Strange Relief

The Strange Relief,^[1] also known as the Relief (レリーフ^[2], Rerifu^?) or Arrow-Shooting Heads,^[3] is a wall-mounted stone statue of a human face with a red gem on its forehead. When it sees the player, it will start to shoot arrows at them.

Game appearances

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Strange Relief first made an appearance at Marble Garden Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, where it is carved into walls from both ruined temples or outside as well, while remaining motionless. When the player comes into its range, it starts periodically firing arrows from its mouth in a straight line. Hitting the red gem on its forehead three times will deactivate the relief and open a wall or floor nearby, that leads to the route to progress in the game. While playing as Knuckles in the locked-on version of the game, who cannot climb on these reliefs, there is one part of Marble Garden Zone Act 2, where Knuckles is unable to reach and destroy the Strange Relief, as the player has to use an alternative pathway, that is located upper part of the zone.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II

In Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II, Strange Relief appears in Sylvania Castle Zone where it shoots darts at the player as it did before. It is invincible however, as hitting its gem will not destroy it. Strange Reliefs also appear in underwater segments, though these statues blow the player different directions rather than firing arrows.

In other media

Sonic the Comic

Main article: Strange Relief (Sonic the Comic)

Gallery

Gallery
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II

References

↑ Kellie (16 March 2012). Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II – Concept Art Friday. Archived from the original on 23 March 2016. Retrieved on 6 February 2015.
↑ (in Japanese) ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ３公式ガイドブック. Shogakukan. 1 July 1994. p. 14. ISBN 978-4091024794.
↑ Sonic the Comic #34, "Sonic 3 Part 1 - The Zones"

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles

Main articles (Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Sonic & Knuckles Collection) | Staff (Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic & Knuckles Collection) | Manuals (Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles) | Glitches (Sonic 3, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Sonic & Knuckles Collection) | Beta elements (Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic 3 & Knuckles) | Galleries (Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic & Knuckles Collection)

Playable characters		Sonic (Super Sonic, Hyper Sonic) \| Tails (Super Tails) \| Knuckles (Super Knuckles, Hyper Knuckles)
Non-playable characters		Dr. Robotnik \| Rock Drill \| Mecha Sonic (Mecha Sonic's Super State) \| Animals (Flicky (Flicky's Super State), Pocky, Pecky, Cucky, Ricky, Rocky)
Badniks		Batbot \| Blaster \| Blastoid (Carnival Night Zone) \| Blastoid (Hydrocity Zone) \| Bloominator \| Bubbles \| Bugernaut \| Butterdroid \| Catakiller, Jr. \| Chainspike \| Clamer \| Cluckoid \| Corkey \| Dragonfly \| EggRobo \| Fireworm \| Flybot767 \| Hyudoro \| Iwamodoki \| Jawz \| Madmole \| Mantis \| Mega Chopper \| Monkey Dude \| Mushmeanie \| Orbinaut \| Penguinator \| Pointdexter \| RhinoBot \| Ribot \| Rock'n \| Sandworm \| Skorp \| Snale Blaster \| Spikebonker \| Spiker \| Star Pointer \| Technosqueek \| Toxomister \| Turbo Spiker
Zones	Sonic 3	Angel Island Zone \| Hydrocity Zone \| Marble Garden Zone \| Carnival Night Zone \| IceCap Zone \| Launch Base Zone \| Special Stages \| Bonus Stages
	Sonic & Knuckles	Mushroom Hill Zone \| Flying Battery Zone \| Sandopolis Zone \| Lava Reef Zone \| Hidden Palace Zone \| Sky Sanctuary Zone \| Death Egg Zone \| The Doomsday Zone \| Special Stages \| Bonus Stages
	Competition	Azure Lake \| Balloon Park \| Chrome Gadget \| Desert Palace \| Endless Mine
Bosses	Sub-bosses	Doctor Robotnik's Flame Craft \| Doctor Robotnik's Whirlpool Machine \| Tunnelbot \| Self D-Struct Machine \| Iceball \| Swing'm Spikez \| Hei Hou \| Gapsule \| Barrier Eggman \| Guardian \| Heat Arms \| Egg Mobile-H \| Flying Eggman \| Red Eye \| Death Ball
Bosses	Zone bosses	Doctor Robotnik's Flame Craft \| Doctor Robotnik's Waterspout and Depth Charge Machine \| Doctor Robotnik's Jet Drill Pod \| Doctor Robotnik's Energy Ship \| Doctor Robotnik's Freeze-O-Matic \| Ball Shooter \| Beam Rocket \| Big Arm \| Jet Mobile \| Hang Mobile \| Egg Golem \| Hot Mobile \| Knuckles \| Mecha Sonic \| Mecha Sonic's Super State \| Great Eggman Robo \| Final Weapon
Moves/Techniques		Bound Jump \| Crouch \| Double Jump \| Fireball Spin Dash \| Glide \| Gliding Knuckles Attack \| Hyper Flash \| Insta-Shield \| Propeller Flying \| Spin Attack \| Spin Dash \| Spin Jump \| Swim \| Wall Climb
Items		Air Bubble \| Balloon \| Banana \| Bomb \| Booster \| Bumper \| Bumper wall \| Cannon \| Capsule \| Change \| Chaos Emerald \| Cloud \| Continue \| Electrical emitter \| Fan \| Jump Stand \| Monitor (Water Shield, Flame Shield, Invincibility, Lightning Shield, Super Ring, Super Shoes, Extra Life, S, Eggman) \| Movable box \| Mushroom \| Pulley \| Ring \| Signpost \| Self-Propelled Bomb \| Slow-Down Shoes \| Snowboard \| Sphere \| Spikes \| Spring \| Spinning Top \| Star Post (Star Circle) \| Super Emerald \| Switch \| Transport \| Vine \| Zip Line
Other		Conveyor Belt \| Corkscrew loop \| Crusher \| Death Egg \| Debug Mode \| Drum \| Fireball Cannon \| Flipper \| Floating Island \| Flywheel \| Freeze \| Giant spear \| Goal \| Gravity Control Switch \| Gumball \| High-speed elevator \| High-speed warp tube \| Icicle \| Iron ball \| Jewel Radar \| Perfect Bonus \| Platform-raising Wheel \| Pole Elevator \| Relief \| Reverse \| Ring Shooter \| Seesaw \| Shuttle loop \| Slot machine \| Snowblower \| Sonic & Knuckles • Sonic the Hedgehog 3 \| Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (LCD) \| Strange Relief \| Time Attack \| Tornado \| Warp Point \| Winding Tunnel \| "Wonderman"

