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Sonic Wiki Zone
Sonic Wiki Zone
m (Reverted edits by Sonicfan0101 (talk) to last version by Josiahblaze)
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[[Sonic the Hedgehog]] is Knuckles' rival and best friend, and who Knuckles has known for longer than anybody else.<ref name="RunnersData">{{Cite web|url=http://sonicrunners.sega-net.com/en/index.html |title= Sonic Runners |publisher= Sega |accessdate= 20 February 2015}}</ref><ref name="SAdvance3">''Sonic Advance 3'' (Game Boy Advance) North American instruction booklet.</ref> Their relationship seems to be complicated, with Sonic being cool and cheeky and Knuckles being tough and serious.
 
[[Sonic the Hedgehog]] is Knuckles' rival and best friend, and who Knuckles has known for longer than anybody else.<ref name="RunnersData">{{Cite web|url=http://sonicrunners.sega-net.com/en/index.html |title= Sonic Runners |publisher= Sega |accessdate= 20 February 2015}}</ref><ref name="SAdvance3">''Sonic Advance 3'' (Game Boy Advance) North American instruction booklet.</ref> Their relationship seems to be complicated, with Sonic being cool and cheeky and Knuckles being tough and serious.
   
When they [[Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles|first met]], they started off as enemies, as [[Doctor Eggman|Doctor Robotnik]] had tricked the echidna into believing the hedgehog and his fox sidekick, [[Miles "Tails" Prower|Tails]], were after the [[Master Emerald]] for evil purposes, although later on Knuckles discovers he had been deceived, helping Sonic and Tails catch up to the mad scientist, and, after the duo retrieve the massive gem from Robotnik, they and the echidna depart on good terms. Despite this, however, Knuckles still held a somewhat inhospitable attitude towards Sonic, though it has been implied it is because he finds Sonic's free lifestyle and self-reliant nature enviable, although he would never admit it.
+
When they [[Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles|first met]], they started off as enemies, as [[Doctor Eggman|Doctor Robotnik]] had tricked the echidna into believing the hedgehog and his fox sidekick, [[Miles "Tails" Prower|Tails]], were after the [[Chaos Emeralds]] for evil purposes, although later on Knuckles discovers he had been deceived, helping Sonic and Tails catch up to the mad scientist, and, after the duo retrieve the [[Master Emerald]] from Robotnik, they and the echidna depart on good terms. Despite this, however, Knuckles still held a somewhat inhospitable attitude towards Sonic, though it has been implied it is because he finds Sonic's free lifestyle and self-reliant nature enviable, although he would never admit it.
   
 
Due to his lack of social abilities, in the past Knuckles used to fall for Dr. Eggman's deceiving very often, which, in turn, would be the cause of most of his confrontations with Sonic (and to a minor extent, Tails), although as time passed, the echidna has generally become more aware of Eggman's plans and has stopped believing his claims regarding the hedgehog.
 
Due to his lack of social abilities, in the past Knuckles used to fall for Dr. Eggman's deceiving very often, which, in turn, would be the cause of most of his confrontations with Sonic (and to a minor extent, Tails), although as time passed, the echidna has generally become more aware of Eggman's plans and has stopped believing his claims regarding the hedgehog.

Revision as of 14:48, 8 August 2020

This is a Sonic Wiki Zone Featured Article

I'll probably be on this floating island forever, guarding the Master Emerald again. I may not know the whole story behind this, but perhaps it's better that way. I'm at peace once more.


— Knuckles the Echidna, Sonic Adventure[10]

Knuckles the Echidna (ナックルズ・ザ・エキドゥナ Nakkuruzu za Ekiduna?) is a main character from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is an anthropomorphic echidna and the current guardian of the Master Emerald, a powerful ancient relic which is his solemn duty to protect from anyone seeking to abuse it. He is also the sole remaining descendant of the Knuckles Clan and last of the echidnas on earth.[11] His dominant traits are his super strength, and the two spike-like knuckles on each of his hands, from which his name is derived from, which he can use to dig with and climb walls. He can also trap the wind under his dreadlocks to glide through the air.

A loner by nature, Knuckles is independent, headstrong and serious, yet gullible and short-tempered to a fault. He is entirely devoted to his duty, spending most of his time on Angel Island protecting the Master Emerald, and rarely cares for anything that is of no importance. When his friends and others are in need of his help, however, Knuckles can always be relied on being willing to leave his post and prove himself a faithful and good-hearted hero. He is also one of Sonic's oldest friends and rivals.

