Knuckles Arrives to the Scene in 'Sonic the Hedgehog 2' — Is He the Bad Guy?

While several video game movie adaptations are arriving in 2022, one of the most anticipated so far is Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Following the events of Sonic the Hedgehog, the animated adventure sequel sees the return of our favorite titular blue hedgehog with supersonic speed (Ben Schwartz).

As Tom Wachowski (James Marsden) and his wife Maddie (Tika Sumpter) take a well-deserved vacation (which most likely means they'll sit out most of the movie), chaos ensues in Green Hills once again.

The mad scientist, Doctor Eggman (Jim Carrey), returns to locate the Master Emerald and defeat Sonic. However, he isn't alone — he has help from Knuckles the Echidna (Idris Elba).

For anyone who plays the Sonic games, you already know the origins of Knuckles. But, for those who aren't familiar with him, it seems like he's a bad guy in Sonic 2. Is that true? Is Knuckles a bad guy? Keep reading to find out!

The official Sonic the Hedgehog 2 trailer premiered during The Game Awards 2021, and fans have received their first look at Knuckles. The spiky knuckled red echidna teams up with Doctor Eggman and gives Sonic a brutish beat down. But wait, isn't he friends with Sonic? Well, not right off the bat.

Knuckles arrives in the Sonic scene in the 1994 video game Sonic the Hedgehog 3. In the game, Doctor Eggman tricks Knuckles into thinking Sonic and Tails are the bad guys, which leads to his antagonistic origins.

Later that year, Sega published the video game Sonic & Knuckles. Not only is this his first time becoming a playable character, but it's his first time teaming up with Sonic and Tails. After learning the truth about Doctor Eggman and his trickery, Knuckles turns face and joins the side of the protagonists.

Based on the Sonic 2 trailer alone, it looks like the film franchise is taking a similar route. Knuckles arrives in Green Hills with Doctor Eggman and is definitely going to fight against Sonic and Tails before turning good in the end.

Now, we're curious — will their conflict last until the very last moment? Or, will Knuckles switch sides early on for a final battle with the trio of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles against Doctor Eggman? Let's hope it's the latter!

In July 2020, Paramount Pictures delayed several of its projects due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The studio was committed to the movie-viewing experience, so along with A Quiet Place II and Top Gun: Maverick receiving release date changes, the Sonic sequel did as well. Now, you can catch Sonic the Hedgehog 2 exclusively in theaters on April 8, 2022.

With the surprise of Tails arriving in the franchise in a post-credits scene for the first film, can we expect to see a familiar face pop up in the Sonic 2 end-credits scene (ahem, Shadow)? If it happens, we'll erupt in cheers at the movie theater.