Sonic (SSBB)

This article is about Sonic's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. For other uses, see Sonic the Hedgehog.

Sonic
Sonic the Hedgehog
Universe	Sonic the Hedgehog
Appears in	SSBB
Availability	Unlockable
Tier	N/A (N/A)

Sonic the Hedgehog (ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ, Sonikku za Hejjihoggu) is a character from SEGA who appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. A swift character, Sonic runs at an extremely fast pace that surpasses even Captain Falcon. Nintendo Power states that since Sonic isn't well known for his fighting skills, some of his fighting moves were influenced by SEGA's fighting property, Virtua Fighter.

How to Unlock

Complete one of the following:

• Beat Sonic after beating Classic mode with 10 different characters.
• Beat Sonic after playing in brawls for 10 hours.
• Have Sonic join you in The Subspace Emissary.
• Beat Sonic after playing 300 brawls.

Role in Subspace Emissary

At the very end of the Subspace Emissary, Sonic appears and smashes Tabuu's wings, weakening his Off Waves. He then joins the fighters to defeat him and save the Smash Bros. world.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Fastest running speed in the game.
• Fast attacks with low lag.
• Fairly small target.
• Very fast rolling.
• Can Wall Jump.
• Has great combos and flexible moves.
• Can rack up damage quickly.
• Strong Dash attack canceling.
• Has nearly no lag after his dash attack.
• Up Smash has multiple hits.
• Down tilt has a high chance of tripping opponent at long range.
• Down Smash has excellent range.
• Good recovery options and methods (all B moves can be used for recovery).
• Down-Air can stop upwards momentum and moves quickly.
• Aerials can juggle relatively well and effectively.
• Neutral B and Forward-Air can be used to Wall of Pain people off the stage.
• Neutral B can be used to gimp certain recoveries.
• Neutral B homes in on enemies, stopping continuously moving characters.
• Spin Dash can open fierce aerial combos.
• Up B has great vertical height and allows attacking afterwards.
• Up-B does not put Sonic into a fully Helpless state.
• Down B fully charged is faster than regular dashing speed.
• Can edgeguard very well.
• Can stall infinitely using Neutral B underneath the stage.
• Can gain quick KOs by juggling the Up-Air then chasing them up with Up B then another Up-Air.
• Difficult to predict (unless the individual play style becomes repetitive).
• Very effective Forward Smash due to its good knockback, fast startup speed, and little lag after.
• Jab can "lock" characters in tumble if they tumble in front of Sonic, racking up damage across the entire stage.

Cons

• Lacks powerful killing moves.
• Only projectile (the spring from his Up-B) only goes downward, is only a projectile in mid-air, and can be used by opponents if grounded.
• Up B can't sweetspot the ledge on the way up and has minimal horizontal range.
• Floaty, which means he is easily KO'd in the air.
• Most of his attacks have a small hitbox.
• Up, Down and Neutral Special all have glaringly obvious wind up lag, despite the ability to shorten it by hitting certain buttons. This means that characters facing Sonic will be aware that he is about to launch one of his Specials at them, and give them time to prepare.

Standard Moves

Ground Attacks

• Standard Combo - A left-handed punch, then a right-handed punch, then finally a side kick with the left leg. 7% damage.
• Dash Attack - Rolls into a ball to hit anyone in his way, similar to when you press down while running in most Sonic games. 6% damage.
• Forward Tilt - Stick out both of his feet, with both of his hands planted on the ground (appearance and knockback comparable to Pikachu's F-Tilt in Melee). 11% damage.
• Up Tilt - Kicks upward which hits three times (appearance comparable to C. Falcon's Up Smash in Melee). Very minimal knockback. 14 damage.
• Down Tilt - Foot sweep (appearance and knockback comparable to Sheik's D-Tilt in Melee). 6% damage.
• Forward Smash: Winds up his arm during the charge and attacks with a short range punch. It has a good knockback, has a fast startup speed, little lag after, but the range isn't too impressive. 14% damage.
• Up Smash - Sonic does a short jump and hangs at its apex for a bit doing a spin. Enemies that get hit are caught into this attack, and gets hit multiple times until the final hit, which does decent knockback (low knockback in relative to a Smash attack's standard). This has a lot of priority. In addition it can be performed almost instantaneously after running making it a very good combo starter. 14% damage.
• Down Smash - Spin Dashes back and forth over a short distance around him. It has good knockback, and very good range. 12% damage.

