ever competitive, Jet has made it his foremost goal to best Sonic in speed and claim his title as the fastest thing in the universe.
Concept and creation[]
According to Sonic Riders game designer Takashi Yuda, Jet, Wave, and Storm were conceptualized by Sonic Team to be "air pirates" that would become Sonic's rivals.[5]
Appearance[]
Jet is an anthropomorphic hawk with green feathers covering his body and white feathers on his front torso. On his wrists there are dark green flame-like markings. He has a golden beak and bright blue eyes with red and black markings on the sides. His hair is styled like a mohawk with dark green tips. He also has a three-feathered tail with dark green tips.
For attire, Jet wears a pair of white gloves that possess visible lining with red and black cuffs and dark gray bands around each wrist. He also wears red, black and white boots with matching cuffs and gray soles, and goggles with yellow lenses, silver frames and dark gray straps.
Personality[]
Jet is extremely arrogant, confident, conceited and holds high standards. He boasts a massive ego, considering himself the fastest, and holds everyone else in low regard, often insulting their abilities while bragging about his own. While he is willing to praise those who impress him, he usually does so in the form of a backhanded compliment. He does not take kindly to anyone who is faster or more confident than him.
Jet is usually very rude and disrespectful and has a snide sense of humor. He enjoys insulting others and rubbing his victory or other's losses in their faces. Even when dealing with his own teammates, Jet cites both Storm and Wave with insults and ignores them. Also, when listening to Wave's long-winded talks, he either tells her to shorten her information down and put them in simple terms or ignores her completely.
Jet is extremely prideful and protective of his reputation, not wanting to look bad. He is also a sore loser and refuses the pity of others as he considers it a direct insult to his character. Regardless, he stands by his losses, even if it was because of unexpected events, and will work hard to overcome them. Over time, Jet has matured slightly and become more of a sport, as he gave Shadow and Rouge genuine compliments on their skills.
Mostly, Jet is laid-back and nonchalant, though he chooses not to show this to people he does not explicitly know, as he is too prideful to show his less desirable traits. While he knows his duties as leader of the Babylon Rogues, he does not takes his responsibilities very seriously, much to Wave's frustration, and seldom shows concern in the face of issues. However, he knows when to assert his authority. As a team leader, Jet is strict, has little tolerance for failure and dislikes showing any sign of weakness to anyone.[3] Over time, Jet has become a better leader and leads his team with a better attitude.
Jet is shown to have a very short temper, throwing a fit when a portrait fell on top of him and even twitching with build-up anger. While Jet has become more level-headed in some fields, such as ignoring Wave and Storm's frequent arguments, he is still prone to make angry outbursts at times.
Jet has a defined love for money and treasure, which he likes the most besides himself. His primary motivation in life is to acquire as much wealth as possible, even having daydreams of being surrounded by piles of gold, and if it turns out there is no profit to be gained from a heist, Jet quickly loses all interest in the matter. When it comes to acquiring wealth, Jet is very greedy and selfish. When he went after Eggman to get the Key to Babylon Garden back, it was only because he wanted the Treasure of Babylon and not because he wanted to stop Eggman from using it to conquer the world showing a anti-heroic side.
Jet enjoys Extreme Gear racing as well as any activity that requires extreme stamina and skill, and takes enormous pride in winning. While extremely competitive and desirous of victory, Jet despises cheating and strives to win fairly. If he cannot win using his own skills, his victory is meaningless to him, and he will actively seek a rematch to secure a proper victory. While he may not always show good sportsmanship, Jet enjoys racing worthy opponents and can be content with whatever the outcome may be after a good race.
IDW Publishing[]
Jet is a greedy thief, having no qualms about plundering official institutions in order to earn a profit. Even in life threatening situations, Jet has asked if the reward would be big enough for him in return for his help, as he does not do everything for free. However, he does have some standards, as he does not want his gang to appear like brutes, like when he scolded Storm for throwing Jewel out of their blimp. He also only seems interested in using his money to maintain his Extreme Gear. He is also very confident, but possesses a short temper. Despite his selfish nature, Jet is loyal to his teammates, Wave and Storm.[6][7]
Jet is extremely arrogant, crabby and prideful, as he refuses to have himself and his gang appear to be incompetent. As such, he is quick to grab an opportunity to prove himself after having his image besmirched, even when the situation seems inappropriate. Namely, after accidentally kidnapping Jewel, Jet, in an effort to make himself appear competent, tried to have Jewel's rescuers compete against him in a race in order to show off his skills, even though Wave insisted that they were "only" thieves and not kidnappers.[6] However, he does not want to be perceived as too helpful and kind.
