Echidnas (Sonic the Hedgehog)
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Echidnas in the video game, comic book, and television series fiction of Sonic the Hedgehog, are anthropomorphic, dreadlocked animals that stand out from the other humanoid animals. This stems from the fact that in the various continuities, they are either extinct or the most technologically advanced race on the planet that they inhabit. A popular depiction in both comics and games is that their fur is always a shade of red (including brown, orange, purple, and pink).
[edit] In the Games
As seen in Sonic Adventure, the Echidnas, called the "Knuckles tribe",[1] were several thousand years ago a peaceful, Maya-like civilization with sharp knuckles that lived in the area that is now known as the Mystic Ruins. However, after a chief named Pachacamac took over after his mother's death, the Echidnas became a warring race, attacking and conquering the surrounding areas.[1] After some time as a warring race, Pachacamac decided to steal the Chaos Emeralds from the shrine of the Master Emerald, located in their home village. Pachacamac and the Echidnas greedily deducted that the powerful gems would aid in their conquest.[1] Despite his daughter Tikal's protests, Pachacamac and his warriors stormed the altar containing the Emeralds. After harming most of the Chao living there in the process, the guardian of the Emeralds and the Chao, Chaos, appeared and annihilated most of the Echidnas in a fit of rage. Tikal managed to seal the angered creature and herself inside the Master Emerald. The Echinda civilization was wiped out, and the island was separated from the mainland. It remained that way until a "sky god" came to the island. The sky god revived part of the Echidna race, and caused the island to rise into the sky by throwing the Master Emerald into the sky, taking the Echidnas with it.[2]
The Echidnas stayed on the floating island, named Angel Island, where they protected the Master Emerald from harm. They apparently tried rebuilding their civilization on the island, as it is filled with ruins from a city, a complicated water system, and a pyramid. They also built the Sky Sanctuary, a group of ruins hovering high above the island itself. Several thousand years later, Knuckles the Echidna was the only Echidna left (possibly),[3] protecting the Master Emerald with his life.
[edit] Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics)
The Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna comics published by Archie Comics, contrary to most of the storylines, features the Echidna race as alive and well. They are depicted as Mobius' most technologically sophisticated race.[4] Their lack of appearance during the early game tie-ins is explained in the latter comic series, stating that all of the Echidnas, bar Knuckles and the Brotherhood of Guardians were transported to another zone temporarily. Their return was caused when Dr. Robotnik fired his Ultimate Annihilator and disrupted the zones. The Echidnas are traditionally found in one of two locations: Angel Island or their original homeland, the hidden island of Albion.
Before becoming the new Enerjak, Knuckles learned that the machinations of Dr. Robotnik had wiped out 90% of the Echidna population. Those who survived were then sent to Albion by Knuckles, except for Dr. Finitevus and a few Dark Legionnaires who were appalled upon losing their bionic enhancements.
[edit] Culture
The society in Echidnaopolis exists as a theocracy, having a Mitre (a spiritual leader) holding the most power. Below him is the Echidna Council and its elected members. Since the Dark Legions numerous attempts to take over the city, the level of technology has substantially grown, despite their apparent dislike of technology and their ban on it. Sabre, a member of the Brotherhood, justifies this by saying this is only to allow an "even playing field" with the Dark Legion. The Dark Legion, by contrast, is a technocratic society, whose use of technology is on par with Robotnik's.[5][6]
According to Echidna culture, when a female Echidna reaches the age of sixteen, she is introduced to society as a young lady, similar to the tradition of the debutante ball.[7].
An Echidna sixth sense called the the Soultouch allows Echidnas to identify their soulmates. However, the Soultouch apparently isn't perfect, as Knuckles' parents Locke and Lara-Le recognized each other through it, but later divorced with her remarrying. The only other couples confirmed to have had the Soultouch are Knuckles' great-grandfather Athair and his wife Crystal-La,and Knuckles and Julie-Su. Though it can be presumed that all other Echidna couples featured in the comics have also felt it.[8].