Quick Answers

What is Knuckles the Echidna's role in the Sonic the Hedgehog series? toggle section
Knuckles the Echidna is the current guardian of the Master Emerald and the sole surviving descendant of the echidna race from the Knuckles Clan. He is known for his powerful and wild nature, super strength, and ability to dig and climb walls with his spike-like knuckles. He is also one of Sonic the Hedgehog's oldest friends and rivals.
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What is Knuckles the Echidna's personality like? toggle section
Knuckles the Echidna is independent, headstrong, and a loner by nature. He is also dedicated to protecting the Master Emerald and dislikes being tricked or betrayed. He enjoys peace and quiet, hanging out with his friends, and treasure hunting.
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What does Knuckles the Echidna dislike? toggle section
Knuckles the Echidna dislikes strong sunshine, big cities, being tricked or betrayed, fighting or hurting innocent people, Dr. Eggman and his robots, anyone who comes after the Master Emerald, being thought of as weak, crookedness, and failing to protect the Master Emerald. He also dislikes Rouge messing with him.
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What is Knuckles the Echidna's attire? toggle section
Knuckles the Echidna wears white gloves with pointed knuckles and red and yellow shoes with green cuffs and metal plates.
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What is Knuckles the Echidna's fur color? toggle section
Knuckles the Echidna has red and white fur.
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Concept and creation

Knuckles-the-Echidna-Character-Sketches

Knuckles' original design.

Knuckles was created and designed by Takashi Thomas Yuda. During the conception of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the development team wanted to create a new rival for Sonic.[12] The final design of Knuckles was the result of dozens of possible designs inspired by numerous different animals.[12][13] The emphasis of the character was to break walls.[14] Knuckles' shoes are based on the colors of the Rastafarian flag, and his appearance is overall Rastafarian. In fact, he was initially meant to speak with a Jamaican accent.[15]

Knuckles was created by developer Takashi Yuda, who never intended him to be any more than a "supporting character."[16] Knuckles was introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 as an "intimidator" because of his powerful abilities.[17] He was given a headlining role in the next game, Sonic & Knuckles.[18]

Appearance

Knuckles 16

Knuckles, from Sonic Advance 3.

Knuckles is an anthropomorphic echidna with red fur that covers most of his body, peach skin on his muzzle, a white crescent-shaped patch of fur on his chest, and purple eyes. He also has seven dreadlock-like spines on his head and a medium-sized, tri-crooked tail.

For attire, Knuckles wears red and yellow shoes, each with green cuffs and a grey, sextuple-bolted plate on top. He also wears large, white, mitten-like gloves with sock-like cuffs and two spiked knuckles on each hand.

Personality

CS K US

Knuckles' profile in Sonic Jam.

Knuckles is independent, wild, tough, and a loner by nature. Like how Sonic embodies the wind, Knuckles embodies the mountain;[1] stern, unmovable and anchored to his duty. Due to having lived in seclusion for most of his life, Knuckles is a rather antisocial and reclusive individual. As such, he cares very little about what others think, which makes him bluntly honest, straight-forward, and somewhat egotistical.[19]

Knuckles is fiercely loyal to his homeland and does whatever is in his power to protect it. He prefers to stay close to the island's current emerald shrine to keep a watchful eye over everything at his home. Despite this devotion, Knuckles is willing to leave his duty whenever his help is needed, or when he feels the Master Emerald and Angel Island will be safe. Though Knuckles has found other lifestyles appealing, he will never trade away his duties as he is far too devoted to his role as guardian. When not performing his duties, Knuckles prefers spending his time practicing his fighting skills, going treasure hunting, or hanging out with his friends.

Knuckles is usually solemn, stoic, collected, and usually likes to be by himself. He is likewise stubborn, headstrong, and inflexible, preferring to do things his way, which causes him to clash with others. Regardless, he is very strong-willed, seldom wavering in his determination and will not give up on his goals once he has set them. While he is cool and determined in battle, Knuckles has an extremely short and wild temper and is hard to reason with when he is angry. Though his temper has often been known to get him into trouble, Knuckles has also learned to use it to his advantage by channeling it into his fighting skills.

Knuckles profile SG

Knuckles profile in Sonic Generations.

Despite being a silent loner, Knuckles is heroic, brave, kind-hearted, and selfless, risking his life to save anyone or get them out of trouble, and shows empathy for people, even if they are a villain or enemy. He is likewise a loyal and caring friend, who is always willing to help his friends out in tight situations and will do anything to protect them. When not angered, Knuckles is pretty laid-back and never cracks under pressure. He can also be very understanding on the sly and does not take kindly to people who disrespect or hurt his friends, or innocents, in any way.

Having been living much of his life in isolation, Knuckles grew up believing in honesty and holds a firm and steadfast belief that there is good in everyone, which always lets him give people second chances. Because of his lack of social ingenuity, however, it makes him very naive, incredibly gullible, fast about forgiving people and easily misled, which has given him a history of being tricked by Eggman. This has made Knuckles aggressive and suspicious towards anyone he deems questionable. Over time, however, Knuckles has gotten better about this and is more suspicious concerning Eggman's trickery. Once he finds out he has been tricked, Knuckles can get quite angered, but quickly regains enough of his composure to start working towards a resolution immediately.

