Knuckles the Echidna

*"Porcupine? I am an Echidna! Trained since birth in all forms of lethal combat, destined to restore honor to my tribe, and willing to destroy anything that gets in my way."*
―Knuckles the Echidna to Stone[src]
**Knuckles the Echidna** is a red Echidna warrior from Mobius. In his childhood years, Knuckles trained to be a future warrior, but when his tribe disappeared due to the war between Echidnas and Owls, he was the last of his kind to survive. He thus began a quest for the Master Emerald and vowed revenge on Sonic the Hedgehog, Longclaw's apprentice. Knuckles faced various challenges to fulfill his destiny as he competed in a fight against a monster, managing to recruit allies to search for Sonic.

After arriving on the Mushroom Planet, Knuckles formed an alliance with Doctor Eggman, for they both plan payback on Sonic. While trying to kill Sonic and his ally Tails, Knuckles realized Eggman's evil ways, betraying him with taking the emerald himself, and Sonic's kindness, making amends with him. Joined by Tails, Knuckles and the others defeated Eggman and his Giant Eggman Robot. Following the fight, Knuckles joined the Wachowski family with his newfound friends; Team Sonic.

Knuckles, Sonic, and Tails would visit a junkyard, where they would have a confrontation against Unit, one of Eggman's Badniks. Knuckles would come to pummel Unit out of most of his physical form, leaving only his robotic body behind. Tails adopted him as a pet; however, Knuckles was angry at Unit for destroying Maddie Wachowski's books.

## Biography

### Early Life

*"I lost everything because of you. My tribe was on the verge of its greatest victory. The last of the owl warriors have been located, soon Longclaw's emerald secrets would be ours. But my father stopped me from joining the fight. He said my moment to honor our tribe would come, but it was not this moment. Those were the last words he spoke to me. I never saw him again."*
―Knuckles the Echidna to Sonic the Hedgehog[src]
Knuckles the Echidna was born on Mobius to a father partaking in a tribe of fellow Echidnas who were at war with Owl warriors over the hailed Master Emerald and its location.

One day, when Knuckles hoped to hunt Longclaw to reveal secrets over the emerald along with the tribe, Knuckles' father told him to stay instead and await the true moment where he would honor his tribe. As his father died that day and the rest went extinct, Knuckles remained as the last Echidna.

### Searching for Sonic

*"The hedgehog, he's the key to everything. He's the reason I'm investigating the most desolate corners of the galaxy. And he is my one chance to restore what was lost."*
―Knuckles the Echidna[src]
Knuckles traveled throughout the universe in search of the key to tracking the Master Emerald: Sonic the Hedgehog. Finding himself in an area close to a volcano, said volcano erupted, trembling the ground and Knuckles. Barely injured, Knuckles was taken to the *Casino Night* by unknown mysterious scavengers. There, Knuckles was imprisoned in front of an audience eager to watch a battle between him and a giant monster. Knuckles eventually was able to defeat his opponent via his exceeding levels of rage.

Having received a bag of rings as a prize, he recruited the scavengers to aid him in finding Sonic.

As they tried to search for Sonic, the scavengers briefly tracked down Tails, who they thought was the one they're looking for, through multiple zones. Knuckles told them that Tails wasn't the target and that he knew one more place where they can find a lead.

### Meeting Doctor Eggman

*"Where did you get that?"
"From a little blue menace on the planet called Earth... I'd be happy to show you the way."*
―Knuckles the Echidna and Doctor Eggman[src]
After tracking chaos energy on the Mushroom Planet, Knuckles and the scavengers headed there from a portal using a ring. Knuckles was the last to cross, since the scavengers were defeated, and he met doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik. Knuckles demanded to know where he got Sonic the Hedgehog's quill and is taken to his location on Earth.

