The reaction toSonic the Hedgehog’sinfamous original design was truly an example of Internet solidarity. And even three movies and broken box office records later — including a brand-new benchmark as of yesterday evening —Sonic the Hedgehog 3starBen Schwartzcan’t help but joke about what could have been. As Sonic and his friends sprinted past the $1 billion mark,Schwartz took to the internet to thank his supporters, and remind us all about the worst video game design in history.
Since its release just a few weeks ago,Sonic the Hedgehog 3has helped the franchisesoar to new heights with record-breaking numbers and overwhelmingly positive reviews. After an impressive $338 million at the global box office was earned bySonic 3alone, the SEGA sagabecame the fourth-highest-grossing video game franchise in history, surpassed only byResident Evil,Pokémon, andSuper Mario Bros.
In a celebratory post on X(formerly Twitter), Sonic’s voice actor Schwartz shared his enthusiasm for the incredible achievement, and praised fans for their continuous support of the franchise. But he couldn’t resist taking a small jab at what will forever be known as “Ugly Sonic.”
“Remember the first trailer?” Schwartz inquired in his post. It’s a wholly rhetorical question, since who could forget the all-too-human eyes, oddly apparent teeth, and photo-realistic fur ofSonic’s original design?
The response to this nightmare fuel was swift and unanimous among Internet users,causing a delay of several months for the first filmas animators reworked Sonic’s appearance. In those months,it seemed like theSonicfranchise was already destined to fail. Certainly no one expected it to make one billion dollars at the box office, almost five years later.
In fact, many commenters on Schwartz’s post seemed to share that exact sentiment, calling Sonic’s successone of the greatest redemption arcs in Hollywood. You can check out Schwartz’s grateful remarks for yourself below, but I’d avoid looking up theoriginal trailerif you want to get some sleep tonight.
“Ugly Sonic” May Have Saved theSonic the HedgehogFranchise
More than a few live-action adaptations of formerly animated propertieshave been criticized for their CGI. ButSonic the Hedgehogisprobably one of the only franchises to actually change its designbased on audience feedback.
Is the ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Franchise Officially the Best Video Game Adaptation?
The third installment of the ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ franchise hit a new stride, solidifying it as the best video game-to-film franchise to date.
When reminiscing about the disastrous first trailer, Schwartz emphasized the unique trajectory ofSonic’s success, stating, “Maybe sometimes you need a little push to really look in the mirror and to hear the fans, to then really figure out if you want to adjust. How often can you think of a film that reallylistens to fans and the studio takes money and time to change it because they think it would better the film?”
In the same conversation, director Jeff Fowler even went so far as tothank Ugly Sonic for his contribution to the franchise’s success.
It was out of the ashes of ‘Ugly Sonic’ that this beautiful trilogy of films, this phoenix, had to rise. It was a necessary sacrifice but yes, thank you ‘Ugly Sonic’ for the memories.
Ugly Sonic is often remembered as an embarrassing design failure and an everlasting symbol of whatnotto do in CGI remakes of animated media. But it’s also apowerful example of why studios should listen to their fans.
TheSonicwriters could’ve pushed forward with their original design despite the backlash, but the franchise likely would’ve failed as a result. By taking audiences' criticisms seriously,Sonic the Hedgehog not only became a blockbuster series of wildly successful films, but also established itself as a beloved and heartfelt piece of media that would strive to live up to fans' expectations and nostalgia for the source material.
So thank you, Ugly Sonic, for your brave sacrifice! Your heroism will live on in memes andas an ugly Christmas sweaterdesigned by none other than Paramount Pictures themselves.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the sequel to the 2022 comedy-adventure movie that featured the Blue Blur and his companions on an adventure to stop Dr. Robotnik from taking over the world. The new film sees the new antagonist Shadow the Hedgehog, arriving to cause trouble for the newly formed trio of heroes, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, as they adjust to their earthly lives.