Though not dull-witted, Knuckles is often prone to rash and ill-advised actions. While not above picking complex strategies, Knuckles often chooses force to be the solution, pushing himself through obstacles while focusing on his goal and ignoring other factors along the way. Similarly, he can also be quite reckless when panicking about the Master Emerald, such being especially evident during the Space Colony ARK incident, where he ended up fighting Sonic for the controls of the Space Shuttle and causing it to crash land as well as abandoning his allies out of a panic due to the Master Emerald shards being lost to space from a collision with a meteor forcing the cargo bay to open. When in his right element however, Knuckles can be quite clever, sharp-witted and sneaky, such as setting several successful traps for Sonic and Tails on Angel Island when they first arrived. He is also capable of learning from his mistakes. Knuckles has also proven himself to have a high degree of leadership skills, most noticeably during his time as the commander of the Resistance. He is noted to be very charismatic with inspirational speeches, and he has a flair of daring plans that provided the Resistance with a much-needed offensive during the War to Take Back the Planet. However, for all his skills as a leader, Knuckles is still easily distracted and prefers to be out on the battlefield rather than in the command center.

Knuckles is said to be shy around women,[20] which makes him act awkwardly around girls like Amy, Blaze, and Rouge. Because of his secluded lifestyle on Angel Island, Knuckles feels very uncomfortable in industrialized or crowded cities and places and being around hi-tech objects or gadgets (mostly because he's not inclined).

Knuckles seems to have lightened up in later games, such as Sonic Generations and Sonic Forces. While he still displays some brooding, headstrong and stubborn attitude, he is shown being better to acknowledge his shortcomings and displays more personal restraint and better social interaction.

Powers and abilities

Being the guardian of the Master Emerald, Knuckles is a very powerful fighter. He is a master in a number of martial arts,[19][21] focusing on hand-to-hand combat, and is capable of taking on even the most powerful of opponents without rest, such as when he took down several of the military-trained Nocturnus Clan soldiers. Even more so, he has been able to fight Sonic the Hedgehog to a standstill on several occasions. Also, in Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, Tails noted that anyone who can beat Knuckles in a fight must be very powerful, a testament to his fighting abilities.

File:Tsonic win 2016-07-12 23-10-52-426.png

Knuckles punching the ground with enough force to trigger an eruption.

Knuckles' trademark ability is his immense superhuman strength, which is so vast that he can pulverize massive boulders, punch through solid steel, and lift objects several times his size and weight with ease.[22][11] By comparison, Knuckles' strength is stated to equal Sonic's speed;[23] considering Sonic's measured footspeed, which range between Mach 1-5, it would mean that Knuckles is capable of lifting 100-500 metric tons.[note 1] This makes Knuckles one of the physically strongest characters in the series.[11] Knuckles' strength seems to lie in his upper body, particularly in his arms and fists, the latter of which are noted to be as hard as rocks.[24] Another testament to Knuckles' strength is that by punching the ground, he can create fissures, widespread tremors, and even small volcanic eruptions. Additionally, he can punch with his fists or throw objects through the air with such force that they ignite from friction. He can even launch punches with such force that they cause air molecules to split and create explosions of enormous power.

KMPlayer 2016-07-12 23-14-39-288

Knuckles running at speeds comparable to Sonic and Tails.

Knuckles is shown to possess the ability to run at breakneck speeds, enough to let him keep up with both Sonic and Tails' running speed.[25] He is even able to run fast enough to create afterimages of himself. Even so, he is not quite as fast as Sonic at his maximum speed, as Knuckles is noted to run fairly slow by comparison. Additionally, while Knuckles is capable of executing rapid punches in quick succession within a split-second,[26] he has been noted to have slow movements in combat.[27]

Knuckles possesses near-maximized physical endurance and durability to match his astounding strength. He can thus take just as much punishment as he can dish out and has achieved numerous feats of impressive durability. These include surviving a bomb exploding right in front of him through sheer toughness,[28][29] and going through atmospheric reentry and then land on the ground unharmed.[30] Also, despite the force of the impacts Knuckles' fists receive when punching at high forces, he is never phased by the recoil, regardless of what he hits or how hard he is hitting. Knuckles additionally has enough stamina to hold out against an army of enemies without rest.

Unlike Sonic, Knuckles is a very experienced swimmer. Due to his interest in being a treasure hunter, he can swim to incredible depths and with both great speed and skill. Knuckles is also a proficient burrower, able to dig into any wall or floor and excels at tunneling through subterranean regions at great speed.[31]

Chara06 01

Knuckles gliding.