#### Attack on the Wachowski Residence

*"Longclaw and her people were the sworn enemy of my tribe, the echidna! We fought and died at their hands, and now you will die by mine."*
―Knuckles the Echidna to Sonic the Hedgehog[src]
Knuckles and Eggman traveled to the Wachowski Residence, with Knuckles handing their common enemy a surprise attack upon his introduction. Following a short fight, Knuckles demanded the '
"ultimate power" and threatened to kill Sonic, but was hindered by Tails' rescue of Sonic. Enraged, Knuckles pursued the duo down the roads of Green Hills, thwarting what blocked his way. Eventually reaching the hood of their escaping vehicle, Tails propelled his idol upwards with his two tails as the car fell off a cliff with Knuckles still on it. He was lucky to be able to cling onto to the cliff using his fists.

#### Forming an Alliance

*"I help you retrieve the emerald, and you use it to destroy the hedgehog!"
"You're suggesting an alliance?"
"Around here, we simply, grip each others hands tightly."*
―Doctor Eggman and Knuckles the Echidna[src]
Scaling the cliff, with aid of Doctor Eggman's Badniks, Eggman requested a deal to be made, in which Eggman would help Knuckles retrieve the Master Emerald, only if occupied to destroy Sonic the Hedgehog besides restoring Knuckles' tribe's honor. They sealed the deal with a handshake, which resulted in Eggman injuring his fingers.

In the Egg-Mobile, Knuckles and his new ally arrives at the Mean Bean Coffee Café, where Knuckles met Eggman's other apprentice agent Stone. After also shaking Stone's hand, Knuckles saw how the ordinary coffee shop transformed into a new Eggman-themed base.

### Race to the Master Emerald

#### Chase of the Master Emerald Compass

*"He chose helping the fox over pursuing the compass."
"Of course he did. New friend, same pathetic weakness."*
―Knuckles the Echidna and Doctor Eggman[src]
While Knuckles and his allies spied on Sonic's text messages, Stone questioned Knuckles' relevance. Eggman replied that he is the key to extraordinary victory in his plan to conquer the galaxy. When the message is eventually revealed to mention 'home,' Knuckles believed Sonic has returned to the Wachowski Residence. Eggman disproved Knuckles' remark, however, as he had located Sonic and his new buddy Tails in Siberia, as shown by a holographic image of Sonic. As Robotnik's anger over him caused him to playfully flick it, Knuckles slammed it with his fist, claiming to have fulfilled Robotnik's desire of destroying the hologram. The two later left, leaving Stone behind in the Mean Bean Coffee Café.

They surround Sonic and Tails, who have found the Master Emerald Compass inside a mountain, with various Badniks. In their opponents' attempt to flee, a missile is fired to barricade the exit. Another is fired as well, which Sonic hurled back at Knuckles, who luckily dodged it. This causes a giant Owl statue to lean out an exit from above. Sonic and Tails fled from there, and Knuckles followed, tearing a piece of a Flying Egg like Sonic did to use as a snowboard in pursuit.

Knuckles eventually halted Sonic, who let out another quip out of many. Knuckles, angered, stated he knew nothing about him, to which Sonic replied Echidnas like him tend to ruin his life. In disagreement, Knuckles told Sonic how his life has been ruined, claiming his father and the Echidna Tribe's last members had been killed while trying to receive information on the Master Emerald. Sonic also recalled that day being the last time he saw the now passed away Longclaw. Shortly after, Tails tasered him with a specially enhanced net, reaching for the thrown compass that Eggman stole mid-air. Eggman shot him down and took Knuckles in his Egg-Mobile. Knuckles remarked that Sonic went to check on Tails rather than taking chase after the recently stolen item and is slightly confused, which is no surprise to Eggman, who calls it a "pathetic weakness." They left afterwards once an avalanche approached Sonic and the unconscious Tails.

