Badnik

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Badniks are fictional enemy robots created by the evil Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games.

While they were simply known as "Eggman's robots" in the original Japanese releases of the games, the robots were classified as "Badniks" in the manuals of the early North American and European localizations. After Sonic Adventure was released in 1999, the robots are called "Eggman's robots" in these areas of the world as well.

In the games, Badniks are used by Eggman as numerous soldiers, and they appear constantly throughout the levels to hinder the player and to stop the main protagonist Sonic the Hedgehog.

Badniks usually resemble mechanical animals with built-in weaponry. When destroyed by Sonic, they explode and release a small animal, such as a Flicky, that hops off the screen (although, in some games, Badniks release a Ring or a flower seed instead). The games, along with the Sonic the Comic comic book, suggest that the animal is kept inside the robot to power it up, as a kind of organic battery. Some continuities, such as the Sonic cartoon instead showed that Eggman "roboticized" animals, literally turning organic beings into his mechanical minions.

Contents 1 Notable Badnik designs 2 In other media 2.1 Sonic the Comic 2.2 Sonic the Hedgehog comic series/TV series 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Notable Badnik designs

Certain designs of Badniks reappeared in multiple games, while others appeared only once. The designs of Badniks from Sonic 1 appear often, such as variations of the "Buzz Bomber" Badniks, which resemble wasps and fire energy blasts from their stingers. The designs of the "Crabmeat" Badniks, which resemble scuttling crabs and fire energy blasts from guns within their claws, and the caterpillar-based "Caterkiller" Badniks are also seen often. These Badniks are likely used often due to appearing in the "Green Hill Zone", the very first level of the first Sonic game, making them "classical".

The "Coconuts" Badnik from Sonic 2 was designed after a monkey, and sat in palmtrees while throwing coconuts at Sonic. Variations of this Badnik has also appeared in many variations, and unlike the ones from Sonic 1, its design is often used in the 3D games. A specific Coconuts also got a somewhat large role in the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon series.

In Sonic & Knuckles, the player could face Eggrobos, Badniks based on Eggman himself. These robots have appeared in several games since, without any design changes, and often as playable characters.

Eggman is also known for making Badniks based on Sonic himself to pit against his rival. While most of these robots have been destroyed by their organic counterpart, one of them, Metal Sonic, have appeared again and again throughout the series to battle Sonic.

In Sonic Adventure, the same game that stopped using the "Badnik" name, the E-Series was introduced. This line of robotics have appeared frequently since, with the notable E-102 and E-123 even being recurring playable characters.

Sonic Heroes introduced the "Egg Pawn" robots, clunky orange humanoid robots resembling Eggman. Unlike the "variety" of previous Badniks and their designs, enemies in Sonic Heroes were almost exclusively Egg Pawns with various weaponry and equipment. These robots have appeared in several games since Sonic Heroes, and appeared along with animal-based robots in Sonic Rivals.

[edit] In other media

[edit] Sonic the Comic

In the British Fleetway-produced Sonic the Comic comic book, all early badniks were powered by Organic Batteries, the name given to the helpless Mobian trapped inside. Unlike several other media, the badniks in Sonic the Comic were directly based upon the robotic drones that appeared in the games.

Prime Badniks soon appeared, which could operate without the need of an organic energy source. The first such badnik was the spider-like Arachbot. Throughout the course of the comic's production, most badniks continued to use organic batteries despite new advances (possibly because Dr. Robotnik was hesitant to discard still potentially-useful equipment).

Dr. Robotnik originally used mobile factories, which were basically large badniks that ingested a Mobian and then encased it in a metallic shell, releasing it as a badnik. However, in later issues Robotnik used huge processing plants to churn out badniks in large numbers.