Knuckles is also shown to have sharp reflexes and acrobatic skills, enough to let him do special tricks and movements while in mid-air, pull off various Spin Attack maneuvers at high speed, and grind along rails just as fast as Sonic while doing tricks and evading obstacles.[22] Additionally, Knuckles can jump several stories into the air from a standstill position.[32] While not being quite as acrobatic as Sonic and Shadow, Knuckles makes up for his lack of agility through his wide range of movement abilities. By stretching his arms and legs outwards while airborne, Knuckles can catch the air under his dreadlock-like spines to ride on air currents,[33] allowing him to expertly glide long distances through mid-air. Also, by using the spikes on his fists, Knuckles can scale any kind of surface with ease.

Knuckles has the uncanny ability to sense the chaos energy of the Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald, or similar objects like Sol Emeralds, and can track down their "signals" which makes him a living Emerald Detector. Like Sonic and Shadow, Knuckles can also harness the power of the Chaos Emeralds to empower himself.

File:PSP - Sonic Rivals 2 - Loading Screens.png

Knuckles' fighting style in Sonic Rivals 2.

When in battle, Knuckles makes use of his powerful arms and fists to take on his foes, with his specialty lying in punching moves where he uses his spiked fists for some devastating effects. In terms of fighting style, Knuckles' focuses specifically on power, using robust and forceful punches, such as power-packed jabs or piercing uppercuts to deal damaging blows to his opponents. Once he catches an opponent in his combos, he will keep them trapped by keeping up his strikes, not allowing his opponents a chance to counterattack. For stronger strikes, Knuckles tend to build up momentum with his fists by swinging them around, before hitting his opponent with full force. In his Major Eruption move, Knuckles takes advantage of his burrowing abilities, hiding underground and hitting opponents with an uppercut as he leaps out when his opponent least expects it.

Despite being a powerhouse in close combat, as stated by Sonic, most of Knuckles' fighting moves are slow and easy to read, making Knuckles more vulnerable to the fastest characters who can read his moves and rapidly counterattack.

Knuckles can also perform the Spin Attack, where he curls tightly into a concussive ball or cutting disk, while in locomotion to damage, mow down, or burrow through obstacles and foes, and any substance if given enough speed. Using the Spin Jump, Knuckles can leap into the air and curl in a spinning ball to deal damage to anything he lands on. The Spin Dash lets him shoot himself as an acceleration roll at high speeds to break barriers or mow down enemies. The Homing Attack allows Knuckles to jump and home in on an enemy to attack.

Knuckles is also an expert treasure hunter with infallible instincts (which is referred to as his treasure sense[34][35]), which is shown during his several hunts for Emerald Shards and can be considered one of the best treasure hunters in the world, if not the best.[36] He can sense the presence of treasure nearby and is even able to pick up its scent and sniff his way to it.[35][37] While not exactly highly intelligent, Knuckles is well-versed in ancient cultures, ruins, and legends, and is very knowledgeable on the subject, such as when he was able to translate the ancient texts at Gigan Rocks with little effort.

File:Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing 2016-07-05 16-03-00-571.png

Knuckles tapping into the power of the Master Emerald in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing.

Knuckles has been shown to possess some mystical abilities of his own. In addition to summoning lightning bolts. He displays some limited geokinetic abilities, such as harnessing elemental earth energies to protect or heal himself, or calling forth meteors from above, which is described as "supernatural control of earth". Knuckles is also one of the few who knows how to access and utilize the Master Emerald, allowing him to tap into the gem's powers to utilize its different properties or empower himself.

Knuckles has proven himself to be a skilled Extreme Gear rider, having proven himself a worthy competitor against many of the world's best Extreme Gear riders. To best put his skills in perspective, Knuckles was able to beat Storm the Albatross in a race, who is regarded as a legendary wind Master. When riding his Extreme Gear, Knuckles can bash his way through obstacles effortlessly and engage in close combat with his fellow racers, without losing control. With his Extreme Gear skills, Knuckles can even enhance his physical abilities.

When it comes down to it, Knuckles can show very competent leadership skills. This was primarily demonstrated during the War to Take Back the Planet where he was able to lead the Resistance for several months against the Eggman Empire and even come up with war strategies of his own. As seen during Dodon Pa's Grand Prix, Knuckles also has excellent skills when it comes to driving and racing in racecars like the Land Breaker.

Transformations

Super Knuckles

Main article: Super Knuckles
Knucklessupershield

Super Knuckles in Sonic Heroes.

With the seven Chaos Emeralds, Knuckles is able to attain a Super State known as Super Knuckles. In this state, all of Knuckles' abilities far surpass his normal ones. In addition, he is able to fly and is virtually invulnerable. However, this transformation consumes a lot of energy and requires Rings to be maintained.

Hyper Knuckles

Main article: Hyper Knuckles

In Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, Knuckles can transform into an extended version of Super Knuckles, called Hyper Knuckles, with the seven Super Emeralds. This form basically shares the same abilities and powers as Super Knuckles but on an even higher level.

Color Powers

Main article: Color Power

By harnessing different variants of Hyper-go-on from Wisps, Knuckles can use specific Color Powers to transform into a certain form, such as a drill, a laser or even a planet, each one possessing its own unique abilities. So far, Knuckles has been able to transform into the Cyan Laser, Yellow Drill, and Indigo Asteroid. However, these transformations require a steady supply of Hyper-go-on to be maintained.