#### Finding the Master Emerald's Location

*"The owls were fools to think they could hide this."*
―Knuckles the Echidna[src]
On a small island nearby that of Hawaii, Knuckles and Eggman exited a ring portal, planting the compass in a hole by the shore. This unlocked the Master Emerald Shrine's labyrinth from afar. The two entered the labyrinth, finding themselves in a maze inhabited by various dangerous booby traps. They rushed through them, coming to a halt when the traps settled down. Eggman unleashed a drone which, not only generated a comprehensive map of the maze, but also lead them safely to the shrine.

#### Duel at the Master Emerald Shrine

*"Is everything a joke to you? Why must you constantly interfere with my destiny?"
"Because my destiny is to protect my friends and family."
"I think I just threw up in my mouth."
"And if you want that emerald, you're gonna have to go. Through. Me!"*
―Knuckles the Echidna, Doctor Eggman and Sonic the Hedgehog[src]
When Knuckles and Doctor Eggman approached the Master Emerald, with Eggman wanting to electrocute his ally, Sonic the Hedgehog fell through the roof before them. Frustrated, Knuckles questioned Sonic's constant interference with his destiny, Sonic replying it is his destiny to protect his friends and family, forbidding anyone to lay hands on the sacred emerald. Sonic then rushed to the emerald, but Knuckles hung onto the wall's corner, charging at him into battle whilst Eggman neared the emerald.
Wanting to finish Sonic off by crushing him, Sonic alarmed him of Eggman's progressing betrayal. Knuckles peeked behind him and noticed his actions, receiving Eggman's confession of him having plotting this all along. He obtained the power of the emerald and teleported back to Green Hills with a shockwave that crumbled the labyrinth. The water surrounding said structure flooded through, and debris landed atop Knuckles. Nearly set to drown, Sonic rescued Knuckles, although unable to save himself. Knuckles came to his aid at last.

#### Making Amends with Sonic

*"On the mountain you told me you've lost everything, the way I did. But you seem so hopeful and free. How did you move forward despite failing again, and again, and again, and again, and again?"
"Okay, I didn't fail that much, but I didn't do this all alone. I found a new family, new friends, and you can too. You don't have to be alone anymore."*
―Knuckles the Echidna and Sonic the Hedgehog[src]
Knuckles brought a nearly dead Sonic on the nearby island's shore, being questioned why he saved him. Knuckles answered it is because he saved him first, seeing it as some strange tactic. Sonic explained it's no tactic, but rather his duty as a hero. As Tails arrived to rescue Sonic with a biplane, Knuckles asked how Sonic moves forward despite his constant failures, learning he does this as he found new friends and family, now also being offered Sonic's friendship. Knuckles shook his hand, injuring it.

### A New Order

#### Battle Against the Giant Eggman Robot

*"This is no light task. We must make a vow, to use our powers to keep the universe safe. To watch out for each other. Our new tribe."
"Oh, I know! A power bump!"
"Good idea."
"It's an Earth custom; an unbreakable promise."
"Very well, a power bump it is."*
―Knuckles the Echidna, Tails and Sonic the Hedgehog[src]
In the *Tornado*, Knuckles, Sonic, and Tails gazed in awe as Doctor Eggman used the Master Emerald to create a giant robot, shocking the trio. Knuckles initiated the plan to stop Eggman, and assured Tails that he had no grudge against him, but that he will get his revenge, before jumping out of the plane. Running, Knuckles tried to fight the robot, managing to land a swipe at the fingers. Knuckles met with Sonic and Tails to discuss the plan, and they pooled their strength, speed, and intelligence to fight as a team, and prepared for their time as heroes.

As they fought, Knuckles suggested punching Eggman in his private area, which Sonic denied, until he realized that if he distracted Eggman, since he hated him, it would buy Knuckles and Tails time to get inside the robot to get the relic out of his grasp. Surprised, Knuckles congratulated Sonic on his idea as they faced the Badniks and considered Sonic a worthy warrior with certain death. Knuckles was led by Tails towards the robot while the fox used his holographic technology. Taking advantage of the distraction, Knuckles tried to trick Eggman into being a holographic clone, and Eggman considered him a traitor, but Knuckles answered "this is how I roll", and gave him a powerful blow to the chest in a successful attempt to take away the Master Emerald, managing to weaken his enemy, and survived the fall of the robot with Tails.