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II

Main article (Episode Metal) | Credits | Glitches | Beta elements | Gallery

Playable characters		Sonic (Super Sonic) \| Tails \| Metal Sonic
Non-playable characters		Dr. Eggman \| Animals (Flicky, Pocky, Pecky, Cucky, Picky)
Zones	Episode II	Sylvania Castle Zone \| White Park Zone \| Oil Desert Zone \| Sky Fortress Zone \| Death Egg mk.II Zone \| Special Stages
Zones	Episode Metal	Episode Metal Act 1 \| Episode Metal Act 2 \| Episode Metal Act 3 \| Episode Metal Act 4
Enemies		Asteron \| Balkiry \| Batbot \| Bubbles \| Burrobot \| Buzzer \| Chop Chop \| Chopper \| Clucker \| Crawl \| Flamer \| Fullboar \| Jaws \| Mantis \| Moto Bug \| Newtron \| Orbinaut (Uni Uni, Unidasu) \| Sandworm \| Scarabesque \| Shellcracker \| Slicer \| Snowy \| Spikes \| Steelion \| Turtloids \| Zoomer
Bosses		Egg Serpentleaf \| Metal Sonic \| Egg Scrap Mech \| Metal Carrier \| Metal Sonic and Egg Mobile \| Metal Sonic \| Egg Heart
Moves/Techniques		Crouch \| Homing Attack \| Propeller Flying \| Spin Attack \| Spin Dash \| Spin Jump \| Swim \| Tag Action (Copter Combo, Rolling Combo, Submarine Combo) \| Tornado Boost
Gimmicks and obstacles		Booster \| Bumper \| Capsule \| Conveyor Belt \| Crusher \| Fan \| Flip Platform \| Flipper \| Platform-raising Wheel \| Ring Shooter \| Spikes \| Spring \| Star Post \| Strange Relief \| Switch \| Goal Plate
Items		Air Bubble \| Chaos Emerald \| Giant Ring \| Item Box (Super Ring, Shield, Power Sneakers, Invincible, Extra Life, Special Combination, Combination Dash) \| Ring \| Red Star Ring
Music		Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II Original Soundtrack \| Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I & II Original Soundtrack
Other		Death Egg mk.II \| Little Planet \| Level Select \| Lost Labyrinth treasure \| Stardust Speedway \| Shuttle loop \| Tails' rocket \| Time Attack \| Tornado \| Totem pole

[1] Kellie (16 March 2012). Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II – Concept Art Friday. Archived from the original on 23 March 2016. Retrieved on 6 February 2015.

[2] (in Japanese) ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ３公式ガイドブック. Shogakukan. 1 July 1994. p. 14. ISBN 978-4091024794.

[3] Sonic the Comic #34, "Sonic 3 Part 1 - The Zones"

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