Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 3features a wide collection of exciting Easter eggs, video game references, and more. Featuring Team Sonic as they clash with the “live-action” debut of Shadow the Hedgehog (voiced by Keanu Reeves), the thirdSonicmovie adapts several elements from the classic games from SEGA, particularlySonic Adventure 2. To that end, there are several great nods to the 2001 game, alongside many other fun references to the first twoSonicmovies, pop culture, and more.
Inspired by Shadow’s first appearance inSonic Adventure 2alongside Eggman’s grandfather Gerald Robotnik (Jim Carrey),Sonic the Hedgehog 3adapts several core elements of the darker hedgehog’s origins, such as his relationship with Maria Robotnik, Gerald’s granddaughter. As such, plenty of exciting game connections can be found in the newSonicmovie alongside more typical references audiences have come to expect from the franchise.With that in mind, here are 35 of the biggest Easter eggs and references we found inSonic the Hedgehog 3.
35Prison Island
FromSonic Adventure 2
At the beginning ofSonic the Hedgehog 3, Shadow is shown waking up from stasis 50 years after he was put to sleep by GUN. As such, Shadow wakes up in a facility on Prison Island off the coast of Tokyo.Prison Island was a location inSonic Adventure 2where GUN held Sonic captive.
34The Lonely Island’s Jorma Taccone
(He Directed An Episode ofKnuckles)
Jorma Taccone plays the GUN officer who’d been in charge of watching over Shadow’s stasis chamber. Best known for being a member of the comedy music trio The Lonely Island with Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer,Jorma Taccone also directed the fourth episode of theKnucklesseries, which featured the hilarious song “The Flames of Disaster” (starring singer Michael Bolton).
33Sonic’s Race With Knuckles and Tails
Multiple Game References
Sonic’s race in the forest with Knuckles and Tails features multiple classic game references,such as the ending victory race music when Sonic crosses the finish line and the spinning goal post. The holograms of Knuckles and Tails are also shown tapping their feet, a classic idle character animation from the games.
32Team Sonic Exiting a GUN Helicopter
The Beginning ofSonic Adventure 2
Recruited by GUN to go after Shadow, Team Sonic jumps out of GUN helicopter before skydiving to the city of Tokyo below.This mirrors the beginning ofSonic Adventure 2when Sonic is shown escaping GUN by similarly jumping out of a chopper(and using one of its doors as a surfboard).
31Shadow’s Bike and Gun
References To Shadow’s Solo Game
Driving a motorcycle and firing a pistol at a pursuing Sonic,Shadow makes quite an entrance during his first showdown with the classic blue hedgehog.Likewise, the bike and gun are references to Shadow’s solo game released by SEGA in 2005(and could serve as an epic spin-off movie).
30"1.21 Gigawatts"
Back to the Future
After Sonic and Shadow’s major clash that temporarily shuts down the city’s power grid,a dazed Sonic is helped by Tails and Knuckles while muttering"1.21 gigawatts…". This is a reference toBack to the Future,the amount of power needed for the classic DeLorean to travel through time.
29Chao Gardens
Seen in Multiple Sonic Games
Regrouping,Tails brings the team to Chao Gardens, a popular restaurant in Tokyo featuring the classic fairy-like creatures from the games. In the game (likeSonic Adventure 2),multiple chao gardens are featured as places where the little creatures can be taken and cared foronce found.
28Detective Pikachu
Another Great Video Game Movie
Tails gets mistaken by some kids as Detective Pikachu, much to Knuckles' amusement. Like theSonicmovies,Detective Pikachuwas another successful video game adaptation that blended CG game characters with real-life human actors and environments.
27Shadow, The Ultimate Life Form
His Classic Name
Meeting with Team Sonic at the restaurant, Commander Walters confirms that Shadow was part ofa secret GUN project dating 50 years back when they recovered a meteor containing “The Ultimate Lifeform”.This is Shadow’s classic name from the games and comics, a testament to his impressive powers and abilities.
26Robotnik’s Spanish Soap Opera
First Seen in TheKnuckles Series(Starring Cristo Fernández)
Revealed to be alive and in hiding in a giant robot crab,Jim Carrey’s Eggman is shown overeating and watching a Spanish soap opera entitled “La Ultima Pasión” starringTed Lasso’sCristo Fernándezin the dual role of rival twin brothers. However, the show itself was first referenced inKnucklesepisode 5 when the echidna briefly watches the show in his Reno hotel room.
