Warning: This article contains major spoilers for ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’.
After premiering to a franchise-high score of 86% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is already leagues ahead of its predecessors in that it doesn’t have to overcome poor critical reception. The hype surrounding the debut of Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves) has been through the roof, and now the wait is officially over. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is now playing in theaters everywhere, and previous trailers for the film allude to it being the most ambitious installment yet with the inclusion of more hedgehog action than ever before.
The Sonic franchise added more fans along the way thanks to its ability to add new characters like Knuckles, Tails, and now Shadow into the mix, but there’s another hedgehog that people can’t stop whispering about. Sonic the Hedgehog 4’s confirmation begs the question, does the third installment tease Silver the Hedgehog in a future project?
Is Silver the Hedgehog in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’?
For those unfamiliar, Silver is another hedgehog from about 200 years in the future. Silver is known for traveling back in time from the future to stop tragedies before they happen, often running into Sonic and the gang to do so. Silver’s primary ability is psychokinesis, which gives him the power to move and throw objects much larger than him at his foes. He can also teleport short distances, use his powers to levitate briefly and block projectiles such as bullets and missiles while sending them back toward his opponent.
It’s an unfortunate day to be a Silver fan, as the latest Sonic the Hedgehog installment does not mention nor tease Silver’s appearance in the film or any upcoming project. With Silver having such strong ties to Shadow in previous games, it’s been easy to hold out hope that somehow, director Jeff Fowler and his writing team of Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington would figure out a way to at least allude to Silver’s existence if not directly referencing him. Sadly, Silver fans will have to cling to hope and delusions that Sonic 4 will set the stage for his arrival.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 does, however, showcase the first look at Amy Rose, the anthropomorphic pink hedgehog with a major crush on Sonic (Ben Schwartz) in the movie’s mid-credits scene. The scene opens with Sonic being attacked by a group of Metal Sonics, only for Amy Rose to come in and save the day. The post-credits scene for the film reveals that Shadow survived the blast and will likely return in the next Sonic movie, if not sooner in another spin-off.
Shadow Will Continue To Be a Force in the ‘Sonic’ Universe
While it’s disappointing to know that, at best, the first mention or tease of Silver will likely be during the ending or post-credits scene of Sonic the Hedgehog 4, Reeves’ outstanding performance as Shadow makes the pain a bit more tolerable. Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) have taken a backseat to Sonic since making their debut in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, but it would be a mistake to not continue to have Reeves’ Shadow front and center, be it in his own spin-off project or a co-protagonist with Sonic.
Despite Silver’s absence, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 still takes the franchise to new heights and delivers one of the best and most unapologetic video game adaptations ever. This franchise has continued to grow and expand through three movies and a Paramount+ spin-off show, and it seems as if the creators have only scratched the surface of what they want to do. As Silver fans, we can only hope that the righteous, time-traveling, telekinetic hedgehog has a part to play in those plans, hopefully sooner rather than later.
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