Weakened, Knuckles and Tails watched Eggman's robot arise to crush Sonic, Tom, and Maddie, shocked to see the family surviving thanks to Sonic gaining the power of the seven Chaos Emeralds, defeating Eggman. Knuckles prevented Tom and Maddie from hugging Sonic afterwards because he stopped being who he was due to his transformation, but was surprised to learn that Sonic was still the same after summoning two chili dogs, one of which landed on Knuckles' face. After repairing the Master Emerald with his fists, Knuckles was pleased that he and his friends had it, although they didn't know what to do, and Tails suggested forming a new order of heroes to protect it. Knuckles joins the new team.

#### Playing Baseball

*"On the mound, rookie sensation from across the galaxy: Miles "Tails" Prower! Facing off against the powerhouse Knuckles the Echidna."*
―Sonic the Hedgehog[src]
Following the battle against the Giant Eggman Robot, Knuckles, Sonic, Tails, Tom and Maddie partook in a baseball match at the Green Hills Baseball Field, where Knuckles is at the bat. Not following the traditional rules of the sport, Knuckles powered his fist up to perform a "power bump" launching the ball towards the now broken sign, which Tails claimed to be unfair. Having conquered all bases, the trio had been treated for ice cream by Tom, to which Knuckles pondered if grapes are included and entered Tom's car.

### Battle at the Green Hills Junkyard

*"I do not trust this trash bot."*
―Knuckles the Echidna[src]
After Knuckles swore to return tomes to the library for Maddie Wachowski, he and Tails are brought to the Green Hills Junkyard instead due to Wade Whipple's report about noises emitting from the scrapyard. Upon spotting Unit, a Flying Egg Badnik searching for upgradable parts, Knuckles immediately engaged in battle, ignoring Sonic's original plan. He is however launched into a welcome sign inside a fridge.

Knuckles returned after Sonic and Tails and Unit have made amends, pummeling the robot, who recently admitted his passion for poetry, and destroying its body parts. Knuckles, despite being told it is now good, refused to trust Unit, especially after it said he will fall before Unit's superior prose and was called a "red mean thing", demanding justice upon Maddie's now destroyed books.

## Personality

*"Has anyone ever told you you've got serious anger issues?"*
―Sonic the Hedgehog to Knuckles the Echidna[src]
Knuckles is described as being serious in nature, yet still naïve at times. Being better suited for combat than Sonic in many ways, his entire existence is about honor and about being a warrior, to the point where he appears to be a force of nature. Proud of his heritage, he tends to be somewhat overconfident and arrogant, looking down upon Sonic for his inexperience as a warrior and claiming that he does not need Sonic's powers because he has his own.

Knuckles is very determined and meticulous when he is pursuing his goals, never letting go of his task or accepting the possibility of giving up. He is also very much a loner by instinct and prefers to do things on his own. However, he is willing to betray his own instincts and ask for help if he recognizes a task that may be beyond his capabilities. Despite this, being as honorable as he is, he is fair and possesses his own strong sense of justice, which compels him to come to the aid of even his enemies if he feels that he owes them a debt. Due to holding honor and loyalty in such high regard, he will express dissatisfaction if he sees a lack of an honorable attitude in other people. He is also very direct and bluntly honest.

Knuckles was very persistent when it came to his supposed destiny to take down Sonic, even going so far as to be judgmental towards him when fighting. Knuckles is slightly egotistical, as he once bragged that he is very handsome and strong. He also takes great pride in his species, and as a warrior, as he was somewhat offended by agent Stone misidentifying him as a "porcupine".

