Sonic (PM)

Sonic is a playable character in the Brawl mod Project M. He has been buffed for his Project M showing. Sonic is currently ranked 10th out of 41 characters on the official tier list, near the top of A tier, and a considerable improvement over his placement in Brawl, where he was 22nd out of 38. In the official Project+ , he is ranked 4th at the top of the A+ tier, another considerable improvement over his placement in Project M.
==Attributes==
True to his series, Sonic is the fastest character in the game, having the fastest dash speed and a fast air speed. These traits make him able to rack up damage very easily and execute combos across the stage. His strengths include extremely fast and tricky movement, a great combo game, good edgeguards, and one of the best recoveries in the game. He has been given the option to moonwalk as a result of the game's return to Melee physics, which can help mix up his approach. He also now has the ability to dash jump, which almost doubles his already fast air speed. Sonic also sports a plethora of recovery options, as all four of his special moves can help him recover in some capacity. 
While Sonic was known in Brawl for his high speed and movement, he was held back by his poor KO potential due to his extremely weak attacks and few finishers, all of which were unreliable and ineffective. This has been addressed in Project M, as he has been given more KO power in his moveset, making him stronger than before.
Sonic's flaws include having poor range on most of his moves (in addition to a lack of projectiles), poor hitbox placements, and weak horizontal and vertical endurance due to being light with only an average falling speed (even floatier characters like take less vertical knockback due to her extra weight), while also being very susceptible to juggles despite generally not being easy to combo. As such, while Sonic can combo easily due to his maneuverability, he himself is very easy to K.O. at lower percents, as attacks with high power can send him flying off the stage for good despite his multitude of recovery options, and his low range and lack of projectiles compel him to come close to his opponents rather than harass them from afar. As such, Sonic must make use of his speed and movement options in order to open up opponents and compensate for his weaknesses.
==Changes from Brawl to PM==
Sonic was buffed in transition to PM. His already impressive mobilty has been improved, he has more KO power and many of his moves have been altered to be more reliable and have more utility. While he has seen some nerfs mainly to his endurance and recovery, he overall has much better tools and the new mechanics of Project M benefit him more than they hinder him. 
===Aesthetics===
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===Attributes===
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===Ground Attacks===
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===Aerial Attacks===
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===Grabs and Throws===
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===Special Moves===
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==Changes from PM to P+==
===v3.0.1===
*Homing Attack will no longer go into special fall landing during trick animations.
*Somersault no longer refreshes on ledge grab
*The ledge grab box on Somersault has been lowered and shrunk
*Spin Charge is now only usable once per airtime
==Revisions==
===v2.5b===
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===v2.6b===
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===v3.0===
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===v3.5===
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===v3.6===
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==Moveset==
Up to date as of version 3.6.
 	 	Name 	Damage 	Description
Neutral attack 	Neutral attack 	 	3% 	The Punch + Punch + Kick Combo from Sonic The Fighters.
Neutral attack 	Neutral attack 	 	3% 	The Punch + Punch + Kick Combo from Sonic The Fighters.
Neutral attack 	Neutral attack 	 	4% 	The Punch + Punch + Kick Combo from Sonic The Fighters.
Forward tilt 	↗ 	Horse Kick 	12% (feet), 10% (legs) 	The Horse Kick from Sonic The Fighters where Sonic stands on both hands and kicks out both legs at the opponent. This move can be angled up or down.
Forward tilt 	→ 	Horse Kick 	11% (feet), 9% (legs) 	The Horse Kick from Sonic The Fighters where Sonic stands on both hands and kicks out both legs at the opponent. This move can be angled up or down.
Forward tilt 	↘ 	Horse Kick 	10% (feet), 8% (legs) 	The Horse Kick from Sonic The Fighters where Sonic stands on both hands and kicks out both legs at the opponent. This move can be angled up or down.
Up tilt 	Up tilt 	Sonic Up-Draft 	11% (foot), 9% (leg) 	Sonic performs a bicycle kick. Based on the Sonic Up-Draft move from Sonic Battle.
Down tilt 	Down tilt 	 	6% 	Sonic throws his leg out and does a sweep kick. Originates from Sonic The Fighters (Leg Throw) and Sonic 06 (Foot Sweep)
Dash attack 	Dash attack 	 	8% (clean), 4% (late) 	Sonic curls into a ball to rush at any opponent in his path. Based on the Spin Attack from the original Sonic the Hedgehog.
