Sonic The Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog, the star of numerous video games by Sega and countless spin-offs, was very nearly an armadillo. In 1990, Sega requested a new character that would compete with Nintendo's iconic Mario. From the many options developed, the cobalt blue anthropomorphic hedgehog was chosen and introduced in 1991. (Several of the other possibilities, including the armadillo, now appear as characters in games and books.)Sonic's look has altered over the years, becoming leaner and more streamlined, with less belly and more leg, though he is still only about three feet tall. His primary ability is that he can run at speeds exceeding Mach I, thanks to his special Power Sneakers. Successive versions of the game have expanded his abilities to include such maneuvers as the Spin-Dash, Super Peelout and Double Spin Attack. While he can run across the surface of water, one of his major vulnerabilities is that he can't swim.There are variations regarding his home. In some versions, he was born on an island in the Pacific, while in others he comes from a planet called Mobius, which may be a future or alternate version of Earth. Sonic's personality is rather narcissistic and self-absorbed, in some versions bordering on arrogance. However, he is always ready and willing to fight evil and right injustices. He loves chili dogs and rock music. In Sonic the Hedgehog 2, he gained the ability to transform into SuperSonic when he collects all seven Chaos Emeralds. SuperSonic is more powerful, of course, and also changes from blue to gold. In Sonic X, artificial Chaos Emeralds turn him into Dark Sonic. A third incarnation, HyperSonic, was only available in Sonic 3 and Knuckles.