Warning: This article contains spoilers for Sonic the Hedgehog 3.One of the biggest films of 2024, although the year was full of big hits, is Sonic the Hedgehog 3the latest film from the immensely popular Sonic film franchise. The film was very well received, with the highest Rotten Tomatoes score ever. Sonic live-action series and audience scores that reflect how beloved the films have become. The film's status was greatly enhanced by Sonic 3The incredible cast, with another standout performance from Jim Carrey, this time playing dual roles as Gerald and Ivo Robotnik.
Gerald Robotnik is a character from Sonic Adventure 2the game that Sonic 3 is based on. Although he plays very different roles in the video game and the film, he has always been an integral part of Shadow the Hedgehog's origin story. However, in Sonic Adventure 2Gerald is long dead when the game's events occur, which is a very different approach than the one Sonic 3 he picked up. In the film, Gerald is somehow still alive and well at 110 years oldleaving unanswered the question of how he achieved such a feat.
Shadow's feather apparently helped Gerald Robotnik live so long
Gerald was able to hold the feather of the ultimate life form
One of the theories surrounding Gerald's long life is that Shadow's (Keanu Reeves) feather, which he managed to hold onto even when he was arrested, was what helped him survive. Although this is never explicitly stated, the film makes a point of showing Gerald holding the feather after the death of Maria (Alyla Browne) 50 years earlier Sonic the Hedgehog 3. As Shadow himself is used as a power source for the Eclipse Cannon, it is likely that the feather's main use was to prolong Gerald's life.
Why Shadow's Quill Could Have Helped Gerald Robotnik Stay Alive
Shadow Feather contains an unlimited amount of energy
While keeping someone alive isn't any kind of power that Sonic (Ben Schwartz) or Shadow's feathers have, there are many ways in which having access to one of these feathers would allow Gerald to live long enough to see his Sonic the Hedgehog 3 plan. The first and most obvious explanation would be that, from the first Sonic the Hedgehog explains that penalties have essentially unlimited power, Gerald used the quill, in combination with his incredible intellect, to create some device that helped sustain his life.
Seeing that Gerald had the chance to negotiate with the classic Sonic organization GUN for his freedom, he may not have even had to wait until he was released from prison to create a machine to increase his natural life expectancy. GUN would have an interest in his survival, and allowing him to create something to stay healthy would also be in their interest, even if Sonic the Hedgehog 3 eventually proves that it was a mistake to deal with him in the first place.