Notice! This post contains SPOILERS for Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 features a wide collection of exciting Easter eggs, video game references, and more. Featuring Team Sonic pitted against the live-action debut of Shadow the Hedgehog (voiced by Keanu Reeves), the third Sonic film adapts several elements from classic SEGA games, mainly Sonic Adventure 2. To that end, there are several great nods to the 2001 game, along with plenty of other fun references to the first two. Sonic movies, pop culture and more.
Inspired by Shadow's first appearance in Sonic Adventure 2 alongside Eggman's grandfather, Gerald Robotnik (Jim Carrey), Sonic the Hedgehog 3 adapts several central elements of the darkest hedgehog's origins, such as his relationship with Maria Robotnik, Gerald's granddaughter. As such, many exciting game connections can be found in the new Sonic film along with more typical references that audiences have come to expect from the franchise. With that in mind, here are 35 of the biggest Easter eggs and references we found in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
35
Prison Island
Of Sonic Adventure 2
At the beginning of Sonic the Hedgehog 3Shadow is shown waking up from stasis 50 years after being put to sleep by GUN. As such, Shadow wakes up in a facility on Prison Island off the coast of Tokyo. Prison Island was a location in Sonic Adventure 2 where GUN held Sonic captive.
34
Jorma Taccone from Lonely Island
(He directed an episode of Knuckles)
Jorma Taccone plays the GUN officer tasked with guarding Shadow's stasis chamber. Best known for being a member of the musical comedy trio The Lonely Island with Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone also directed the fourth episode of Knuckles series, which featured the hilarious song “The Flames of Disaster” (starring singer Michael Bolton).
33
Sonic's run with Knuckles and Tails
Various game references
Sonic's run through the forest with Knuckles and Tails features multiple references to classic games, as the final song of the victory race when Sonic crosses the finish line and the spinning beam. Knuckles and Tails' holograms are also shown tapping their feet, a classic idle character animation from the games.
32
Team Sonic exiting a GUN helicopter
The Beginning of Sonic Adventure 2
Recruited by GUN to go after Shadow, Team Sonic jumps out of GUN's helicopter before parachuting into the city of Tokyo below. This reflects the beginning of Sonic Adventure 2 when Sonic is shown escaping GUN by jumping out of a helicopter in the same way (and using one of its doors as a surfboard).
31
Shadow's bike and weapon
References to Shadow's solo game
Driving a motorcycle and firing a pistol at the pursuing Sonic, Shadow makes a grand entrance during his first confrontation with the classic blue hedgehog. Likewise, the bike and gun are references to the solo Shadow game released by SEGA in 2005. (and could serve as an epic spin-off film).
30
“1.21 Gigawatts”
Back to the future
After the big confrontation between Sonic and Shadow that temporarily shut down the city's power grid a stunned Sonic is helped by Tails and Knuckles as he mutters “1.21 gigawatts…”. This is a reference to Back to the future, the amount of energy needed for the classic DeLorean to travel through time.
29
Chao Gardens
Seen in several Sonic games
regrouping, Tails brings the team to Chao Gardensa popular restaurant in Tokyo that features the classic fairy-like creatures from the games. In the game (like Sonic Adventure 2), several chao gardens are presented as places where the little creatures can be taken and cared for once found.
28
Detective Pikachu
Another great video game movie
Tails is mistaken by some children as Detective Pikachumuch to Knuckles' amusement. How the Sonic films, Detective Pikachu was another successful video game adaptation that combined CG game characters with real-life human actors and environments.
27
Shadow, the ultimate life form
Your classic name
Meeting with Team Sonic at the restaurant, Commander Walters confirms that Shadow was part of a secret GUN project dating back 50 years, when they recovered a meteor containing “The ultimate way of life “. This is Shadow's classic name in the games and comics, a testament to his impressive powers and abilities.
26
Robotnik's Spanish soap opera
First seen in O Knuckles series (starring Cristo Fernández)
It is revealed to be alive and hidden in a giant robot crab Jim Carrey's Eggman is shown eating too much and watching a Spanish soap opera titled “La Ultima Pasión” starring Ted Lasso Christ Fernandez in the dual role of rival twin brothers. However, the show itself was first referenced in Knuckles episode 5, when the echidna briefly watches the show in her Reno hotel room.
25
Knuckles' fear of ghosts
Probably a reference to Pumpkin Hill
Exploring the abandoned GUN college where Shadow lost Maria, Knuckles tries to deny his fear of ghosts. This could be a reference to Pumpkin Hill, a Knuckles-centric level in Sonic Adventure 2 which featured a collection of ghosts.
24
Keanu Reeves' Speed
The Movie That Inspired Keanu's Shadow Casting
Upon meeting Gerald Robotnik for the first time, Eggman tests his supposed grandfather's intellect with trivia and equations. One of these equations involves dividing the speed of light and time by the speed of the bus. Speedthe 1994 film starring Keanu Reeves which Sonic watches in secret with Tom and Maddie Wachowski in the first film. As such, Sonic's professed love for Keanu in Speed helped motivate his future casting as Shadow to Sonic 3.
23
Robotnik's Eclipse Cannon
An incredibly powerful superweapon
Jim Carrey's Gerald reveals to Jim Carrey's Ivo that he has built a massive superweapon for GUN known as The Eclipse Cannon. This is the same super weapon built by Gerald in the games continuity and was used by Eggman decades later in Sonic Adventure 2.
22
Ivo and Gerald Robotnik in Eggmanland
First appeared in Sonic Maze
Spend some quality time together using VR, Ivo and Gerald are shown riding a roller coaster together in “Eggmanland”. Appearing in several games, Eggmanland is a classic location that is a city/theme park hybrid, a robotic utopia in the eyes of Eggman himself.
21
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
A classic spy film referenced by the Wachowskis
While planning to invade GUN HQ in London, Team Sonic enlists the help of Tom and Maddie, who are eager for some action. Excited about infiltrating the base, Tom and Maddie refer to themselves as “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”referencing the classic Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie spy film of the same name (which received a recent series reboot starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine).
20
Classic Sonic character selection screen
During the planning of the robbery
As Tails goes over each person's roles in the heist, a character selection screen is briefly shown.. It's very similar to the ones seen in the classic Sonic games like Sonic Adventure 2.
19
Shadow Revenge Guac
“Guac, Guac, Guac”
As the Robotniks infiltrate GUN HQ, Shadow is forced to wait with Stone, who offers him guacamole. Answering that it would be “revenge guacamole”, this is a reference to the first Sonic movie when Sonic mentions how weird the word “guac” really is.
18
Cameos from Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Rachel and Randall
Using holographic disguises, Tom and Maddie infiltrate the base as Maddie's sister Rachel (Natasha Rothwell) and her GUN agent husband Randall Handel (Shemar Moore).. Rachel and Randall were introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 2celebrating their wedding in Hawaii.
17
“A classic trick from the 90s”
Blowing into SEGA cartridges
When Tails' USB drive doesn't work, Tom blows it out and puts it back in, solving the problem. Confirming that it is “a classic 90s trick”, this is undoubtedly a nod to the classic gaming solution of having to blow out old game cartridges when and if they are initially unresponsive, like those on a SEGA Genesis.
16
Sonic goes down Abbey Road
“John, Paul, George, the other”
As he runs past the GUN's temporarily lowered shields, Sonic takes a moment to recreate the cover of the Beatles' classic Abbey Road album. However, he does make a subtle dig at the oft-forgotten Ringo.