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Sonic Wiki Zone

The Sky Sanctuary (スカイサンクチュアリー Sukai Sankuchuarī?), also known as Sky Sanctuary Zone (スカイサンクチュアリーゾーン[2] Sukai Sankuchuarī Zōn?), is a location that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is an ancient, aerial temple[2] located in the sky surrounding Angel Island. It is a sacred territory which is forbidden for anyone to enter besides Knuckles the Echidna and Animals.[1]

Description[]

The Sky Sanctuary is an ancient, aerial temple,[2] as well as sacred territory that only Knuckles is allowed to visit.[1] It is located high up in the sky above the clouds, either above or near Angel Island. As such, it can be accessed from teleporters in Hidden Palace Zone, or by using aircraft. Because of this, the area has not been visited by anybody until the Angel Island incident.[1]

The Sky Sanctuary itself is made up of ancient ruins made of white, mossy stone that float in the sky; as well as of dark blue glass with a technological pattern. There are various pieces of ancient technology, such as switches that make certain platforms tangible, teleporters, Spinning Tops, etc. All of these ruins, however, are very damaged, and look like they will collapse at any moment.[2] Apart from the moss, fruit palm trees are also found in the area.[3]

The Sky Sanctuary holds many ancient secrets from tribes such as the Knuckles Clan, and even civilizations past, including those that Knuckles himself has yet to discover. For this reason, the area has some sort of connection with the Starfall Islands, having many hidden Portals that lead to said islands.[3]

Curiously, despite not hosting a known Chao Garden, many parts of the Sky Sanctuary serve as a home for Chao.[3]

History[]

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles[]

Sk-ssz-appearanceimg1

Sonic in Sky Sanctuary Zone, from Sonic & Knuckles.

In Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic and Tails were allowed passage into Sky Sanctuary Zone by Knuckles so they could catch up to Dr. Robotnik, who had stolen the Master Emerald. Upon their arrival, the trio saw the Death Egg rise up from the clouds, all thanks to the power of the Master Emerald. With Knuckles too exhausted from an earlier fight with Sonic to go on, Sonic and Tails ventured through Sky Sanctuary Zone on their own in hopes of catching up to the Death Egg. The duo eventually came under attack by Mecha Sonic Mk. II. After the battle, Sonic and Tails used a corkscrew ramp to enter the Death Egg.

Super Mecha Sonic

Knuckles facing Super Mecha Sonic Mk. II in Sky Sanctuary Zone, from Sonic & Knuckles.

Later, Knuckles followed an Eggrobo to Sky Sanctuary Zone, where he discovered that Mecha Sonic had stolen the Master Emerald. As the robots teamed up to eliminate Knuckles, the red echidna managed to get Mecha Sonic to destroy the Eggrobo. Knuckles then confronted Mecha Sonic, who eventually began harnessing the Master Emerald's power in order to attain its Super State. Regardless, Knuckles still defeated Mecha Sonic, although the robot's subsequent explosion took a large portion of Sky Sanctuary Zone with it.

Sonic Advance[]

Angel island zone 1

Sonic in Angel Island Zone, from Sonic Advance.

In Sonic Advance, a section of Sky Sanctuary that appears under the name "Angel Island Zone"[4] was once again invaded by the Eggman Empire. During their journey to stop Dr. Eggman's latest plan for world domination, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy traveled through Angel Island Zone. Towards the end of this Zone, they came across Mecha Knuckles. After the robot was defeated, the doctor departed the area, leaving the heroes to pursue him to Egg Rocket Zone.

Sonic Generations[]

In the console/PC version of Sonic Generations, the Sky Sanctuary got transported to White Space where it was drained of color and life.

Sonic-Generations-Sky-Sanctuary-Zone-Screenshots-3

Classic Sonic running through the Sky Sanctuary, from the console/PC version of Sonic Generations.

The Sky Sanctuary was the third area Classic and Modern Sonic paid a visit to after ending up in White Space. By speeding through the location, the Sonics were able to fix space, thereby restoring it and, by extension, Knuckles from their lifeless states. When the Time Eater later got destroyed, the Sky Sanctuary was seemingly returned to its rightful place.

Sonic Frontiers[]

See also: 1-2, 2-2, 2-5, 2-7, 3-3, and 3-6

In Sonic Frontiers, Knuckles would visit the Sky Sanctuary while on another routine investigation. There, however, he discovered an abandoned Portal and a Portal Gear hidden deep within, linking it to the Starfall Islands. After interacting with this ancient artifact, the echidna found himself teleported to the aforementioned islands.[3]

In the events that followed on the Starfall Islands, the Sky Sanctuary would appear as a setting of stages in Cyber Space from Sonic's past memories.[5]

Other game appearances[]

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed[]

Main article: Sanctuary Falls
ASN App PcDx9 Final - Copy 2016-07-23 00-16-11-71

Sanctuary Falls, from Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed.

In Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, the Sky Sanctuary is an unlockable course under the name of Sanctuary Falls. It retains its appearance from Sonic Generations.

Sonic Dash[]

In Sonic Dash, Sky Sanctuary Zone appears as a Zone where the player has to build homes for the Animals. Completing the Zone unlocks Shadow the Hedgehog.

Sonic Runners Adventure[]

SRASkySanctuary1

Charmy in Sky Sanctuary, from Sonic Runners Adventure.

In Sonic Runners Adventure, Dr. Eggman planned to use the latent energies flowing through the Sky Sanctuary and the Extractor on Lava Mountain to control the whole world with his Mind Control Ray. However, Sonic and his friends were able to destroy the Mind Control Ray and defeat their nemesis. As he fled, the doctor vowed revenge, but the hedgehog promised that he and the others would be ready when the time came.

Sonic Forces: Speed Battle[]

In Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, the Sky Sanctuary appears as one of the main areas in the game. The tracks that take place here are as follows:

Icon Track Tier Requirement Difficulty
SFSB Temple Gate
Temple Gate 1
(Default)
Easy
SFSB Celestial Skyway
Celestial Skyway 2
(100 Trophies)
Medium
Pinnacle Peaks
Pinnacle Peaks 4
(1000 Trophies)
SFSB Ancient Isles
Ancient Isles 5
(1500 Trophies)
Hard
SFSB Spiral Heights
Spiral Heights 6
(2250 Trophies)

The following Sky Sanctuary tracks are not currently available in the game:

Icon Track Tier Requirement Difficulty
SFSB Celestial Skyway
Celestial Skyway R 7
(3000 Trophies)
Reversed
SFSB Temple Gate
Temple Gate R 8
(4000 Trophies)

Points of interest[]

In other media[]

Books and comics[]

Archie Comics[]

SkySanctuary

Sky Sanctuary as it appears in Sonic Universe #90.

In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics, it was in the Sky Sanctuary where Knuckles' shrine was placed after his death at the hands of Mammoth Mogul.

After the Super Genesis Wave, the Sky Sanctuary became much more similar to its game counterpart, being a Zone on Angel Island.

Sonic the Comic[]

Sky Sanctuary STC

Sky Sanctuary Zone falling apart, from Sonic the Comic #50. Art by Richard Elson.

In the Sonic the Comic series published by Fleetway Editions, Sky Sanctuary Zone was a Zone positioned somewhere above the Floating Island, but destroyed during the launch of the Death Egg II.

As Metallix fled to Sky Sanctuary Zone while holding the Master Emerald, Sonic and Knuckles arrived to confront it. After the battle, Grimer teleported the Master Emerald to the Death Egg II, and without the Emerald's power, Sky Sanctuary Zone began to fall apart.

IDW Publishing[]

Sky Sanctuary IDW

A corrupted vision of the Sky Sanctuary, from Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island #2.

In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by IDW Publishing, Mecha Sonic Mark II had a flashback of him in Sky Sanctuary when he was defeated by Sonic and Knuckles.[6][7]

Gallery[]

Artwork[]

Merchandise[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 (in Japanese) ソニックジャム オフィシャルガイド. SoftBank. 2 October 1997. p. 86. ISBN 978-4797303377. ""From Sonic Team: From here, it's sacred territory that only Knuckles can enter. Hidden Palace is the resting place of the Master Emerald, and Sky Sanctuary is above Angel Island, no one has gone there. On a side note, the Eggman Robos coming from the back is an expansion of the software."
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Sonic & Knuckles (Sega Mega Drive) Japanese instruction booklet, pg. 36.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Ian Flynn (1 November 2022). Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergence. Sega. YouTube.
  4. Flynn, Ian; Sega (8 December 2021). "Sonic Advance". Sonic the Hedgehog Encyclo-speed-ia. Dark Horse Books. p. 121. ISBN 978-1506719276. "Angel Island Zone - Return to Knuckles' home turf and explore unseen regions of the Sky Sanctuary's ruins."
  5. Zaika (@24iX4) on Twitter. Twitter (24 August 2022). Retrieved on 24 August 2022.
  6. Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island #1, story one
  7. Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island #2, story one
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