[edit] Main Cities
[edit] Albion
The original homeland of the Echidnas, Albion is an island located near Mercia. The city was establish millennia before any of the other Mobian species had even evolved beyond the stone age. For many years, the Echidnas lived there in contentment, choosing a policy of isolationism due to their obvious superiority.[4] However, there were those among them who were adventurous, and two groups departed, the one founding what is currently Echidnaopolis, the other forming a tribal colony in the Mystrious Cat Country. The latter was eventually wiped out by Chaos when their leader, Pachacamac of the Knuckles Tribe attempted to use the Chaos Emeralds to destroy their enemies, the Cat Tribe.[9]
Albion is home to Councilor Gala-Na, a female Echidna who seems to be very self righteous. In the past, she has used Albion's facilities in attempts to disassemble Mercia's Roboticized High Sheriff and to forcibly extract the super powers of Chaos Knuckles. As a result, Albion has become alienated from the rest of Mobius. This proved to be its undoing, as Dr. Finitevus later revealed that Albion was reduced to rubble and most of its inhabitants killed by the Eggman Empire.
[edit] Echidnaopolis
The only city on Angel Island, Echidnaopolis was founded centuries ago by travelers from Albion in the country of Downunda. They remained there for many years, until the city was threatened by the White Comet. Knuckles' scientist ancestors Jordann and his wife Kayla-La (Dimitri and Edmund's great-great-grandparents) used the energies of 12 Chaos Emeralds to lift the city and part of the surrounding landscape into the sky, leading to the creation of Floating Island, which was later renamed after Dimitri and Edmund's mother, Angel-La. Part of the population left before the city was raised, wanting to go back to Albion (see Lost Tribe below).
The society on Echidnaopolis suffered another, much larger schism of its population over 600 years ago, which stemmed from the decision of the Echidna Council (particularly Menthor, the High Councilor at the time) to deny Dimitri and Edmund's plan to restore Angel Island to its original site on Mobius. When Dimitri took matters into his own hand and attempted to use the Chaos Syphon to drain the power of the Chaos Emeralds so the Island would slowly descend onto Mobius, the power was sapped into him. Despite the immense power he obtained, he was defeated by his brother Edmund, with assistance from the fire ants. Because the use of technology nearly resulted in the destruction of their civilization, the Echidna Council then deemed technology banned. However, Dimitri's son, Menniker decided to follow in his father's footsteps. He created the Dark Legion-a technocratic group of Echidnas loyal to Dimitri's cause of restoring the Island to Mobius, as well as maintaining technology in their society-which became a warring faction with the rest of the society. Since then, both the Dark Legion and the rest of the Echidnas in Echidnaopolis have been in conflict.[10] Recently however, Dimitri attempted to end the long-standing grudge between the two societies and bring them together. This seemingly failed when Lien-Da took control of the Dark Legion.[5][11]
Echidnaopolis itself was destroyed when the Dingoes joined forces with Dr. Robotnik and took over, overwhelming the Echidnas and forcing them into concentration camps as well as killing off 90% percent of them. The few survivors were later liberated by the Chaotix and relocated to a village, but with most of the Brotherhood gone they were ill-equipped to defend themselves. Locke the Echidna, Guardian and father of Knuckles, defended them briefly before turning the position over to Dr. Finitevus, which allowed him to go off in search of his predecessors. Finitevus and his Destructix minions defended the former residents of Echidnaopolis briefly, until the new Enerjak came to power-he then transported them to Albion with the rest of the Echidnas in hopes of rebuilding their ravaged species.
