is a Japanese anime television series based on Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog video game franchise. Produced by TMS Entertainment in partnership with Sonic Team, and directed by Hajime Kamegaki, Sonic X initially ran for 52 episodes, broadcasting on TV Tokyo and its TXN affiliates from April 2003 to March 2004. A further 26 episodes aired in North America, Europe, and the Middle East from 2005 to 2006. The American localization and broadcasting were handled by 4Kids Entertainment, which edited the series and created new music.
Sonic X follows Sonic the Hedgehog and his anthropomorphic friends, who accidentally teleport from their home planet to Earth during a battle with the mad scientist Doctor Eggman. Sonic is saved by a human boy, Chris Thorndyke, who helps him find his friends while repeatedly battling Eggman and his robots over the powerful Chaos Emeralds. The second season adapts the games Sonic Adventure (1998) and Sonic Adventure 2 (2001), and the third sees Sonic and his friends return with Chris to their world, where they enter outer space and fight an army of aliens.
Sonic X received mixed reviews, with criticism for its American localization and human characters, but praise for its story and faithfulness to the games. It was popular in the United States and France, though less so in Japan. Merchandise included an edutainment game for the Leapster, a trading card game, an American comic book published by Archie Comics, and toys. "Gotta go fast", the title of Sonic X North American theme song, has endured as a Sonic catchphrase.
Plot
Season 1 Following a battle between Sonic the Hedgehog and Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik, a freak accident involving the seven Chaos Emeralds causes them to create "Chaos Control"—a powerful space-time force that causes both of them, along with Miles "Tails" Prower, Amy Rose, Cream the Rabbit and her pet Chao Cheese, Knuckles the Echidna, and Rouge the Bat, to be transported to a parallel universe containing Earth. Sonic and his friends find themselves landing in the city of Station Square, where they befriend twelve-year-old Christopher "Chris" Thorndyke—a lonely young boy, whose parents, movie-star mother Lindsay, and corporate executive father Nelson, tend to be absent with work, leaving him to be looked after by his grandfather Chuck, maid and chef Ella, and butler Mr. Tanaka.
Seeking to find the Chaos Emeralds to return home, the group battle against Eggman as he re-establishes himself on the planet in order to conquer it—aided by his bumbling robotic assistants Bocoe and Decoe, and his robotic courier Bokkun—with Rouge joining forces with the local government as a spy in order to help them defend against his attacks. In the course of battling Eggman, Sonic and the others befriend Chris' friends Danny, Frances and Helen, while slowly becoming celebrities thanks to their exploits, eventually being accepted amongst the human population, despite reservations of what might happen when the seven Chaos Emeralds are found.
Season 2 Six months after the Chaos Emeralds are found and used by Sonic in his Super Sonic form, Chaos Control causes parts of their world to appear on Earth, including Angel Island and the Master Emerald, along with the arrival of Big the Cat and his pet Froggy. Whilst the group adapt to this and carry on with their lives, the government works to establish better defences in anticipation of another attack by Eggman, including the creation of a robotic army to counter the evil scientist's own creations. Much of the first half of this season is focused on adaptations of both Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2. After Station Square is rebuilt following the attack by Chaos, and Sonic and Shadow prevent Space Colony ARK from crashing into Earth, another Chaos Control event brings several inhabitants of Sonic's world to the planet, including the Chaotix Detective Agency—Vector the Crocodile, Espio the Chameleon, and Charmy Bee—and Vanilla, Cream's mother.
Eggman launches further schemes following the ARK incident, even when briefly captured by the government, whilst Sonic and his friends provide shelter for a robot named Emerl, who later goes on the rampage after coming into possession of a Chaos Emerald and forcing Cream to stop it (the story arc being a loose adaption of Sonic Battle). Eventually, after Eggman is thwarted from another world conquering scheme, the government learns that Earth and Sonic's world are slowly merging together, threatening to end time for them. As a result, Sonic, Eggman, and the others are forced to return home to prevent this, with Chris having to bravely allow his new friends to go, but with hope of seeing them again.
Season 3 Six months after returning home, Sonic and his friends find themselves battling a new threat in the form of the Metarex—a race of villainous robots who seek to conquer the galaxy—aided by Cosmo, an anthropomorphic plant girl, who seeks to stop them. At the same time on Earth, where six years have passed, Chris finishes completing a portal device to take him to Sonic, arriving in his world to assist with his new found knowledge, despite the differences in time between the two worlds causing his body to revert back to that of his 12-year-old self. Departing their world, the group explore the galaxy for the Chaos Emeralds, after Sonic had to disperse them to avoid them being used by the Metarex. Alongside the group, Eggman also pursues after the Emeralds, accompanied by Rouge, and aided by Shadow, whom he had recovered following his supposed death.
Much of the journey sees Tails and Cosmo bonding, while Eggman secretly sides with the Metarex in order to uncover their plans, with the Chaotix Detective Agency also journeying into space and providing assistance where they can. The series reaches its conclusion with the group learning of the Metarex's origins, and both groups battling them to prevent them taking full control of the galaxy, culminating in both Cosmo and Shadow sacrificing themselves to achieve this.