Knuckles is quite melodramatic and has a habit of making lengthy speeches; for example, he claimed that Sonic attacked him during his "hour of sorrow" when he threw a couple small piles of sand at him. He is also far from tech-savvy, having no idea about the thought process of machines and would even refer to holograms as magic. While this makes Knuckles seem somewhat unintelligent, he is in truth just oblivious due to the absence of such elements in his daily life and his straightforward worldview. He is also rather socially awkward, especially when it comes to Earth customs, such as a handshake or the concept of how baseball works. However, he does enjoy having fun in his own way, as he took great pleasure when he prematurely ended the Wachowskis' baseball game despite not fully understanding it. Knuckles also has a habit of referring to people by their species instead of their name, calling Sonic "Hedgehog" and Tails "Fox", for example.

## Powers and Abilities

### Powers

*"Look, Robotnik, I don't care who you bring to help you. You're never gonna get my power."
"Do I look like I need your power?"*
―Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna[src]
* **Superhuman Strength**: Knuckles is super strong and with one blow can create a shockwave with his fists. He could also punch Sonic through several walls and a TV with one punch, effortlessly stop Sonic's spin dash with one hand, and lift a large boulder without showing any strain. Even without using his full strength, whenever he shakes hands with someone, he causes excruciating pain and often dislocates their hand joints without meaning to.
	+ **Power Fists**: With his strength, Knuckles is able to rapid punch repeatedly until he's finally able to catch a reflexive Sonic off guard. He's also able to punch a baseball through a scoreboard and a good distance away.
	+ **Enhanced Leaping**: With his strength combined with his gliding ability, he's able to jump at great distances.
	+ **Enhanced Sprinting**: Knuckles can sprint at a high pace as he was able to catch up with a police car, with aid from his gliding ability, but noticeably relies on the brute strength of his legs and is clearly not as fast as Sonic.
	+ **Superhuman Stamina**: Knuckles is able to exert himself for long periods of time without showing signs of tiring out.
* **Bio-Electricity/Chaos Energy Manipulation**: Knuckles can charge himself with red lightning when preparing to use and augment his abilities, similar to Sonic's. With one blow, he can cause an electro-magnetic pulse enough to cause Sonic to bounce from the ground. It's likely he, too, is capable of channeling chaos energy as he appeared to have some knowledge of chaos control.
	+ **Shockwave Generation**: When forcing a chaos energy-powered Sonic into the ground, he released a red shockwave that knocked everything around him down, including Doctor Eggman's bowl of popcorn, and caused Sonic to bounce back up before pinning him to a tree while in midair.
	+ **Chaos Control**: Knuckles appears to have limited knowledge of chaos energy as he was able to use his abilities to restore the Master Emerald by hand after it was shattered, something Sonic expressed awe about.
* **Superhuman Durability**: Knuckles has shown immense durability, even greater than Sonic's, as he was able to leap through solid rock without any discomfort and even withstands several of Sonic's spin dash attacks and gets back up without showing any signs of being harmed. When previously hit by a police car driven by Tails, he claims he didn't feel a thing.

### Abilities

*"You're no match for me! I've been training for this my entire life!"*
―Knuckles the Echidna to Sonic the Hedgehog[src]
* **Master Combatant**: Described as the "most dangerous warrior in the galaxy" by Tails, Knuckles is an incredibly strong combatant, having trained since birth in the ways of combat by his tribe. He is a very experienced fighter, having trained from birth in all forms of lethal combat. Thanks to his experience, he was able to outmatch Sonic in virtually all of their fights when it came to raw skills. Initially, he resolves to fight alone, but after some persuasion from Sonic and Tails, he not only fights alongside them, he is able to quickly synergize his fighting style with Sonic and Tails' respective fighting styles to take on the Master Emerald-powered Badniks.
* **Wall Climbing**: Knuckles can, with aid from his sharp knuckles, scale walls by hand.
* **Enhanced Reflexes**: Knuckles was able to quickly catch Sonic as he used his spin dash attack moments before he could hit him.
* **Gliding**: Knuckles can soar through the air for a limited period of time.

