Designed by SEGA to compete with Nintendo’s Mario, the blue blur known as Sonic the Hedgehog became an immediate success with Sega Genesis fans in 1991. If you’ve completed your backlog of Sonic games and still can’t get enough of this beloved mascot, here’s our ranked list of every Sonic the Hedgehog TV series.
- Read more: Every Mainline 2D Sonic Game, Ranked
As a young, quick-mouthed anthropomorphic hedgehog, Sonic’s popularity saw him adapt to nearly every other kind of media, including comic books and movies.
But before his feature-length box office smash hit films seen in modern years, Sonic made waves on kids’ TV shows. Most are only loosely related in nature, so feel free to watch these in any order you like.
7. Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (1993)
Many gamers believe that Ryan Drummond, a veteran actor specializing in improv and theatre, was the first voice of Sonic. However, this is false.
Way back in the early 1990s, Sonic’s first appearance on television came in the form of the slapstick comedy known as Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. Here, he is voiced by none other than Jaleel White–an actor famous for his portrayal of Erkel from Family Matters. For many old-school fans that followed the franchise from the start, White is considered among the best voices to represent Sonic.
The character art style highly resembles the original comic series by Archie that was released at almost the exact same time. Unfortunately, though, this show relies too much on cheap gags and has no major story arc. Every episode stands on its own.
While the characters may look cool, the backgrounds that encompass the different settings appear as if they are the result of a kindergartner on a sugar rush that was given some crayons to draw. Prepare to watch the two featured characters, Sonic and Tails, constantly fighting Dr. Robotnik and his useless machines, named Scratch and Grounder.
6. Sonic Underground (1999)
If you thought that Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog was controversial, then you likely haven’t heard of Sonic Underground. Never in a million years would fans of the spiky daredevil think that he would have siblings (and a sister that looks like an amalgamation between Princess Sally and Amy Rose). But that’s them. Right there.
While this series borrowed many elements and ideas established in SatAM, its predecessor, Underground decided to add in two additional hedgehogs and some pop-rock to boot. Sonic’s always been cool, and so have the soundtracks of his games. That doesn’t mean he has to be a musician, too!
With too much of a focus on music and the early cancellation of the awe-inspiring show that came before, it’s hard to find many fans that appreciate this show. Still, it’s superior to Adventures.
At least the music is decent, and they kept Jaleel White. And at least he had enough talent to voice all three characters pretty darn well (they’re related by birth, after all!).
5. Sonic Boom (2014-2018)
As part of a spin-off franchise that included three games, a toy line, and a comic series, the Sonic Boom TV show debuted in 2014.
Focusing on the adventures of Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and a new character named Sticks, Sonic Boom took a radically different approach to the series than seen in the past. In addition, many of the main characters received major redesigns to their appearance. This especially includes Knuckles, who looks as if he’s been force-fed some hard steroids.
This TV series ties into the Nintendo-exclusive games, which include Rise of Lyric, Shattered Crystal, and Fire & Ice. While the games serve as a prequel to the show, no one will debate the fact that the TV series is much more worth your time.
The animation featured in Sonic Boom is your typical overly expressive CGI and places more of a focus on a comedic, episodic format in contrast to its predecessor, Sonic X.
4. Knuckles (2024)
Knuckles is the first live-action show ever for the Sonic franchise. It serves as a tie-in between the films Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024). Rather than focusing on the blue blur, the story follows Knuckles the Echidna, the last of a tribe of mighty warriors. After restoring honor to them, he receives a vision from his deceased chieftain Pachacamac requesting he train a local deputy sheriff named Wade Whipple in the ways of the warrior. The goal? To win a bowling tournament.
The show also provides audiences with additional backstories for the Guardian Unit of Nations (G.U.N.), a major villain throughout the films. Their mission? Steal Knuckles’s power by nabbing his quills.
While the plot may come across as absurd, the execution is actually done really well, provided you don’t mind gags, one-liners, and cartoony blocking so cheesy it seeps through the cracks in your living room wall.
3. Sonic Prime (2022 – 2024)
The latest and greatest series to feature the blue blur and friends, Sonic Prime saw its first season come out directly on Netflix. It takes its own spin on the idea of parallel realities featured in Sonic Frontiers, creating worlds from a ‘Shatterverse’ in which characters you may be familiar with for decades have completely changed.
Ever wonder how Knuckles might behave leading a band of pirates? Or Amy as a tribal warrior protecting her island from invaders stealing her food? No matter what, Sonic is side-by-side with viewers, fighting to bring the multiverse back together again.
Eggman and Shadow appear in this series, and while they have their key moments, they take more of a back seat in comparison to everyone else. Still, this show is heartwarming, funny, and family-friendly to entertain all ages. The colors and animation are up to snuff too. Don’t miss it.
2. Sonic X (2003-2004)
The only Sonic the Hedgehog TV series to come out of Japan, Sonic X is an anime series whose story places emphasis on the plotlines that began in the Sonic Adventure games. The writers even went so far as to make true-to-form adaptations for many episodes.
That might sound like heaven to fans on paper, and it would be if it weren’t for the fact that they decided to introduce more human characters to the franchise beyond the meaningful few that existed prior. Of these, Chris Thorndyke, one of the main characters, serves as Sonic’s “inseparable” companion.
This was made worse by the fact that 4Kids Entertainment was responsible for the licensing in North America as well as the English dub. At the time, SEGA found it convenient to use the voice actors of 4Kids included as part of the production deal. Sadly, this resulted in every single beloved cast member that preceded the 4Kids cast being fired from the entire franchise. Furthermore, this was the first time that a video game voice actor for Sonic (Ryan Drummond) would be replaced by a new voice actor (Jason Griffith).
Regardless of the many polarizing decisions that went into this show, Sonic X offers plentiful dramatic flair and has superbly animated action sequences.
1. Sonic the Hedgehog (1993-1994)
Existing as one of those extremely memorable cartoons that appeared on Saturday mornings, the 1993 Sonic the Hedgehog TV series is commonly referred to as Sonic SatAM.
Generally speaking, this decade was the golden age for quality animated shows. In addition, it was an era that gave birth to many of Sonic’s best games, as well as his greatest show.
Airing simultaneously with Adventures, its much more lighthearted counterpart, SatAM took a much darker and more serious approach to its story. It follows the plotline that began in the original Archie Comic series and is part of the classic canon, containing the best stories that Sonic has ever seen.
In this setting, the evil Dr. Robotnik has laid siege to the once lustrous, tropical planet of Mobius, “robotized” virtually every single living thing, and caused widespread pollution. Sonic lives among a group of freedom fighters based deep in the trenches of the Great Forest. Here, Sonic and his friends serve under the direction of Princess Sally Acorn, the hedgehog’s only mutual love interest to date.
Unlike the past comedy skits that featured seemingly invincible heroes, Sonic and his friends actually lose quite frequently in this serial. Just as well, the tyranny of Robotnik is more severe and threatening than ever seen before.
The action is suspenseful, the characters are outstanding, and the story is perfect. But what really tops it all off is the unforgettable title theme that makes certain you know that Sonic truly is the ‘Fastest Thing Alive.’