Slicer - how could we ever forget you? The one Badnik everyone loves to hate. Slicer can fire off its arms at our blue hero, making it a formidable foe that will require a lot of practice to defeat unscathed. Timing is key, so don’t hesitate for a second if one of these robots spots you!
The Slicer[1] (カマキラー[2],Kamakirā?, lit. "Kamakiller") is an enemy in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is a mass-produced, mantis-based Badnik model created by Dr. Eggman that can toss its sharp claws at foes.
Slicers are based on mantises. A Slicer's head is flat with two yellow eyes with small pupils and two metallic mandibles. Each of their two hands has a razor-sharp claw attached to it, which are their primary weapons. Slicers also have thin legs, and each foot's heel has small wheels, which they use to move around with slowly.
Slicers in Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I have a more mechanized design with few cosmetic changes, including the lack of small wheels on their feet. In Sonic Lost World, Slicers were redesigned with more wider yellow eyes, tiny cyan pupils and smaller mandibles.
Game appearances
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)
The first appearance of this Badnik was in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit), where it served as an enemy. This time around, this Badnik is referred to as Slicer[1] (カマキラー[2],Kamakirā?, lit. "Kamakiller"). In this game, the player encounters them in Metropolis Zone.
In gameplay, Slicers can usually be found at the edges of gorges where the player often bounce out or on narrow point of the routes. Slicers can also be found hanging on ceilings. As their means of attack, the Slicers will throw their claws at the playable character when they approach from the front. When thrown, their forearms will home in on the playable character for a few seconds, making them near-impossible to avoid. However, destroying the Slicer that threw them will make them stop following the playable character and drop to the ground.
Slicers are usually positioned in awkward locations, making it hard to get past them. However, once they have thrown their claws, they will be defenseless and open to attack. Alternatively, the player can attack them from behind to keep them from throwing their claws at all. Also, upon their destruction, they release an Animal.
In Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, Slicers return as enemies in the Mad Gear Zone. In gameplay, despite having an updated look, they pretty much act like they did in past games. In this game, its claws can interrupt the Homing Attack, so it is better to use the Spin Dash to deflect the claws. This time, however, after throwing its claws at Sonic, the Slicer will flash red and then self-destruct. Notably, when a Slicer self-destructs, it creates a sound similar to the balloon sound effect from Carnival Night Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Also, when the player destroys a Slicer, it releases an Animal.
In the Wii U/PC version of the game, Slicers are first seen in Silent Forest Zone 2, with a single, craftily-placed one seen lurking at the mid-point of Lava Mountain Zone 3. In gameplay, Slicers are seen placed individually through the games. They also have the same attack patterns from previous games. However, this time around, their claws will regenerate after being thrown.
In the Nintendo 3DS version of the game, Slicers are featured in Silent Forest Zone 2, and Sky Road Zone 1 and 3. In gameplay, they are attacking individually or even in groups. Their attack patterns are also identical to those they have in the Wii U/PC version.
When a Slicer is destroyed in any of the versions of Sonic Lost World, it will release an Animal.
Powers and abilities
The Slicers are equipped with sickle-like front claws that they can dethatch and throw at opponents. They are also capable of crawling on walls and vertical ceilings. Some later models have also been able to self-detonate or even regenerate their claws after they have been thrown.
After the timeline was rewritten by the Super Genesis Wave, the Slicers became nearly identical to their game counterparts. Many of them in particular would serve the Metropolis Egg Army.
Trivia
Slicer's Japanese name "Kamakiller", comes from "kamakiri", which is Japanese for "mantis".
Like Shellcracker, Slicers for odd reason disappear from places where they should be in Metropolis Zone. This is especially noticeable at the last High-speed elevator section in Metropolis Zone Act 3, where Slicer is supposed to appear in front of the High-speed elevator, but sometimes this Slicer disappears from that location when the player visits on another time. Presumably, it enters the elevator and is teleported somewhere else if the player waits long enough to discover it.
Technically this cannot happen as they are not designed to interact with the elevator object, meaning it is much more likely that they despawn occasionally.
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