## Facilities

* **Sonic's Island**: Knuckles, his father and the rest of the Echidna Tribe were based somewhere in the forests of Sonic's island on Mobius. He left after his dad and the tribe died during their chase with Longclaw.
* ***Casino Night***: Knuckles was brought to the *Casino Night* when searching for the key to everything Sonic the Hedgehog. There, he fought an evil beast and recruited his kidnappers to find him.
* **Mean Bean Coffee Café**: After Knuckles became an ally of Doctor Eggman, he was introduced to his agent Stone's café, which is secretly a villainous base of operations.

## Relationships

Allies* Echidna Tribe - Tribe Members
	+ Pachacamac - Leader †
* Scavengers - Former Kidnappers
* Team Sonic - Teammates
	+ Sonic the Hedgehog - Former Enemy/Rival and Close Friend
	+ Tails - Former Enemy and Friend
* Tom Wachowski
* Maddie Wachowski - Friend
* Unit - Temporary Enemy
* Stone - Former Ally

## Appearances

In chronological order:

* *Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-Quill*
* *Sonic the Hedgehog 2*
* *Sonic Drone Home*
* *Knuckles* (unreleased)
	+ *Season One* unreleased)
* *Sonic the Hedgehog 3* (unreleased)

## Trivia

* In the video game series, **Knuckles the Echidna** is the sole survivor of the ancient Knuckles Clan. His job is to guard the mystic Master Emerald, which is, due to his unfortunate gullibility, often stolen by Doctor Eggman. This then enforces his affiliation with Sonic the Hedgehog.

## Behind the Scenes

* Jason Momoa was to be in talks of voicing Knuckles prior to Idris Elba's casting.
* Idris Elba announced he was voicing the role by posting an image of Knuckles' fist with the caption "Knock, knock..." on Twitter.
* Former Archie Comics **Sonic the Hedgehog** series writer and artist Ken Penders took issue with Knuckles having a father, like his character Locke. He was also told by fans that the echidna wielding the power of the Master Emerald in a flashback scene in *Sonic the Hedgehog 2* relates to his character Enerjak.
* Pat Casey claimed that there was a draft of the second film where Knuckles would bring Robotnik to Angel Island after encountering him on the Mushroom Planet. Knuckles would show the doctor how it was falling into the ocean and that he needs to bring the Master Emerald back to its location to prevent its collapse. This was cut from the final film because the writers wanted both of them to get to Earth in their following scene.
	+ He also mentioned talks about a flashback sequence as to what became of Knuckles after his tribe's extinction. He'd be captured by an alien species and was applied to pushing a grinding grain for several years, growing his muscular strength to be thrown into a fighting pit, winning a battle inside, and finally engaging in his quest to restore the tribe's honor. While considered, this idea was eventually dropped. A similar scenario can be seen in Knuckles' story "Always Bet on Red" in *Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-Quill*.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 *Sonic the Hedgehog 2*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 *Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-Quill*
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sonic the Hedgehog on Twitter - August 9, 2022
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Spinoff Series ‘Knuckles’ at Paramount+ Sets Cast, Including Adam Pally, Tika Sumpter
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 ‘Sonic The Hedgehog’ Universe Expands As Sega And Paramount Sign Off On Third Film And ‘Knuckles’ Spinoff Series At Paramount+ With Idris Elba Reprising Role
6. ↑ *Sonic Drone Home*
7. ↑ SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2: PRODUCTION START DATE UNCOVERED AND NEW KNUCKLES’ DETAILS: EXCLUSIVE
8. ↑ REPORT: Sonic 2 Circling Jason Momoa to Voice Knuckles
9. ↑ Idris Elba on Twitter - August 10, 2021
10. ↑ Controversial Sonic Writer Ken Penders Claims Sonic 2 Used His Characters, Is Seeking Legal Advice
11. ↑ 34) Writing Sonic Movie 2 w/ PAT CASEY

## External Links

* Knuckles the Echidna on Wikipedia
* Knuckles the Echidna on Sonic Wiki Zone