Aerial Attacks

• Neutral Aerial - Spins in place. Properties are similar to the properties of the Sex Kick. 11% damage.
• Forward Aerial - Drills at the enemy head first rotating his body. Imagine Pikachu's F-Air (more similar to the 64/Brawl version than the Melee version). 14% damage.
• Back Aerial - Kicks behind him (appearance and knockback comparable to Samus's B-Air in Melee). Sonic's best killing move. 13% damage.
• Up Aerial - A flip kick similar to Fox's U-Air. First he splits his legs apart and out (capable of hitting enemies a bit to his sides) doing no significant knockback. Then he kicks up, knocking his opponents up with significant knockback. Very similar to Fox's Up-Air in Melee. 9% damage.
• Down Aerial - A Stall-Then-Fall aerial. Sonic stalls for a brief moment, then shoots downwards foot first (regardless of momentum before executing this move). Appearance is comparable to Ganandorf's Wizard's Foot. This attack does NOT continue downwards until landing (although it does go down very far before stopping). It has a good amount of lag when hitting the ground. When hitting a grounded opponent, the angle of knockback is similar to Captain Falcon's Falcon Kick. 8% damage.

Grabs and Throws

• Forward Throw - Oddly enough, it kicks them upwards using a straight up kick (think Sonic doing the splits vertically). Can follow with Up-Air juggles, but it can be heavily DI'ed backwards. 9% damage.
• Back Throw - Does a back flip while spinning (and while holding the opponent) and slams them on the ground, sending them backwards with a good amount of knockback. Appearance is similar to Pikachu's back throw in Melee. 8% damage.
• Up Throw - Tosses the opponent slightly above him and then lands on his hands as if to do a push-up. His quills harden just before they make contact and the foe is shot upwards and at an angle. 12% damage.
• Down Throw - Throws them down and spins on them (similar to Jigglypuff's down throw but not quite the same), then knocks them a bit forward. Does a good amount of damage and has decent horizontal knockback. 8% damage.

Stickers

A large amount of his standard moves are kicks, and thus he would benefit greatly from [Leg] damage stickers. Three of his B moves deal [Specials: Direct] and also [Spin], [Body] damage while the falling Spring [Specials: Indirect].

Exclusive Stickers

• Amy Rose: [Leg] Attack +14
• Classic Sonic JP Ver.: [Arm] Attack +21
• Classic Sonic US Ver.: [Throwing] Attack +20
• Dr. Eggman: Launch Resistance +39
• Espio The Chameleon: [Body, Spin] Attack +12
• Jet The Hawk: [Leg] Attack +17
• Knuckles The Echidna: [Electric] Resistance +23
• Shadow The Hedgehog: [Specials: Direct] Attack +20
• Silver the Hedgehog: Launch Power +49
• Sonic the Hedgehog: [Body, Spin] Attack +32
• Super Sonic: [Electric] Resistance +27
• Wave the Swallow: [Arm] Attack +19

Event Matches

• Event 30: Sonic Boom- The player plays as Sonic and has to KO 15 other Sonics on Green Hill Zone.

• Event 39: All Star Battle x2- Select your character to fight against the unlockable Brawl newcomer's.

• Event 41: The FINAL Final Battle- Select your character to battle Sonic, Snake, and Giant Mario on Final Destination.

Co-Op Event Matches

• Co-Op Event 17: Sonic and Mario- As Mario and Sonic, take turns KOing a team of alternating Marios and Sonics on Green Hill Zone.

• Co-Op Event 21: The True All-Star Battle- Select your characters and take on the entire roster on Battlefield.

Color Changes

Sonic's Colour Changes change the colour of his shoes, adds different bracelets and slightly tints his body.

• Blue (Default)
• Red
• Green
• Yellow
• Black

Trophy Description

The world's fastest hedgehog, who can run at supersonic speeds. Generally speaking, he loves being able to do what he wants and loathes being constrained. Holding still is something he would never consider. He's got a bit of an attitude but can't pass by someone in trouble. When he collects the seven Chaos Emeralds, he transforms into the mighty, gold Super Sonic.

Sonic the Hedgehog
1991

Snake's Codec Message

Snake: ...

Otacon: Snake, what is it?

S: Something about that hedgehog rubs me the wrong way...

O: ...? Oh, you mean Sonic The Hedgehog?