Powers and abilities[]
Jet possesses impressive physical abilities. Like many other characters in the series, he is able to move around at high speeds on foot, enough to reach velocities well above 100 "Speed". He also possess great physical strength, at least in his lower body, being able to knock away an entire desk with a single kick.[8] Additionally, Jet's acrobatic skills and agility are well above average, enough to reach impressive heights when jumping,[9] leap through treetops with ease,[10] and perform advanced tricks and movements while in mid-air. He also has noticeable combat skills, as he could take down a couple of MeteorTech security robots by himself in midair using various maneuvers and kicks.[11] However, he excels at attacking with warfans.[1]
Jet riding on Extreme Gear while engaged in combat, from Sonic Riders.
Above all else, Jet is a master on an Extreme Gear,[2] being considered the most technically gifted Extreme Gear rider in all of history.[1][3] Furthermore, his mastery of Extreme Gear are so impressive that he is revered far and wide as the "Legendary Wind Master",[12][4] which has not only earned him an impressive reputation,[4] but also signifies the immense level of skills he possesses. He is likewise very knowledgeable in the field of Extreme Gear riding, namely by knowing the secrets to become the fastest at Extreme Gear.[13] On an Extreme Gear, Jet claims he has enough skills to outclass even Sonic's running speed.[14] He can as well perform amazing fast and complex tricks and body movements with his Extreme Gear while in midair, balance and grind perfectly on Grind Rails, create currents that can blow opponents away,[15] and engage in combat with other Extreme Gear riders without losing control over his Extreme Gear. In addition, Jet has the ability to accurately read the wind streams,[3] allowing him to ride his Extreme Gear to the fullest.
Physical abilities and Extreme Gears skills aside, Jet is a talented and professional thief.[4] Having pulled off successful heists and escaped capture from the authorities,[15] Jet is a seasoned thief and talented with sleight of hand.[16]
Besides Extreme Gear, Jet likewise has good piloting skills, being able to pilot the Babylon Rogues' ship on his own.[17] Funny enough, he also has a talent for sneezing,[1] which he uses to distract his opponents by sneezing at them.
IDW Publishing[]
Jet has proven himself to be a capable and swift Extreme Gear rider. He is also a capable leader and a professional thief hat together allow him to lead his team into successful heists.[18]
Equipment and weapons[]
The Type-J, from Sonic Free Riders.
Jet's choice of equipment is his Type-J, a Board type Extreme Gear made specifically by Wave for him to travel with at high speed. Over time, the Type-J has been redesigned to be so full of quirks so that only Jet can master it.[19][20]
Jet also wields a pair of large fans called the Bashōsens which he uses with great proficiency. With one fan, Jet can release powerful wind currents to blow opponents off course and disorientate them. He can also use both fans in melee combat, either smacking his opponents or spinning then around to knock away anyone that gets too close to him.[18]
Weaknesses[]
Complicated matters.[21]
Relationships[]
His father[]
Jet's relationship with his father is mostly unknown, but it does seem that he tends to keep in touch with his son, as evidenced by him writing a letter to him on his birthday. In return, Jet cares for and respects his father, regarding him as a "wise old man".
Storm the Albatross[]
Since Jet is the leader of the Babylon Rogues, Storm the Albatross does not call Jet by name but rather "boss", and does whatever he can to please Jet. Jet does not seem to consider Storm a close friend, usually acting like a leader and giving him missions.
His right-hand man. Storm always has Jet's back no matter the decision, even if it makes them both look ignorant. Jet is always appreciative of Storm's support and desire to please him. However, he does not like it when Storm does this and makes their group look incompetent. Sometimes, Storm is also too overzealous and interprets Jet's orders too literally. Despite this, Jet and Storm do care about each other enough to ride or fight together to the end.[22][23][24]
Wave the Swallow[]
Jet is also Wave the Swallow's boss, although unlike Storm, Wave simply calls him by his name as opposed to "boss". However, in the Japanese versions of the games, she refers to him with the honorific "-sama", indicating a degree of respect. She is the creator of Jet's Extreme Gear, Type-J. She also helps Jet by using her intelligence, but Jet sometimes seems to be bothered by her "long and boring speeches".
