Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Proves The Franchise Learned A Valuable Lesson After Sonic 2

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 set a new standard for Paramount's video game film franchise in terms of characters and storytelling. Specifically, as the movie centers around Sonic and his friends facing off against Shadow and the two Doctor Robotniks, it spends less time on human characters like Wade Whipple and the members of the Wachowski family. Though these human characters have been a part of the Sonic films since the beginning, their more minor roles in 2024's Sonic the Hedgehog 3 show how the franchise has improved since its first film in 2020.

Since Sonic the Hedgehog 3 introduced multiple characters, including Robotniks and alien characters like Shadow, Sonic's cinematic universe needed to scale down its cast to accommodate the many new, fan-favorite characters. In doing so, the third film fixed the overabundance of human characters seen in Sonic the Hedgehog 2and made for a more focused and engaging narrative. Also, by spending more time on Sonic and Shadow's story, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 became a box-office hit and the best movie in the Sonic film franchise.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Doesn't Give Its Human Characters Major Roles Besides The Robotniks

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Had To Give More Time To The Robotniks And Non-Human Characters

Most of the human characters in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 have a lot less to do than in previous films. Though Tom and Maddie help Sonic break into GUN headquarters halfway into the movie, Wade and the Wachowskis really don't have massive parts in the story. Likewise, Rachel and her fiancé Randall technically don't appear in the film, and Commander Walters gets killed off after explaining Shadow's origin story after roughly a minute of screen time. The way these characters are portrayed shows how the film needed to lose some extra baggage to present a more balanced story.

Likewise, compared to the made-for-film Wachowski family, the Robotniks are the more popular and established humans in the Sonic franchise.Considering their roles in the story are adapted from the Sonic Adventure 2 video game, the movie understandably had to shine a greater spotlight on Ivo, Gerald, and Maria Robotnik. The latter two, in particular, needed more screen time in the film, as Sonic the Hedgehog 3 had just introduced their characters to the franchise.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Was Criticized For Having Too Many Human Characters & Subplots

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Did Better By Focusing On Different Characters

Randall, Rachel, Tom, and Maddie looking shocked at the wedding in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

The filmmakers behind the Sonic franchise seem to have learned from the criticism directed towards Sonic the Hedgehog 2. This second Sonic film didn't just feature Tom, Maddie, Wade, and Rachel. It also included new characters like Randall and GUN Commander Walters. Exploring these characters while introducing both Tails and Knuckles gave the film too much to juggle in just two hours, making the story feel jarring and uneven at times.

It seemed Sonic the Hedgehog 2 tried to focus more on Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, as the subplot involving Rachel's wedding in Hawaii seemed like a way for the filmmakers to push Tom and Maddie to the side. However, the many human characters who appeared in the film still took too much attention away from Sonic and his friends. Likewise, the Wachowskis didn't mesh well with the movie's comedic tone or the sci-fi/high-fantasy adventure, as opposed to the more cartoonish characters like Sonic and Ivo.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Is A Better Movie Thanks To Its Focus On Sonic & Shadow

Sonic And Shadow Were The Main Attractions, And That's What Made The Film Great

Since Sonic and Shadow are popular figures and the main characters of the film, it's only natural for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 to focus more on them than the human characters. This proved beneficial, as both Sonic and Shadow were the most compelling characters in the film due to their similar backstories but opposing personalities. Putting the Wachowskis on the sidelines also gave the movie enough time to explore Shadow's tragic history in a way that satisfies fans of the character.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 does give Tom a decent enough part of Sonic's character journey. As his adoptive father, Tom serves as Sonic's moral anchor in the film, similar to how Maria keeps Shadow from completely turning evil. For this reason, Shadow nearly drives Sonic over the edge after wounding Tom at GUN Headquarters, sending the blue hedgehog into a blind, murderous rage during the final fight in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. How Tom connects with Sonic and Shadow's story proves how his character works in the film. But as for the rest of the human cast, they don't fit quite as well into Sonic's adventures.

Though Wade and the Wachowskis have had significant parts in the lives of Sonic and his friends, their stories didn't link up well with the latter's globe-trotting, action-packed adventure.

All in all, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 actually improved upon its predecessor by focusing more on Sonic, Shadow, and the Robotniks than the other human characters. Though Wade and the Wachowskis have had significant parts in the lives of Sonic and his friends, their stories didn't link up well with the latter's globe-trotting, action-packed adventure. However, the Robotnik family has had huge roles in the lives of Sonic, Shadow, and their universe as a whole, so giving them more screen time in Sonic the Hedgehog 3made the film that much better.