Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Trailer Features Nods to Dragon Ball, Akira

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is on the horizon, and as you can imagine, fans are ready to see what this sequel has in store. With Keanu Reeves on cast as Shadow the Hedgehog, the blockbuster is going to go faster and further than any before it. Today, that was all proven as the first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 went live, and it was there fans spotted a few good anime easter eggs.

Didn’t catch them? No sweat. You can find out breakdown of the best nods below!

In the first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, we meet up with Sonic and his friends as they go about their usual business. Tails and Knuckles do not clock anything out of the usual, but that changes once Shadow appears. The character comes skidding into focus at one point on a motorcycle, and yes – it perfectly recreates the motorcycle slide from Akira.

The scene from Akira has been recreated in countless projects, and now, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is joining the list. Shadow also takes a moment to tap into his inner Vegeta during this trailer. In one scene, we are shown Shadow thrusting an upper kick into the air where Knuckles is waiting, and you know that has to hurt.

If that kick looks familiar to you, then you must be a fan of Dragon Ball. During the Cell saga, we see Super Saiyan Vegeta throw this kick as Cell, and the move is pretty iconic these days. It seems Shadow gleaned this move from Dragon Ball Z, so there is no telling what kind of martial arts he’s mastered. If he tries to hit Tails with a Rasengan, don’t be surprised!

Slated for a release on December 20, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will hit theaters before long. The IP is also gearing up for its own manga these days, and we have Shadow to thank. Soon, CoroCoro Magazine will post the first-ever Shadow the Hedgehog manga. And in October, Sonic x Shadow Generations will go live across consoles and PC.

Did you catch these nods in the trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!