Relationships

Sonic the Hedgehog

Sadxposter2

Knuckles and Sonic in Sonic Adventure.

Sonic the Hedgehog is Knuckles' rival and best friend, and who Knuckles has known for longer than anybody else.[21][38] Their relationship seems to be complicated, with Sonic being cool and cheeky and Knuckles being tough and serious.

When they first met, they started off as enemies, as Doctor Robotnik had tricked the echidna into believing the hedgehog and his fox sidekick, Tails, were after the Chaos Emeralds for evil purposes, although later on Knuckles discovers he had been deceived, helping Sonic and Tails catch up to the mad scientist, and, after the duo retrieve the Master Emerald from Robotnik, they and the echidna depart on good terms. Despite this, however, Knuckles still held a somewhat inhospitable attitude towards Sonic, though it has been implied it is because he finds Sonic's free lifestyle and self-reliant nature enviable, although he would never admit it.

Due to his lack of social abilities, in the past Knuckles used to fall for Dr. Eggman's deceiving very often, which, in turn, would be the cause of most of his confrontations with Sonic (and to a minor extent, Tails), although as time passed, the echidna has generally become more aware of Eggman's plans and has stopped believing his claims regarding the hedgehog.

They share a competitive rivalry and often end up fighting when clashing, although it has become more friendly in recent times, being now more a play between the two. With Sonic's speed paralleling Knuckles' strength in every way, their fights are always climatic.

Over time, Knuckles' relationship with Sonic has improved greatly and he has come to see Sonic as both a rival and one of his best friends (the other being Tails), helping each other in many situations. Knuckles is a vital part of Sonic's team, and the two have worked together several times, as seen in Sonic Heroes and in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).

In Sonic Generations, Knuckles helps organize Sonic's birthday party. In this game, it is shown that Knuckles is actually impressed by Sonic and has belief in his abilities, but does not directly want to admit it. This is shown when Knuckles responded, "Thanks for the help, not that I needed it!" after Modern Sonic saves Knuckles, as well as when Knuckles told Sonic when he was not "half bad" after fixing time, beating the Time Eater, and saving his friends. If Classic Sonic saves him, then he compliments Sonic by responding, "Thanks Sonic, you did a good job back there", although he also asks him if he gained weight.

In Sonic Lost World, Knuckles helps Sonic in his task to rescue the animal friends from Dr. Eggman, working separately (alongside Amy) from him and Tails. Through the game, Knuckles jokingly teases Sonic by telling him he could finish faster, although at the end of the game, he is happy to see Sonic and Tails returning from their adventure.

In Sonic Forces, Knuckles takes the position of commander of the Resistance against the Eggman Empire after the latter managed to capture Sonic and take over the world. In this game, the echidna is shown to be much friendlier towards Sonic, as he is seen worried about the hedgehog's well-being at the time of his disappearance, and is actually joyful when Rouge informs him that Sonic is actually alive. When Knuckles hears Sonic's voice in the Avatar's communicator, he expresses happiness, although he is also concerned about his friend's escape from the rebuilt Death Egg. As Sonic returns to earth, Knuckles tells his friend that seeing him back was "the best news they could have had in months".

Miles "Tails" Prower

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Knuckles and Tails

Miles "Tails" Prower is a close friend of Knuckles. Although they don't seem to have much of a relationship in the earlier games, when they first met, Knuckles and Tails were enemies, as Doctor Robotnik had tricked the echidna into believing Tails and Sonic were intruders seeking the Master Emerald for evil purposes, though they become friends when Knuckles discovers that Robotnik had lied to him.

Unlike with Sonic, Knuckles does not see Tails as his rival, and generally shows a more amicable towards the fox as well, particularly compared to his interactions with Sonic and other characters, although Tails occasionally irritates Knuckles with his technobabble. Likewise, Knuckles seems to enjoy teasing Tails from time to time as well, such as when he scares Tails with the idea that they fought with Shadow's ghost just before entering Hang Castle. Despite this, Tails is probably Knuckles' best friend after Sonic, and the two have teamed up several times through the series.

Knuckles has also shown that he cares about Tails, having assured Tails he had nothing to worry about when the fox cub once grew worried about Eggman's plots in Sonic Heroes; in that same game, the two were also hanging out in the Tornado 2 at the very beginning, before reuniting with Sonic later on, and Knuckles even points out after the trio defeated the Egg Emperor at Dr. Eggman's Final Fortress that the hedgehog "wouldn't of had a chance" if "it wasn't for [them]".

Knuckles similarly defended Tails after Wave the Swallow taunted him in Sonic Riders.

In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), Tails and Knuckles appear as Sonic's main allies during his story; the two are also seen cheering Sonic in his battle against Solaris, and celebrating together after Solaris' defeat.

