Sonic 3 post-credits scene appears online, teases arrival of more classic characters

The third Sonic the Hedgehog movie (where the heck does the time go?) is scheduled to hit theaters worldwide on Dec. 20, but leaks are somehow already starting to appear online.

Be warned, everything from this point on will include straight-up spoilers for the post-credits scene in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Stop reading now if that sort of thing bothers you. I don’t want to see comments about having the surprise ruined. You know what, here’s a trailer to keep you from being tempted. Don’t say I never did anything for you.

Okay, let’s get to it.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s credits apparently include an additional scene of classic villain Metal Sonic ambushing the Blue Blur. The real Sonic banters a little with his mechanical counterpart, as more Metal Sonics emerge from the shadows and surround him. All hope seems lost for our hero until a flash of pink streaks across the screen and destroys several Metal Sonics at once.

Sonic’s mysterious ally poses against the moon and then crashes back to Earth, destroying the final robotic menace with a massive hammer. Sonic appears stunned, prompting the figure to remove their hood and reveal none other than Amy Rose as his savior. Two reveals for the price of one!

Metal Sonic and Amy Rose both first appeared in 1993’s Sonic CD for the Sega CD, acting much as they do in the movie’s post-credits scene, as fiend and friend, respectively. The former is a Dr. Robotnik invention created to mimic Sonic’s skills, while the latter is a hedgehog who believes she’s Sonic’s girlfriend, though these feelings are often unrequited.

The duo’s reveal in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 continues the trend of Sonic characters being teased in the credits before officially joining the cast in the next movie. The first Sonic movie briefly introduced Miles “Tails” Prower as he emerged from a portal into the real world, whereas the sequel hinted at the eventual appearance of Shadow the Hedgehog as one of the threequel’s antagonists.

I’m no Sonic fan, but even so, the slow way in which the movie series has added classic franchise characters to the cast is pretty fun. Big the Cat for Sonic the Hedgehog 4, please.