Sonic the Hedgehog 3 trailer reveals which games inspired its story

The Sonic the Hedgehog movies generally go about the series’ story in their own way, but Sonic 3 is set to pull from the games more than its predecessors.

The success of the Sonic films is something few could have predicted. While the character is downright iconic, the games have never been known for their gripping stories. Still, putting the character into a straightforward children’s movie with a strong cast proved to be all that was needed.

The first film garnered a strong return at the box office. The second film did the same and kicked off a wave of new Sonic adaptations including a Knuckles spin-off series and the Sonic Prime animated series. Expectations are even greater for the threequel. With that in mind, the creators of the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie are looking for inspiration from some of the most beloved, or at least recognizable, games in the series.

What games will Sonic the Hedgehog 3 be based on?

The Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie will draw upon Sonic Adventure 2 and Shadow the Hedgehog for its story.

The second trailer for the film, released on November 25, 2024, reveals some of the key moments and character design choices. This allows fans of the games to pick out some of the probable story beats and triangulate what might follow.

Among the moments shown are an enormous laser beam cutting through the moon. This draws upon a similar moment from Sonic Adventure 2 where the Space Colony ARK blasts the moon with a laser and explodes a large chunk of it.

Alongside this is Shadow the Hedgehog working alongside Eggman. Sonic Adventure 2 first established Shadow’s backstory of being a creation of Gerald Robotnik, Eggman’s grandfather. Shadow was close with Robotnik’s daughter Maria, whose death starts Robotnik on the path to villainy.

While all of this hints at Sonic Adventure 2 being a key inspiration, it’s not the only game referenced. Partway through the trailer, Shadow is shown riding a motorcycle and pops a pistol off it. The image of the cartoonish hedgehog character wielding a firearm is a strange one, but isn’t unfamiliar to fans. That’s because Shadow’s self-titled spin-off from 2005 saw him wielding realistic weapons including submachine guns and grenade launchers.

Though elements of the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie draw upon the games, fans can still expect something new. The film lands in theatres on December 20, 2024.