[edit] Nekronopolis
During his brief solo campaign after his escape from the ruins of Mt. Fate, Enerjak used his powers to create a city called Nekronopolis upon the site where Echidnaopolis originally stood. It was meant to be the capital of his new empire, but instead was the battleground where he faced Knuckles in a brutal hand-to-hand contest. When Enerjak was launched into space aboard his citadel, courtesy of Locke and the Chaotix, the rest of the city disappeared. The citadel itself has either similarly vanished or remains in orbit above Mobius, due to Enerjak having been brought back to Mobius by Mammoth Mogul.[12]
[edit] Portal
Angel Island's second city first appears in Mobius: 25 Years Later. The gateway city of Portal functions as Angel Island's chief link of commerce and travel with the mainland continents of Mobius. King Sonic is found here by Tails and Lara-Su following the alteration of the timestream.[13]
[edit] Organizations
[edit] Albion Knights of Aurora
An order of knights dedicated to the Mobian goddess Aurora, the Albion Knights' name indicates that they were based in the Echidnas' native city. Much of their exploits are unknown, but the Albion Knights are known to have crushed the Order of Ixis in their efforts to secure world domination, leaving only a few survivors: Mammoth Mogul and the three sorcerers who would later merge to become Ixis Naugus.[14]
[edit] Brotherhood of Guardians
[edit] Dark Legion
[edit] Echidna Security Team
Known more simply as the EST, the Echidna Security Team is essentially the police force of the city of Echidnaopolis. Presumably formed some time after the city's founding, it was led in modern times by Constable Remington. It's members served as something of a counter-army to both the Dark Legion and the Dingoes, at least until the latter force formed an alliance with Dr. Robotnik. The EST was presumably disbanded after that, with its members winding up in prison camps.
[edit] Knuckles Tribe
Centuries ago, a group of Echidnas known as the Knuckles Tribe left Albion in search of new lands to colonize and also simply to explore. During their efforts to find new lands to call their own, the Knuckles Tribe came across the lands of the mysterious Cat Country. When the tribe's leader, Pachacamac, decided to wage war against the Cat Country, the intellectuals, scholars and scientists, not wishing to engage in war, left the Knuckles Tribe to find a home elsewhere. These Echidnas were the ones who would eventually colonize Echidnaopolis. The warrior cast, who remained behind to fight the cat people, were wiped out by the being known as Chaos when they attempted to use the powers of the Chaos Emeralds to wipe out their enemies. Locke the Echidna would later name his son after the tribe, partly because of their relation to the tribe and partly because of the fist spurs Knuckles inherited from them.
[edit] Lost Tribe
Also known as the Forgotten Tribe, they are a group of Echidnas who fled Echidnaopolis when a White Comet threatened the echidna civilization of Downunda centuries ago. Led by a radical called Arrakis, they choose to find the fabled lost city of Albion, while the Echidnas of Echidnaopolis used the Chaos Emeralds to lift up a portion of landmass that would later be known as Angel Island.
Every generation the tribe was lead by a "Mitre", who supposedly knew the way to Albion, the last Mitre being Knuckles' Great-Grandfather Athair. The tribe suffered numerous hardships on their journey, constantly forced to move on whenever they found a place to settle down. When Dr. Robotnik came to power and began gathering Mobians for roboticization, many members of the Lost Tribe were captured and turned into mindless robots, including Athair's wife Crystal-La. When Athair was called to serve the Ancient Walkers in another task, his Great-Grandson took over. With the help of Rob O' the Hedge and Yanar, Knuckles eventually lead the Lost Tribe to Albion, ending their centuries-long journey.[4]
[edit] Minor Echidnas in the Archie Comics
[edit] Arrakis
An Echidna from the days surrounding the creation of Angel Island, Arrakis was the leader and first Mitre of the Lost Tribe of Echidnas. Unlike Jor-dann and Kayla-La, the great-great-grandparents of Dimitri and Edmund, Arrakis felt that the best way to avoid the White Comet-a large astrological body that threatened to destroy them-was to abandon Echidnaopolis and find a new home on Mobius. Kayla-La's plan to lift Echidnaopolis into the sky was approved, and Arrakis had only one more say in the matter: that the people be given the opportunity to decide whether they wanted to stay in Echidnaopolis or follow him to find a new life. The Ancient Walkers later appeared unto Arrakis as he wandered Mobius with the Lost Tribe, telling him to lead his people to the Echidna's first city, Albion.
Arrakis died centuries before the tribe found Albion, and the tribe itself was all but forgotten by the people of Echidnaopolis. In the present day, however, the Ancient Walkers chose Athair to replace Arrakis, and after many years he chose Knuckles to take his place. Knuckles then led the tribe home to Albion, fulfilling Arrakis' dream at long last.
[edit] Demi-Na
An Echidna mentioned in Mobius: 25 Years Later, Demi-Na was apparently in a relationship with Kneecaps the Echidna, Knuckles' brother, for a brief time.