Characters Protagonists Sonic the Hedgehog
A fierce, confident, and heroic anthropomorphic blue hedgehog with a big attitude. Sonic possesses his signature super speed, allowing him to run faster than the speed of sound, and achieve extraordinary feats of sonic booms, being able to outrun cars. Sonic can also attack his enemies with his most powerful signature spin attack through sheer force of his will, or enhance it further by Tails' homemade Rings he mainly uses against enemies. Sonic is the fastest, most fearless, impatient, and care-free adventurer, having spent years using his powers to fight the forces of evil and to protect the innocent from the schemes of his arch-enemy, Dr. Eggman. However, after accidentally triggering Chaos Control, Sonic, alongside his friends—Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Amy Rose, Cream the Rabbit, Cheese, including Eggman—are transported to the human world. There, Sonic is then rescued and aided by Chris Thorndyke. On this journey, Sonic, joined by Chris and his family and friends, continues the fight, defending the human world from Eggman's schemes while seeking the seven Chaos Emeralds, which are the key to returning him and his friends back to their world. He is mostly an isolationist and a little bit antisocial who wants "privacy", but still returns to help his friends defeat Eggman and put a stop to his evil plots, becoming a celebrity "superhero" by the human population. When using the Emeralds, Sonic transforms into a powerful golden godlike-form known as "Super Sonic", which amplifies his powers, including increasing his signature speed, and additional immense strength, flight, nigh-invulnerability, healing factor, and chaos-powers, allowing him to clash and defeat more powerful threats. Once they return to their world, Sonic and his friends declare war against a powerful alien-like robotic army called the Metarex, led by Dark Oak, to save their world and others. Miles "Tails" Prower
A brilliant young anthropomorphic yellow two-tailed fox, and Sonic's best friend/sidekick. He can spin his twin tails to fly like a helicopter, and is a genius-level inventor, capable of creating machines and piloting flight vehicles, including his signature plane, the "Tornado", originally owned by Sonic. During battles, Tails typically supports Sonic and his friends with his inventions and piloting skills. After being transported to the human world, Tails befriends Chris' grandfather, Chuck Thorndyke, an expert scientist and inventor, who helps upgrade the Tornado into the advanced jet-plane-like "X-Tornado", allowing Tails to continue supporting Sonic and friends on their adventures. Knuckles the Echidna
A powerful and formidable anthropomorphic red echidna, Sonic's friendly rival, but also his second best friend, guardian of the Master Emerald, treasure hunter, and martial artist. Possessing immense super strength, Knuckles can smash obstacles, shatter rocks, and overpower foes. Despite his tough demeanor and occasional gullibility—he has been tricked by Eggman into doubting Sonic whom he clashes with—however the two of them have proven to be invaluable allies. Knuckles takes up the search for the seven Chaos Emeralds seriously, aiming to return to his world and Angel island to protect the Master Emerald as soon as possible. Amy Rose
An energetic and hotheaded but kind-hearted female anthropomorphic pink hedgehog who has a crush on Sonic. She wields her signature Piko Piko Hammer, capable of smashing obstacles and enemies with tremendous force. While she can be bossy and stubborn, Amy is devoted to protecting her friends and openly claims to be Sonic's girlfriend, often attempting to persuade him to take her out on a date. Cream the Rabbit
A sweet, well-mannered anthropomorphic peach-like rabbit who can fly by flapping her large ears. She is always accompanied by her pet Chao, Cheese, and is closest friends with Amy just as Tails was to Sonic. Unlike Sonic and his friends, Cream is less active in combat but is still capable of assisting her friends with her unique talents. Cheese the Chao
A small floating light-blued Chao who is Cream's pet. Christopher "Chris" Thorndyke
A 12-year-old, wealthy but kind-hearted lonely human boy who lives in Thorndyke Mansion in Station Square. Chris rescues Sonic from drowning in a pool and helps him and his friends—Tails, Amy, Cream, and Cheese—throughout their adventures to stop Dr. Eggman's attempts of taking over the world whilst helping them find the seven Chaos Emeralds in order for them to return home. Like Tails, Chris looks up to Sonic as an older brother figure and will go to great lengths to aid his new friends, while being Sonic's closest human friend.
Supporting characters Chuck Thorndyke
An inventor and scientist who is Chris's grandfather, Nelson's father, and Lindsay and Sam's father-in-law. Similar to Tails and Dr. Eggman, he enjoys creating machines and researching new technologies. He helps Chris hide Sonic and his friends after their arrival and becomes close to Tails, working with him on inventions—including the X-Tornado—to help Sonic and his team stop Eggman's schemes. Mr. Tanaka
The Thorndyke family's strict Japanese butler and an expert martial artist who also serves as their bodyguard. He eventually discovers that Sonic and his friends are being hidden in the mansion, but chooses to support Chris and Chuck in protecting them. As Sonic becomes recognized as a hero, Mr. Tanaka assists in locating the Chaos Emeralds and preventing Eggman's attempts to take over Earth. Ella
The Thorndyke family's cheerful Indian chef and housemaid. She discovers Sonic and his friends early on but quickly befriends them, especially Amy and Cream. Usually calm and kind, Ella becomes surprisingly fierce when angered. Helen