Sonic the Hedgehog Comic Characters Could Appear in Sega's Games

Sonic Team boss Takashi Iizuka says "hopefully there's a good chance."

By Marc Deschamps

IDW has the rights to publish comics based on Sonic the Hedgehog, and the company's stories feature some original characters. Over the last few years, comic characters like Tangle and Whisper have actually made it into the Sonic mobile games, but it seems that Sega is open to doing even more. In an interview with Sonic Stadium, Sonic Team boss Takashi Iizuka revealed that he has a close involvement with IDW, and he seems very open to the possibility of these characters showing up in the video games. 

From the Comics to the Video Games

"I do work closely with the team at IDW when they're making their new characters, and really making sure we're having lots of fun in making really good characters. And I know in the mobile games we have released or will release the IDW characters. So as far as the potential future of IDW characters appearing in games, hopefully there's a good chance," Iizuka told Sonic Stadium. 

The IDW Sonic comics have featured a number of original characters over the years. While Tangle and Whisper have become two of the most popular, there are also favorites like Lanolin, Kitsunami, and Doctor Starline. It's also worth noting that IDW writer Ian Flynn has been closely involved with the Sonic games over the last few years, and that probably helps the possibility of a closer connection between the books and games. 

Would Archie Era Sonic Characters be a Possibility?

It's unclear if there are any particular characters Iizuka has in mind, or in what capacity we might see them show up. It's worth noting that, while the IDW characters seem to be on the table, those that appeared in the Archie Comics probably aren't a possibility. In 2013, longtime Sonic writer Ken Penders won a lawsuit against Archie Comics over the rights to many of the comic's original characters, which forced the company to reboot its long-running continuity. That situation inevitably led to IDW getting the Sonic license in 2018.

Characters owned by Penders basically have no chance of returning, but writer Dan Slott has stated that he would be okay with his creation Zonic appearing in Sonic media. Slott was asked about the possibility in 2022, more than two decades after the character debuted in Sonic Super Special #8. In a post on Twitter, Slott noted that "the entire process would be headache free." While Slott is open to the possibility, it seems a lot more likely that Sega will avoid doing anything related to the Archie era at this point. 

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Are there any IDW Sonic characters you'd like to see in the games? Do you think it will happen? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: Nintendo Life]

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