The third season of Sonic X is likely the most memorable season of the show. Despite the frequent critisicm fans had towards the anime, many enjoyed this season in particular when it began airing in 2005. This season also expanded the cast of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise by introducing many anime-only characters during throughout.
One such addition was a humanoid plant named Cosmo. The young plant girl would prove herself to be one of the best additions to Sonic X, as well as being an excellent character to help propel the character arcs of the exisiting cast.
The Plot of Sonic X Season 3
Sonic X is an old series, and newer fans of the franchise may not have given it a chance, or made it to the show's third season. The plot of the third season follows Sonic and his friends returning to their home planet after spending an extended period of time on Earth. While Sonic’s friends happily watch a meteor shower, Sonic is fighting the series’ latest bad guy in space. Instead of meteors falling from the sky, a spaceship crash lands right in front of Tails, Amy, and Cream.
Inside the ship lays a girl named Cosmo, a plant-like creature who came from Planet Green Gate. Soon, Cosmo meets Sonic and tells him he’s the galaxy's last hope at stopping an evil fleet of creatures called the Metarex. The Metarex’s goal is to steal every planet’s life force, called a planet egg. Sonic and his friends promise to help Cosmo, so they set out into space to find the Chaos Emeralds and fight the Metarex.
Cosmo Proves Her Bravery in Various Ways
Cosmo’s personality and character are new and unique to the Sonic X series and set her apart from other cast members. While it’s not uncommon for children in anime to be thrown into nefarious or dangerous situations, Cosmo is still very young and carrying the world's fate on her shoulders. Even though Sonic is, according to her, the galaxy’s last hope at stopping the Metarex, Cosmo plays an integral role in the story, and moves the season's plot forward. Cosmo’s personality is also a great asset to the team.
Her personality may seem similar to Cream, but, while both girls show bravery in their own ways, they are still vastly different. Cosmo shows her bravery through action. She also has a bad habit of trying to do everything herself, but often her friends end up protecting her because they care about her, especially Tails. Cosmo is very capable of handling herself, though. However, she’s not a fighter in the traditional sense, and is never shown physically fighting enemies like Sonic or Knuckles.
Although Cosmo does have her brave moments, she’s not afraid to show her vulnerability towards her friends and cries often -- but this is understandable, as she’s a young girl put into a perilous position. She is similar to Katara from Avatar: The Last Airbender for these reasons. Some fans may consider Cosmo “whiny” or “annoying” because she often cries throughout the series. But this is disingenuous to her character, given the situation she’s in and the fact she’s still a child and the last of her species.
Cosmo Adds Diversity To the Sonic X Universe
The first two seasons of Sonic X recieve quite a bit of criticism from new and old fans, as many did not enjoy stories focusing on human characters like Chris Thorndyke and his family members. While Chris may not have been everyone’s favorite character, there’s no doubt he and his family fill a significant role in the Sonic X universe. The criticism of “there are too many humans,” in the first two seasons of Sonic X doesn’t make much sense given the entire second season is based on two of the first modern Sonic games -- Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle.
These games primarily take place on Earth, and while the gameplay itself doesn’t involve human characters other than Eggman, there are obviously humans in the cutscenes and level backgrounds. Nonetheless, it’s worth acknowledging many Sonic X fans do not like Chris as a character and some fans think Helen would make a much better human protagonist for the series.
It’s no surprise Cosmo plays a huge role in Sonic X season 3. This is the season where she is introduced and brings a whole new, interesting story to the Sonic franchise. Her introduction also gives a new setting to the Sonic X anime, taking place in space instead of Earth or Sonic’s home planet. It’s simple to say Cosmo is the entire reason Season 3 exists, and is arguably one of the best seasons of Sonic X. Cosmo not only takes a main character role, she adds diversity to Sonic’s universe.
Most fans likely thought Sonic’s galaxy was full of other planets with animalistic creatures like Sonic and his friends -- but, with the introduction of Cosmo, fans can see anthropomorphic plant creatures exist outside Sonic’s planet.
Sonic X season three brings a unique setting and new characters into the show, creating diversity in the supporting and background cast. Cosmo may not be everyone’s favorite character, but there’s no doubt she brought diversity and an exciting plot into the Sonic X universe.