Sonic Forces isn't exactly the most beloved entry in the franchise. Ask any die-hard fan on Twitter or Reddit, and they’ll probably complain about the short levels or the "boost to win" gameplay. But when you look at the characters in Sonic Forces, something interesting happens. It’s one of the few times Sega actually tried to make the world feel like a war zone. You aren't just running through a colorful loop-de-loop; you’re joining a literal underground militia.
That shift in tone changes everything about how the cast behaves.
The Resistance: More Than Just a Supporting Cast
Usually, Sonic's friends are just... there. They stand around, get kidnapped, or provide a quick tutorial. In this game, they’re rebranded as the Resistance. This isn't just a name change. It’s a group led by Knuckles—which is honestly a weird choice if you think about his history as a solitary guardian of the Master Emerald—but it works for the "general" vibe they were going for.
Knuckles spends most of the game at a holographic tactical table. It's a bit jarring to see the guy who used to punch rocks now worrying about supply lines and troop movements in the Mystic Jungle.
Then there’s Amy Rose. She’s transitioned from the obsessed fangirl of the early 2000s into a high-level communications officer. She’s the one keeping the different squads connected while Eggman’s forces occupy 99% of the planet. It’s a version of Amy that feels mature. It’s a far cry from her chasing Sonic around with a hammer in Sonic Adventure.
Silver the Hedgehog makes a return too. He’s back from a devastated future—again—but this time he’s not trying to kill Sonic. He’s a frontline fighter. His fight with Infinite early in the game sets the stage for how high the stakes are. Even Shadow the Hedgehog gets his own DLC chapter, Episode Shadow, which explains his brief disappearance and his past beef with the game's new villain.
The Avatar: You Are One of the Characters in Sonic Forces
The biggest gamble Sega took was the Avatar system. For the first time, you weren’t just playing as a pre-existing hero. You were a "rookie."
This character is arguably the most important of the characters in Sonic Forces because they represent the player's entry into the world. They aren't a powerhouse like Sonic. In fact, they start off terrified. There’s a specific scene in the city where the Avatar is trembling while holding a Wispon (the game’s elemental weapon).
The narrative arc of the Avatar is surprisingly grounded for a game about a blue hedgehog. You go from a scared civilian to someone who can stand side-by-side with Modern Sonic. The customization is deep, but the "lore" of the Rookie is what sticks. They are the heart of the Resistance. They use "Wispons"—gadgets powered by Wisps—to keep up with the supernatural speed of the hedgehogs. It's a nice nod to Sonic Colors, keeping the universe connected.
Two Sonics, One Problem?
We have to talk about the "two Sonics" situation. You have Modern Sonic and Classic Sonic.
Modern Sonic is the one who gets tortured for six months. Yeah, Sega went there. While the game doesn't show it, the dialogue makes it clear that Eggman finally "won" for a while. This Sonic is slightly more serious, though he still cracks jokes once he’s broken out of the Death Egg.
Classic Sonic is brought in via a dimensional rift, similar to Sonic Generations. Honestly? His inclusion feels a bit forced. Fans often argue that Classic Sonic didn't need to be among the characters in Sonic Forces. He doesn't talk. He just kind of... exists to provide 2D platforming segments. While his presence is explained by the power of the Phantom Ruby, he doesn't have much of a character arc compared to the Rookie or Modern Sonic.
Infinite and the Villain Lineup
Infinite is the new kid on the block. He’s a masked mercenary formerly known as the leader of "Squad Jackal." He’s edgy. He’s got a theme song that sounds like it belongs in 2005.
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What makes Infinite interesting—and a bit controversial—is his motivation. He isn't some ancient god or an alien. He’s just a guy who got his feelings hurt. Specifically, Shadow the Hedgehog destroyed his squad and called him "weak." That humiliation drove him to use the Phantom Ruby to become a god-like being.
The Illusionary Villains
Eggman used the Phantom Ruby to create clones of past villains. This was a massive marketing point before the game launched. You see:
- Metal Sonic: The classic rival.
- Chaos: The water god from Sonic Adventure. (Sadly, he gets defeated in a cutscene by Classic Sonic, which annoyed many fans).
- Shadow: An illusionary version, until the real Shadow shows up to kick his own clone’s head in.
- Zavok: The leader of the Deadly Six.
These aren't the "real" versions of those characters. They are essentially hard-light constructs. It’s a clever way to bring back fan-favorites without messing up the timeline, but it also means they lack the personality of the originals. They are just boss fights with a familiar face.
Eggman’s Final Victory
Dr. Eggman is at his peak here. Usually, his plans fail in the first twenty minutes. In Sonic Forces, he actually conquers the world. For six months, he rules. He’s not a bumbling clown in this story; he’s a dictator. His dialogue is more sinister, and his partnership with Infinite shows a level of competence we haven't seen since Sonic Unleashed.
He manages to build a massive fortress and nearly drops a literal sun on the Resistance. It’s over-the-top, sure, but it fits the "war" theme perfectly.
Why the Character Interactions Matter
The radio chatter is where the real character development happens. Since you spend a lot of time running through levels, the story is told through voice-overs. You hear Rouge the Bat acting as a spy. You hear Vector, Charmy, and Espio (Team Chaotix) managing different sectors of the war effort.
It makes the world feel inhabited. It's not just a solo mission.
One of the most underrated dynamics is between the Rookie and Sonic. Sonic doesn't treat the Rookie like a sidekick. He treats them like a partner. By the end of the game, when they perform the "Triple Boost" with Classic Sonic, it feels earned. The Rookie has gone from a coward to a hero recognized by the fastest thing alive.
The Reality of the "Character" Problem
If there’s one critique of the characters in Sonic Forces, it’s the "tell, don't show" issue. We are told the world is in ruin. We are told Sonic was tortured. We are told Knuckles is a great commander. But the game is so fast that we rarely see the consequences of these things.
The character models look great, and the voice acting (featuring Mike Pollock as Eggman and Roger Craig Smith as Sonic) is top-tier. But the writing sometimes leans too hard into "friendship is power" tropes without exploring the trauma of a world-ending war.
Actionable Insights for Players and Fans
If you're revisiting the game or playing it for the first time to see these characters in action, keep these things in mind:
- Play Episode Shadow first: It’s free DLC. It provides essential context for Infinite’s origin and why Shadow is involved with the Resistance. Without it, Shadow’s appearance feels like a random cameo.
- Listen to the Radio Chatter: Don't just focus on the speedruns. The dialogue during levels contains 80% of the world-building. It explains what happened to the rest of the world while Sonic was imprisoned.
- Customize the Rookie for Gameplay, Not Just Looks: Different species have different abilities. For example, the Bird can double jump, while the Rabbit has longer invincibility after taking damage. This changes how you interact with the other characters during the "Tag" stages.
- Read the Tie-in Comics: Sega released a four-part digital comic series before the game launched. It’s canon and explains how Knuckles formed the Resistance and how Silver traveled back in time. It fills in many of the gaps left by the game's short cutscenes.
The cast in this game is massive. While not everyone gets their moment in the spotlight—poor Chaos really got the short end of the stick—the focus on a collective struggle makes it a unique entry in the series. It’s less about one hero and more about what happens when everyone, even the "weak" ones, decides to fight back.
To get the most out of the story, focus on the Avatar's progression. That's the real narrative hook. The game isn't just a Sonic story; it’s a story about the world Sonic lives in and the people who have to survive when he’s not there to save them. Search for the "Sonic Forces digital comic" online to see the lead-up to the war, as it provides the emotional weight the game's intro skips over.