Forward smash 	Forward smash 	Wind-Up Punch 	(clean), (late) 	Sonic winds up his fist, then throws a punch forwards. This move can be aimed up or down. Based on the move of the same name from Sonic the Fighters.
Up smash 	Up smash 	 	(hit 1), (hit 2) 	Sonic jumps up and curls up into a spiky ball. This move hits twice, with the first hit linking onto the second hit. Sonic himself is intangible while the first hitbox is active. Based on when he jumps to attack enemies in the original Sonic the Hedgehog.
Down smash 	Down smash 	Sonic Flare 	(hit 1), (hit 2) 	Sonic does a double-hitting "break-dance" kick. Based on the Sonic Flare move from Sonic Battle.
Neutral aerial 	Neutral aerial 	 	15% (clean center), 11% (clean sides), 8% (mid), 5% (late) 	Sonic curls up in a ball and spins around to generate a sharp "shield" around him, similar to the "Insta-Shield" seen in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. A useful move to send opponents flying and is a good combo finisher.
Forward aerial 	Forward aerial 	Sonic Eagle 	11% (foot), 9% (leg) 	Sonic flips forward and sends his heel downward in an axe-kick fashion. Acts as a meteor smash upon impact on Sonic's foot. Based on the Sonic Eagle move from Sonic Battle.
Back aerial 	Back aerial 	 	16% (clean leg), 12% (clean body), 9% (late leg), 6% (late body) 	Sonic performs a backwards roundhouse kick that deals fairly strong knockback.
Up aerial 	Up aerial 	 	4% (hit 1), 13% (hit 2) 	Sonic flips upside down and performs an upwards scissors kick. One of his stronger aerial attacks.
Down aerial 	Down aerial 	 	10% (early hit), 9% (fall) 	Sonic stalls for a brief moment, then shoots downwards foot first, via a stall-then-fall move. The move's initial hitbox can spike opponents. Based on the Stomp Dive from Sonic the Fighters and the Sonic Rocket move from Sonic Battle.
Grab 	Grab 	 	— 	
Pummel 	Pummel 	 	3% 	Knees the opponent.
Forward throw 	Forward throw 	 	3% (hit 1), 6% (throw) 	Sonic kicks the opponent forward. Based on the Top Kick move from Sonic Battle.
Back throw 	Back throw 	 	8% 	Sonic performs a high speed multi-flip version of the , a Judo throw. Deals decent knockback.
Up throw 	Up throw 	 	3% (hit 1), 5% (throw) 	Sonic throws the opponent up and sharpens his quills to stab the opponent. An excellent combo starter.
Down throw 	Down throw 	 	1% (hits 1-3), 5% (throw) 	Sonic pins the opponent on the ground to spin-grind on top of them. Based on the Double Spin move from Sonic the Fighters.
Floor attack (front)	Floor attack (front)	 	6% 	Does a quick spinball sweep.
Floor attack (back) 	Floor attack (back) 	 	6% 	Does a quick foot sweep.
Floor attack (trip) 	Floor attack (trip) 	 	5% 	Does a spin kick while getting up.
Edge attack (fast) 	Edge attack (fast) 	 	8% 	Gets up onto the stage with a spinball attack.
Edge attack (slow) 	Edge attack (slow) 	 	4% (hit 1), 8% (hit 2) 	Sonic slowly climbs up and kicks forward twice. This is the only edge attack move that can hit twice.
Neutral special 	Neutral special 	Homing Attack / Blast Attack	8% 	Sonic curls up into a spiky ball while ascending, aims for the nearest target, then crashes into them. He'll perform a pose if he hits. If he fails to aquire a target and doesn't hit a wall or some other obstruction, Sonic will become helpless. Based on the move of the same name from Sonic Adventure.
Side special 	Side special 	Somersault 	4% (startup), 8% (jump), 1% (rolling hits)Slide kick: 9% (clean), 6% (late)	Sonic leaps a small distance in the air while in ball form, then performs a couple of somersault when he lands. This move can be linked into a sliding kick or canceled by jumping, making it a powerful mix-up option. Based on the move of the same name from Sonic Adventure 2.
