Without ‘Ugly Sonic,’ There’d Be No Sonic Movie Franchise

The face that launched oh-so-many memes and ultimately a change in Sonic’s appearance in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies has gone from something Paramount Pictures would want to forget to an important touchstone of the franchise’s history. And it’s all thanks to the fans of the beloved Sega video game’s legacy who knew that Ugly Sonic wasn’t their Sonic.

During an interview with the Hollywood Reporter at the premiere for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the film’s voice of Sonic, Ben Schwartz, talked about how Ugly Sonic is something he embraces now: “Maybe sometimes you need a little push to really look in the mirror and to hear the fans, to then really figure out if you want to adjust. And we did.”

It was really as if an internet audience composed of Sonic fans and casual moviegoers gave out a collective scream in horror at the teeth, the eyes, and just sheer eerie countenance of the movie’s botched abomination upgrade on Sonic’s classic look. Thankfully the studio and creative team quickly worked to reshape the icon into his real form. “How often can you think of a film that really listens to fans and the studio takes money and time to change it because they think it would better the film? I think it’s rarely ever happened before, if ever,” Schwartz said.

But Ugly Sonic never truly died.

The memes continue and audiences are quick to quake in social discourse fear thanks to Ugly Sonic PTSD when it comes to turning beloved characters into live-action. One Piece fans are holding their breath that Netflix doesn’t pull an Ugly Sonic on live-action Tony Tony Chopper for example in season two. And both How to Train Your Dragon‘s Toothless and Lilo & Stitch‘s Stitch retained their original cuteness in recent teasers for their upcoming live-action features. It truly is all thanks to Ugly Sonic’s cautionary tale, because hey: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Ugly Sonic would go on to be featured as a supporting character in Disney’s 2022 hybrid film live-action Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers and he’s most recently been seen in a Christmas sweater officially released by Paramount Pictures in a giveaway. At the premiere, Sonic 3 director Jeff Fowler also gave Ugly Sonic his due: “It was out of the ashes of Ugly Sonic that this beautiful trilogy of films, this phoenix, had to rise. It was a necessary sacrifice but yes, thank you Ugly Sonic for the memories.”

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 opens in theaters this Friday.

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