[edit] Councilor Gala-Na
The head politician of the ancient Echidna city of Albion, Gala-Na has the best interests of her people at heart but goes about things the wrong way. She was extremely angry with the Brotherhood of Guardians when they refused to move the populace of Echidnaopolis to Albion, which she proposed in the hopes that the Echidna people would be made whole. She also had the High Sheriff brought to Albion to be disassembled, but he was saved by a team led by Knuckles the Echidna.
Because she feared Knuckles' growing Chaos powers, she attempted to have them forcibly removed after having Nic and Nack the Weasels capture him, using a similar device that Dimitri the Echidna used to drain the Chaos Emerald powers into himself. However, the process was tampered with by Charmy Bee and his fiancee Safron, who couldn't believe that Echidnas outside the Dark Legion were hurting Knuckles on purpose. The end result was Knuckles breaking free and becoming Chaos Knuckles, a green version of himself with limitless powers. Thus, Gala-Na's foolishness only resulted in alienating Knuckles and his allies, as well as making his abilities stronger than they were before.
Gala-Na's decision to act against Chaos Knuckles would have worse consequences, as the accident mutated Albion's top energy scientist, Dr. Finitevus, into a negative version of Knuckles who soon became a dangerous threat. She ordered his termination, but the white-furred Echidna escaped after sabotaging Albion's defenses; he later returned leading an army from the Eggman Empire to reduce the city to a wasteland. In her last act before the invaders found her, Gala-Na recorded this history of events on a disk that Remington, transported to Albion along with the rest of the surviving Echidnas by Enerjak, found amid the ruins and gave to the Guardian Locke.
- Gala-Na was initially depicted with lilac fur, light blue eyes, and yellow robes. However, she later appeared with red fur, purple eyes, and goldenrod robes.
- She would have been made a Robotnik sub-boss in issues following #134 had the plot idea gone through, but it appears to have been scrapped.[15]
[edit] Himon
Prior to Athair assuming the role of Mitre of the Lost Tribe, an Echidna named Himon held the role. He died just before the Ancient Walkers brought Athair to the tribe, and nothing else is known about him.
[edit] Constable Holmes
Remington's predecessor as chief constable of the EST, Holmes warned Remington of his intended involvement with the Guardians-which did not include communicating with them for anything less than an emergency.
[edit] Jaker
Jaker is a teenage boy Echidna in the same high school class as Lara-Su and Rutan in Mobius: 25 Years Later.
[edit] Komi-Ko
A female Echidna who lives in Echidnaopolis. She is the girlfriend of Constable Remington, first seen with him at the wedding of Knuckles' mother Lara-Le and stepfather Wynmacher. She is also seen during the reconstruction of Albion after Remington's mind was restored by Knuckles as Enerjak.
[edit] Mari-An
A female Echidna of the Lost Tribe of Albion, Mari-An first appeared when the tribe arrived in Mercia. To her shock, Mari-An discovered that her brothers, Zax and Raynor, had disappeared. Accompanying Knuckles the Echidna, she set out to find them. The two later split up, and upon their reunion, Knuckles was accompanied by Rob O' the Hedge.
Rob and Mari-An's similar personalities led them to fight atop a log over a nearby river. Mari-An fought to a tie Rob, and the two fell in love. Meeting up with Sonic and Tails, the quintet worked together to save the Tribe from slavery and guide them to Albion. After that, Mari-An decided to remain in Mercia with Rob, whom she later married with the complete approval of her parents. The two later had a child.
Like Julie-Su, Mari-An is more aggressive than is typical of female Echidnas. When Knuckles questioned her ability to handle herself in a dangerous situation, she responded by throwing him to the ground. As demonstrated by her fight with Rob, she possesses a number of fighting skills that make up for her lack of special abilities.
- Mari-An's name is clearly a pun of Maid Marian, the romantic interest of Robin Hood, with Rob and Mari-An serving as an Archie parody to the classic story. Their initial meeting and love story, however, is clearly based on Robin Hood's first meeting with Little John.
[edit] Menthor
[edit] Mitre Kali-Ca
Kali-Ca is shown as an elderly red, female Echidna, dressed in a black robe with a high collar and blue, studded cuffs. She has a gray stripe of hair with bangs, spectacles and her dreadlocks appear to have metal weavings in them, much like Julie-Su's. Being a Mitre, she is responsible for religious ceremonies and is shown presiding over Knuckles' funeral after he had died (If only temporarily). Nothing else is known on her.
