Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the most popular mascots to grace the video game industry. For a long time, Sonic was a seal of approval for strong games, but the Hedgehog’s popularity has pushed the character down alternate streams like animated series, live-action feature films, or multiple lines of comics.

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The relationship between comics and video games has existed for decades, but it’s impressive how not just Sonic, but also his ally Knuckles the Echidna, have been able to flourish through the medium of comics. Fans know the broader strokes to Knuckles, but his Archie Comics series, Knuckles the Echidna, adds a lot more to the equation.

10 It Introduces A Whole New Cast Of Echidnas

Archie Comics Knuckles The Echidna Echidna Ancestors

The size of Sonic's supporting cast of characters continues to balloon and it's hard to believe that the series began with Sonic on his lonesome. The Knuckles the Echidna comics feature previous Knuckles allies like Team Chaotix and Ray the Flying Squirrel, but they also introduce a wealth of new Echidnas like Julie-Su, Locke, and Lara-Le. These Echidnas all have various ties to Knuckles or to the Dark Legion. Admittedly, it takes some time for these new Echidnas to catch on and it's contradictory that Knuckles is no longer the last of his kind, but they grow into valued characters.

9 The Comic Spans 12 Story Arcs Across 32 Issues

Archie Comics Knuckles The Echidna Multiple Knuckles Showdown

Archie Comics’ Knuckles the Echidna series manages to do the beloved character justice and tell a deep story, albeit one that's forced to prematurely end. Knuckles the Echidna debuted in 1997 and ran for 32 issues until its run was canceled in 1999. Over the course of these 32 issues, Knuckles the Echidna unpacks 12 connected storylines that cover the past of Knuckles’ ancestors as well as what the future holds for Angel Island and the Master Emerald. Knuckles the Echidna definitely prioritized serialized storytelling in favor of more self-contained narratives, which perhaps contributed to the series’ large following.

8 The Dark Legion Is The Primary Antagonist

Archie Comics Knuckles The Echidna Dark Legion Enerjak Cyborg Worship

Ever since the Echidna's first appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Knuckles' purpose has always revolved around the protection of the Chaos Emeralds and more importantly, the larger Master Emerald. It makes sense for the Knuckles comics to focus on this, but they introduce the villainous Dark Legion, a force of evil cyborg Echidnas that oppose the Brotherhood of Guardians.

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These cyborg Echidnas worship Enerjak, the Grandmasters, and prove to be one of Knuckles’ most tiresome villains. The Dark Legion works so well because they’re a new idea, but they still pull from classic Sonic concepts like Robotnik’s mechanical creations.

7 It's One Of Several Sonic The Hedgehog Comic Spin-Offs

Archie Comics Knuckles The Echidna Energy Ball Attack

The wealth of contrasting Sonic the Hedgehog video games that exist are a testament to the many different directions that the series and its characters have been taken. Sonic himself is still viewed as the head of the show, but his friends and allies continue to get larger roles. This change is also reflected in the number of spin-off comics that branch off of Archie’s Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic Universe and Sonic X are the two longest, but Knuckles the Echidna is right behind them and is arguably a more important piece of the larger universe’s story in many ways.

6 It Gets Into Chaos/Green Knuckles

Archie Comics Knuckles The Echidna Chaos Knuckles In Crowd

The Sonic the Hedgehog series features some special transformations for its signature characters if they’re able to acquire all seven Chaos Emeralds. The video games and comics look at powerful upgrades like Super Sonic and Hyper Knuckles, but Knuckles the Echidna features the most evolved advancement yet. Knuckles absorbs enough Chaos energy to turn into Chaos, or “Green” Knuckles, who is ostensibly a living Chaos Emerald. It’s a very important arc for the character, yet one that’s forced to come to pass outside of the Knuckles where the story begins.

5 There Are Technically No Issues #1-3

Archie Comics Knuckles The Dark Legion Miniseries Echidna Death

This may be an odd case of semantics, but it’s still something that’s liable to confuse some people and frustrate certain collectors. Knuckles the Echidna is a 32-issue series, yet readers won’t be able to find issues #1-3 anywhere because they technically don’t exist.

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The Knuckles spin-off begins with Knuckles: The Dark Legion, a three-issue miniseries. The first official Knuckles the Echidna issue that follows is #4. It’s a bit of a headache, but important to understand that The Dark Legion functions as the first three installments.

4 There Are Prelude Tie-Ins Before Knuckles' Spin-Off Begins

Archie Comics Knuckles Chaotix Team Magic Painting

The way in which comics tell their larger storylines can often be downright confusing and a lot of the time having every issue of a series still doesn’t mean that that’s the entire story. Knuckles is a vital part of the Sonic comics before he gets his own showcase, so there’s some extra reading to do in order to get Knuckles’ full narrative. The story begins in the Knuckles Chaotix one-shot, then issues #30-36 of Sonic the Hedgehog, and then finally Sonic’s Friendly Nemesis Knuckles #1-3 before the proper Knuckles the Echidna comic begins.

3 Knuckles' Story Gets Concluded With His Death In The Sonic Comics

Archie Comics Knuckles The Echidna Funeral

Knuckles is a popular character who's fundamentally different than Sonic in many ways, but unfortunately, the Knuckles comic couldn't survive for as long as the material that birthed it. This is a disappointment, but Knuckles' creative lead, Ken Penders, found a way to continue his Knuckles storylines through the existing Sonic series. Both Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Super Special issues ambitiously feature the death of Knuckles and what transpires next with him in the afterlife. It’d be nice for this material to play out in Knuckles the Echidna, but it’s better than nothing to get its conclusion in Sonic.

2 It Introduces Knuckles' Trainer, A Fire Ant Named Archimedes

Archie Comics Knuckles The Echidna Archimedes Fire Ant Remorse

There was once a point in Sonic's history that the trio of the Blue Blur, Tails, and Knuckles felt crowded. Now there are numerous Hedgehogs and a wealth of over anthropomorphized creatures. Knuckles the Echidna spends a lot of time on the Brotherhood of the Guardians, who are sworn to protect the Master Emerald from sinister forces. The comics highlight that Knuckles' training with the Guardians is supervised by a powerful Fire Ant named Archimedes. Apparently, it's a tradition for Fire Ants to train Guardian members, but Knuckles has a complex relationship with his mentor that comes down to trust issues.

1 Knuckles' Continuity Gets Reset In 2013 Along With The Rest Of The Archieverse

Knuckles The Echidna from the Archie Sonic Comics

Sonic the Hedgehog had an enviable run in Archie Comics that allowed the series to experiment and expand, not just into its own spin-off comics, but also a crossover with other Archie Comics properties like their Mega Man series. Archie Comics built something special, but it had to be dismantled when behind the scenes tensions mounted. The reboot of Sonic the Hedgehog with IDW coincides with the death of the Archieverse. In 2013, all of the established canon in Knuckles the Echidna, as well as the rest of the Sonic material, was figuratively erased and dependent upon IDW’s new direction.

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