Though he knows he can count on her to do a good job, he does not appreciate her nagging over his wilder ideas. Wave only sees this as her being the voice of reason, but Jet, being impatient as he is, does not care much for this and will instead tease her, even when he realizes that she is right. Their arguments also often distract them from more important matters. Despite this, Jet and Wave do care about each other enough to ride or fight together to the end.[25][26]
Sonic the Hedgehog[]
Jet racing Sonic in Metal City, from Sonic Riders.
Jet and Sonic the Hedgehog have been rivals ever since they met. At first, when Jet was better than Sonic in Extreme Gear riding, Jet used to make fun of Sonic. In the last course in the World Grand Prix, Jet was surprised that he was actually losing against Sonic, so he (albeit unknowingly, due to Wave's deception) cheated, which allowed him to win. At the end of Sonic Riders, the two had a more friendly relationship bordering on friendship and promised each other to compete once again. In addition, although Jet desires to beat Sonic in racing, he does not wish to use unfair tactics to win against him, as he told Wave to not sabotage Sonic's Extreme Gear, and later told Wave off when he learned about the actual reason behind his win was indeed due to Wave sabotaging Sonic's Extreme Gear. Wave told Jet that it was time to split up and everyone hopped onto their Gears to go home. In Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, they met again and had a race, but it ended up as a draw. Sonic said at the end of the game that he would compete with Jet again in the World Grand Prix. However, in the final ending, when Sonic was in the car, Jet called his name and went after him asking for one last race. Sonic accepts it and the two compete against each other. It is unknown which one of them won the race as the credits of the game start.
Mainly based on their shared passion for speed. While Sonic sees Jet as a fun individual to throw jokes at and does not take him too seriously, Jet sees himself as a superior to Sonic and has no problem mocking him at any given time by using his full name. Though Sonic knows that Jet is a thief, he still holds a great level of respect for him and trusts him enough to work alongside him when a greater threat poses a challenge. Due to Jet's ego and lack of care for anybody other than himself and his gang, he tends to see Sonic as more of a "goodie-goodie". Nonetheless, Jet's large ego is also the reason why Sonic's requests and compliments are enough to convince him to help out. Jet also holds a certain level of respect for Sonic, enough to trust him to save the world.[27]
Master Zik[]
Jet and his gang first met Master Zik during a fight with him in Winterburg. There, Zik pointed out Jet's poor leadership when he accidentally left Wave and Storm behind. Zik then tried to provoke Jet, who refused to accept defeat and beg for mercy. Instead, he allowed his allies to deal with Master Zik. He also did not chase after him afterwards, knowing that he would not get in the way of the Babylon Rogues again.[25][26][28]
Whisper the Wolf[]
Jet and Whisper the Wolf have some neutral relationship, but he has a pretty high opinion on her, as he tried to recruit her, but she declined, and Jet apparently didn't care about her denial.[29]
Surge the Tenrec[]
Jet getting frustrated by Surge's showboating
Jet first met Surge the Tenrec while competing in Clean Sweepstakes, Jet became frustrated during the second race when the Phantom Rider showed up and Surge stopped him but, in the end, Jet won the race with the audience cheering for her and not him causing him to dislike her. During the next race in Misty Spire Jet would grow frustrated at her when she started showboating even telling her to shut up showing the two have no respect for each other. Wave would even help Jet ignore her and to remain calm, but Jet was continuing to doubt her.[30][31]
Friends/allies[]
- The Babylon Rogues (teammates)
Neutral[]
- Blaze the Cat
- Big the Cat
- Cheese
- Chocola
- Clutch the Opossum (contact)
- Gemerl
- Nite the Owl
- Restoration
- Silver the Hedgehog
- Sticks the Badger
- Tangle the Lemur
- Team Chaotix
- Team Dark
- Team Heroes
- Knuckles the Echidna
- Miles "Tails" Prower
- Sonic the Hedgehog (arch-rival)
- Team Rose
- Whisper the Wolf
Enemies[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Could use this move in Sonic Dash.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Could use this move in Sonic Forces: Speed Battle via Ice Slicer Jet.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Sonic Channel (Japanese). Characters: Jet. Sega. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved on 30 August 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Devra Newberger Speregen (2016). Sonic: The Ultimate Character Guide. Scholastic. p. 53. ISBN 978-1338033243.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Sonic Free Riders (Xbox 360) United States instruction booklet, pg. 11.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Sonic Riders (Nintendo GameCube) United States instruction booklet, pg. 7.