O: But everyone loves Sonic. He's a big star. Do you have any idea how excited people are that he's here in Brawl?

S: Yeah, I know, but there's something about him I just don't like.

O: But...why? You must have some kind of reason.

S: ...Nope, just don't like him.

Strategy & Tips

Strategy

Sonic is unlike any other character in Brawl, his sheer speed makes him rather hard to control. His best play style is annoyance, pressure and deception. His speed is his greatest advantage, zipping around stages and players. Use this to either use Hit-and-Run tactics, or to get away from groups of enemies when at high percentage. Use his Homing Attack to pressure opponents when you knock them away, because his attacks are not the strongest. Timing your attacks to interrupt your opponent's third jump is a vital Sonic strategy, one of the few areas Sonic excels at. His specials are best used for four things: deception, edgeguarding, recovering and setting up combos. When using Sonic's Final Smash, he is unable to suicide by flying off the screen, however care should be taken to not end the final smash when Super Sonic is below the stage or into a position where you can not get back on the stage. With practice, Sonic can become a very dangerous opponent if played right.

Tips

Stay on the ground - Sonic fights best on the ground, so stay there as long as possible. Combining his normal attacks with his different smashes is key.

Mix it up - try to not use the same attack twice in a row. Sonic benefits from being unpredictable, and if you continue using the same attacks, you WILL be defeated quickly.

Combo - Sonic has a lack of killing moves and needs to get his opponents around 100% damage before beating them.

Unpredictable Special - 3 out of 4 of Sonic's specials look almost exactly alike. Use these techniques to drive your opponents crazy trying to figure you out.

Aerial combat - Sonic in the air by choice is good. Two of his killing moves are here: B-Air and U-Air. F-Air and Homing Attack are good for edgeguarding. However, Sonic in the air by force is usually bad. Sonic, because he is so light, falls slowly; making him a very easy target. He does have three recoveries: Spin Dash (Side Special), Homing Attack, and his Spring.

Spin Dashes - Sonic in all reality has THREE Spin Dashes: Spin Dash I (Side Special), Spin Dash II (Spin Charge), and Spin Dash III (Dash Attack). Always mix these up so no one sees the difference. Spin Dash I is ideal for quick attacks and recovery; but be careful when recovering, because this attack won't stop till Sonic lands or dies. Spin Dash II is good for feints (one charge), quick attack (2 charges) or tripling speed (3-5 charges). Its useful for escaping Final Smashes. Spin Dash III which is useful against enemies that guard against specials (ex: Pit - D-Special. Try hitting them with I and II, then hit them with III. They won't Know What hit them.

Down Aerial Glitch - Sometimes, when knocked up almost off the screen, try to use the D-Air before dying. The downward momentum may cancel the upward momentum, causing you to float in the air for a few seconds. If Sonic is off the edge when attempting, Do not use the move twice, or Sonic will fall to his death.

Sonic vs. Specials - Sonic's specials, while not very powerful, are very useful in messing others up. To be more precise, his Homing Attack. Homing Attack is useful mostly against other special attacks. It starts with him hovering in the air for a few seconds. then, he launches himself at the opponent at a very high speed. Some techniques it works against (or should) are: Wario Bike, Angel Ring, Skull Bash, and Hand Slap. There are many more attacks it works against and is also useful when edgeguarding.

Killing Moves - As noted before, Sonic doesn't have many killing moves. These moves are your best bet to KO (listed best-to-worst): Back Aerial, Back Throw, Down Smash, Forward Smash, Up Aerial, & Up Smash. Since he can attack after a spring jump, he can chase midair opponents to the top of the stage for easier KOs with his Up Aerial.

Sonic counters Edge-hogging - As the title says, Sonic can counter Edgehoggers. When Sonic is falling from his Up-B, and an Edgehogger is about to hit him, Sonic can still Footstool Jump in his falling animation. This helps him to recover.

Items - Being that Sonic is the fastest character in the game, use this to your advantage, and grab just about any item that appears. Because he has no very efficient 'killing moves', this is where items can come into play.

The Spring is Very Useful - Sonic's Spring can be used to recover, and hit enemies from afar. However, one of its best uses is to dodge projectiles, and even Final Smashes like Zelda/Sheik's Light Arrow, if you have good timing. However, in levels where gravity changes with level (Pokemon Stadium 2 – Flying Element/Summit while moving down) beware, as the spring will launch you too far and one hit with anything will KO you.