[edit] Mykol
[edit] Pachacamac
- See main article for information about Pachacamac in other media.
Leader of the Knuckles Tribe, Pachacamac decided to wage war against the natives of the Cat Country, while the scientists and scholars left in search of a new place to live (the eventually colonized a place in Downunda and created Echidnaopolis). Pachacamac decided to use the power of the Chaos Emeralds to wipe out his enemies. This proved to be his and his tribe's downfall, as the guardian of the Emeralds, Chaos, wiped out the tribe.
[edit] Pravda
Pravda was the High Councilor of Echidnaopolis in 3236 and the great descendant of the Menthor (the High Councilor at the time of Dimitri and Edmund, who rejected their plan to restore the Floating Island to Mobian's surface for his own gain). Despite his official stance on the limitations of technology in Echidna society, Pravda's home was filled with unnecessary technology and machinery, including a high-definition TV and sound system. He was abducted by Lien-Da and the Dark Legion and had a chip implanted in his brain so that he could be controlled. The Dark Legion then had him appoint an android operative Benedict, in order to gain a foothold in Echidna politics. The plan was foiled however when Knuckles generated an EMP which destroyed his circuits. The EMP also destroyed the chip in Pravda's brain, leaving him in a vegetative state.
Pravda's name means "truth" in Polish and Russian.
[edit] Raynor
One of Mari-An's brothers.
[edit] Riki-Le
Appears only in Mobius: 25 Years Later timeline. She is a classmate and friend of Lara-Su.
[edit] Rita-Li
One of the members of the High Council of Albion, Rita-Li is a colleague to Gala-Na and was among the members who met to discuss Knuckles' return to Albion with Amy Rose, Antoine D'Coolette, Bunnie Rabbot, and Rob O'The Hedge in tow.
[edit] Doctor Shockra
A doctor from Echidnaopolis who appears only in Mobius: 25 Years Later, Dr. Shockra is the Echidna in charge of Locke's treatment shortly before the time of his death in the alternate future.
[edit] Tikal
- See main article for information about Tikal in other media.
Tikal was the daughter of Pachacamac and a member of the Knuckles Tribe. When she first discovered the Chao, Tikal wanted to befriend them. However, when her father decided to use the powers of the Black Emerald, she attempted to defend them. Her efforts proved futile as Echidna warriors pushed her aside to get to the Black Emerald. When Chaos emerged and destroyed the tribe, Tikal realized he had become corrupt. She then imprisoned herself and Chaos in the Black Emerald for all eternity. Centuries later, Knuckles the Echidna stumbled across the ruins of the Knuckles Tribe. When Chaos was freed by Dr. Eggman, Tikal's consciousness was freed as well. She revealed to Knuckles the history of the Knuckles Tribe and Chaos, as well as assisted him and Sonic the Hedgehog in stopping Chaos from destroying Station Square. She and Chaos were once again trapped within the Black Emerald afterward.
[edit] Teri-Lu
Teri-Lu was a member of the Echidna Security Team and Constable Remington's secretary.
[edit] Yanar
Yanar was a member of the Forgotten Tribe during the time Athair was acting is its Mitre, and was himself a disciple of Athair's teachings whom Athair loved like a son. When the Ancient Walkers called upon Athair to take up higher duties, his great-grandson Knuckles became the new Mitri, with Yanar acting as his advisor. With the help of Rob O' the Hedge and Knuckles, the Forgotten Tribe finally found its way to Albion.
When Albion's Councilor, Gala-Na, decided that the evolving Knuckles posed a potential threat to Mobius, Yanar and several other Echidnas from Albion were present when Knuckles was captured by Nic and Nack the Weasels. Their efforts to drain his power using the Chaos Syphon failed however, instead pushing Knuckles over the edge and increasing his powers.
[edit] Zax
One of Mari-An's brothers.