In Sonic Rivals, after Sonic had rescued Tails at Death Yard Zone, Knuckles (who was on a quest of his own to recover the Master Emerald), was seemingly surprised and happy to see Tails free from the card containing him at the same time; Tails later aids Knuckles and Sonic reach Eggman Nega's stronghold, the Meteor Base Zone.

In Sonic Forces, both Tails and Knuckles (along with the rest of the Resistance) agree to be "friends forever", at the end of the game.

In Team Sonic Racing, Tails and Knuckles (alongside Sonic) are invited to participate on Dodon Pa's Grand Prix as a team. In this game, the two seem to get along as usual, although the echidna became somewhat distrustful of the fox when he discovers him speaking to Vector the Crocodile in private. This caused him warn Sonic later on that Tails was "being sneaky".

Although they are good friends, Tails and Knuckles have fought each other on a few occasions (almost always when Knuckles has been tricked by Dr. Eggman), but in the end, there are never any hard feelings between them.

Amy Rose

Amy & Knuckles (Sonic Generations)

Amy and Knuckles cheering Sonic.

Amy Rose has only been seen interacting with Knuckles on rare occasions, although they seem to have an awkward, yet at the same time, friendly relationship. Although the two do not interact much (if at all) in the earlier games, they do so more often in the later installments of the series. In Sonic Heroes, the two are on opposing sides; when playing as Team Sonic, at the beginning of the battle against Team Rose, Knuckles will taunt Sonic about Amy saying, "Have you been messing with that girl's heart again Sonic?" In Sonic Rush, Amy stops Knuckles from starting a fight with Blaze. In Sonic Forces, they work together as part of the Resistance. Although they get along well in this game, Amy has to keep Knuckles in check at times, especially when Knuckles was more than willing to do the distraction at Green Hill himself, with Amy then saying that as the commander of the Resistance, he needs to stay at the Resistance HQ.

Dr. Eggman

Screenshot 201711

Eggman telling Knuckles that Sonic is also seaching the pieces of the Master Emerald.

Knuckles is Doctor Eggman's third most formidable foe after Sonic and Tails, thwarting his plans most of the time, although, as stated before, due to his gullible nature, the echidna has also been the target of constant deception by the mad scientist, particularly in the past. As the games pass by, however, Knuckles has generally become more aware of Dr. Eggman's plans, as mentioned in the guide for Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity.

Knuckles has also shown a rough attitude towards the doctor in more recent titles, such as the Sonic Rivals series, even once stating that he will not believe anything he says, a twist to his former attitude against him and something even Eggman is taken aback from.

Shadow the Hedgehog

Knuckles and Shadow the Hedgehog don't have much interaction with each other, but when they do, they are either allies or rivals. He and Knuckles started off as enemies in Sonic Adventure 2 because Shadow impersonated Sonic and had him thrown in jail at Prison Island. Towards the end of the game, they became allies when they had to save the planet from the Space Colony ARK.

The first real fight between them happened in Sonic Heroes when Team Dark provoked Team Sonic into battling them, although Shadow didn't remember Knuckles or Sonic and Tails. After the fight, Knuckles jokingly mentioned that they might have fought Shadow's ghost.

In Shadow the Hedgehog Knuckles appears in Glyphic Canyon, Central City, and Black Comet stages asking for Shadow's help in Hero missions.

In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) he and Shadow were loosely allies in the game, and they worked together again for a time in order to return to the present.

Shadow and Knuckles appear to have some bitter resentment towards each other as seen in Sonic Rivals when Shadow bluntly pointed out that Knuckles was useless for his shortcomings while retaining an indifferent attitude towards his challenges, and Knuckles seemed to be irritated by Shadow's presence. Knuckles seems to find Shadow and his indecisive attitude and smug demeanor annoying, and it is likely that Shadow's inflated ego tends to rub Knuckles the wrong way, and an example of this is seen in Sonic Free Riders when Knuckles pointed out that Shadow had a big ego in a rather annoyed tone. Overall, Knuckles and Shadow's relationship revolves around their goals.

Vector the Crocodile

Knuckles first encountered Vector the Crocodile during the events of Knuckles' Chaotix when he freed Vector from the Combi Catcher in the Newtrogic High Zone, making them form Team Chaotix with Espio, Charmy and Mighty to stop Eggman's plans. In present-day however, they do not interact very often, which makes their relationship unclear. Regardless, Vector gave advice to Knuckles when Team Super Sonic was fighting Metal Overlord, apparently acknowledging his great power.[39]

MS Sochi 2014 - Vector & Knuckles

Knuckles' and Vector's winning animation in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

In Sonic Free Riders, the two did not have a friendly relationship, as Knuckles felt underwhelmed having to race against Vector and the rest of Team Rose, treating them like a joke as he was irritated by their loud behavior. Although Vector managed to defeat Knuckles one time, the echidna still said he would not get far with brute force, enraging the crocodile.