Stage picking - Never pick stages like New Pork City and Hanenbow, because the platforms are not large enough for Sonic to run around and attack his opponent(s). Also, he will be forced to fight in the air in these stages, and can't create great combos because of the small platforms. Pick stages with large floors, like Final Destination and Lylat Cruise, to give you enough room to use most of Sonic's potential. Also, Sonic's stage, Green Hill Zone, has the half-pipe to help Sonic approach his opponent(s) without any worry of projectiles.

Little Lag - Most, if not all of Sonic's moves have very little lag, compared to other characters, making him very deadly against power characters, who have a lot of lag. His Dash Attack is one of the lowest lagging moves in the game. However, his smash attacks all have a short delay before being released.

Recovery - Sonic is one of the best recoverers in the game. Because he is somewhat floaty, this gives people time to decide on how they wish to recover, without fear of KOing one's self when trying to recover from the side of a stage. His two best recovery moves would be the Up B (his spring) as it allows him to recover, and still attack, (although you cannot use specials), and the Homing Attack, which can be used limitless in midair, meaning he can get out of some pretty tight spots, especially when he is too far away to use his spring to recover. Because Homing Attack can also damage, this makes it highly useful against edgeguarders, as if the opponent is on a decent percentage, Homing Attack with knock them back a little.

Improving the Spring Recovery - Since Sonic has one of the best recoverer's in the game plus Sonic can attack after Up-B. Improve the recovery by using fair, bair and aerial dodge. All of them help in gaining more horizontal distance with the Spring.

Homing Attack - If Homing Attack does not hit a solid object, Sonic can use his Up B, or whatever attacks he likes afterwards. If a solid object is hit though, Sonic will rebound, resulting in a little lag. He can however, attack and do Up B or any attacks he wants. This makes him terrific at aerial combat over no ground, as he can use Homing Attack to keep himself in the air, until he is ready to fall. This is not all. Homing Attack can be manually aimed, even if it cannot be aimed with a high degree of accuracy. This however, lets Sonic move to wherever he wants, even if an enemy is not there. This is still a lot of manual work, so don't think he is as good at recovering as say, Pit. His Homing Attack has a slight charge up time that can be shortened by pressing the A button, while he is rising.

Final Smash - Sonic, as mentioned before, is not good at KOing foes. He needs to rack up a lot of damage, then attempt to KO them, using a smash attack. Sonic's Final Smash, Super Sonic, changes all this, as it moves extremely quick, has high knockback, and cannot SD, meaning Sonic can KO someone from anywhere in the stage. Downside? The controls become hypersensitive meaning Sonic becomes extremely hard to control, and if his speed is used recklessly, it can miss opponents very easily. However, if used correctly, Sonic can KO someone in 1 hit, when they are at about approx 70% of damage.

Special Movements

Taunts

Up: Does a front flip, then crosses his arms with his index finger pointing out while making a teasing clicking tune.

Side: Does a figure eight peelout dash, saying "You're too slow!" in a teasing manner.

Down: Says: "C'mon, step it up!" while doing windmills.

On-Screen Appearance

Jumps into view from the foreground and gives a thumbs up with his right hand.

Victory Pose

• He spins once and poses while holding the blue Chaos Emerald in his hand, saying "Too easy! Piece of cake!".
• Runs off the screen, then runs back, comes to a sudden halt, then says "Sonic's the name, speed's my game!". Additionally, this is his line and entrance from his intro movie from the Smash Bros. Dojo.
• Flips and then does a pose with his fist, saying "Hey, we should do this again sometime!".

Wii Remote Choice

The Classic result sound is heard. It sounds like running, then a Ring being collected.

Trivia

• Since Sonic is the fastest character, if he is wearing a Bunny Hood, he can keep up while running on the track in the Melee stage Big Blue, actually being able to Self Destruct on the right edge of the field.
• The rain that occurs on Distant Planet forms a stream on the hill on the left, and, Sonic, when equipped with a Bunny Hood, can dash up the hill, surpassing the speed of the stream, and, again, allowing him to Self Destruct on the side of the field.
• Along with Marth, Snake and Ness, he is seen in the opening video of the game. They're the only four unlockable characters to do so.
• Sonic has appeared in two fighting games before Brawl- Sonic the Fighters and Sonic Battle.

External Links

• Sonic's page at Smash Bros Dojo!!
• A video demonstration of Sonic against Link