- ↑ Sega Talks Sonic Riders. GameSpy (20 January 2006). Archived from the original on 21 February 2006. Retrieved on 17 February 2022.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2019, "Bonds of Friendship"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #25, "A Sudden Shift"
- ↑ Sonic Team, Sonic Team USA (17 March 2006). Sonic Riders. PlayStation 2. Sega. Area/level: Ice Factory.
- ↑ Sonic Team, Sonic Team USA (17 March 2006). Sonic Riders. PlayStation 2. Sega. Area/level: Green Cave.
- ↑ Sonic Team, Sonic Team USA (17 March 2006). Sonic Riders. PlayStation 2. Sega. Area/level: White Cave.
- ↑ Sonic Team, CRI Middleware (22 February 2008). Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity. PlayStation 2. Sega. Area/level: Snowy Kingdom.
- ↑ Sonic Riders official website. Characters: Jet the Hawk. Sega. Archived from the original on 12 June 2006. Retrieved on 12 June 2006. "Has Sonic finally met his match? This mysterious new character is widely known as the "Legendary Wind Master" due to his impressive Extreme Gear skills. He leads a talented group of thieves known as the Babylon Rogues and he carries a mysterious control box said to have been passed down from the Ancient Babylonians."
- ↑ Sonic Team, Sonic Team USA (17 March 2006). Sonic Riders. PlayStation 2. Sega. Area/level: Green Cave. "Jet: You know, I've checked you out actually. Not bad; I admit you're pretty fast on your feet. But here, it's a whole different story when riding with Extreme Gear! You see, to be the fastest on a Gear, you have to become one with the wind! Without wings, well, you might as well kiss the ground and go home!"
- ↑ Sonic Team, Sonic Team USA (17 March 2006). Sonic Riders. PlayStation 2. Sega. Area/level: Opening sequence (Babylon storyline). "Jet: Hmph. He may be the fastest creature on the ground, but in the air, with me and my Extreme Gear, he's just a joke. Ah ha ha ha ha!"
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Sonic Team, Sonic Team USA (17 March 2006). Sonic Riders. PlayStation 2. Sega. Area/level: Opening sequence (Heroes' storyline).
- ↑ Sonic Team, CRI Middleware (22 February 2008). Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity. PlayStation 2. Sega. Area/level: Opening sequence (Babylon storyline).
- ↑ Sonic Team, Sonic Team USA (17 March 2006). Sonic Riders. PlayStation 2. Sega. Area/level: Babylon Garden.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2019, "Bonds of Friendship"
- ↑ Sonic Team, CRI Middleware (22 February 2008). Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity. PlayStation 2. Sega. "Type-J's profile: Jet's gear, redesigned by Wave. Full of quirks, nobody but Jet could master this peaky ride."
- ↑ Sonic Team, CRI Middleware (22 February 2008). Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity. PlayStation 2. Sega. "Type-J's profile: Wave rebuilt this gear for Jet from the ground up. It uses a peaky tuning only Jet can properly control."
- ↑ Devra Newberger Speregen (2016). Sonic: The Ultimate Character Guide. Scholastic. p. 53. ISBN 978-1338033243.
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #26, "All or Nothing, Part 1"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #27, "All or Nothing, Part 2"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #28, "All or Nothing, Part 3"
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Sonic the Hedgehog #26, "All or Nothing, Part 1"
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Sonic the Hedgehog #28, "All or Nothing, Part 3"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #25, "A Sudden Shift"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #30, "Cured"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog Annual 2022, "Another Grand Adventure for Jet the Hawk"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #70, "Story two"
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog #71, "Story three"