In Sonic Forces, the two were comrades in the game, and they appeared to work very well together, as Vector was a high-ranking member of the Resistance. The two also appeared to have considerable respect for each other, and Vector unsurprisingly appreciated Knuckles for his aggressive (yet sometimes short-sighted) generalship[40] considering Vector's own liking of non-peaceful methods.

In Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, they trained together prior to the Olympics and later teamed up to track down Bowser. They also have a special winning animation in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games and Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Rouge the Bat

Sonic2app 2016-08-28 14-04-34-992

Knuckles saving Rouge's life.

Rouge the Bat is Knuckles' rival. Knuckles and Rouge have been fighting over the Master Emerald ever since the two met. Rouge was designed to be Knuckles' compatibility just like how Shadow was designed to be Sonic's compatibility when it comes to basic rivalry and skills.

In Sonic Adventure 2, they became enemies when they met because Rouge had stolen the Master Emerald from him, and she was working with Shadow and Eggman. Also, Knuckles purposely shatters the Master Emerald to save it from Dr. Eggman, Knuckles and Rouge both go looking for its pieces. Eventually, Knuckles has to hunt Rouge down for the remaining pieces, and the two have their final confrontation at the level, Meteor Herd. But during their fight, he saves her life instead after she slips on a narrow beam and was about to fall into a burning pit of lava. After the rescue, Rouge and Knuckles share a long moment gazing at each other, before Rouge snatches her hand away and retorts with ungratefulness and teasing. In the end, Rouge gives him the remaining pieces of the Master Emerald and stubbornly complains that "They stink like echidnas do!". Knuckles gathers the shards to complete the Emerald and glances over to her, muttering, "I'm sorry if I hurt you...", and runs off. Before the scene fades out, Rouge gives a thoughtful smile over her shoulder before exiting.

In Sonic Heroes, at the end of Team Dark's story, Rouge commented that she would go look for the Master Emerald, "since that irritating echidna is here." However, in the last scene, she went to Knuckles and coquettishly hinted about going to look for someone else's treasure. Knuckles smiles and says "She never gives up, does she?"

In Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, codex states that "there's a sort of unstated connection between Rouge and Knuckles that neither are overly willing to explore." Rouge even admits that Knuckles is cute but just not her type during the game.

In Sonic Rivals 2, the two teamed up. Rouge's reason for this is because she had a mysterious client who told her that if she found all the Emeralds, she would be rewarded. She teamed up with Knuckles in search of the identity of her client. They fight the Ifrit to get back to normal depending on which side you play.

In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), Rouge and Knuckles were bitter allies during their mission to travel back to the present day but joined up with him to collect the seven Chaos Emeralds to bring Sonic back to life.

In Sonic Colors, Knuckles explains to Rouge that he is at Starlight Carnival because he received an invitation from Dr. Eggman, but proving that he did not get tricked. Rouge tells him that the invitation was written by her, causing Knuckles to burst in anger.

In Sonic Generations, Knuckles and Rouge oddly seem to be friendly to each other at the party, as they are seen setting the table, eating, smiling and talking to each other. They are also friendly with each other in Sonic Forces, and Rouge holds no qualms with being a spy under Knuckles' command, even acknowledging him as "boss".

Blaze the Cat

Knuckles first met Blaze when Cream wanted Blaze to be friends with him. Knuckles was initially very friendly and cordial towards Blaze before he noticed Blaze holding a few Sol Emeralds, which he mistook for Chaos Emeralds. He therefore gave Blaze advice to give them to Sonic. Blaze got angry at Knuckles and told him that she did not have any Chaos Emeralds. Knuckles then got angry at her and accused her of lying, and then made an attempt to attack her. Blaze dodged Knuckles' attack and knocked him out, leaving him to lie in a crevice. When Knuckles regained consciousness, he developed a loathing towards Blaze and wanted revenge. When they met once again, Knuckles nearly started a fight with Blaze, but he was stopped by Amy. Cream also convinced Blaze that Knuckles was actually a "nice guy", which made Blaze feel relieved. Soon, Knuckles let go of his grudge and befriended Blaze.

Storm the Albatross

Knuckles and Storm (Sonic Free Riders Opening)

Knuckles with Storm

When Knuckles and Storm the Albatross met, Knuckles punched Storm really hard while the latter was trying to commit a theft, which caused Storm to fall from his Extreme Gear. Ever since then, the two have been rivals over who is the stronger man. When Storm lost against Knuckles in the World Grand Prix, he falsely accused him of having cheated. In Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, the two also showed a spark of anger when they saw each other again. In this encounter, Knuckles thought of Storm as a "meathead" while Storm wanted to settle the score between them, causing great tension between the two.