[edit] In Sonic the Comic
8000 years in the past, the ancient Echidnas had established a technologically advanced civilisation (hunting the Kohenyu dinosaur species to extinction in the process[16]) based in Megapolis City. This would be lost when the alien Drakon Empire invaded, looting the Echidna's sacred emerald mines and using the emeralds within as a source for their unstable Chaos Energy, intending to manufacture thousands of Chaos Emeralds and conquer the universe with them. Only seven were created, at which point the Echidnas under spiritual leader Pochacamac stole them;[17] the Great War between Echidna and Drakon broke out soon after.
In the present day, the Echidnas have all disappeared and nobody knows what happened to them. The Floating Island is covered with crumbling ruins - Megapolis, a few Zones such as Sandopolis, the ancient portals to the Special Zone (known to the echidnas as the Nightmare Country[18]) and the Emerald Chamber, where the Chaos Emeralds reside. The main relics of this time are the Emeralds, the ancient Guardian Robots, and the ancient computer systems that control the path of the Floating Island, maintain its forcefield, and in times of real danger can fire energy blasts at enemy aircraft.
Knuckles is one of only two living Echidnas; originally he lived as a warrior in the ancient past, fighting against the Drakons,[19] but through means unknown he lives in the present as the Guardian of the Chaos Emeralds and has no memory of his past or his lost people. The other surviving Echidna is Doctor Zachary, an evil and aged cyborg misanthrope who wants to destroy the Floating Island and Mobius, and his origins are unclear.
Nigel Kitching has stated that if the title had continued, it would have been revealed that there were other stasis pods on the Floating Island and Zachary wanted to release a group of ancient Echidna criminals.[20]
The unofficial online continuation Sonic The Comic - Online! expanded Echidna lore. The ancient Echidna princess and mystic Tikal was brought to the present, though she lost her memories, and it was revealed that the Emerald Hill Zone gained its name from the fact shards of the Chaos Emeralds were hidden in a bunker there by the Echidnas during the War. It also introduced Vichama, a seemingly powerful and murderous Echidna; in actual fact, the Echidna was just a vessel possessed by the Echidna's ancient God of Death, who later left the shell and (eats potatoes) began killing Zones.
[edit] In Sonic Underground
In the cartoon series Sonic Underground, two specimens of the Echidna race are known to exist: Knuckles and his great-grandfather Athair. It is unknown what has happened to the rest of the species, as the show did not go in depth on the situation.
[edit] In Sonic X
The anime series Sonic X follows the plot of the more modern Sonic the Hedgehog games, with Knuckles and Tikal as the only Echidnas remaining (possibly), the rest having been destroyed by Chaos. The only major difference is that the ancient Echidna civilization came from Sonic's homeworld and that the ruins were transported via Chaos Control, instead of them being on Earth all along like in the games.
[edit] See also
[edit] For Archie-Comic Related
- Knuckles the Echidna
- Locke the Echidna
- Athair
- Julie-Su
- Lara-Su
- Brotherhood of Guardians
- Dimitri the Echidna
- Lien-Da
- Dr. Finitevus
- Dark Legion
[edit] Other Media
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Named in Tikal's 2 player character select bio in Sonic Adventure 2 Battle
- ^ Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Japanese Manual (English translation). Retrieved on 2007-12-15.
- ^ Sonic the Hedgehog 3 instruction manual, page 6: "Being the only living descendant of this lost civilization, Knuckles has become the guardian of the Chaos Emeralds which are the source of the island's special floating power".
- ^ a b c Described in Knuckles the Echidna #12
- ^ a b Described in Sonic the Hedgehog #108
- ^ Described in Knuckles the Echidna #23
- ^ Described in Sonic the Hedgehog #132
- ^ Described in Knuckles the Echidna #27
- ^ Described in Sonic the Hedgehog #82
- ^ Described in Knuckles the Echidna
- ^ Described in Sonic the Hedgehog #139
- ^ Described in Sonic's Friendly Nemesis Knuckles
- ^ Described in Sonic the Hedgehog #166
- ^ Described in Sonic the Hedgehog #163
- ^ Sonic HQ Comics Info - Karl Bollers' SONIC THE HEDGEHOG: One Year Later
- ^ Sonic the Comic #70
- ^ Sonic the Comic #181
- ^ Sonic the Comic #53
- ^ Sonic the Comic #179
- ^ Yahoo! Groups
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