Several important types of badnik were made later in the story. After Robotnik successfully conquered Mobius, "Trooper Badniks" (large and powerful humanoid robots) became commonplace. Sonic initially had trouble defeating the powerful troopers until he learned that they were not powered by Organic Batteries and that he therefore did not need to hold back his strength when attacking. Troopers, with their menacing appearance, were one of the most frequently-seen antagonists in the comic until the overthrow of Robotnik in issue #100. The most notable trooper badnik was Commander Brutus, who was elavated above the ranks and programmed with Robotnik's own brainwaves, and later attempted a coup against the dictator.

Another important type of badnik was the Metallix series (see Metal Sonic), which were based on Sonic's own appearance and abilities. Like Commander Brutus, they rebelled against Robotnik, forming their own "society".

Also worth mention was the "Cybernik"-style badniks, made of the indestructible metal known as Megatal (comparable to adamantium). Despite their heightened status, Cybernik badniks were built using Organic Batteries. Only two were ever known to be constructed. The first, a squirrel-badnik dubbed Shortfuse, incorporated a reluctant squirrel named Shorty. Shorty was able to take control of his badnik casing, rebelling against Robotnik and joining the Freedom Fighters. The second Cybernik was a rat named Vermin (who willingly volunteered for the process), designed largely to combat Shortfuse via use of an injectable computer virus in his tail. Both were destroyed. Vermin was tricked by Shortfuse into downloading a computer programme that caused his suit to open up, and once the rat leaped out of the armour, Shortfuse, reasoning that it would not be indestructible from the inside, blew it up. Shortfuse was later caught up in an explosion caused by a machine created by the alien Plax race; the explosion destroyed the armour but left Shorty himself unharmed.

All the Badniks on Mobius were immobilised in issue #100 along with all the electrical systems on Mobius when Super Sonic burst out of the Black Asteroid in Mobius' orbit (transported from the Special Zone by the Omni Viewer), causing an Electro-magnetic pulse which covered the planet. Robotnik created a new batch from his new base on Flickies' Island and launched multiple attacks, but never regained control over the planet again. The Flicky-powered Badniks were much more powerful than normal ones, Sonic having considerable difficulty dispatching only a single one, and only just managing to do so with all his strength. These Badniks were usually a grey, dark colour and looked much more demonic and menacing than the colourful, cartoony Badniks that usually populated Robotnik's army. Some didn't bear any resemblance to normal Badniks at all.

A one off Sonic story considered a fan favourite was Smokey and the Badnik in which a Roller badnik (which features in Sonic 1's, Spring Yard Zone) befriends a young Mobian called Smokey, and protects him from a Trooper attack. Sonic spares the Robot once he sees it is harmless and the two walk off into the sunset.

The Sonic CD Badniks were only seen once, when Robotnik decided to relocate the Palmtree Panic Zone Badniks to the Green Hill Zone. The plan went south when they decided they weren't going to share a Zone with inferior outdated Badniks, and obliterated the locals in a violent frenzy. B.A.R.F. had to bring them under control using upgraded superhuman versions of the Green Hill Badniks, known as the Seven, and forced them back to Palmtree Panic. In addition to the roboticized inhabitants of Mobius (called 'worker bots' in SatAM and 'Robians' in the Archie Comics), Robotnik also had various robots that were created without roboticization.

[edit] Sonic the Hedgehog comic series/TV series

The Sonic the Hedgehog comic books and Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon series used the concept of roboticization, where every Badnik was an animal turned into an evil robot by Dr. Robotnik's Roboticizer.

SWATbots were Robotnik's primary infantry robots armed with laser weapons, either hand-held or built into their forearms. They are humanoid with domed heads and thin red visors. They are colored white and grey, though they were black in the cartoon. These robots were however not roboticized animals. They also appear in Sonic Underground, another cartoon series.

Main character Bunnie Rabbot is also known for being "half" Badnik - she was rescued halfway through the roboticization process by Sonic, with only her legs and left arm becoming cybernetic. This gave her incredible strength among other abilities while still not making her evil. The limbs were later upgraded in the comic, but she wants her old limbs back.

[edit] References