Up special 	Up special 	Spring Jump 	4% 	Summons out a spring from the Sonic the Hedgehog games and uses it to leap into the air. The spring acts as a projectile when used in mid-air. Useful for both recovery and edge-guarding. All of Sonic's momentum is reset when the using the spring. He can't use special moves again until returning to the ground, getting hit, or getting grabbed.
Down special 	Down special 	Spin Charge 	1% (charging hits), 6-11% (dash), 4% (jump) 	Sonic curls himself into a spiky ball and dashes forward. This move can be charged by rapidly pressing the special button while holding down, making it both faster and stronger. Unlike in Brawl, this move cannot be charged infinitely. Based on the iconic Spin Dash that first appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
Final smash 	Final smash 	Super Sonic 	18% (startup), 16% (ram) 	Transforms into Super Sonic, from the Sonic the Hedgehog games. The player can use the control stick or other movement buttons to make him fly in any direction they choose and ram into other foes. The transformation lasts for about 15 seconds. Ending the transformation while airborne will cause Sonic to become helpless.
==In competitive play==
===Most historically significant players===
See also: :Category:Sonic players (PM)
* - Formerly ranked 3rd on the SoCal Power Rankings and is an Honorable Mention on PMRank 2017. Has notable wins over and . Placed 13th at Low Tier City 5 and 33rd at Smash 'N' Splash 4.
* - Ranked #9 on PMRank 2022 and ranked 3rd on the NorCal Power Rankings. Co-mains Sonic with and . 
* - Ranked #30 on PMRank 2023 co-maining Sonic and Knuckles. 4th on the Massachusetts Power Rankings. Placed 13th at The Encore, 7th at Resting Stitch Face 2, and 2nd at Invincible 5.
* - Formerly ranked 41st on PMRank 2018. Placed 17th at The Bigger Balc, 3rd at Tipped Off 12, 9th at SuperNova 2, 17th at Low Tier City 5, and 9th at Smash 'N' Splash 4.
* - Best Australian Sonic main, now dual mains with Ike. Ranked 3rd on the Australian Project M Power Rankings. Placed 33rd at Smash 'N' Splash 3.
* - Formerly ranked #34 on PMRank 2019 and 2nd on the Illinois Power Rankings. Placed 25th at Smash 'N' Splash 4 and 9th at Frozen Phoenix 2019.
==Alternate costumes==
===Project M===
Sonic's colours have been changed to be significantly more obvious, improving his readbility in team battles. The non-default colours are all references to other Sonic characters, while his alternate costume is based on Beat, a character from another series that was created by SEGA, Jet Set Radio. 
							
							
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*Red, a generic red costume that was planned to become a Dr. Eggman reference prior to Project M's development ending.
*Purple, a generic purple costume.
*Green, a generic green costume that was planned to become a Jet the Hawk costume prior to Project M's development ending.
*Black, a reference to Shadow the Hedgehog
*Yellow, a reference to Miles "Tails" Prower
*Grey, a reference to Silver the Hedgehog
*An alternate costume based on Beat from .
===Project+===
In Project+, his Jet Set Radio costume receives a set of recolors for Team Battles, which are based on Gum, Cube, and Mew. He also receives a new alternate costume based on his Racing Suit from Sonic Adventure 2: Battle. His third costume set, Sega Kid Sonic, is based on artwork from Yuji Uekawa that imagined Sonic as a human boy. For this set, the red costume resembles Amy Rose; the green costume resembles Surge the Tenrec, a character from the IDW comic series, but also has some resemblances to Scourge the Hedgehog; the blue resembles the color of Sonic in the Adventure series games; while the grey costume resembles Tangle the Lemur.
Secret costumes:
Z-Secret Costume: Sonic Adventure design
R-Secret Costume: Sonic the Werehog from Sonic Unleashed
==Trivia==
*One of the poses Sonic performs when using the Homing Attack shows a strong resemblance to his pose in the box art of Sonic Adventure.
*Jet Set Radio composer Hideki Naganuma has expressed approval of Sonic's Beat Costume.
==External links==
*Star's Sonic Guide
Category:Sonic
Category:Characters (PM)
Category:Third-party characters