Silver the Hedgehog

Knuckles and Silver the Hedgehog appear to have a friendly relationship with a small rivalry between the two. Although they do not have much interaction with each other, they have had heated battles with one another occasionally. Knuckles initially showed his dislike of Silver when he first met him, mainly because he thought that he was pompous and stuck-up. Silver's haughty and prickly attitude also tended to annoy Knuckles. However, they later put aside their differences, and willingly teamed up together. In Sonic Forces, Knuckles was the first person Silver warned about Eggman's attack, which led to the War to Take Back the Planet. In the game, Knuckles and Silver appear to be on very good terms with each other, and work very well together. In fact, Silver appeared to be one of Knuckles' most trusted lieutenants, indication that Knuckles has considerable respect for Silver.

Friends/allies

Rivals

Enemies

Notes

  1. Calculation: Knuckles' strength predicated on Sonic's running:
    A 100-ton object requires a force that is at least equal to 1,000,000 newtons
    Force x distance = Work = Energy
    To figure out the number of joules Sonic produces when moving Mach 1, we use the Kinetic Energy formula, which is 1/2 x M X V^2; thus 0.5 x 35
    (Sonic's mass in kilograms) x 340^2 (Mach 1), which would be equal 2,026,452 joules
    Work needed to lift a 100-ton object for a distance of 2 meters is also 2 million joules, therefore, if Knuckles' strength is equal to Sonic's speed, then he should have enough energy to lift a 100-ton object 2 meters. Moreover, as Sonic is canonically classified within a speed range reaching up to and beyond hypersonic (Mach 5), this equates to Knuckles being capable of pressing more than 500 metric tons.

References

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  2. 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. 15. ISBN 978-1338033243.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Sonic Team (31 July 1997). Sonic Jam. Sega Saturn. Sega. Area/Level: Sonic World, Museum. "Knuckles the Echidna profile."
  4. Sega of America . Knuckles the Echidna. Sonic Characters. Sega. Archived from the original on 5 March 2005. Retrieved on 26 October 2017. "Knuckles was born alone on Angel Island, brought into this world to defend the Master Emerald. That is Knuckles' destiny and fate. If Sonic exemplifies the wind, then Knuckles is the mountain: stern and unmovable. Knuckles is quick to anger, but cool and determined in battle. Even though he considers Sonic his friend, the disposition of the Master Emerald is his ultimate concern. His determination to protect the gem from harm or ill use is set in stone and is unshakable. He is often envious of the adventurous lifestyle Sonic lives and the fame that has followed from Sonic's deeds, but Knuckles is well known in his own right, as a treasure hunter versed in the martial arts."
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Sega Mega Drive) Japanese instruction booklet, pgs. 34-36.
  6. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Sega Genesis) United States instruction booklet, pg. 6.
  7. Sonic Team (23 December 1998). Sonic Adventure. Dreamcast. Sega. Area/level: Station Square. "Knuckles: I hate big cities."
  8. "All Star Cast". Sonic Adventure Tokyo International Forum Unveiling Booklet. 22 August 1998. p. 7.
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  10. Knuckles, at the end of his story in Sonic Adventure.
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  20. File:CS K US.png
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  24. Sonic Rivals 2 (PlayStaion Portable) North American instruction booklet, p. 7.
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  28. Sonic The Hedgehog 4. Sega. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved on 27 October 2017.
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  33. "Knuckles is the guardian of the Master Emerald, which gives Angel Island its power to float in the sky. He is the last of the Echidnas of the island's native people. His name comes from his powerful fists, which allow him to punch through rock and make him a skilled burrower and climber. He can also use his dreadlocks to glide for short distances." - Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing.
  34. Sonic Team (25 February 2015). Sonic Runners. iOS. Sega. Area/Level: Episode 25-1. "Knuckles: Heh! You know my treasure-hunting instincts never fails!"
  35. 35.0 35.1 Sonic Team (25 February 2015). Sonic Runners. iOS. Sega. Area/Level: Episode 37-1. "Knuckles: Hold up, my treasure sense is tingling... Here! Right...here!"
  36. "We're counting on you buddy! The world's greatest treasure hunter!" - Sonic in Sonic Adventure 2
  37. Sonic Team (25 February 2015). Sonic Runners. iOS. Sega. Area/Level: Episode 25-1. "Knuckles: Yeah... I got a sniff of treasure a little while back, and it's getting stronger... Let's see now... Aaand...Bingo!"
  38. Sonic Advance 3 (Game Boy Advance) North American instruction booklet.
  39. Sonic Team (February 6, 2004). Sonic Heroes. PlayStation 2. Sega. Level/Area: Metal Overlord Vector the Crocodile: "We have to counter the battleships he throws with power! Knuckles... Show him your powerful punches, OK? Don't hold back anything!"
  40. Sonic Team (November 7, 2017). Sonic Forces. PlayStation 4. Sega. Level/Area: Capital City Vector the Crocodile: "Ha! Great speech! Let's give Eggman an old-fashioned beat down!"